My dog just found where a gambel's quail had been killed in the last few hours (probably coyote), and all eggs were destroyed except one. It was evident from one of the broken eggs that the chicks were due to hatch in a day or two. I got the last egg, and it was cool to the touch. I put it...
Emily BO is 5 years old. She went broody twice a year for the first three years, but never hatched or raised chicks. Now I want her to raise chicks, so I put her in with Matilda who set golf balls and is raising 5 chicks about 1 month old now. They are now co-parenting the chicks. From the...
My hen was free ranging and happy when I saw what appears to be a dried egg on her vent with intestines going into it? It is very dried and I am afraid to cut-pull without any idea what I am doing! She seems very well otherwise, just over one year old. What should I do? No vet for chickens...
I rescued four Speckled Sussex pullets from our feed store cage. Three feathered out the same, and one looks very different. Can anyone with knowledge of the breed give me any thoughts on why the one looks so different? It is 1/3 larger than the other three, is it a roo, or did this hatchery...
I was expecting my BO Emily to go broody and hatch eggs for me, she has gone broody twice each summer so far. But, my one year old EE Matilda appears to have the broody desire like mad! She is going broody every three or four weeks so far this year!!! So I decided to let her set some eggs...
I have two roosters, just over one year old and raised together. Simon, the black australorp has always been dominant, chasing Noah, the EE. Until today! Noah is larger, and for some reason he decided today was the day to try for dominance. They were free ranging, and started fighting. I...
Much to my surprise I have a one year old EE that is broody. How common is this among those of you that have these hens? My normal broody hen is a BO, much more likely I would think than an EE?
I have a RIR one year old hen that somehow got a nasty open wound on the end of the first wing bone (closest to the body, I guess it would be like the blunt end of your elbow), about a nickel in size. It looked OK for a few days and I thought it would heal on its own. Now she is constantly...
Must go to a good home, we have too many boys from this year's chicks. Southwest New Mexico, free to a qualified home (not for eating, not for fighting...)
I am very relieved to have successfully mixed my 25 new chicks, now ten weeks old, in with the 17 two year old hens. I started when the little ones were about two weeks old, putting them in a "play pen" wire structure near the hens ever day that the weather would allow (from 20 minutes to...
I have 17 two year olds and 25 eight week olds. It sure will be nice eventually to be able to put the little ones in the coop at night! Both groups have been able to see each other often for the last six weeks, I put the chicks in a separate pen outdoors as the weather has allowed. I started...
My question is for those who get chicks from a feed store intermediary (hatchery : feed store : you):
This year do you have a larger or smaller percent of cockerels in the pullets that you paid for?
My very small sample of locals says the percent of cockerels has jumped by a huge number...
I would appreciate anyone who can post a lesson from their own experience on "How to Raise a Nice Rooster". I am looking for practical advice for those who ended up with a cockerel or two mixed in with the pullets they paid for. I have two 8 week old EE boys, and my theory is I am better off...
Since I have never even seen an Ameraucana/EE rooster in person.... the chicks were from Privett. I have 10 of these chicks, 25 total and this white feathered one is starting to have me worried at 7 weeks old, and has the most unusual feather coloration of the bunch. Please share opinions on...
...but their shells are not as strong as last summer. This BR's feathers are not the greatest, showing a lot of wear and tear, she has not done a good molt like about half her flock. Any ideas on why?
***Please, no one suggest culling, she is a family PET, like a three legged dog or a blind...
I hope someone can recognize this antique I bought at a consignment house yesterday. I can not seem to find out anything on the web, but I suspect I am using the wrong words to search. It was tagged as a poultry brooder. It is one piece molded glass, approx. 7 inches wide and 9 inches to the...
I have my first broody hen, Katie, a barred rock just over 1 year old. I don't have a rooster, so no fertile eggs and I really don't have the time this summer to deal with getting chicks or eggs to put under her. So I want to do what is best for her to break her from being broody. I don't...
We have been so amazed at the interactions between the mule deer and our free range hens. They hens act like the deer are cows or horses, just more livestock that lives with us. The deer are often curious about the hens and will go up to them and sniff them. They also choose to lay down near...
DH and I were driving by a car dealership today when I noticed a pile of pumpkins in their window. We pulled over and I went in and said "I have a strange request, since Halloween is over can I have the pumpkins in your window?" The man said "What do you want them for?" and I said "To feed my...
I know thet EEs come in so many colors, I would love to see some of the variations. I am really happy with how my two turned out. They are both a bit shy and hard to take pictures of that do them justice. Both lay matt green eggs.
Here is Cleo:
Here is one showing all Cleo's "face fluff"...