Every week at Community Chickens, we get dozens of questions from people across the world, hoping to find someone who has shared a similar experience. We try to answer them all, and forward them on to experts where we can. But many of the questions are unique, and because of this, we realize that sometimes the best people to answer the questions are precisely the people who are or have been in your shoes. This is why we often ask our guest bloggers to tackle questions – and they do such a great job! So here’s what we’re asking, “What would you do …” if you were in some of the following situations? What would you tell our readers? What is your best advice?
YOU might be the best person in the world to answer someone’s question … and we want to provide you with that ability. So, go for it!
If you’d like to respond to a question, leave a comment, and be sure to indicate to which question you’re responding: (e.g., Q1: This is what you should do …)
Note: Questions below are reproduced exactly as they were received.
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Q1: Amy P writes: “I purchased 4 Rhode Island Red pullets from a local
agriculture supply store. I was told they would be about 12 weeks old
when they arrived. After I got them home, I realized that 3 of them
have had a significant portion of their beaks cut off (top and
bottom). The fourth pullet seems to have a normal beak. I was unaware
that this was going to be done, and am not sure why it was. The 3
pullets with shortened beaks look terribly disfigured and they seem to
have some limitations in eating (they cannot or will not eat out of a
feeder with the little window-openings, but will eat from the tray if
I remove the top part). They also do not attempt to eat insects. The
fourth “normal” one does eat insects, so I don’t think they are just
being picky. Can anyone tell me if the beaks will grow back
eventually? Thank you!”
agriculture supply store. I was told they would be about 12 weeks old
when they arrived. After I got them home, I realized that 3 of them
have had a significant portion of their beaks cut off (top and
bottom). The fourth pullet seems to have a normal beak. I was unaware
that this was going to be done, and am not sure why it was. The 3
pullets with shortened beaks look terribly disfigured and they seem to
have some limitations in eating (they cannot or will not eat out of a
feeder with the little window-openings, but will eat from the tray if
I remove the top part). They also do not attempt to eat insects. The
fourth “normal” one does eat insects, so I don’t think they are just
being picky. Can anyone tell me if the beaks will grow back
eventually? Thank you!”
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Q2: Michaell Medina writes: “I HAVE TWO LEGHORNS THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN ARE BEATING UP ON
MY RHODE ISLAND RED. PECKING ON HER HEAD, FEATHERS AND COMB.I HAVE TO
KEEP THEM SEPERATED. CAN ANYONE ANSWER TELL ME WHY THIS IS HAPPENING?”
MY RHODE ISLAND RED. PECKING ON HER HEAD, FEATHERS AND COMB.I HAVE TO
KEEP THEM SEPERATED. CAN ANYONE ANSWER TELL ME WHY THIS IS HAPPENING?”
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Q3: Dawn Carroll writes: “My chickens are free range and are not confined to any
area except at night. We have 24 acres and they roam on five of them.
Many are developing a problem with their feet. It does not appear to
be bumble foot because it is not on the bottom. The area affected is
on top of their feet and lower leg. It looks like large areas of
raised skin, possibly bumps. We had an old rooster with very bad feet
who could have fathered many of the chickens affected now. So I’m not
sure if it is a genetic problem or not. More of my chickens seem to be
developing this problem, so I would really like to figure it out.
Please advise me as to what I can do. Thank you. We love our chickens
and like to see them healthy and happy.”
area except at night. We have 24 acres and they roam on five of them.
Many are developing a problem with their feet. It does not appear to
be bumble foot because it is not on the bottom. The area affected is
on top of their feet and lower leg. It looks like large areas of
raised skin, possibly bumps. We had an old rooster with very bad feet
who could have fathered many of the chickens affected now. So I’m not
sure if it is a genetic problem or not. More of my chickens seem to be
developing this problem, so I would really like to figure it out.
Please advise me as to what I can do. Thank you. We love our chickens
and like to see them healthy and happy.”
—–Q4: Colleen writes: “from reading the forum, I think one of my birds has
coccidia, and I have no idea what to do about it. She has very runny
poo, a little bloody and has no interest in food. What do I do to help
her and should I remove her from the flock?”
coccidia, and I have no idea what to do about it. She has very runny
poo, a little bloody and has no interest in food. What do I do to help
her and should I remove her from the flock?”
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Q5: tom writes: “Is it OK to feed my chickens
table scraps? What should be avoided?”Do you know what this could be?
table scraps? What should be avoided?”Do you know what this could be?
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Q6: Glenn writes: “I have a non-moving chicken run. It stays muddy and
smells. Is there anything other than moving my whole run to keep it
from staying muddy. Can I add dirt, sand, wood shavings, grass
clippings to keep the smell down? Any advice would be helpful.”
smells. Is there anything other than moving my whole run to keep it
from staying muddy. Can I add dirt, sand, wood shavings, grass
clippings to keep the smell down? Any advice would be helpful.”
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Q7: Kathy writes: “I wanted to add a few more chickens to my flock but peopletell me that my hens will kill them. Ohio has a minimum of 6 chicks
that you have to buy and I only have room in the coop for 3 or 4. Can
you give me any advice?”
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Q8: Shirline Andrews writes: “What causes a chicken to pierce a hole on one end of its eggs?also
I recently put up very short metal fencing to keep the
chickens out of my flower beds and they don’t seem to be trying to get
over them. Why is it they will fly over tall fencing but not the short
white metal ones? Also, I have hawks flying overhead and I am
frightened they will scoop up my chickens when I let them roam. Is
there anything I can do to keep this from happening?”
