Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered
A chick will start putting on feathers at a week old. But until they are fully feathered out you will need to keep a light on them to keep them warm. If a chick gets cold, it will die. At two weeks of age, they should start looking more like chickens and not little fluff … Read more
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered question
If this is her first time, she might not know what to do. Sometimes does just do that. If she continues to kill any of her other litters, then you may want to consider getting rid of her. Sometimes some rabbits just aren't good mothers. I had a hen that would start killing her chicks … Read more
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered
If the mother hen is attentive to the chicks and is clucking and teaching them to eat, then I would leave them with her. I would keep them away from any other older chickens till the babies can fend for themselves. She will keep them warm and teach them what they need to know.
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered
Do your homework on your chicken breeds, mine laid all winter long. Chickens need their rest too. By keeping a light on them that stimulates them to keep laying. Give them a good laying mash, and find the ones that the cold doesn't affect, and you should get eggs all winter long.
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered
I have Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Australorps, Wyandottes, and Brahmas, and they all laid very well through the winter. I had eggs all winter long! I live in NC and we get pretty cold here, and mine did great. I am trying Speckled Sussex's and Partridge Rocks, this year, so since they aren't laying … Read more
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered
Mine started laying at five months. I started them on laying feed at about four months and I got my first eggs off them in the fifth month. Good luck! Don't worry if the first eggs aren't normal. Sometimes first eggs can be laid without the shell, or they may be the size of a … Read more
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered
Yes a hen will sit on infertile eggs. If she decides to go "broody", she doesn't care if the eggs are fertile or infertile! I had one go broody and I already had several hens that had hatched out a bunch of chicks and I didn't want anymore chicks. It took me over a week … Read more
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered
Chicks need a heat lamp until they are feathered out. Until they get feathers they can't hold body heat in very well. If the day is warm and your brooder is outside you might be able to cut the light off, if you notice the chicks walking away from the light they are too hot. … Read more
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered question
I have Buff Orpingtons and Australorps and Rhode Island reds. They are all very friendly and if I sit down they fight over who is getting in my lap! I hand raised mine so I have been a constant figure in their lives, and they look at me as part of the flock. If you … Read more
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered question
If you put the eggs in the fridge, then you can't hatch them. They've gotten too cold in the fridge. You need to keep them in an egg carton with the big end up pointed end down, But do not put them in the fridge. Leave them on your counter till you are ready to … Read more
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered
Check your vent and make sure it's not stopped up. If it gets stopped up, then the dryer will get too hot.  Most dryers have a safety thing that will burn up and stop the dryer from over heating, if the dryer gets too hot. That way nothing will catch on fire. You might have to … Read more
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered question
I have a two tiered nesting box with three holes on the bottom and three holes on top. The bottom holes are about two feet off the ground with a perch that sticks out for them to jump onto, then they step into the box. The upper boxes are about three feet off the ground … Read more
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown answered question
How old are your chickens? Usually they will lay around five to six months of age. The game chickens might start before that.  Make sure they are hens! Sometimes its hard to tell until your roosters go to crowing. Its real important to make sure your chickens have a good quality laying feed. The proteins in … Read more