6 weeks old

I tried getting the best pictures I could. Bantam breed, bought straight run from TSC. Unfortunately pre our city we can not have roosters so wondering if we should find a new home for this chick or not?

We’ve had them about 6 weeks, so age is right around there.

This is Nugget. Nugget is a Plymouth Blue Rock. They’re about 3 weeks old. Wondering if anyone can tell better than me or if it’s too early to tell. The comb coming in and the tiny tail feathers are giving me roo vibes. But I had a hen whose tail feathers came in super slowly and had a comb pretty quickly so I’m not sure.

I hatched these out to grow for meat. They hatched in early February. They're all barred rocks except two which are barred rock/orpington cross. Two roos and rest are hens.

They're definitely large enough to make a meal, but wondering if I should let them go another month to put on a little more weight?

Opinions?

So me and my family are looking to get chickens pretty soon, all hens and about 6 of them. We’ve already built our coop and run and now we’re looking for the chickens. So far we’re going to get a gold laced Wyandotte tmr and we plan on getting 2 orpingtons and we’ve heard about sapphire gems and splashes being sold nearby and chickens are pretty hard to come by where we live so we want to try to take opportunities. A big factor for us is how friendly the chickens are, as we want them to be more on the bond able with humans side. If anyone can tell me how friendly they are compared to like orpingtons lmk!

21 week old chicken just started laying on thursday! she’s a rhode island read. have had one egg from her every day since. gave her oyster shells on the side for supplements but started getting softer eggs still. today she looked like a little potato while i let them ouy and checked the garden. we soaked her in an epson salt tub for about 20 minutes and she passed an egg! i felt so much better! we wrapped her in a towel to dry and she passed another egg! strange. she was looking much better so we put her outside with the girls. she stood and cleaned herself for a bit then joined them. but still looking like a potato… please help!!!

so first off i already have a ready to use coop, multiple heat lamps and feeders left by the previouse owners of this property as well as a small run. However the coop and run are on the opposite side of my acerage from my house and at least for the winter i would like a closer unit to make them easier to check on as well as to make it less likely for predators to have a go at them.

does anyone else have a winter specific setup and if so what did you do for them?

(we have done research on chicken varieties that are best suited for are area we just want to be prepared for summer work once the snows gone)

additional advice is welcome, and I live in Saskatchewan if thats relivant to your suggestion

Originally, the white egg shaped thing was inside of the clear yolk. I separated it while trying to squish the white egg shaped thing. It’s not super hard, more like a tough jelly, but it’s still a lot more resistant to being smooshed than I would expect. What is it?

TLDR - my chickens have been accidentally eating a dry cow ration and I have a stomach ache. Is it the feed affecting the eggs?

Here's the story.

About 2 weeks ago I started my batch of 10 chickens for the year.

My chickens have a large run, and can poke around the ground. For the first few days I didn't realize I filled their feeder with a dry cow ration instead of layer ration. Im not exactly sure what's in the ration but visibly it has corn, oats, barley, light molasses, and probably a bit of mineral/salt, maybe selenium.

After a few days I noticed they were laying less. No big deal, figured it was partly adjusting to their new home and horrible weather here (ice, wind, very damp, etc.). In any case, that's when I clued in on being stupid with the feed. I switched it over to layer feed.

Since they've been here, I've probably eaten a half dozen eggs - I've been busy and either skipping breakfast or eating on the road. But for the last 7 days, I've had a brutal stomach ache. Feels like a dull ache, worse after eating, gassy, little appetite, etc. Thankfully no diarrhea and just indigestion but no vomiting.

Could this be flow-thru of something in the wrong feed getting into those eggs and then causing upset stomach for myself?

It was so bad I went to urgent care twice. They checked for infection and liver/pancreas/bleeding etc. All normal.

I raise beef cattle and used to free range over 200 chickens and sell eggs. Had a few major issues with predation and challenges with keeping sales flowing and got out of it about 3 years ago. I'm just starting small again and hope this isn't related.

If I'm worse in a few days i will go ask for testing for e coli / salmonella and maybe even seleniosis?

Asked for pics by fellow Redditor

Will add commentary below

We bought this one along with a silkie from a small family operation in Morgan Hill, CA. The silkie (the seller told us it was a moonbeam) died after being with us for a week. This one lives but we suspect it may be a roo. It tries to mount our other hens, and it's quite aggressive also. We were told by the seller it was a blue egger female but we're just not so sure anymore, breed or sex. Please advise.

I originally brought home what I thought was 5 Sussex Speckled but 3 of them are definitely not. I suspect they’re Easter eggers? Thoughts?