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Q9: Duane Treat writes: “why do my hens keep trying to set on eggs and I have no
roosters. My egg production is cut in half or less by this”
roosters. My egg production is cut in half or less by this”
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Q10: karen rogers writes: “what do I need to take into consideration concerning a
perch/perches in a coop for 12 hens and a rooster? for instance square
v. round; diameter for comfort, etc. Thank you!”
perch/perches in a coop for 12 hens and a rooster? for instance square
v. round; diameter for comfort, etc. Thank you!”
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Q11: Eileen Vincenti writes: “I have 11 chickens, in a large box, that I have kept in a
bathoom for 3 weeks. They are getting to where they can fly up on the
20″ sides of the box. I live in Michigan, and it is running 37 as a
low, and 60 – 72 in the day. I have a coop, but it is not heated. When
can I put them out in the coop?”
bathoom for 3 weeks. They are getting to where they can fly up on the
20″ sides of the box. I live in Michigan, and it is running 37 as a
low, and 60 – 72 in the day. I have a coop, but it is not heated. When
can I put them out in the coop?”
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Q12: Cheryl Unger writes: “We have 8 roosters and 3 hens from our last hatch (they
are about 6 months old) and the father. The mother passed away a few
months ago. The hens have layed 17 eggs in one nest and 3 in another
place but none are interested in sitting on them. What would you
suggest?”
are about 6 months old) and the father. The mother passed away a few
months ago. The hens have layed 17 eggs in one nest and 3 in another
place but none are interested in sitting on them. What would you
suggest?”
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Q13: Elizabeth Murphy writes: “I have 2 buckeye roosters and 2 hens. They are healthy and happy. They
are 7 months old and the youngest of 16 other chickens.
One buckeye rooster seems ok but he will just begin to shake for no
reason. He does it whether he is by himself or with the others.
What could it be?
Thanks.”
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Q14: Melyssa writes: “We are raising chickens for the first time this year. We
have 12 chickens: 2 red pullets, 3 orpingtons, and 7 bantams. We
bought them knowing that some of them maybe roosters. I am looking for
advice as to weather if we do have rooster we will be alright raising
them together with hens.”
have 12 chickens: 2 red pullets, 3 orpingtons, and 7 bantams. We
bought them knowing that some of them maybe roosters. I am looking for
advice as to weather if we do have rooster we will be alright raising
them together with hens.”
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Q15: Shon Koenig writes: “my 28 chicks are 3 1/2 weeks old, doing really good. My
new chicken house/brooder is insulated,but with the extreme
temperature changes from 75degree days to 40 degree nights, I have
been leaving my red heat lamp on all night and until the inside temp
gets up to 80+ during the day and I also have been leaving on a 25
watt regular light bulb. I have read about leaving the chicks in the
dark at night but not sure what to do? My chicks have never been in
the dark all night, still too cold, but what is best for them? should
I turn off the 25 watt light? if it warms up enough to turn off the
red heat lamp, should I turn the 25 watt light back on? or not? They
have a south window for light from outside.”
new chicken house/brooder is insulated,but with the extreme
temperature changes from 75degree days to 40 degree nights, I have
been leaving my red heat lamp on all night and until the inside temp
gets up to 80+ during the day and I also have been leaving on a 25
watt regular light bulb. I have read about leaving the chicks in the
dark at night but not sure what to do? My chicks have never been in
the dark all night, still too cold, but what is best for them? should
I turn off the 25 watt light? if it warms up enough to turn off the
red heat lamp, should I turn the 25 watt light back on? or not? They
have a south window for light from outside.”
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Q16: Susan asks: “I have about 40 laying hens, three of them that have a white
foamy mucus film forming in their eyes. What is it and how do I treat
it? Will it spread to the others?”
foamy mucus film forming in their eyes. What is it and how do I treat
it? Will it spread to the others?”
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Q17: dj writes: “We are soon to lose our second chicken in the last 3
weeks. Our 19 chicken flock is 3 years old and a mixture of breeds.
Our first chicken who passed was a Buff Orphington who we found
deceased on the coop floor one morning. No obvious signs of disease,
sickness, etc. This morning we have a Barred Rock who is listless and
salivating profusely and most likely will not live. The only thing in
common, if any, is that we have had cool snowy weather both times. Our
chickens free range but are shut in each night in their coop. All
appear healthy. Not sure where to look for answers. Coincidence, a
disease/virus or ?”
weeks. Our 19 chicken flock is 3 years old and a mixture of breeds.
Our first chicken who passed was a Buff Orphington who we found
deceased on the coop floor one morning. No obvious signs of disease,
sickness, etc. This morning we have a Barred Rock who is listless and
salivating profusely and most likely will not live. The only thing in
common, if any, is that we have had cool snowy weather both times. Our
chickens free range but are shut in each night in their coop. All
appear healthy. Not sure where to look for answers. Coincidence, a
disease/virus or ?”
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66 Comments
Question #4: I like to treat our chickens by as natural of means as possible. When we have dealt with Coccidia we put 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per gallon of water in their waterer, for about 2 weeks or so. If we have one get sick to the point of being lethargic before we notice the problem we do seperate that one to a cage with a wire floor that is up off the ground(ours is accutually an old rabbit pen) and give the same water/vinegar mix. They are not real interested in food untill they begin to regain their strength, but I still keep food close for them. We have seen 3 hens regain health doing this that we thought we were going to lose.
QUESTION 17: Have you considered a weasel? He leaves a very small mark and drains their blood and the chicken doesn’t always die till later. He does it when they sleep,sneaky.
