If birds are stressed, egg production may suffer. Stress comes in many forms – predators, over-crowding, aggressive hens, loud noises, too much heat or cold, poor nutrition and illness. Check the environment to be sure there aren’t stressors in the area. How long does it take for a chicken toRead More →
They are dependable layers of eggs even through the winter it is said, and also round out to a decent size for table fare. Wyandotte’s are docile, non-aggressive birds although not exactly ‘lap chickens’. Wyandottes are said to be talkative and noisy so this could be problematic if you haveRead More →
In short, a rooster can eat layers feed in the form of pellets or mash if it’s kept alongside hens who’re fed layers feed as their normal food. The additional calcium does not harm an adult rooster and they will get all the nutrients they need from layer feed. CanRead More →
Yes, chickens can tell when one of their fellow kind has passed away. Often hens peck with intent to kill and only stop once they are satisfied that their victim is motionless and dead. The pecking order is so established that when one hen is removed, it will take aRead More →
Chickens can fly (just not very far). … Depending on the breed, chickens will reach heights of about 10 feet and can span distances of just forty or fifty feet. The longest recorded flight of a modern chicken lasted 13 seconds for a distance of just over three hundred feet.Read More →
Egg-Laying Egg production in hens is stimulated by increasing the amount of light they receive. The egg production will occur whether a rooster is in the flock or not. So, when the days begin to get longer in the spring and summer, your hen will naturally lay more eggs. AreRead More →
Livestock guardian dogs are probably the most popular and well-known animal used to protect chickens. Dogs are intelligent, trainable, good companions, and quite frightening to a lot of different kinds of wildlife. Why do you put a goose with chickens? Geese make excellent free-range birds because they’re excellent at defendingRead More →
Coccidiosis is caused by a microscopic parasite called coccidia that is transmitted via the droppings from infected birds. In other words, anywhere there’s a microscopic trace of bird poop—in a waterer, a feeder, or in bedding—there’s almost certainly coccidia present. How do you treat coccidiosis in chickens naturally? Numerous plant-basedRead More →
Wyandotte They lay well, are excellent broodies and make good-natured mothers. – Ranging from gold laced to silver pencilled, the exotic varieties can be quite pricey. How often do Wyandotte hens go broody? This breed is known to lay lots of cream or light brown eggs – expect around 4Read More →
One last thought on this subject, there are rare cases of roosters reportedly also being able to undergo sex reversal — thereby becoming hens and even laying eggs. The cases of rooster to hen sex reversal is so extremely rare that it is not fully understood and is a topicRead More →