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I have 14- and 16-week pullets that aren't laying yet. Can I go ahead and switch to layer feed? Feed them oyster shells? With my previous flocks, I waited until they started laying, but they're pretty close, and I'd like to go ahead fully integrate them with my older hens.

I asked about slug control in a homesteading FB group, and someone suggested this breed. They said these chickens hunt all the bugs and don't eat the garden plants. So I'd like to know more about them for anyone who has them.

Will it hurt the chicks? I know daily layer pellets probably would, but what about a one-time accident? Edit: They're 4 and 6 weeks old.

My extension cord isn't long enough to make it to the coop and run our heating pad. There's 17 of them, and they're half feathered out. They've been in our house until today, and I stepped down their heat at a week and turned it off at 2ish weeks. Here it will be mid-50s to high 40s for the...

So I originally got chickens to just have our own fresh eggs. County ordinance says that's fine, as long as any permanent structures are 100 feet from all property lines and 200 feet from any offsite residential structures. Well the coop is 125 feet from one neighbor's house (they don't care)...

Today my usually flighty Ameracauna has been standing in the corner of the run and coop, or wandering over to the waterer/feeder and just staring at them. She's laid an egg in the last 24 hours, her comb is nice bright red, and I can't see any external signs of illness... mites, injuries, etc...

The local poultry show is today, but I've already ordered 12 black australorp chicks from our local feed store for pickup March 30. I do have two big Sterilite bins (basically 4.5 sq.ft. and 18ish" deep) with vented tops. But when it comes time for them to graduate from that around 4-6 weeks...

I have a 5-year-old barred rock hen that has always seem almost knock-kneed, but now she is doing the penguin walk, randomly falls over sideways, tail flaps, and sleeps on the floor of the coop. I tried checking for egg binding, and either that's not the problem or I didn't poke far enough...

I have a 2 1/2 year old Barred Rock who just tripped and did a full somersault. She sat on the ground for a minute before getting up and rejoining the flock (had just tricked them back into the run with some grit). I picked her up to look her over, and nothing obvious seemed wrong, but when I...

Hello! Our hens visited our patio and while I was watching then through the back door, I noticed one of them had white on her eyelid, and some on her comb. I took a look at the other hens and a few others had similar white spots on their combs. It's in between the creases that are naturally...

I have a hen pinning and pulling feathers, but only picks on one (possible two) other hen(s). I've only caught her pinning one hen (my smallest), but the second possible target had pin feathers growing in, so I don't know if she was pecked or molted. The smallest hen has neck feathers missing...

Ok well not all, because a couple were being difficult to photograph. I've got 8 birds that are about 17 1/2 weeks old. My husband teases me saying they're all roosters. :D No crowing yet, though. Let me know what you think and if better pictures are needed, I'll do my best to get some...

I'm sure this is a dumb question, but is it ok/normal for 2 week old chicks to dust bathe?? I gave them dirt as grit to go with the little kitchen and yard tid bits I've been giving them. They love the dirt! Both to peck at and to bathe, or nap in. They make a royal mess in short order...

I keep reading that happy chicks are quiet or chirp softly. Mine are neither. They're quiet when they sleep, but when they're awake, they're constantly, constantly making chirps, trills, peeps. Not particularly in a hollering for mom sort of way, but NOT soft or quiet. This is my first batch...

The second morning we had them home, we found one had died. I'm bummed about this, though I know it happens (I was hoping it'd take longer to lose one, though). I only ordered 6, not thinking about potential losses this early. I was going to call the feed store in the morning and see if they...

I'm curious if anyone has done this. The tradition method seems to be to layer hardware cloth (predators) and then a heavy duty tarp (weather) over the feedlot panel (structure). I was thinking of simply covering the feedlot panel with corrugated roofing. Has this been done? Is there a...

Has anyone ever experienced this? We're in Coweta County, GA. We have distance requirements for pens, coops, and feed storage that says all structures must be 100' from all property lines and 200' from all existing offsite residential buildings (hopefully that means just houses and not...

I apologize if this topic is covered a lot. I'm a newbie just perusing the forums. It's sounding like the highest monthly chicken cost is feed. I would plan on free-ranging chickens as much of the day as possible. I am home a lot, but not always able to be vigilant of my yard. I also live...

Hello from Newnan, GA! I'm completely, cluelessly new to chickens. I've had the occasional thought about it before, but today, I woke up wanting chickens. I think it will be a long while before that happens, IF it happens (hubby has not OKed it, but said I could think about it, rofl). We use...