Dear Q7: I was successful this past summer in merging together two small flocks. I am not sure what advice to give you regarding your size issues with your coop, but I know that it is better to make sure your hens have too much room than not enough. I had a a-frame shaped chicken ark with 4 hens in it, and wanted to add 5 more hens. I read alot of chicken books from the local library and tried their advice which worked very well. I had my son build a rectangle-shaped extension to our chicken ark, and eventually built a little tunnel to connect the two coops. However, we kept the two little mobile chicken coops separate for two months, but when we moved them, we always kept them right next to each other. This is because we read that if the flocks are separated by chicken wire within a coop, they will establish somewhat of a pecking order through their eye contact. When we let them out of their coops into the yard, the first month, we only let the old flock out of their coop. Sometimes they were curious and went over to the newer flock’s coop and sometimes they didn’t. But we wanted them to know that they had the “power.” After a month, we let the new ones out with them. The first few times, there was a peck or two from the old flock onto the head or back of a newer hen, but since they were all out, there was plenty of room for the peck-ee to get away from the peck-er. We did this many times until they all got used to being in a large common space together. We always had both of the flock’s separate waterers and feeders out in the common areas so both flocks could feel free to eat from either waterer/feeder. After the two months, we put the two coops together, with the little tunnel connecting them. We put a piece of plexiglass in the tunnel, so they could see each other. We did this for about a week. Then, in the middle of the night, when they were sleeping/groggy, we moved the new hens into the sleeping/roosting area of the A-frame chicken ark with the old hens. We made sure for the next two weeks that we always opened the ladder to let them out BEFORE daylight, so there wouldn’t be any cranky hens in a small space.
Well that’s it. Everything has gone really well. There were a few skirmishes here and there when they were together for the first time, with two of the older chickens making sure that they established dominance. Some of the newer hens backed down and a few of them called their bluff. Either way, they have all worked out the pecking order and life is good. Good luck to you!
Dear Q2: I also have a pair of brown leghorns, and to this date the male is very high strung, as is the female and loud. However, I also have a huge New Hamnpshire Red rooster in my flock, who seems to be curbing any aggression from the Brown Leghorn rooster. I am not condoning two roosters in a small flock, but for now my NHR male, Cletus is the ticket! See our Cletus on Hobby Farms blog (The Secret Garden)
Q9-Duane…hens are programed to lay almost daily. After they have laid their entire clutch (could be 10, 20 or more depending on the breed, age and health of the hen)) their maternal brains tell them it is time to hatch their clutch. This is called going broody. Even if you have removed their eggs every day, they will insist on sitting on the nest. Some breeds are more prone to going broody (silkies for one). Some breeds have most if not all the broodiness bred out of them. It doesn’t matter if there is a rooster around or not or if the eggs are fertile or not. Once the hen has gone broody she will normally stay that way 21 (more or less) days. There are some tricks you can try to shorten the length of her broody-ness but they are quite labor intensive for you. This time of year as the days grow shorter and shorter, most hens will slack off on laying. best solution? Make sure the breed(s) of your hens are not known for going broody, don’t let the ammount of light in the coop go below 14 hours, make sure they are done completely with their Fall moult (hard to make feathers and eggs at the same time). Best of luck
Q12.
you may put your chickens out when they are fully feathered. That may be another week if they are already 3 weeks old.
Q7. We have added to our flock, many times. In doing so, we put the new chickens in a seperated area but that can still see and be with the main flock.(like a cage in the midst of the flock or a fenced off area in the run.) After about 1-2 weeks, we introduce them into the main flock. Yes, there is still fighting but I believe it is minimal. There will always be a pecking order. This just seems to help the shock of coming into a new flock better.
Q11. You did not say how old the chickens are. Are they three weeks old or older and have just been in the house for 3 weeks? At the very least, they need to be completely feathered out. If they are three weeks old I think this is too young. Put a wire lid on the box. This should help for a couple of more weeks. Try putting them in the garage with a heat lamp.
Q12. Some chickens are good setters and some are not. What breed are your chickens? If your research tells you that you have hens that are not good setters, try buying an incubator and brooder for a do-it-yourself try.
Q13. Is he shaking his head or shivering his whole body? Check for mites or injuries.
Q14. It is fine raising hens and roosters together. A good ratio is 8-12 hens per rooster. You don’t want a hen to be over-mated because this will tear out feathers and wear her down.
Q15. Chicks should be fully feathered out before removing any heat source. I don’t think a 25 watt bulb puts out enough heat. Most use 75-100 watts. Check on them to see how huddled up they are under the heat lamp. If they remain directly under the heat in a tight bunch then they are too cold.
Q4., Q.16 and Q17. Isolate any sick birds from the rest of the flock. You can treat them with antibiotics or anticoccidials. Treat immediately because birds that become ill for any reason usually go quickly. See your vet supply store or feed store and read the directions for dosage. You can also have your birds tested for avian flu and other communicable diseases. Have your vet look over your sick birds.
Q6. Can you dig a ditch to drain the water? Muddy coops are bad for chickens and they will eventually become ill. I would add dirt or sand but never add straw. It keeps things muddy and gets moldy. Rake the manure out regularly. If you smell it then it is not clean enough to keep your hens healthy. You might need a bigger area. A good measurement for your coop is to allow a minimum of 4 square feet per bird inside coop space, and 10 square feet per bird for outside run space. Can you free range your chickens during the day?
Q7. Keep new chickens separated from established flock with a fence so they can see each other and get used to the new chickens. It is always good to bring in new hens in at least pairs. Find someone who can go halves with you on your chicken purchase or sell them for slightly less than it cost you to buy them to find new homes for the ones you can’t keep.
