Chicken Eating Own Eggs 
Hi there - one of my six chickens has taken to going into the hen house and eating the freshly laid eggs. How do I stop it?

Response: I have never ...

Pet doors for chickens? 
Question
Husband is building chicken coop. I am wondering whether a pet door can be installed in the coop? Has anyone tried this? Would chickens be ...

Rescue Hen with Strange Ailment 
Question:
I am new to hens and have one hen from a batch obtained in the last 3 weeks that has an unusual ailment. She is fit and well in all other ...

Apparel for Chickens With Feather Picking Issues 
Question:

HI! I know this sounds strange. I have a wonderful hen who is having her neck feathers picked out by another of my hens--I can't figure ...

Water and Sugar for Chickens 
Question:

We have heard from other growers and farmers that if we put sugar in the water it gives the chickens energy is this true?

Doing this,...

Breeding 
Question

I am having a problem breeding my chickens. I have 3 roosters and the pecking order of the roosters starts with a white silky, golden polish ...

Roosters & Hens in the coop 
Question
With hens in a chicken coop, only using them to lay eggs, Do I need to keep a rooster in the pen with them?

Answer
You do not need ...

My Chicks Are Dirtying Their Water 
Question:
I have raised chickens before but never had this problem. I have 6 week old chicks - a variety of breeds- and they are in a nice, big chicken ...

URGENT Can mother hen brood the chicks? 
Question
We are new chicken keepers. We bought two fertilized eggs to put under our broody hen. One of the eggs hatched yesterday. The surrogate mum ...

Nesting Box  
Question
How do you make a nesting box out of a 5 gallon bucket.
Answer
Use a piece of wood (1x4) for example, screw it in place in front of ...

Chicken Tractors? 
Question:
Do you need a chicken tracter and a coop or can you have one or the other? Also what is a chicken tractor for anyway?

Answer:
A chicken ...

How much money do chickens cost per year? 
Question:
I was wondering how much Chickens cost per year. For food hay and vet checks. My family doesn't know how much money it will take for this ...

What Killed My Baby Chicks?  
Question:
We bought 90 baby chickens that our boys were supposed to show at our local county fair through 4-H at school - we thought it would be a ...

Eggs 
Question
Do you need a rooster for a hen to lay eggs?
Answer
The short answer is NO. However, if you are going to hatch baby chicks you will ...

Pet Chickens  
Question:
I want to know which chickens make the best pets?
Answer:
If you are wanting a chicken just for companionship and are not worried about ...

Egg laying 
Question
At what age do hens lay eggs?
Answer
It depends on three things:
The breed of the hen.
The age of the hen.
The season.
As ...

won't get out of the nest box 
Question
We have a frizzle that is broody. Will she just stop this on her own or should we be doing something for her? How long does it typically ...

How much do baby chicks cost? 
Question
I was wondering how much a baby chick cost in the United States. I am researching chickens because I may buy a rooster and a hen. I love ...

Ear Infections  Not rated yet
My chicken seems to have an ear infection on the right hand side which is all blown up and puffy. What can I do to cure it?

Response: This will probably ...

Is it a HE or SHE... or she or he or??? what!  Not rated yet
We got five Ameraucanas and five Barred Plymouth Rocks sold as pullets, May 12 of this year. We got them one day old. One of the rocks has turned out ...

When Do Roosters Develop Spurs?  Not rated yet
At what age do roosters start developing spurs? I have a Cuckoo Maran that I am becoming more and more convinced is a male, but he hasn't started developing ...

Out In Rain  Not rated yet
Can we let our hen out in the rain?

Response: You can, but she may not want to go!

Hot Weather and Egg Production  Not rated yet
I live in central Florida and its been really hot this summer. I've taken all the precautions I can to keep my banty hens comfortable, but their egg production ...

Feed and Water in the Hen House   Not rated yet
I'm in the process of building a chicken coop. The coop will be 5 ft. x 12 ft. open area with hanging feeder and water. In addition, there will be a hen ...

Limp Neck  Not rated yet
We live in Greece. We put a duck down yesterday because she could not lift her head off the ground - her neck had no rigidity at all so she lay on the ...

