Keeping Chickens & Ducks Together
We get so many questions about compatibility between chickens and other animals. Most often I’m asked about ducks and rabbits so I thought I’d spend some time this week addressing those issues. Are chickens compatible with ducks? Chickens are compatible with ducks in that they probably won’t fight much more with ducks than they do…
Ratio Of Hens To Roosters
“I would like to know the maximum number of hens one should have in the coop per rooster. We have 62 hens and one 2-year-old rooster that is seemingly doing his job. But, we set some eggs in the incubator and only four hatched. We were thinking maybe he has too many hens. We do…
Caponizing a Rooster
“Will caponizing a rooster stop it from crowing?” ~ Mark Heinz Hi Mark, thanks for the question. In short, the answer is “No”. If you’re interested in a detailed post about keeping roosters quiet, see… Vol 1: Issue: 2 – Wednesday 3rd December 2008 of this newsletter. One idea for keeping a rooster from crowing…
Shy Hens – A Discussion On Hen Personalities
“I love the news letter! Great information delivered with a kind sense of humor. I have a question. 1 week ago I got 3 black Orpington bantam pullets (4 months old). I already have a hen and rooster that are both Porcelain D’Uccle bantams. They all have become comfortable with each other except for 1…
Dealing With Rats & Mice In a Hen House
“Any suggestions on dealing with rats in the hen house?” ~ Mary Ann Westendorf Hi Mary Anne, thanks for the question. Here’s the thing about rodents, they don’t have any bones. The frame of a rodent is supported rather by cartilage. This allows the rodent to fit into spaces we would never assume they would…
Clipping Chicken Wings: Why, When & How
“At what age do you clip chicken wings? Thanks!” ~ Stephanie Francis Great question Stephanie. Before we address the “when” and the “how to”, let’s look at the “why”. If you haven’t discovered it yet, chickens can fly ;-0 It’s true they won’t soar through the air gracefully floating on the breeze but they can…
Baby Chicken Health Concerns
This week in our basics series we’re going to address a few chick health concerns. If you order your chicks from a hatchery, often times, but not always, your chicks will receive vaccinations before they are shipped. Check with your hatchery to find out if they will be administering vaccinations and what they are for.…
Chicken Pecking Order; Dealing With Aggressive Hens
We get a lot of questions about birds pecking at each other and what to do about it; when to intervene, when to let them work it out themselves. This week I thought I’d share a personal experience that might give you some ideas with your own flock. In our part of the world, the majority…