Q8. Chickens will eat their own eggs. They are highly nutritious. Remove eggs from the nests several times a day. Special nest boxes will roll the egg out of the nest and keep it in a gutter away from pecking and setting hens until you can collect eggs. Chickens are not very smart. I have some who will fly over a six foot fence but won’t walk ten feet to the left to walk around it. Chickens like to fly to the highest point when roosting so I think they see the six foot fence as a lookout point for predators and insects. I have hawks, too. I also have two guinea hens that always let me know when they spot them from far away so I can come out there and shoo them off. Listen for your chickens. If you hear them squawking strangely, run out there. I put up a realistic looking plastic owl but that does not stop the hawks. Hawkes will give up if you keep chasing them and they realize it is not productive for them to spend time around your coop.
Q9. Some breeds of chickens are better setters than others. Hens don’t need a rooster to want to set, they only need to see an egg just sitting there. Remove eggs from the nests several times a day. This will keep them laying. Special nest boxes will roll the egg out of the nest and keep it in a gutter away from pecking and setting hens until you can collect eggs. If you have a setter, remove her from the area for about 3 or 4 days (cage or pen) then return her to the area.
Q10. Good question. Most chickens will huddle together for warmth but even at bedtime there is always the pecking order. Two roosts take care of that with the higher pecking order hens at the top and the lower pecking order hens on the bottom for a peaceful night. Allow about 12 inches per full size hen on two inch diameter wooden dowels or 2x4s with the four inch side running vertical so the hens rest on the two inch side.
Q1. De-beaking is usually done to hens that will be closely confined and there is a need to keep them from pecking each other. This is unnecessary for the average chicken owner and I am sorry that this happened for you but your chicks should be able to grow up healthy and happy with just a couple of special considerations. One, you did the right thing in opening up the feeders. These chicks are not able to go into narrow openings and pick at what they want. They have to open their beaks and take a big mouthful of feed. You may have to continue with the mash style of feed over the pellets. Second, do the same for their water dish with wide openings instead of narrow ones. Third, finely chop up any scraps you give them. And lastly, love them anyway! They will happily lay eggs for you and you will enjoy watching them play, take dirt baths, and cluck around. Next time, you can ask for chicks that have not been de-beaked or buy from a reputable hatchery.
Q2. While it is normal for chickens to establish a pecking order, there is sometimes that one hen that one likes. For example, I have two guineas that grew up with my dozen hens. One little red hen, the sweetest of them all, is continuously pecked on by all the hens. But especially by the guineas, who actually love being with their “family flock” and don’t bother the other hens. I finally read an article that stated how much guineas don’t like red hens. No one knows why, buy many guinea owners have noticed it. I separated the guineas from the flock when everyone was about a year old. I have a big chicken yard so the little hen finds her own hiding places. But those guineas hit the fence every time she goes near it. And only her, not the rooster, not the new hens, not the ducks…Keep her separated if it gets bloody. At that point, they could peck her to death. Start a new chicken run. I have one for all the misfits and they seem to get along.
Q3. If the legs are scaly you might have scaly leg mites. The mites burrow down under the scales and life gets miserable for the chickens! Wash their feet in soapy water then apply oil or Vaseline to their feet and legs. If you can’t catch the chickens, wait until they roost and then gently lift them, dunk their feet and apply medication. I lightly sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth on the chickens, in their food and around their coop to keep mites from breeding. Works great!
Q5. Table scraps are great for chickens! Make sure to avoid chocolate, too much of any one thing like sweets, dry/raw/uncooked beans, legumes, and rice, green potato peelings, fatty meats and nuts. Some great foods are yogurt, sunflower seeds, raisins, oatmeal and vegetable scraps. I have an old who leaves the chicken yard to eat dry cat food with the cats every morning. The cats have learned to let her eat first.
Q3: It sounds like scaly mites, they get up under the scales on the legs. On a forum, I was told to get Adams spray for animals and either dip or spray on legs, try to get it under the scales. Also, clean coop, we also put some seven in coop, and it’s seemed to work. If not treated, it can cripple them. Good luck
#11 – I just got through raising 5 chicks late this summer from a broody hen. I took them away for a couple of days and my hen was so sad, I just brought them all back to her and let nature take its course. Since it was late fall here the temperature was dropping to the mid 20*s at night and the high was in the 40*s during the day for a while. I actually found the first chick out of the nesting box and under the coop in the middle of the night. I have an 8X8 coop for my then 9 hens and 1 rooster. All 5 chicks have survived the cold and the older chickens. I figured if they used to all be together on farms in the old days, they could learn to just all get along now. Chickens can be hardy and they are all getting used to the snow. I have one red heat lamp to heat the coop and leave it on all the time.
#5 try throwing in a tomato or 5, then stand BACK!
Q14: when raising chickens, if your raising them from chicks, you can raise roosters and hens together. I heard that if you raise roosters together they will kill each other, i’ve raised 4 roosters. my first three were like brothers, they would do their little bully stuff, but never kill or actually hurt eachother, my 1 rooster that was raised with hens was more of a chicken than the chickens…
Q2: leghorns are bullies. they might be trying to form a pecking order, at times this can become pretty violent. When my hens are changing their pecking order, if i see them beating on each other really hard, i go out there and shoo them off each other, My chickens know im the boss and they stop, sometimes it takes alot of prodding, if they keep bulling you might have to completly remove that rude hen.
Q1: that is called debeaking, it is a practice in many hatcheries.. it keeps the babies from hurting each other… the younger the chicken was when it was debeaked the more likely the beak will grow back, if its an older chicken, it wont grow back.
Q12: are you sure your roosters have mated with any of the hens? You might have too many roosters and the hens dont feel safe enough to hatch the eggs. or the eggs arnt fertile. You might want to incubate the eggs. another super important factor is the breed of chicken, some are broody and some arnt.. check in a chicke book or online to find out what your breed is and their broodiness qirks.
