I second the idea of a dust bath. There are plenty of "recipes" you can find on this site.
I don't think I'll ever be as happy as a chicken is when it is dust bathing.
My neighbor really wants to have a few chickens in her backyard but unfortunately lost her job and can't pay for a pre-made coop.
Last year I made a coop for my backyard but I used my own plans and frankly spent far too much on it but I figured I could probably make her one if I could find...
I have some red silkie chicks that are about four days old now.
This morning when I was checking in on them I noticed one had something on his head.
It appears like a small scab but is black and not red. It was not there yesterday.
Could it have been caused by a peck from one of the adult...
There is food and water just out of frame. Only about 5 inches away from nest box.
They should be between 48 and 72 hours old at this point.
I just thought it was a little strange that they would eat and drink so much yesterday but hardly at all today.
Should I kick the mom out of the...
Yesterday I bought some day-old Red Silkie chicks and last night I slipped them under my broody BO hen.
Yesterday while I was waiting for the sun to go down the chicks were eating and drinking a lot in their little cardboard box but today I've noticed they hardly ever come out from under their...
I put them under her last night but so far only one has come out to get a drink before going right back under.
How long does it normally take for them all to come out looking for food/water?
They were eating and drinking a lot yesterday during the day.
I think I'll leave them in the coop at least for tonight to see if she takes them in.
How will I know in the morning if she has accepted or rejected them?
So today is the 21st day my BO hen has been broody.
Unfortunately I was out of town when this started so I wasn't able to get any fertile eggs under her.
But at my local feed store this morning they had 24 hour old Red Silkies from Ideal Poultry and since today is when fertile eggs WOULD...
Same thing happened to two of my three chickens the first time they laid an egg.
Completely normal. You may even see it a few more times but it's nothing to worry about.
It's also quite normal for them to make a bit of a racket after laying an egg but mine aren't nearly as loud now as when...
I disagree that you can't make a net "profit" although I will agree that if that is a deal breaker you probably shouldn't keep chickens since a LOT can go wrong.
I currently am getting more out of my chickens then I am putting in but that took more planning than I originally thought.
The...
Although I only have two of them I would recommend Buff Orpingtons.
The reason I decided to get them is because they have a reputation for being extremely friendly and very quiet, both of which I have found to be true.
Buff Orpingtons and Silkies seem to be the go-to breeds whenever...