Did My Chicken Have Salmonella?  Not rated yet
My beautiful chicken just recently died and the vet thought she may have contracted salmonella. She was really fit and healthy even though she was about ...

Pekin - Swollen Breast  Not rated yet
I have a small Pekin who's breast has got very large. It is almost unable to walk. What could this be? Any help would be gratefully received.

Response:...

Chick Losing Feathers in September  Not rated yet
I have a small chick ( less than one month)and it keeps losing its feathers. It doesn't seem like its sick- it jumps and runs around and plays with the ...

Blue Cochin Becoming Paralyzed  Not rated yet
My blue three month old Blue Cochin has been exhibiting lack of balance. Today her legs are straight in front of her and stiff and she is paralyzed. What ...

Concerns Regarding One of My Hens  Not rated yet
One of my best layers has stopped laying suddenly - she doen't look happy and her wattles have turned white. Does anyone have an idea what she is suffering ...

Diet of NO Wheat, Corn or Soy  Not rated yet
I have a market for my eggs to users who request that I DO NOT feed any wheat, corn, or soy to the hens. I give them rolled oats, milo, flax seed, molasses,...

Rhode Island Red Ailing  Not rated yet
I've got one Rhode Island Red in a flock that has trouble walking. She kind of drags herself along using her wings. She has been this way for over a ...

Laying Hens?  Not rated yet
When do I stop feeding medicated feed to my laying hens? I have three Buffs and three NH Reds? They are 12 weeks old now.

Response: If you are feeding ...

Chicken Has the Runs  Not rated yet
My ex-bat which I have had for just over a year is drinking plenty of water, tucking into her greek yogurt and pear.

I isolated her last night and brought ...

Chicken coop?  Not rated yet
How can I construct chicken coop with minimum cost that holds 600-800 chicken?

Response: Wow! That's a lot of chickens! The most cost effective way ...

Euthanizing  Not rated yet
I have a chicken with a bum leg having a hard time getting around. Any way of humanely putting her out of her misery?

Response: This is a touchy ...

How Long are Eggs Fertile After the Rooster is Removed?  Not rated yet
How long will a hen lay fertile eggs after my rooster is moved to another group?

Response: Good question Willie. For chickens, this is typically ...

Sexing Minorca Chickens  Not rated yet
We have two Minorcas that are about four months old. We are going to show them at our 4H fair and need to be able to tell if they are male or female! Could ...

Family Chicks  Not rated yet
We recently built a chicken coop in the hopes of getting chicks that would grow into chickens and be friendly and give us eggs. Our first batch of chickens ...

Winter Weather  Not rated yet
How do I protect chickens from cold, winter weather?

Response: The best thing to do is to be sure that they have a warm, safe coop . Be sure that ...

How to Free Range?  Not rated yet
This spring I raised nine sweet little fluff balls into adult hens (and one loud rooster)and love them! Within just a few months they have turned their ...

Sleepy Time  Not rated yet
What are some things I can do to make my baby chick go to sleep through the whole night?
He/She is only four days old. I only have one chick. Is that ...

Interested in Changing Careers  Not rated yet
I have worked in corporate America for over twenty years. I would like to look at what is involved in raising chickens for a living. What is involved ...

Sexing Half Grown Chickens  Not rated yet
I have three chickens about a third to halfway grown. The store who sold them to me couldn't say if they were male or female. I'm trying to figure it out ...

CHICKENS KILLED  Not rated yet
I had some chickens killed by two pit bulls on the 4th. The cops took the dogs to the pound and the people at the pound know the owner of the dogs. I ...

Wing Clipping  Not rated yet
I have a Rhode Island Red and a Cochin Banty and some other local breeds of chickens. I was wondering if I had to clip their wings? They are only about ...

Laying  Not rated yet
How long does it take for the chickens to settle in their new homes before they lay eggs and is there any special food to promote laying?

Response:...

What about the rooster?  Not rated yet
Our first chick just hatched.
Why is mother hen letting it roam around?
Will rooster hurt them?
They all stay in the same coop. 4 hens and 1 rooster...