Q11: Chickens create body heat by eating food. How big are your chickens? do they have all their adult feathers? If they do, they can go outside. Make sure your coop is draft free, as that can kill a whole flock of chickens in the winter. If you feel like you want to heat your coop, pick up a small space heater and run an extention cord out to your coop!
Q13: describe what you mean by shake. does he start to tremble or just fluff out his feathers? he might have mites or other feather bugs, check him for any signs of this. If he does.. remove him from your flock, and check the others as well, you will have to buy a powder found at farm stores (i think its called chicken dust, or mite dust.. something like that) follow the directions!
Q5: table scraps are fine.. stay away from meats of any kind, and think of it this way.. if its bad for you, its probably bad for them. I tend to stay towards breads, left over fruit peices, veggies, and similar things like that! Hope it helps!!! (My chickens wont eat lettuce but love grass)
Q7: I have added to my flock 5-6 times. If you just throw the new chickens in with them, it will throw off the established pecking order, causing all your chickens to start fighting, especially picking on the newest members. What I have found helps is (if your starting off with chicks) when the chicks are old enough to go outside, place them in a wire pen, something they can eat the grass through and see through but the other hens cant get at them. Make sure this pen is in with the chickens. By the time your chicks are BIG enough to be with the older chickens (i always let them out when they are about the same size) the other chickens will hardly notice them… when spring comes there will be the new pecking order to establish, but it wont be nearly as bad as just throwing your babies to the adults! Hope that helps!
Q9: Some hens are more broody than others. The only way to keep your hens from setting on the eggs, is by removing them EVERYDAY, if you leave eggs in the nest for 1-2 days, it can cause a hen to become broody. Try to gather eggs at least twice a day, if not able than once a day would suffice! Hope that helps!!!
Question 5 – We are working toward producing zero waste, so the chickens/turkeys/ducks/goose are a valuable waste processing component of our farm. I feed them any healthy table scraps (not usually desserts), waste milk (we have a milk cow that produces more than we can sometimes keep up with), cheese-making whey, ugly garden produce, veggie scraps, stale bread. My daughter works at a fancy restaurant and often brings home buckets of organic, locally grown veggie and bread scraps for them. Crushed eggshells from our baking. Apple and pear cores. Squash guts. Fish cleanings. Leftover pasta. (Nothing is more entertaining than watching chickens eat spaghetti!!) They often scratch through the compost pile for more treats and for worms. On a really cold winter day (we live in Minnesota) I will make oatmeal for them and serve it warm. Our chickens are kind of spoiled,and get a varied diet in addition to layer rations and scratch grains. We have about 50 birds and when I call “Come on chickens” they all come running to me, knowing there is a treat in store for them. The only thing I worry about is their love for gathering under the wild birdfeeders and cleaning up the fallout (I have a spot with 15 feeders). I have worried about them catching a wild bird disease here, but my veterinarian reassured me it was highly unlikely.
Q. 10 – When I had a pet parrot years ago, it was recommended that the cage have a variety of perch sizes to allow the parrot to work different foot muscles. I have taken this philosophy into my chicken coop and have a variety of roosts. I like to use recycled materials. My favorite roost is an old ladder suspended from the coop ceiling – the chickens love this roost and it has both smaller diameter cross pieces and larger diameter lengths. I also repurposed some old stairway handrails, attaching them to the coop wall with large triangular shelf supports. My roosts are installed up pretty high, so I have an old wood sawhorse as a step for the younger hens to hop up to the roosts, and a few perch on it at night (it provides a square perch). I also sometimes add a smaller diameter tree trunk with a branch or two, and lean it into a corner for an additional option in roosting. My chickens range freely around the farm during the day, so their feet probably get plenty of exercise, but I bet they still like having options.
Q11, they can be in a coop stating at 16 weeks, you should be lowering the temp. in the brooding box 5 degrees every week, and I would start them in a coop with a small amount of heat, possible just have them ibn the daytime if you can not give heat during the day, and lower the temp weekly (5-10 degrees) until they are adjusted to the outdoor temps. If you keep them on heat this winter, be prepared if the eletric should fail–with the warmer temp inside the coop they will has less down feathers to keep warm, and could suffer.
Q5– they can eat about any thing, you have to cook potato peeling, anything stong onions ect., could give the eggs an off taste- limit them to about 10% of their diet to scraps. Pumpkin and raw pumpkin seeds make a great natural wormer. greens this time of year are wonderful for vitumins and minerals. And a cabbage left hanging just out of reach is a great boredom buster.
Q3- I say scaly leg mites– you can soak them in oil for a few mintues ( 5) everyday for a week, or cover the legs in a thick coat of Bag balm and reapply every few days as needed. you can buy thia at tractor supply and CVS–side benefit is it leaves your hands soft. the scale should look better and shed over the next month, and be all new in maybe 2 months.
Q7: “I wanted to add a few more chickens to my flock but people
tell me that my hens will kill them. Ohio has a minimum of 6 chicks
that you have to buy and I only have room in the coop for 3 or 4. Can
you give me any advice?”
1) If you can only buy 6 chicks at a time, maybe you could split the purchase with someone else – maybe leave a notice up at that feed store with the offer to split costs for split of the chicks.
2)There are ways to “introduce” new chicks/hens into an existing flock without undue harm (just the normal ‘getting everyone in their proper place chicken-pecking’ routine). One such tactic is putting the ‘new’ birds into an enclosure or dog crate [that the others can see them thru but not get to them] for a week or so to get used to each other, and then there are several ways to incorporate them into the flock such as going in at night and moving them directly onto a roost amongst the established flock so that they wake up together. Apparently they will accept them better this way with less upset, less curiosity – but they will still likely need to establish who is top bird and who is the bottom… I suggest a search online of this topic for other ideas, but this worked for me!
