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Yes, they will need frequent changes to avoid mold, but I would expect them to absorb water more effectively than the hay that is currently being used. I've seen some pictures of a water container sitting on top of a wire rack, which is sitting in a tray or pan. That way the water splashed go...

I agree on all points. Yes, the comb and wattles are yelling "male" with their size and color.

The gold/silver part should be the same for either cross: Gold father produces gold daughters. If the mother has silver, sons will show silver (may look yellowish rather than a clean white). If the mother has gold, sons will be gold, just like their sisters. If you get a male from that cross...

Do you have any fatty laying hens that need to be culled?

In future, maybe look up how long they should take to hatch, then allow another few days or maybe an extra week, then clean out any eggs that have not hatched (in this case all of them.) Three months sounds about way too long to me. It might also be useful to date eggs as they are laid, or at...

With actual Cornish Cross, the breeding stock is fed differently than the ones being raised for meat (more like the ones you have in with the eggers.) You may find that is the best way to manage your breeding stock as well. Of course that does make it harder to select breeding stock, because...

If you think the hen wants to roost, maybe provide a low roost in the pen. I have seen hens roost with chicks beside them, and the chick right next to the hen can usually get under her wing to stay warm. Since there is only one keet, maybe it could do that too. If that doesn't work, you might...

I thought the gray blobs might be mud, considering the gray smears on the feet and toes (especially the toes in the far left of the picture, that are curled so I can see gray on their tops.) But if clumps of lice eggs can also look like that, I agree it is important to figure out which kind of...

A friend of mine had several broodies that lost their chicks to predators, and one that did not. The successful one was a tree-sleeper, and she took her clutch of chicks up a tree from a very young age, well before they could fly. My friend described it: the hen would choose a tree with low...

There is a genetic test for the blue egg gene. https://iqbirdtesting.com/blueegg It might be worth testing the sweet rooster you already have and like. If he has the blue egg gene, of course you would keep breeding from him. If not, you may want to test one of the other roosters (it would be a...

You can get that effect with Di/Di or with ig/ig, or with Cb/Cb It looks like Di and Cb are dominant, with ig being recessive. Crested Cream Legbars should have one of those dilution genes (Di or ig or Cb), although I don't know which one. Several hatcheries sell them. Cream Brabanters would...

Definitely interesting. I don't know what to say-- I know how the genes are "supposed" to work, but seeing them in real chicks is not at all the same as reading about them ;) I do see what you mean about those areas that look barred. Regarding the two color patterns in the chicks, it will be...

Given what you have said, I would guess that she is just done, and will probably not be willing to take the chick back. Some hens just are not good mothers, and this may be one of them. Or she may be a good mother in other circumstances, but not this time. I can't say for sure what made the...

Probably not dangerous. You could do the same thing with leaves of grass, dandelion, clover, and various other chicken-safe plants. For things with big or long leaves, either cut them into short pieces scissors so they cannot tangle in the chicks' crops, or give the chicks a whole plant with...

Probably not, because of this:

Unfortunately I don't know anything about the genetics involved here, or about that specific condition. Unless someone more knowledgeable chimes in, that is what I would do too.

Genetically, I do not see any way that can work. There are only so many sex-linked genes in chickens, and none of them can be used to make white males with black-and-white females. So you might get some chicks with each coloring, but that will not tell you which ones are males and which ones...

It usually works best if all the eggs in one incubator hatch at the same time. If you have two incubators, it can work well to put in eggs once a week. Eggs of different ages can all incubate together in one of the incubators. Then once each week, move the due-to-hatch eggs into the second...

Unfortunately, I am not good at recognizing most aspects of good or poor quality in a chicken.

It looks like that is meant to be mixed into the birds' drinking water. For that, you would mix it at the recommended dosage, and provide that as the only source of water for her to drink. For a single hen, mixing 1/4 teaspoon in 1 quart of water, then using that to refill her water dish each...