Saving a Wounded Chicken.  Not rated yet
My new dog chased one of my five chickens. She has a wound on the back of her neck and a small wound above her right wing. I separated her from the rest ...

Male Buff Orpingtons  Not rated yet
How do you tell the males from females at the age of nine weeks?

Response: By nine weeks there may or may not be some obvious differences in comb ...

Predators  Not rated yet
What ate my baby chicks bodies leaving all thier heads? I live in Kentucky.

Response: Probably a bigger predator like a fox, coyote, or cat, considering ...

Will They Find Their Roost?  Not rated yet
If my chickens have spent there whole life in confinement in a coop. Will they come back to the coop to roost if I let them out? Will they find their way ...

Baby Chicks and Roosters  Not rated yet
My sister's chickens have hatched some of their eggs. How old do the babies need to be before they can safely share space with the roosters?

Response:...

How to Stop a Rooster from Crowing at 4:30 AM  Not rated yet
Ok, I knew that there would be crowing at sunrise, but at 4:30 in the morning is too early for this newbie backyard chicken farmer! I've read about these ...

Our Bantams Did Not Survive   Not rated yet
Hi,

We bought three bantam hens at eight weeks and had them for about five months. They were very happy and we free ranged them. The other morning ...

Identifying a Predator  Not rated yet
What type of predator kills a chicken and only eats from the anus into the guts and leaves the rest of the carcass?

Response: Most animals, especially ...

Nighttime Roosting  Not rated yet
How can I make my chickens roost inside their coop at night instead of in the bushes or trees?

Response: Routine, routine, routine. . . If they are ...

Time to laying  Not rated yet
Question
How long before my birds start to lay? They are 3 months old.
Answer
Most hens lay between 18-22 weeks. Make sure you make the switch to ...

First Attempt at Breeding and Raising Bantams  Not rated yet
Hi, My mane is Sandy, from Andover, Ohio. I have a small farmette in the country and was given a pair of bantam chickens. They have free roam of the ...

FLIES  Not rated yet
Question
I am having a fly issue around my chicken coop. Is there something I can do to reduce them.
Answer
I do not know how often you keep your ...

Shots  Not rated yet
Do chickens need to have any shots? If so what do they help?

Response: Unless you have a sick chicken on your hands, most shots for chickens come ...

Adding chicks with older chickens.  Not rated yet
Question
How old does a chick need to be before it is placed in a coop with other full grown chickens? I have several grown chickens and my second ...

Sanitizing Fresh Eggs  Not rated yet
Question
I have read that it is necessary to sanitize fresh eggs due to the presence of harmful bacteria. How do you sanitize eggs? Are there commercial ...

can you change the pecking order of your flock?  Not rated yet
Question
I lost my 'missy' to a predator she was the leader of my flock..now the one who has taken her place is being a bully. Can I separate her until ...

pecking order?  Not rated yet
Question
I have 7 hens, all have the feathers at their neck missing except two. I haven't seen any aggression, should I isolate the two with all their ...

What Are The Best Backyard Chicken Breeds?   Not rated yet
Question
This doesn't tell whether they can hold up to rain or snow. I read something about not leaving Orpington's out in the rain True or false?...

Bully Chickens  Not rated yet
I have four birds and three pick the feathers out of the other. What should I do??

Response: This is pretty common with a flock, especially if the ...

Chick with Two Mothers  Not rated yet
I have a chick that hatched about four days ago and it seems to have two hens that look after it. Can a chick have two mothers? It doesnt look like either ...

Mean Mama  Not rated yet
I work at a living history site that keeps a small flock of Bantam chickens, which we let range free around the site.

Recently, my hens have been ...

Hen wont sit on eggs  Not rated yet
Question
I have a Silkie hen and she laid 2 eggs her first time. Each day later one more, now she has 5 eggs in the nest, but she never sits on them ...

Rooster or Hen Question  Not rated yet
My son got a baby chick for his birthday, but we are trying to figure out if it is a hen or rooster. At what age do they start to form the giblet or whatever ...

Sexing Baby Chicks  Not rated yet
How do you tell male from female in two and three week old chicks?