#8 I have a few A frame type shelters in my field for tithe hens to hide under when they see the shadows of approaching hawks
Q6.the best way to have a static run not smell is deep( 12 inches or more) covering with carbon materials. Straw not so good if wet; leaves work well and we do get wood shavings for heavy poop areas like under the roost.keep building it- fluffing it- and it will stay nice for the chooks. and in the spring- already composted manure for your garden!Dry means healthy.
Q2. Pecking order is likely. The other possibility, is that the chicken may be sick. Chickens will cull their flock from disease, or plain pick on a chicken that is sick. They usually know before you do. Check the chicken to see if anything abnormal is going with her.
Feather picking is usually a sign of boredom or something lacking in their diet. Give them some cucumbers to eat. I was told this by the guy at the feed mill works every time. Don’t know why but it does.
Question 3:
You likely have scaly leg. This is something I found my birds got after migrating birds moved through. It’s a rough treatment cycle, but it’s best to suffocate the mites. Dust your coop with DE every few days for 6 weeks and, if possible, paint the walls.
Wash their legs, some use epsom salt, I just use warm water. Dry them thoroughly and then dip their legs in the cheapest vegetable oil you can get your hands on. Do this every 7 days for 6 weeks. I also use the Petro-Carb my grandma used to keep around the house. It’s an oil based product that takes a bit of smushing around, but it helps to heal the irritated skin.
Some of your birds’ legs may never look normal again and you’ll have to learn how to recognize when they’re looking enflamed again. After a moult the legs will often look better, but some of mine just never looked the same again. Hope this helps!
This does sound like leg mites, You do need to smother them. Use the the vegetable oil or if you only have a few you can smear the legs and feet with bag balm or vaseline.I wear plastic gloves so the heat of my hand helps to get in all the raised cracks.Then I can just toss the gloves when I’m done.
Q1- Your chicks were debeaked. It is a common practice for factory farms where hens are crowded 4 to a 2ft x 2ft cage for egg laying (both are cruel and inhumane/unsanitary practices) Their beaks will not grow back and the hens will suffer the rest of their lives from not being able to eat properly. Debeaking is unnecessary if hens are given enough space to live comfortably (about 10-20 sq ft per hen min.) Your choice as to whether you replace them with healthy hens, or give them the constant care they will need.
Q2-Your hens are establishing a pecking order. If the Red hen is new, or the Leghorns are drawing blood, separate her so they cannot peck her, but they can see each other. After about a week, put her in the coop at night after the leghorns have gone to roost. Watch carefully the next day to make sure they do not draw blood, but let them work out who is boss. All chickens in groups
do this.
Q9- To ‘break up’ your broody hens, put them into wire crates with wire floors (hardware cloth 1/2″ squares) on bricks or cement blocks inside a shelter. Do not give bedding. Aim a fan turned on low under the crate and leave it on. Watch the hen, and when she is up and moving around, let her out. You will have to feed and water her while in the crate as it may take a coule of days to cool her off.
Q12- Collect your eggs daily and sell, eat or give away 7 roosters. You only need one roo. Having more than one invites fighting among the roos and overmating/overbreeding the hens which can wear them out and make them sick or kill them. Actually, it is more like the roos raping the hens because they want to have them all.
Q13- If his feathers fluff and then lay down when he shakes, he is getting comfortable, or he may have mites. If he just stands and trembles, separate him away from your other birds and call a vet for advice. You may have to take him to the vet or cull him.
Q14 – It’s OK to have a rooster in with your hens. He will look out for them and call them for tasty tidbits he finds. For a healthy flock you need one rooster to a maximum of 10 hens. If you can separate the roosters to different pens away from each other (to reduce crowing & fighting) then you can have 1 roo to 5 or 6 hens. Roosters need to be separate to prevent fighting and overbreeding the hens (see Q12) If you have more roosters than you can keep sparated, the sell, eat, or give away the extras.
Q16 – I don’t know what your hens have, but any time a bird shows illness, separate it from the flock immediately. Many things are contagious and until you know what it is, you don’t want it spreading. Consult a veterinarian or veterinary book for help, or search the forums at back yard chickens dot com. This is dealt with in several discussions there.
Anonymous with the Fisher Cat problem – you need to use heavier wire and make your coops predator- proof. If you go to back yard chickens dot com, there are instructions on how to do this. Chicken wire will not protect your birds from anything more than squirrels (and not even them).
Welded hog wire panels with hardware cloth overlay is probably your best bet. Use ring fasteners to fasten the layers together – they make rings you apply with a special pliers that work great. Bury a skirt of wire outside the pen to exclude foxes and dogs, and apply a metal sheathing along the edges and any other places a climbing predator can reach to reduce their climbing ability. Raccoons are also very good climbers and they love free chickens too, so the sheathing needs to be at least 18 inches wider/longer than the reach of the largest raccoon/fisher cat (the distance they can stretch from their hind foot to the opposite claw.
Research, research,research.
To Anonymous with the Fisher Cat problem. I had a motion sensitive light outside the coop and a radio set on a talk station in my coop. If anything came around the coop the light would come on and the radio would start talking. I never had a predator problem.
#1 The beaks are clipped in enviorments that house alot of chickens in a small space so they will not peck and wound other birds .I found the same thing when I bought older pullets from a grain store.They should fare alright mine have.
The beaks will not grow back. Obnoxious practice.
hello. i would like to suggest to ?#6 a product i have used in yard and home.
