FAQ
We will endeavour to try and cover as many of our frequently asked questions as possible. If you have one you'd like to add please feel free to contact us.
Why do my chicks die in the egg after they have piped or cracked the shell?
If chick embryos develop to the piping stage, or at first shell cracking at hatching, they are normally healthy enough to hatch unless some incubator adjustment prevents it from happening. The problem is usually caused by either 1) poor ventilation or 2) improper humidity. The air exchange requirement within an incubator is greatest during the last day of incubation. The chick embryo's oxygen requirement continually increases during development and especially when breathing using the respiratory system just before hatching. The vent openings are frequently restricted at this time in an attempt to boost incubator humidity. Instead of helping the chick hatch, the chick is suffocated from lack of ventilation. Never decrease ventilation openings at hatching in an attempt to increase humidity. Increase humidity by other methods. If any vent adjustments are made, they should be opened more. Another reason for mortality during hatching is improper humidity adjustment. The deaths can be produced from too much humidity during the entire incubation period or from too little humidity during the hatching period. The desired egg weight loss during incubation caused by water evaporation is about 12 percent. If humidity during incubation is kept too high, adequate water evaporation from the egg is prevented. The chick can drown in the water remaining in the shell at hatching. A dried coating around the chick's nostrils and beak indicates that drowning was likely. Attention to maintaining proper incubation humidity during incubation will reduce the potential for this problem at hatching time. If the humidity is allowed to decrease after the chick pips the shell, the membranes within the shell can dry-out and stick to the chick. This prevents the chick from turning inside the shell and stops the hatching process. The chick eventually dies. If the membranes around the shell opening appear dried and shrunken, the cause is probably low humidity during hatching. This condition can occur quickly (within 1 or 2 minutes) when the incubator is opened to remove or assist other chicks that are hatching. When hatching begins and proper incubator conditions are attained, the incubator should never be opened until after all chicks are hatched and ready for placement in the brooder.
How should I store eggs for incubation?
Eggs saved for hatching are very perishable and their viability is greatly affected by the quality of storage conditions. If properly stored, the number of hatching failures can be kept to a minimum. It is recommended that most eggs be stored no longer than 1 week. Storing eggs longer will produce a greater incidence of hatching failures.The maximum storage period for chickens is about 3 weeks. Hatching eggs should be collected soon after lay and maintained at 50-65 deg F. The eggs must not warm to above 65 deg F. Unless they are being prepared for immediate incubation. Relative humidity in the storage facility should be maintained at 70 percent and daily egg turning or repositioning is recommended to prevent the yolk from sticking to the inside surface of the shell.
How do I stop my chickens from pecking eachother?
Cannibalism is a prevalent problem in chicken and game bird flocks. It usually begins as simple pecking among the birds and escalates until it is out of control. There are many conditions that increase the likelihood that it will become a serious problem. The problem usually begins by innocent pecking during the establishment of a social order or by pulling of the feathers in certain cases. Some of the reasons for cannibalism are:
Crowding - Correct by increasing the amount of space available for each bird.
Provide plenty of feed and water - all birds should have access to feed and water at all times.
Keep light intensity low - Bright lighting increases bird activity and cannibalism.
Keep the house temperature comfortable - hot house temperatures aggrivate birds and makes them more irritable.
Provide all dietary nutrients at recommended levels - Deficiencies of nutrients like methionine and salt will increase a craving for feathers and blood.Have
some form of grit available all the time.
Regularly treat birds for external parasites - Pests can stimulate birds to peck and injure the skin, resulting in cannibalistic frenzies.
Remove all sick, weak, small, or odd colored chicks - Birds will attack and kill these chicks as a survival instinct, resulting in widespread cannibalism throughout the flock.
Crowding - Correct by increasing the amount of space available for each bird.
Provide plenty of feed and water - all birds should have access to feed and water at all times.
Keep light intensity low - Bright lighting increases bird activity and cannibalism.
Keep the house temperature comfortable - hot house temperatures aggrivate birds and makes them more irritable.
Provide all dietary nutrients at recommended levels - Deficiencies of nutrients like methionine and salt will increase a craving for feathers and blood.Have
some form of grit available all the time.
Regularly treat birds for external parasites - Pests can stimulate birds to peck and injure the skin, resulting in cannibalistic frenzies.
Remove all sick, weak, small, or odd colored chicks - Birds will attack and kill these chicks as a survival instinct, resulting in widespread cannibalism throughout the flock.
Why do my hens have rough and dry lumpy legs?