Response: Check out how on our sexing chicks page.

will roosters kill chicks?  Not rated yet
Question
I have a coop with 3 roosters and 7 hens. They are mostly banty's. I keep losing chicks. Will roosters kill chicks?
Answer
You can expect ...

Rooster  Not rated yet
Do you need a rooster for the hens to lay eggs?

Response: Refer here for the answer.

chickens at night  Not rated yet
Question
Do chickens need to be locked in their coop at night?
Answer
If you live in an area that does not have chicken predators you do not have ...

Letting Them Out and Getting Them Back In!!  Not rated yet
Hi, we've just bought six, six week old chicks which we have had for one week now.

They are living happily in their hen house and are starting to show ...

How Many Days For Eggs to Hatch?  Not rated yet
How many days does it take for eggs to hatch?

Response: Eggs should begin hatching on day 21. By day 25 or 26 you can get rid of the leftover eggs ...

Coop Size  Not rated yet
I am new to raising chickens and I only want about six; is a 48" deep X 96" long coop big enough?

Response: It sounds like it should be enough space,...

Sex of Chicks  Not rated yet
How can I tell if my four week old chicks are male or female?

Response: Please refer to the feed page.

Perches: What can they be made of?  Not rated yet
Can perches be made of branches with the bark on?

Response: They can be made of almost anything, as long as they are the correct dimensions for your ...

New Chickens  Not rated yet
My children and I started with four chickens, then we got eight more. We just got 15 more that did not come from a very good home. I keep them separate ...

General Chicken Terms  Not rated yet
Question
I'm excited about getting chickens for the first time, but I plan to start with only four. This creates a challenge in that an order so small ...

Making Fertilizer  Not rated yet
Question
How can I properly make fertilizer from my chickens droppings? Does it have to compost (sit for awhile)? I realize it is HOT when new, just ...

Hatching From a Setting Hen  Not rated yet
We have a Silkie that is "sitting" on a clutch of eggs. We are expecting them to start hatching in a few days, but have no experience with this. All ...

LETHARGIC CHICKEN  Not rated yet
Question: First Entry

White Star stopped laying eggs for a couple of days, which is not unusual then laid a soft shelled one after 3 or 4 days, again,...

Sudden death  Not rated yet
Question
Should I be worried? Lost one of my hens today suddenly within a few hours, showed symptoms of straining runny poo vomiting when checked ...

Breeding Chickens  Not rated yet
How long is a rooster breeding good for?

Response: Typically about three weeks. See this entry for further explanation.

Black Maran Eggs  Not rated yet
Question:
What colour eggs should a true Black Maran produce, are they dark like the Cuckoo Marans?

Answer:

Truthfully, with the experience ...

Hen's Hatching Chicks Naturally  Not rated yet
What is the process or how long does it take for chicks to hatch while hen is setting? What to look for in bad eggs to avoid stink bombs? What do I need ...

mixing chickens  Not rated yet
Question
Can you keep different breeds of chickens together in a coop?

Answer
Yes you can, however if you are going to breed your chickens and ...

How many chickens do we need?  Not rated yet
Question
I am living in Panama and have started raising chickens for the meat. There are 3 of us living in the house. I would like to eat chicken ...

setting a hen  Not rated yet
Question
We want to set a hen with eggs from the coop without using an incubator any suggestions?

Answer
Pick a breed that goes broody more than ...

The Outcome "My chickens have dirty butts!'  Not rated yet
Question
We washed 1 chicken "Miss Winners" the way you recommended and she is beautifully white..:)..The bad news is while we were preparing the bath ...

My chickens have dirty butts! How to Wash a Chicken  Not rated yet
Question
We rescued 2 chickens who escaped from a nearby chicken house, they are our pets now,but their behinds are filthy. We have read ways to wash ...

bald spots on chickens backs  Not rated yet
Question
Our chickens have had bald spots on their backs through most of the winter. We have treated them for external parasites. But, the feathers ...

Will moss killer harm my chickens?  Not rated yet
Question
I let my chickens out for 'recess' daily in our small side yard.
There is moss growing in the grass and we want to get rid of it.
What ...

