I have a large flock of mixed ages. Some 3 years, some a year, 7 that are 10 weeks old, and 4 that are 5 weeks old.
I have a Buff Orpington that has gone broody for the third year in a row. She's been dragoning (puffed up and pissed off at everything) for a week or two, but the past two days...
I have seen the links for the genetic calculator but haven't gotten the hang of it yet. There's some much I don't know.
I hatched 7 chicks this spring from a backyard mix that lays green eggs. Her mother is a gold laced wyandotte with a straight comb and dad was cream legbar. She has gold...
First hatch. It's day 21. Don't know what I am doing.
Started with 12 eggs. At day 18 I candled. 2 were duds. The remaining 10 looked like they were developing like the pictures, but it's my first time so do I know. I returned 10 to incubator.
Humidity was in the 45-55% range and at day 18...
I have 2 broodies that had a poor hatch. Both girls were very resistant to breaking, so I gave them each 3 eggs. I wasn't wanting to add a lot to my flock.
Cindy , BO, is my experienced broody and this would have been her 4th clutch in 2 years. She is a determined and excellent momma. Of her 3...
February 22nd, 2022, I got an order from Cackle for 4 Delawares, 4 Splash Wyandottes, 4 Barnevelders, and 4 Welsummers all sexed female and vaccinated. They gave me 4 extra chicks that I assumed were one of each or the breeds I bought. This assumption holds true for the Delawares and Splashes...
I got some cream legbar hatching eggs off eBay. It's my first time with the breed and 2nd year with chickens. I got 12 eggs and ended up with 3 boys and 2 girls. I had a broody hatch them. So while the hatch rate wasn't great, she's been a good momma and all are super friendly.
Chicks are now...
I thought I did it right.
This is my second year with chickens. In February, I decided to expand my flock by adding blue and green egg layers. I found a local breeder that is active on my local groups. He had cream legbars and silverudds among others. Purchased 6 birds. 2 creams and 4...
Had a hen go broody and hatched 4 chicks. I only have one rooster and he is a hatchery grade buff orpington. Two of the chicks are from what is believed to be black Australorps but more likely black sex-links.
It was my understanding that black gold chicks would be females and mostly buff...
So my BO, who will be a year old in May, went broody, and I let her sit 8 eggs. So far we have 4 chicks and possibly 2 more based on cracking.
I didn't candle, just let her do her thing and kept food and water within her reach.
So do I need to provide heat for the space of the coop she is...
I have a BO rooster from hatchery stock. He will be a year old in May.
For the most part, he's a good boy. Finds treats for the girls, breaks up fights, gets everyone back into the covered run when hawks are out, builds nests for the ladies.
He doesn't mind me in the coop or the run. He does...
I have a 4 week old cream legbar that I believe has coccidiosis.
I've had her along with another cream and four isbars of the same age for a week.
Off and on, this bird has been a little more puffy with feathers than the others, however she's always been active except for today. Today she is...
Okay, so most sources about molting say the first major molt is around 18 months.
I have a flock of 20 that I got as chicks in March (some in May). Three of my March girls stopped laying in October (they are the only ones that stopped laying) two girls lost some neck feathers at that time and...
I have an 8.5 month old pullet that has been limping. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pullet-has-me-confused.1431690/
Since I have had to keep her in the house in a 30 x 48 inch dog crate, I had thought she had been acting kinda broody. She won't sit eggs, but she won't poop in the...
I have an 8 1/2 month old black sex-link pullet named Big Girl that has me confused.
Back in September she had a limp and found bumblefoot on the non-limp foot. As this is my first time with chickens, I took her to a vet. They did an exam (no x-ray). Gave me options on the bumblefoot and...
This is my first time with chickens. I got one batch of 12 chicks in March, and in May I got another batch of 8. The May group had my only cockerel. My flock is 19 pullets and one cockerel composed of black sex-links (5), speckled sussexes (2), gold Laced Wyandottes (3), ISA Browns(2), buff...
So when my cockerel is excited, the tips of his comb turn purple. Exited times are treat time and when he is looking for a lady. Is that normal for a comb to do that?
When he's not excited, it's the normal red.