Recent content by The Brick Coop

You could also switch to a good breeding feed, too, to ensure there are no dietary insufficiencies. My fav is Kalmbach's Game Bird breeder feed. Its small pellets are a great size for bantams and the ingredients are better than just layer feed. All my poultry eats it. It's just pennies more...

You should know within 5 days by candling. Read about candling in the articles. If embryos are dying, your incubator temperature is probably off. Read up here on incubation--lots of good references. Some young roos need practice. Give him time and maybe the excitement of (carefully)...

Borderline off-topic continuation, but: by "rights", I hope you mean the more general, modern definition, and not legal entitlement (ex: voting in elections). Even the definition of 'welfare' is interpreted differently around the world. See USDA's article...

Or it could be from other females pecking. Neosporin is just one brand of topical antibiotic ointment. You can use any topical antibiotic that you use on yourself on this chicken's injury. There is also a Pick-no-More (by Rooster Booster, on Amazon) or similar thick syrupy product that tastes...

I breed JGs. They are heavy so you don't want the roosts too high because when if they land on something hard like a stone, splinter, corn grain, or frozen turd they may injure their foot, especially when they get older. This leads to bruising & bumblefoot. They need room to flap to get up...

I'm in the NE and just learned what ufd means, at least I think = "up for discussion? That was my first question. As for etymology, does that expression come from the U.S. southern states, because I see a high percentage of posts in the Ky FB livestock pages with it. Does "ufd" mean ONLY for...

Tom Buss in PA may have some good JGs too, worth a check. Also, go to the Sussex Co. show in NJ, it is not that far and cheap entertainment looking at all the beautiful poultry! they usually have several JGs. bb

Hi, Victoria, I'm sorry I do not get online much. I have JGs. You were looking a few years ago. Do you want some older exhibition birds? (they are really old, like > 5 yrs but still lay occasionally) Do you show? I am in Royersford/Limerick area which is ~20mi W of Phila. I am looking to...

Some kids just don't like poultry. Or birds. Forcing them to learn how to deal with hard-pecking defensive birds without giving them a shield will likely cause them to hate chickens forever. With my girls the same thing started to happen, but worse--with a juvenile rooster. He just danced at...

General stress. Adding new birds into the space occupied by previous territory. Others also had great advice re: different strains of Eimeria. They may tolerate the infection now that their flock is stabilizing. Keep an eye on them for picking also but I think you're past that stage of...

Our run in SE PA has an American persimmon nearby but not directly overhead dropping fruit (in late fall early winter). These persimmons ripen very late and are like jelly when they do fall. gooey, those would hold acid on the galvanized chicken wire and rust it. When I am out and let hens...

7,8,11,13 all work. Ditto on electric netting, I have seen a horse get tangled and fall panicking with the step-in post metal point at her belly like a bayonet ready to go in just as she finally realized she should wait for the people to do something and stopped moving. the power was...

Aren't you worried about the snakes, young raccoons, weasels, mink, rats, and young skunks that might come through the chain link at night? They come through my chain link but did not until we had chickens for about a year. Our snakes have plenty rodents and do not bother the chickens or their...

A few more suggestions: I second what cracrzy4chicks suggested. A heated waterer may help encourage them to drink and stay hydrated and even add a bit of warmth to the coop. If you cannot find a heated dog water bowl or if your flock is bigger, get the small heated bucket but Not the big...

Whew! got some calories in there. Seriously, about the friend--we've had attack-rescued and sewed-together birds in serious trouble before and having a fellow bird close by to see and hear them eating and drinking does something amazing that no human can do for the recovering victim.