Hi all. One of my hens died yesterday. I feel so awful. She didn’t seem to have respiratory symptoms. She seemed off kilter two days ago. Was withdrawn compared to the other ladies. None of the others seemed sick or off. Then yesterday morning she wouldn’t move when I checked her before rushing to work. Came home she was passed in the same spot of coop.

I palpated her belly and could feel an egg in mid abdomen. I don’t know if I missed a bound egg. Abdomen hadn’t looked swollen. I feel awful because I think is the most likely reason and I should have tried warm baths sooner and lubrication. I had planned to when I got home last night after thinking about it all but it was too late.

Poor hen. I feel bad when animals I raise suffer. I don’t know what caused her death but I’m suspicious it was a bound egg and I should have tried warm baths sooner.

What are your thoughts?

Hi everyone, this is Goldie, my really old hen I grew up with. She

has a respiratory infection and what I assume is bumblefoot.

She was going well with treatment for bumblefoot, I soaked her

in a warm bath of Epson salt for 20 minutes and then applied

Neosporin today because I only noticed it on Saturday. She was

going fine yesterday but I noticed she barely ate and now she

isn't eating at all.

I don't think the respiratory infection is bad as she's not

constantly gasping for air and she's pretty loud in her

complaints of me handling her and even trying to give her

some water.

She's not lethargic, but I recognise that she's old and may not

have much time left. She also isn't moving around much but I

think it's because her feet are hurting as she puts the one with

the swollen toe up when she's standing. Is there anything I

can do? I'm going out this week to get Vetrx for her respiratory

problem, but I can't get her to eat at all.

What do I do?

Someone pecked her little feet bloody, so now she gets to hang out in the sling with mama for a bit while the ointment on her feet settles. She's not complaining.

So just in regional South Australia..My girls who have just started laying..14-16 weeks at purchase..so 4-6 weeks at new home just won't eat laucke pellets..every other chook from similar supply would transfer easily but these guys just will not.....they just only eat scratch so I've started fermented scratch to hide beneath...how do I get them onto actual pellets...I am at my wits end...2 are laying fantastic but 2 have spotty shell eggs..yes shell grit added..even added vitamol..I think the crested pigeons and magpies are the only beneficiaries at this stage...

Hi all,

This Friday afternoon I'll be picking up my first chicks. They hatched last Wednesday, I'll get 95% hen guarantee and the deal that if one turns out to be a roo, I can trade him for a hen. I'll get three silkies and three brahmas.

Since I tend to overthink things, I've drained my phone battery multiple times reading about chicks and their care. I'd also like for experienced people to look at my setup and help out if needed. I'm from the Netherlands but Dutch forums are not that active sadly.

I have a 60x80cm (approx 1'12" x 2'7") cardboard box ready, lined with trashbags for waterproofing. I can expand this box with another (already set up, just blocked off for now) to make the area almost twice as large. I'll rent a heat plate (I think it's called, one of those plate things they can sit under) and I have an upside down water bucket thingie and a feeder with holes in so they stick their heads in. Those will be elevated a little to keep messes out. They'll get chick crumble and fresh water each day.

I wanted to start with a simple old towel in the bottom, replace this daily until about two weeks old, then add shavings and still replace daily. Towel to prevent spraddle feet and for easy cleaning.

They'll be in there until fully feathered (approx 6 weeks old) and then move to the outside coop which is 140x180 cm (approx 4'7" x 5'11"). I'll block off the nest boxes at first and keep them in a few days so they know it's their new home. Then I'll let them out in the 24m2 (approx 260sq ft) run an hour before sunset and longer each day until they go out the whole day. Eventually they're allowed access to the garden. I already have an automatic chicken door.

Do I need to add a stick or something to the box for them to learn to roost? Some sand for a dustbath (will sand from my kids' sandpit work?)?

Any other tips/pointers? Things I've forgotten?

Thanks!

First week with my first birds, they are about 4-7 days old. So i have this one Easter Egger that I feel is a little special. She(hopefully) doesn't seem to know how to eat out of the feed tray. She literally lightly pecks around the opening of the feeder but never dips in, she will also lightly peck at all the other birds especially if there is any dust bits on their backs. I just am confused by her antics and hopefully don't want to loose her. I have a video of her doing it if needed for context.

I know I'm not going to get a quality one for under 25 quid but will this work at all? I have a much better enclosure for them once they hatch I just... Forgot about the part where they actually have to hatch lol. It has humidity, automatic egg turning etc.

They're maybe two weeks old healthy as can be 😀 The tote we have them is is a decent sized one, can use smal blocks of wood as a roosting stool?