Trying to figure out how to approach this to help you understand. One morning in Arkansas the temperature was -4 Fahrenheit. 4 degrees below zero. I opened the pop door and let the chickens decide what they wanted to do. They immediately went outside to enjoy the weather. -4 F is a lot...
Sometimes, though when I've seen it they are immature cockerels instead of mature roosters. I've seen a mature hen go through the mating act with a pullet that had started laying eggs. The one on top is showing dominance of the one on the bottom, either willingly or by force. I consider...
This sounds normal to me. Each integration is different, I don't always get exactly the same results, but it is common for older hens to peck at younger chicks that invade their personal space. They may chase them away. It usually takes very little time for the younger to learn to avoid the...
It doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong. With no older chickens around to show them or hinder them, most of my broods start sleeping in the roosts at night at around 10 to 12 weeks of age. I've had some start at 5 weeks, some go longer than 12 weeks, but 10 to 12 is a close average...
I agree, start the treatment. If it is not coccidiosis the treatment will not hurt them. If it is coccidiosis treatment may be vital.
When I can beets I feed them the cooked skins. That turns their poop red. Red cabbage turns the poop fluorescent blue. That could be from something they...
That's not bad for space, better than I'd hoped. And the chicks have been in the "see but no touch" for 9 weeks. That's a long time.
Before I did anything else I'd remove the cockerel. You are going to anyway so get him out of the equation. Then, one morning when you can be around to...
After 6 weeks I'd either get her some chicks to raise or break her from being broody. She should have about used up her nutritional reserves by now.
I don't know what happened. To me it sounds like some critter like a skunk or possum opened the eggs, ate any developing chicks, and left some...
As far as the lower ranked birds being able to eat (and drink) it doesn't matter if the feeders (or waterers) are hanging, attached to a wall or fence, or on the ground. What matters is that they be widely scattered so they can eat (or drink) without being bullied by the others.
If they are...
one 1-year-old hen
three 11 to 12 week-old pullets after the cockerel is gone
one new 12 to 13 week old pullet
What do your facilities look like? How big, in feet or meters, are your various coops and runs? How are they situated relative to each other? Photos of your facilities could be...
:thumbsup Good post!
This type of behavior is not always due to lack of space but that is often a contributor. In feet or meters, how much room do they have in the coop and in the run?
I've had some successes and a few failures isolating an aggressor away from the flock for a few days. You...
You don't until you try it. Each is an individual with their own personality.
My signal that a hen is ready for hatching eggs is that she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal spot. To me nothing else matters. It has to be two consecutive nights.
For me...
That's what the article said, it did not say why. When I bake chicken I do not add any water but wind up with a half of a cup to a cup of liquid. I thought it might have something to do with extra liquid cooking out of the meat. But you have experiences with pressure canning and I don't.
Yes. A good broody will try to hatch goose, duck, turkey eggs or even door knobs or ping pong balls.
Chickens and eggs come in different sizes. The hen needs to be able to cover all of them. A small bantam may only be able to cover 4 to 6 full sized fowl eggs while a full sized fowl hen...
Welcome to the forum, glad you joined.
When a cockerel starts crowing it can be hilarious. They each can have unique crows even when adult but he should grow out of that squeaky phase. Sounds perfectly normal.
That's not horrible but it a bit tight for 19 chickens. I'd consider adding some additional run space before too long. I understand you are no longer able to free range. That makes it a bit harder.
I'd add clutter. That means some things the chickens can hide under or behind to break line...
What is the calcium content in those feeds? The All-Flock is probably around 1% which is too low to support egg production. I have no idea what the calcium content is in the feather fixer. Feather fixer is generally recommended to chickens in a molt when they are not laying eggs anyway.
My...
Can you tell us what happened? Why did they not make it? Were the chicks that did not make it form this hatch? It helps to have some details when answering this kind of question.
Without having a very definite reason to take the eggs or chicks I'd think your best chances for success is to...
I would now for many different reasons.
The main concern is that they may sleep in the nests instead of on the roosts or somewhere else. If they sleep in the nests they will poop in the nests. We do not want that poop on the eggs. I totally agree with that. But if they are going to sleep...
Indian Games are called Cornish on this chart. Cornish means the Cornish breed, not the Cornish Cross. That confuses a lot of people on this forum.
According to Tadkerson's feather-sexing chart (the third chart in this post below) pure Cornish and pure Sussex are both slow-feathering so you...
Like the others I'd have them open now. The only issue I can think of is that they sleep in the nests. If that is going to be a problem you need to find out now so you can fix it before they start laying in poopy nests. If they sleep in the nests come back on here and we can discuss how to...