behavior

We want to give our Nextdoor neighbor some hens. They live a bit away but can hear our roosters. We only have wire fencing and they plan to free range. Is there a risk of the chickens trying to come back home?

So I have two roosters (one 2 years old and the other about 8 months old). I’ve noticed a strange behavior out of them and thought at first it was just a weird thing my older boy did, until his son started to do it. Right after I change out the bedding in the coops both of the boys (from what it...

This 13 week old lavender orpington has started crowing! Apparently this is rare so maybe she is a he?

I’m a first-time chicken mom and just learning the ropes (much thanks to BYC for much of my education! The rest of the credit goes to my ladies). Three of my five 19 week-old pullets are just starting to lay, and one (my Red X) appears to be very sensitive about her eggs going missing! She...

Can somebody help me identify these chickens? I don't think any are roosters. They are about 4-5 months old. If you can identify them, can you tell me a little about them? I'm new to this chicken game! Thank you!

Hello! New chicken owner here, and I have 17 chickens (1 Rooster 16 Hens). One of them is pretty old and is very small, and the other hens (never the rooster) will peck her head and pick on her. There is no visible damage on her head, and no missing feathers. However, whenever I open the egg...

So, this is probably going to sound a little odd, but about a year ago, I got an order of Black Laced Golden Wyandottes from cackle hatchery. Most of them were pretty standard. But, right outta the box, there was one odd one. She still had the black an gold colors of her fellow chicks, but her...

Okay guys, want some opinions on behaviours. My main flock of misfit hens are incredibly tame and always have been. Occasionally they will peck me because I often bring treats so they’re used to pecking into my hand to get them, which is fine, however!! Lately Plum, my wry neck, has started...

Hi there! In April 2021 I bought two Barred Rock ‘pullets’, to add to my flock. Four months later, my two Barred Rock look a bit different from each other. One has a small pink comb, and the other’s wattles, comb, and overall face is completely developed and red! This morning, I saw my more...

Good morning! We have 2 male peking ducks that have recently began biting our ankles (and sometimes toes if available) and running in front of us as we walk, essentially almost tripping us:hmm. They always have duck pellets available to them but they mostly free range for food and have been...

So I'm not sure why but recently my chicken have been acting different. For reference I have a roo and a hen who have been together for a year and have been fine, they have 5 chicks together that are over a month old. I first noticed that my roo was mating the hen more and he recently started...

Hello all, I have 7 Muscovies, 6 hens and a drake. Well, the hens don’t let my drake mate them. Anyway, yesterday I noticed that my drake cornered my chocolate hen and ran his bill down her back, but if she would try and get away he would catch her again and do the same thing until he was done...

So my first time broody hatched a chick yesterday (on Mother’s Day!) and I noticed that when she is interacting with the chick it looks like she nibbles a bit on its beak. Doesn’t look like “biting”, but wasn’t sure if this was normal. For those that have done this before, is this just curiosity...

I have three 11 week old pullets. 2 barred rocks and 1 black Australorp. I used to have a buff Orpington but he was a male so i rehomed him about 2 weeks ago. They were raised together since the day I got them and they never had any aggression problems. I noticed that after the rooster was gone...

This little chickie seems more bold than the rest. Jumps at me and pecks at me and chest bumps the other chicks. Won't run away when I reach for him/her (which is nice because my kids & I like to hold them). Is it too early to tell if a roo? It is one of 12 chicks of various breeds including 4...

Hey guys, I have a silkie hen who recently started "refusing" our rooster's advances and now is fighting with him. They were raised together and they've never had issues before-she was his favorite and is the head hen. Is this a little "lover's quarrel", or will I never get fertile eggs from her...

I'm going to ask a series of questions in this post having to do with the first bunch of weeks of raising chicks. These questions come up due to conflicting information from a variety of sources of my research and talking with the "Chicken Expert" at Tractor Supply (aka TSCE) . As I stated in...

Hi, I have a 2.5 week old mallard duckling. She is a rescue so is with me all the time but we try to spend a couple hours a day outside with the other ducks so she can integrate back into being a duck as she grows. Because this is my first duckling I’m not sure if her actions are normal. Her...

How do quail work for you? I don't have quail, but i might get some someday, and I want to know how they are like.

We've had a spate of cold and windy weather and I'm having quite the time of it getting some of my girls to emerge from the coop. Our coop isn't big enough to house food and water--it's mainly for sleeping and laying. And with the deep litter method I worry about spillage that may cause issues...