“Effective Microorganisms EM” I found this googling information on compost starters. I found good video on you tube explaining use and benefits. upon further investigation i found it has many “green” uses inside and out side the home. I have used a diluted mixture for cleaning in the home, because of concerns about ingredients in modern cleaning products and overuse of antibacterial soaps. there are good bugs .. and not so good bugs
I would recommend reading a pdf file here. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J144v03n01_17#preview
If your interested after that another link has every thing you need to learn more and where to purchase. http://www.futuretechtoday.com/em/index.htm
I can highly recommend this product to help with the smell around chicken coops.
they have many products now.. there were only a few when i first purchased. I first purchased the concentrate.. that needed to be “activated..” like you would do with a sour dough starter (mix and heat + time).
I would suggest for the first time user to purchase the livestock products here – http://www.scdprobiotics.com/Livestock_s/313.htm
more information at face book here : http://www.facebook.com/SCDProbiotics
If you cant tell.. i really like this product. Its SAFE and it works. and does a lot more for the health of your chickens than getting rid of the smell. ; )
and maybe you’ll find a product for your self and other family pet.. ( look for dog breath freshener )
I on the other hand, influenced by my frugal grandmother, buy the concentrate and add to 1)drinkin water 2)pest controll spray bottle with DE (Diatomacious earth) for cleaning and pests in and out side the house , coop , Organic garden.
Dang that 2 was #15 and I wish there was an edit button!
Question #14: You have good instincts. I leave the light on. Once they are old enough to regulate their temperature and have insulating feathers you can turn off the lights. Better to err in favor of comfort for babies. You don’t want them to catch a chill.
Question 14: Chickens are not polite. When the roosters become more mature they will develop a pecking order. They can and do cannibalize one another if it’s really bad. They will try to have sex with your hens endlessly and that’s not good for the hens. You should plan to dress out any roosters you don’t want for your flock and put them in the freezer, or whatever you decide to do with them. The reality of multiple roosters might not be a happy chicken place.
If the roosters are raised together you my not have a problem.Yes there is a pecking order over who is the boss. had 2 of mine(different pens) when I let them all out at the same time (breeding season was over) they jumped at each other a couple times and the one gave in to the other not had a problem since.I have usually 2 roosters of the same breed in the same coops with no problems. I only have a problem with my bantam cochin rooster as he chases all the bigger rooster around. Funny they ALL run from him. Gave him away once but she gave him back as he beat up her big orpington rooster. I have some destined for the freezer as I write this I don’t need 6 copper maran roosters. Eight others have all read went there. Diffidently a year to hatch out roosters.
#6 Dear Glenn,
Chicken yards aren’t so nice are they? If you HAVE to confine your chickens here are some ways to cut down on the smell and clean up the yard. If you feed from an open pan or open feeder, consider a closed type that will not allow the chickens to scatter the food.(this goes against their nature though) Beware of putting food scraps out also. Lots of people do and I think it smells worse as it rots into the muck. Laying down straw is nice because the chickens can do their natural thing which is to scratch, you will detect their delight if you have a few flakes of straw thrown down, the chickens will love scattering it themselves. My flock is completely free range however; here is my plan to clean up their mucky yard where I feed them. My chicken yard is large enough to divide it in half and I plan to close off part of the yard next spring and plant Proso. Proso is a green that McMurray sells, they claim it is healthful and beneficial to chickens. Once my crop is up and the chickens are feeding on that I plan to dig up and turn over the other side for planting. I think you could easily use rye or wheat berries too. Hope this helps
Sorry #10 above should have been #11
Question #10: I make sure mine have all their feathers fully in before putting them outside in a cage. Then I wait till they are large enough to hold their own with the older hens before introducing them to the flock. It is not as cold here as there but I give them a heat lamp on the back porch when I’m raising them and I’d do the same in the cage if it was a cold as it is there. Make sure they have a wind break too! I time my additions to avoid the really cold times of year.
I agree with the heat light setup. However many are not aware that you can order heat lights in the 175watt range. In Red.
250 watts is sometimes too hot.
I use those 48″ round sturdy plastic kiddie pools. Mine is surrounded by hardware cloth and in an unheated room off the garage. I don’t suggest using heat lamps with a cardboard brooder. The fire hazzard is too great.
Question #9: Chickens are animals and they are going to do their own thing. When they go broody you must intervene by taking their eggs unless you want them to try to incubate eggs for you. Some breeds are more likely to try to hatch eggs than others and you might want to consider that when you choose new hens for your flock.
Question #8: Probably was a toenail. Just stuff that happens. Make sure there are plenty of nest boxes and they have a lot of hay in them to cushion the eggs
If you haven’t I’d suggest tossing some oyster shell grit on top of their feed every now and then. There are two types of grit. Soluble and insoluble. Oyster shell is a soluble grit while “granite grit” is insoluble. Insoluble grit passes through the body much like that nickel we swallowed as kids. Oyster shell dissolves and provide extra calcium for egg shell production.
The basic layer feed doesn’t always provide enough.
Question #7: You can go to the local farm store in March usually and buy one or two chicks. They don’t have a huge selection of types but they usually have the best layers etc. Also around here I run older hens till they are 2 years of age and when they molt, unless they are extraordinary in some manner, they are put into the freezer or canned for convenience food. After 3 years of age they are typically not real useful for eggs. If you have limited space and money to fee them and you want eggs you have to choose to make the best use of the space you have by bringing young ones up to replace those getting too old to be productive. It’s not a fun thing to do but it is efficient. Plus you get meat from animals that you know how they were fed and how they were processed.
#15 Dear Shon,
Chickens are birds with both downy feathers and pin feathers. If your chicks are feathered out they can safely be in their coop at 40 degrees.
