You don't sound like you have a lot of experience with aggressive roosters so cull him right away. You won't change an aggressive rooster of an aggressive breed this late in the game.
Depends on what your goals are. If egg production was my only goal, I'd get hybrids bred for laying. If my only goal was meat production, I'd raise Cornish Crosses. If I wanted sustainable eggs and meat, and cost per dozen eggs and pound of meat wasn't a major factor, I'd raise the fastest...
No, not at all. I have a Nurture Right 360 and have had excellent results. I take the turner drive motor out of the base and run it through the dishwasher on the energy saver/no heat/no dry setting, then spritz it down with a 1-tbs bleach : 1 qt water solution and let it air dry. Then I...
My reply isn't critical of Odoban; it was intended for the OP because of OP's aversion to using bleach around chicks due to chemical exposure. I use bleach to disinfect my incubator and pretty much everything else concerning our hatching, brooding and processing of chickens. Bleach is a wonder...
Odoban has way more chemicals than bleach; the safety data sheet looks like a list of chemicals- go to their website, choose the disinfectant then scroll down to the SDS sheet, then scroll up to the list of scents. It'll open in a PDF but my phone won't let me print or save it as a pic.
ETA...
Why not a spray of 91% rubbing alcohol? It's a good sanitizer, evaporates completely in a very short time and leaves no residue. Or even Everclear grain alcohol; whatever you don't use can be mixed grape juice for a relaxing after-chore beverage.
The crop is fine; it means she's eating well. The shoulder patches are normal as well and it's because she's outgrowing her down. She'll feather out but, between now and then, she'll look patchy and bedraggled.
She may be a bantam that got mixed in with standard sized chicks.
Put the feeder in a plastic kiddie pool. It'll contain the mess, cut down on feeding the mice and, when the feeder runs out (or you take a pause on keeping it filled), the chickens have a handy little concentrated pile of spilled feed to fall back on.
Also, yes; get it so the openings are about...
You may not get over it completely but allow it to become part of your experience; if there's a next time, whether it's a chicken or some other animal, you can proceed according to your knowledge and comfort level. Or not. You do what you're capable of, and find a mentor to help you with the...
I have had JG's and, as others have said, they take forever to mature and that includes laying eggs. I currently have Bresse and a heavy bodied strain of Rhode Island Reds as dual purpose birds. Both mature fairly quickly, both are prolific layers. Roosters of both give a 3-lb table ready...
She may have an abscess; have you examined her extra carefully? She may also have a vent disorder like gleet, which can make her vent look moist but stink like rot.
ACV is one of the most divisive topics on BYC. Some people feel that their chickens would immediately turn to dust without it while others view those first people as hopeless neanderthals rubbing ancient talismans. I don't believe it hurts or helps in the doses most people prescribe. I drink a...