Chicken Perches - Are they necessary in a night coop  Not rated yet
Question
I have just bought some chickens (2) and a night coop. Unfortunately, despite assurances from the person I bought the coop from I think it ...

Feeding Chicks  Not rated yet
Question:

Is it ok to feed chicks fresh veggies as well as their feed?

Answer:

As long as you do this in moderation and not as a main food ...

Is My Baby Chick OK?  Not rated yet
Questions:

The chick I have looks really weak. It wont move or chirp unless I'm holding it, but as soon as I put it down it just lays there. One of ...

feeding the chickens  Not rated yet
Question
How much will 25 adult birds need daily?

Answer
This answer depends on several things:
1.Time of the year
2.Age ...

Sexing Barred Rock Chickens  Not rated yet
Question
How do you tell the difference between a young barred rock hen and a young barred rock rooster. They are almost 4 months old.
Answer For ...

chicken manure  Not rated yet
Question
What is the best way to dispose of chicken manure? I am composting some of it, but we have more than we can take care of in our space. We ...

Silkie Bantam With White Crust On Feet /Back Legs...  Not rated yet
Question

Hi, I have three bantams. Two are fine and show no signs of any aillment, but one has a really bad white like crust on feet and the backs ...

Egg Laying  Not rated yet
Question:

I have some Buff Orpingtons that were born in July 2009 and they still haven't layed. My question is when do they mature enough to start ...

Feeding 8 Week Old Pullets  Not rated yet
Question
Hi, I'm new to chicken raising and have a quick question. I give my 6 nine week old hens access to their food all day. When I put them in ...

Barred Rocks vs Dominiques  Not rated yet
Question
How can I tell the difference between Dominiques and Barred Rocks?
Answer
1.Dominecker is a term used by old chicken farmers to describe ...

Sick chook with swollen eye  Not rated yet
Question
I have a chook that started being listless and not eating its food. Now she has a very swollen eye and watery nose. What would you recommend ...

Heat in the coop  Not rated yet
Question
At what low tempratures should you consider setting up a heat lamp or other type of heat source. Our flock is made up of New Hampshire Reds,...

Chicken not eating   Not rated yet
Question
We have a chicken who has lived in our garage for about 5 months we made a nest for her and she runs the area every day but comes back to ...

Is it normal for baby chicks to lose their under feathers?  Not rated yet
Question
Could you please tell me if it is normal for our baby chicks to be losing there under feathers?
Answer
It is normal for baby chicks ...

chicks bottoms  Not rated yet
Question
Why does the poo on my baby chicks congeal around their bottoms and go very hard? I have to try and soften it so they can have a poo. They ...

Sick Chicken  Not rated yet
Questions
We have only 10 hens. They have their feed in their house and free range in our yard and garden during the day. They are molting right ...

will a broody hen stop on her own?  Not rated yet
Question
We have a frizzle that is broody. Will she just stop this on her own or should we be doing something for her? How long does it typically ...

Right Age To Kill An Organic Chicken For Tender Meat?  Not rated yet
Question:
Can you let me know when is the right time to kill an organically raised chicken for tender meat? I am trying to study the business of raising ...

What Breed To Buy And Where Do I Get Them?  Not rated yet
Question:
I have recently visited South Dakota where my brother has immigrated and started a dairy farming business. I would like to buy some chickens ...

Keeping Water For Chickens From Freezing?  Not rated yet
Question:

I was hoping you might have some ideas on keeping water for my chickens from freezing. I live in the mountains of Colorado, so at night ...

Diatomaceous Earth. . .   Not rated yet
Question.
How much diatomaceous earth do you sprinkle? Do I cover the floor and shavings or just give it a dusting. I'm afraid I'm going to use way ...

When are chickens active?  Not rated yet
Question:
I was wondering at what part of the day Chickens are most active, when do they sleep and what time do they get up. Because of school I would ...

What breeds like to be mates?  Not rated yet
Question:
What type of chickens can be together and can you please only list backyard chickens that can be mates. Thanks and please answer ASAP....

How many chickens do I need for eggs?  Not rated yet
Question:
My husband and I were thinking we would like to raise a chicken for eggs, but I don't know very much about it. We live in a suburban house ...