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Thank you! I tried the candling, some eggs clearly had no action, so have taken those out and will test in water. Some have visible veins and faint dark blobs, and some have very visible veins, and clearly moving blob, so presumably more developed. I’ve marked them according to my amateur guess...

Hi All, I've been away for two weeks, during which time 4 of my hens decided to go broody. For some reason the person looking after them did not notice, so not too sure when they actually started sitting. Apparently there were very few eggs laid while I was gone (they were being laid, but they...

Oh this is interesting, exactly what I was wondering about. I recently introduced 4 10 week old pullets to my flock (of 3!) - separated by a net fence for now. Suddenly the silkie cross has become broody, and I wondered whether the chicks might have stimulated that. I'm in 2 minds about getting...

Hi, yes, the coop and run are covered. There are 4 chickens and one guinea hen. The guinea does not sleep with them (her choice), but on the highest perch inside the run. I am quite convinced that Twiggy's temperament has changed since her time with the cockerel. I don't usually give up easily...

Sorry, forgot to add details. Coop is about 3x3m (9x9 foot?) but open to a run about 6 by 4m. But they free range all day when there are people around (raptors)

Ok, sounds like I failed in terms of the short week getting to know you. I.m sorry, but I am not familiar with feet and inches, i am from a metric country. Seems that 3 feet make about a meter. So one meter =3 feet. I did only add one bird, right at the time that i also separated the cockerel...

Hi All, The title covers my question, but maybe a bit of background will help paint the picture. My young cockerel (1 year old) started attacking my older Australorp, to the point of creating a great big hole at the back of her neck. I initially thought this was overamorous behaviour, but now...

Just to put everyone's minds at ease, the current setup (thanks to all of your suggestions): the girls are together again, in the coop and run, and he stays outside during the day, and sleeps alone in the chicken 'run' area and the girls sleep in the coop area. So far so good, until I make a...

The injured hen is actually healed now, but I am sure that he will hurt her again, so I am keeping her separate. The other hens spend the mornings with her so that they can get their egg laying done. They get very distraught when separated from the cockerel, which is why I caved in and put them...

He is no longer able to abuse her as they are separated. I might not be very brave, but I am kind, which is why I posted my question here, to figure out what the best options are for all the chickens concerned.

I wish I was that self sufficient and brave. Truth is, I am not. I eat the eggs, but couldn't imagine eating them (although, hypocrite that I am, store bought free range chicken is OK). .

Yes, I agree, as he is being the jerk, he should be separated. I was kind of hoping he was just an accidental jerk, but maybe not. I am apparently rather weak, as I just went to check, and he was so distraught a being separated, that I put the two girls back with him (they were also distraught)...

Thank you all for your responses. I watched him closely today - he bonks the other 2 quickly, with no drama. I let him near the other one, Bertha, to see what he does (I have been away for some months, so this is my first day of observation). When he came near her, she did the submissive crouch...

Hi All, my cockerel is about a year old, he is very sweet with the (3) girls, but, paradoxically, has hurt his favourite one badly on her neck. I'm keeping her separate to heal, but am afraid it will just happen again once they are together. How can I discourage him? What I gather so far, is: 1...

*flock

Oh that is so sad! I can't give any good advice as I am also quite new to this, but I hope someone else can advise. I have one female guinea that is always on her own, but i think that might be because she thinks she is a human, as she is hand reared. From what I gather guineas are dlock birds...

My guinea hen with half of a leopard toad (pulverised) sticking out, feeling defiant and unapologetic, just before she swallowed the whole thing. Feel a bit bad about her killing it, on the other hand her antics were priceless.

He is about 10 weeks old (was hoping he was female, but, alas, NO..). He only tries to hump my guinea hen, probably because she is smaller, and maybe pheromones play a role as she has only recently started to squat. Can he make he pregnant? Considering how young he is and the fact that she is a...

Thank you so much, I can see myself going down the 'wormhole' over there!

Oops, I meant to say in terms of seasons, not weather conditions! It's the end of summer here, and of course all of the US is the other way round. So our daylight hours are in fact decreasing, albeit slowly, and we do not have very extreme changes in season here. That could explain why we have...