We had a predator attack today. I can’t find one chicken(or any sign that it got taken, ie the explosion of feathers) but found a different explosion of feathers. I happened to find the hen in the coop and was shocked. Something clearly tried to get ahold of her. Thankfully she was a Cochin and...
Hey there! Suggestions wanted!
I’ve hatched a few chicks in our incubator the last few days, and one doesn’t seem to be doing well. It’s sleeping much more than the others and is pretty unsteady on its feet. It is also struggling to keep its eyes open. It hatched on time(21days) and although...
Help! Went up to check on Mama hens progress with brooding and to remove shells of chicks I knew had hatched. Two eggs had been crushed, one had passed but one was still breathing and moving! I’ve brought it down to our incubator.
It pipped almost 24 hours ago, so it’s not too far off. I’ve...
Would love to know about your experiences using hawk tape/reflective streamers for hawk deterrents? Good and bad, stories below please!!!
Our area is directly in the path of migratory hawks, very high traffic, in the spring and fall. looking to find some decent ways to possibly deter them a...
Hey all.
I took my chickens some bruised peaches yesterday afternoon and they were so excited. I supervised them for a while, but none of them showed any interest in the pits. Today, when I was moving a hen off of some eggs, I felt something strange in her crop and prodded around a little. Long...
Hey there! Pics attached of my Colorpack hen, who I think may be egg bound. When she stands still, she’s very upright, tail low. Does not seem to be bearing down/trying to push an egg out. When she walks around, it’s fairly normal. Temperament and energy seems normal.
They eat Scratch and Peck...
Hey there! I’m brooding eggs under a hen for the first time, and it’s been really successful so far, apart from the fact that these chicks are hatching in the 23-25 day range.
My 5th one is ready to hatch, it pipped internally yesterday, and today I could hear it peeping any rattling around in...
I have 6 backyard blends in my incubator right now. All were definitely viable, and when I candled tonight(Day 10) 4 were very clearly still rocking… like, even watched the embryos moving around! So cool!
I have 2 though that I think may be early quitters. Both are smaller dark spots with no...
Hey all! I’m 8 days into an incubation of some backyard blends, and I want your opinion!
This is an egg from one of my cuckoo marans, so the shell is thick, pretty dark, and difficult to see into… is this a blood ring? You can still clearly see the eye of the fetus… Do you think it’s still...
Okay, I know ramps are both super amazing for uncoordinated little chickies… but for this year, I need to utilize one for babies to access the run from the coop and vice versa. I am doing a mix of brooded and incubated eggs, chicks and Mama will be in the coop.
That being said, at what point...
Okay, this is our first try on home fertilized eggs!!! SO:
I have one hen that’s truly committed to being broody. Okay is her 4th or 5th. My other hen broke early, so she’s fired 😂 BUT, from her poor effort, I was able to break and check for viability, and 6 of her 7 eggs were viable!! All had...
Hey community!! I’m going to be building and installing a small coop and run as a connection/extension of our current coop setup. Our current coop is basically an 8x10 shed elevated about 2 feet off the ground, with an approximately 400 square foot run connected. It’s about covered/roofed half...
OKAY! Chick season is fast approaching and I think it’s fair to say we’re all SUPER excited 🤩 🐣
This is our first year with a rooster, and I’m super excited at the prospect of getting some backyard blends! Our first year(and all my experience growing up) we just bought live chicks. Last year...
I’ve been having a chicken that’s laying lots of yolkless eggs lately. I have 17 layers, and am not sure who it is. Today I broke a few into a bowl to inspect them, and I found something that looks a LOT like a small worm 😬
I could be wrong, but I’d love some feedback. Also would love to know...
I’m not sure who it is(I have 17 hens), but one of my girls has been laying tiny yolkless fairy eggs for about two weeks now. I’ve never had this happen before now, but we’re getting about 3-4 of these tiny brown eggs each week.
Is there a condition that might cause this? One or two times...
Hey there. I have a 8ish month old RIR that has impacted crop. Large, bulbous, I don’t think it’s pendulous yet. This is day 2, maybe three of her being like this. I noticed it yesterday(Monday), and today(Tuesday) it looked a little worse…. He swollen area was even across the front of her...
Hey there! I wondering what people’s favorite meat birds out there are! We raise chickens for ourselves, and the feed cost ratios don’t really matter to us. We also have sufficient space, so raising a longer maturing breed is also not an issue.
Currently, our family raises dual purpose breeds...
Hey there! I wondering what people’s favorite meat birds out there are! We raise chickens for ourselves, and the feed cost ratios don’t really matter to us. We also have sufficient space, so raising a longer maturing breed is also not an issue.
Currently, our family raises dual purpose breeds...
Okay, so here are two Black Copper Marans chicks that I hatched on April 15th and 16th, making them a few days over 9 weeks old. One, I’m certain, is a rooster. The comb, wattles, and coloring is spot on. The other, I’m not so sure. Maybe I’m being blinded by the hope of a hen to give me...