The best brooder method I know of is a hover brooder because If the chicks are cold they will run under it to get warm. I don’t think the dark is a problem as long as they are safely roosting and settled in for the night. With an insulated coop your chicks should be warm enough as long as there isn’t a draft. The 25 watt bulb should be ok as long as it isn’t touching wood shavings but unless it is in a spot close enough for the chicks to huddle under it probably won’t be effective anyway.
also to add to Q15- use only a red colored bulb (heat lamp) with Chickens- if you use a white light all night it keeps them up and they will literally go crazy and start attacking each other. Since you have been using heat all night wean them gradually- turning it on later and later so they get used to the cooler temperatures. I only use a heat lamp with larger chickens if it gets into single digits and then only the coldest part of the night (and this also helps with egg production due to shorter days).
Question 6: I allow my chickens time out each day to free range which takes some pressure off the permanent run. I set my run up with metal fence posts so it could be moved when I wanted to move it as well. I use leaves in the run to dry things up and I use hay in the chicken house which I’ve begun to discard in the run itself. It helps to dry the place up some as well. Rain cleans the hay setting up a kind of sheet composting set up. I used to put the hay on the garden but we’re about to move so I want to build the soil where the chickens have lived to be able to restore the grass there. Some people have used powdered lime to cut odor but I haven’t done that. Lime can be useful for a lot of applications.
question #5 I feed some table scraps to my chickens but I avoid meats as if it is not eaten it can decay and put the chickens at risk for botulism. When they die from eating maggots or rotten material (botulism) they have limber necks. They’ll be stiff except for the necks. Also I bake crushed egg shells in the oven before giving them to the hens for the same reason.
Die from eating maggots??? I have never heard that before. on the organic chicken forum there was a discussion about this sometime back and due to this discussion i started raising maggots for my chickens. this led to some of the hens staying in the general area of the maggot bucket waiting for them to drop. as for meat scraps when i give them some it is eaten quickly. i do not usually give big pieces but chop it up some.
Question #4: You should treat the entire flock for coccidia. Go to your farm store they can provide you with medication to take care of the problem. Coccidia is a protozoan and it is difficult to eradicate from the environment. The chickens will develop some immunity to it but it can still affect them when under stress. So some that appear ok may be harboring the protozoan. Even in the best environments it is hard to prevent. Wild birds & animals can carry it. People can track it in on their shoes (think Biosecurity) You can catch it for that matter. Having a way to move the runs or allowing them more time free ranging can help a lot. Diet can assist in keeping them strong.
I agree with practicing bio security. I don’t let anyone in to view my birds except one trusted friend.
Do not buy birds from unknown people or auctions unless you are set up for quarantining away from your existing coop.
Q6. I had the same problem with a muddy run. I put a roof over half of it so they would have a place to get out of the rain, and I use play sand in the uncovered part to soak up the mud. It’s working great so far and keeps down the odor. I’ve also put down layers of pine branches, a wood pallet and tree stumps to give them something dry to walk/perch on.
I agree a covered run is best. I have three all with covering. The coverings are slanted and have an overhang so water runs away from the run. I do let them range but in bad weather they have a place to go other than the coop.
I also suggest putting you set up on a slight berm. This will allow water to flow away from the run. Or you could dig a small trench all the way around the run. I lock my birds up at night in the coop, so there is no worry of predators digging.
I also use straw in the winter to keep their feet warm. Straw unlike hay does not get moldy. The birds scratch around and keep things aerated.
Q5.
I have fed my flock any human edible scrap since they were peeps. Garlic and onion are all we avoid as they occasionally give an “off” odor to the eggs.
Chickens like humans will eat just about anything. Some of which is not good for them. Such as members of the brassica family. Cabbages and broccoli.
Commercial feed is nutritionally balance and should be their main diet. If you want them to be healthy and lay well.
Chickens like humans will fill up on the things they like and should only be given scraps as a treat.
My chickens will come out first thing in the morning and run to the feeder, but when I toss the corn they leave the feeder and chow down on the corn.
So don’t over do the table scraps.
Garlic is actually a natural wormier for chickens.
Q6 use pine straw and keep layering it. This will keep down the smell and mud and the chickens have something to do during the day rummaging in the pine straw. Do not remove until rainy weather has ceased.
Q8 my dogs keep the hawks at bay. They (dogs) do not chase the chickens.
Q14 a rooster is great with the hens because they guard them and create a family. However, I have discovered a second rooster is not a plus because the dominant rooster trys to kill the other one so eat the extra ones or give/sell them.
I have a question. We have two coops. One, the largest, we abandoned because the house has air vents at the top about 8 feet up and an animal climbed the adjacent chicken wire, pushed out the heave wire mesh in the two inch vent and killed every chicken. What was this!? We tryed traps with no avail. The second coop has tiny wire over its entirety but is so much smaller. We want to transfer the new chickens back to the larger pen but are scared due to the masacre. We live near water in Georgia.
Fisher Cat……
I would reinforce the vent openings on the large coop with the same wire that you’ve used on the small coops. You could also try hanging some solar Nite Guards (about $20 each) outside the coop near those vents to help deter predators, but the fact remains that predators are part of chicken keeping. I am sorry for your loss, it’s always devastating, and wish you the best of luck!
I also had this happen. I found out that it was a buck racoon. He was very large and a great climber. They can get into almost anything with their dextrous hands. They tend to bite the chickens heads or necks to kill them and then eat them starting at the vent. They eat the insides out and the breast meat.
DearAnomymous – you probably have weasels. You need to cover any vents with 1/2 inch wire mesh – no less. They cannot get through this size hole.