Recent content by Back2Roots

1.5 ft x 8 ft = 12 sq ft; 1 sq ft minimum per bird = a maximum of twelve quails in that area, IMO. I share the "more is better" school of thought. I originally had 3 quail in a 3 ft X 6 ft pen (this space does not include their quail house, which is 5 sq ft). I've recently acquired 5 more...

@sourland, that's what I am worried about too: that she may die. I've been trying for sexed day old chicks to give her, but the youngest I've been able to find are one week-olds ((Legbars), and I'm afraid she will reject them. I thought I would be able to get some Welsummer day-olds, which can...

A bit of history: I was overseas in May when DH told me that my Silkie hen had gone broody. I organized to have a half dozen Brabanter hatching eggs shipped (because I've always wanted to have a Brabanter or two in my flock). They arrived the day I got home, and after letting them settle for 24...

... leaving ping pong balls under her will only encourage her to sit longer, and each day she sits, she is losing condition. It isn't good for her health.

Hmm, weird that the link doesn't work - when I enter it in address field in my browser, it brings it up, no problem. Anyway, maybe this one will work: http://www.tscstores.com/125-GALLON-HEATED-PET-DISH-P11305.aspx#.VsSN1bQrJhE I have a bantam Silkie hen that would have no trouble taking a...

I have a plastic heated pet bowl similar to this: http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produc … _vc=-10005 I was wondering if I could fill it with sand instead of water so that my hens have a place to dust bathe inside the coop on days when it's really cold and windy - like today. It was -30 C, with...

That's great news! Congrats!

How many days is the egg/hatch overdue? There are a few things that should be factored in to counting due date, such as temperature, age of egg when it was set, breed of chicken, etc. The average is 21 days, but I've heard and read that some can take quite a few days longer. If you have counted...

Quote: Well, in that case, you're good to go! :-) You've got some wiggle room, I think. If it were me, I'd graft in the evening after the chicks hatch, and get up extra early next a.m. just to make sure that mama has accepted them all. Assuming that the chicks hatch today or tomorrow at the...

I'm afraid 5 day-old chicks you won't have a good chance of successful grafting. I personally think it's too late: either mam will reject them outright, or if she does take them under her wing, they are now too old to really bond with her and won't listen to her either. If you put older chicks...

Hi Jeanette. Whereabouts is Harmony? It wouldn't by any chance be south of Ottawa near Vernon, would it?

I think you just answered your own question about headshaking and preening: It sounds like your hens are going through a molt, and new feather growth is an itchy process. Those new feather shafts are irritating bristles until the feather finishes growing in. I know from watching my own hens that...

She sounds very uncomfortable, like she needs some help passing whatever is stuck in her reproductive tract. You can try giving her an epsoms salts bath soak AKA spa treatment. See here for "how-to": http://hencam.com/faq/the-spa-treatment/

Thanks WalnutHill and Amy Lynn - that's a good question. I will ask her how she candled her eggs. I'll suggest another candling to confirm that she actually seeing the air sac rather than the albumen.

Posting this question for someone who is incubating eggs for the first time. I have zero experience with incubating, so thought I'd throw the question out to you folks for some possible solutions. She candled her eggs yesterday on day 12, and found that one had the air sac at the pointed end of...