An update on my broody hen and her chicks

[BlueEyes51]

I am going to do a new post regarding my broody hen. Probably best.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Yes, yours and my little dynamo do look alike! Wow!
So how did Dynamo get green legs when the roo and (real) momma have yellow. I'm confused. Maybe I am mistaken and the silver laced wyandotte does have green legs also... I will have to go look.

It would have to be the roo that has green legs as green over yellow is sex linked hens will have green and roos are yellow
This is a brother to my hen he has yellow legs

 

[azygous]

It's a chicken rule that Pullets Shall be Hunted and Humiliated by any chickens older, especially those who were recently pullets. Try not to be worried and upset and try not to intervene unless you see a gang bang with a couple bullies standing on the victim's back hammering at her head with their beaks. I keep a fly swatter handy in the run to smack bully bottoms when I see unreasonable behavior. After a few swats, I need only brandish the fly swatter to get compliance.

Have plenty of space and vertical get-aways and the pullets will do just fine. I have a chicken swing and just now, I noticed one five-week old chick discovering it as a perfect place to find peace from the adults. Even though she was barely inches above their heads, they paid her no mind as she gently swung back and forth.

As for the layer feed, suspend the feed out all together, feeding all flock or grower until everyone is laying. Oyster shell on the side. Since you have a mixed flock, roosters, pullets, and layers, you may want to consider doing away with layer feed and just feeding all flock feed from here on. It's almost identical to grower. Calcium can be hard on the organs of roosters as well as pre-layers and chicks. I've been feeding Flock Raiser for nearly ten years and no one seems to be lacking anything from not having layer.

 

[BlueEyes51]

It would have to be the roo that has green legs as green over yellow is sex linked hens will have green and roos are yellow

I am curious as to what color eggs dynamo will lay... I do love the green/blue eggs of the EEs. I have 3 EE hens right now, but one lays a pinkish tan egg.

It's a chicken rule that Pullets Shall be Hunted and Humiliated by any chickens older, especially those who were recently pullets. Try not to be worried and upset and try not to intervene unless you see a gang bang with a couple bullies standing on the victim's back hammering at her head with their beaks. I keep a fly swatter handy in the run to smack bully bottoms when I see unreasonable behavior. After a few swats, I need only brandish the fly swatter to get compliance.

Have plenty of space and vertical get-aways and the pullets will do just fine. I have a chicken swing and just now, I noticed one five-week old chick discovering it as a perfect place to find peace from the adults. Even though she was barely inches above their heads, they paid her no mind as she gently swung back and forth.

As for the layer feed, suspend the feed out all together, feeding all flock or grower until everyone is laying. Oyster shell on the side. Since you have a mixed flock, roosters, pullets, and layers, you may want to consider doing away with layer feed and just feeding all flock feed from here on. It's almost identical to grower. Calcium can be hard on the organs of roosters as well as pre-layers and chicks. I've been feeding Flock Raiser for nearly ten years and no one seems to be lacking anything from not having layer.

I will work on getting vertical get-aways up this week and will introduce them this next weekend.

I will also finish closing off the top of their pen... been meaning to do that for awhile now. I am just one person tho, doing it all, and, moving much slower than I used to.

I guess my worry is, I am not out there all the time to keep an eye on my little flock and those two silver laced wyandotte are not very nice... still... to the newbies from last year. Never had that problem until I brought them into the flock. I never did name them other than the Twins.

As for feed... I am feeding my hens the organic Scratch-n-Peck soy/corn-free layer feed. The grower I am feeding the pullets is also organic Scratch-n-Peck. Do you know of any organic feed that would be equivalent to flock raiser?

I am trying to stay all organic with what I eat, and, I am allergic to soy so don't want my hens to be eating it either... not good for them anyway. Also, even organic corn is not 'guaranteed' to be non-GMO... hence why I am feeding that particular layer feed to my hens.

I will also check to see what Scratch-n-Peck has that might be similar to flock raiser.

Thank you for all your advice. I am such a newbie and it all gets a little overwhelming sometimes.

 

[aart]

Their coop itself, tho, is only 4' wide x 8' long x 6' at the peak, has 3 nesting boxes and is about 3' off the ground so they can get under it for shade or for when it rains. I am wondering now if my coop will be big enough coop for the roo and 9 hens?

Tight space, especially if you already have bullies.
Are the nests inside the coop, taking up space, or hanging outside of coop?
Is their feed and water inside the coop too, again taking up space?
What is your location?
(Good to put it in your profile) climate can make a big difference.

 

[BlueEyes51]

Tight space, especially if you already have bullies.
Are the nests inside the coop, taking up space, or hanging outside of coop?
Is their feed and water inside the coop too, again taking up space?
What is your location?
(Good to put it in your profile) climate can make a big difference.

I figured it might be a tight space... trying to figure out how to enlarge it. Financially not in the budget at the moment tho unless I can find some used wood and repurpose it for an add on.

The 3 nesting boxes hang on the outside so I can access them from there and I only have a one gallon bucket inside so they can at least have water before I let them out in the morning.

Their perch is a ladder perch right now, which I know is taking up valuable space. I will be switching that over this week to one or two branch like verticle perches above the floor so they all are not so crowded together at night, and, have more room below.

Location: I live in a tiny town called Rough and Ready... only has a post office and a fire house. It's in the Sierra Foothills at around 1800ft and approximately 60 miles northeast of Sacramento.