The breeder will often observe shanks or legs of birds that have scales that seem to protrude straight out from the leg. This problem is caused by small scaly-leg mites that bury under each scale and cause an irritation of the skin and the production of cells and substances that try to "wall-off" these mite parasites. Most free ranging chickens will have infestations of these mites but they seldom cause problems other than creating an irritation to the birds.
Effective treatments of the condition include weekly coating of the birds' legs with petroleum-based or mineral oils that suffocate and kill the mites. All birds in the flock should be treated to reduce reinfestation from untreated birds.
Effective treatments of the condition include weekly coating of the birds' legs with petroleum-based or mineral oils that suffocate and kill the mites. All birds in the flock should be treated to reduce reinfestation from untreated birds.
What are the causes for thin egg shells?
Calcium is the primary mineral that makes up eggshells and when not supplied in the diet, the hen does not have the basic materials needed to make the shell. The problem is produced when whole grains or feeds deficient in minerals and vitamins make up the bulk of the laying hen diet. Thin egg shells are observed when calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D3 are not provided in diets at adequate levels. It is more often observed during periods of hot weather because calcium is conserved and retained within the hen's body less efficiently. The quality of the shells is improved by feeding a complete laying ration as the only diet. This diet supplies all nutrients in the proper proportions so the hen can produce good shells. If thin egg shells becomes a problem, it is advisable to add 2 pounds of oyster shells (as an oyster shell flour or hen-sized oyster shells) to every 100 pounds of complete layer ration. This will provide a quick remedy to the problem and should restore egg shell quality within a short period of time. After the egg shell quality is restored, the addition of oyster shell can be eliminated and the complete layer diet can then maintain good egg shell formation. It is also advisable to also add a vitamin supplement to the drinking water while the oyster shell is being added to the feed. This will help ensure that calcium and phosphorus in the diet is being properly absorbed through the digestive system and will be available for deposition as shell on the egg.
How long do hens continue to produce fertile eggs after being seperated from a rooster?
If the rooster in a flock dies, or is removed, the hens will continue to produce fertile eggs for up to four weeks, depending on bird species. This is because there are "sperm nest" areas located in the oviduct of hens that collect and store semen for later fertilization of eggs. This is a natural survival mechanism for the production of a series of fertile hatching eggs even after the male is not available. The period of time that fertile eggs can be produced without additional matings can extend to several weeks. If a rooster is removed from the flock and replaced by another, it may require 3 weeks before it can be assured that all eggs will produce chicks sired by the new rooster. The proportion of chicks sired by the new rooster will increase during this period, but some chicks sired by the old rooster may hatch. Birds like turkeys and waterfowl have longer periods during which fertile eggs can be produced without matings.
How long to produce fertile eggs once a rooster has been placed with the hens?
If a sexually active rooster is placed into a flock of hens, fertile eggs can be produced by the second day after introducing the rooster. If mating occurs within a short period, the next egg yolk released by the hen's body can be fertilized. The remainder of the albumen and shell requires about 26-28 hours to be formed around the fertilized yolk. Therefore, a minimum of 30-36 hours is necessary to produce a hatchable egg. If the flock has many hens and only one rooster, it may require several days before mating with all hens takes place. It is advisable to allow at least 4-7 days before expecting a high level of fertility in eggs. If the rooster or hens are one-year or more in age, the waiting period may need to be increased.
Why do my birds have an absence of feathers on there bodies?
The absence of feathers on birds can result from any of several causes and can be separated into two groups: 1) those birds that cannot grow feathers and 2) those birds that pull or break them off. Either situation can be reversed by correcting the problem's cause. The most common reason that feathers do not develop is a deficiency of a critical protein constituent (amino acid) from the diet of the birds. The feathers of birds contain high levels of a subunit of proteins called "methionine." Methionine is one of only a few amino acids that contain sulfur, and sulfur is a major constituent of feathers. If bird diets are deficient in any single amino acid, it will most likely be methionine. An adequate level of methionine is required in the diet and a deficiency results in reduced growth and feather development. A methionine deficient bird will tend to eat feathers in an attempt to satisfy a craving for this amino acid. A bird may even pull them from its own body. Few ingredients used in making poultry diets contain adequate amounts of methionine, so manufactured methionine must be added to the dietary mixture to ensure that the birds receive an adequate amount. All quality poultry feeds are designed to contain adequate methionine and prevent reduced body growth and feather development. If feathers are developed, but are pulled or broken off, the cause is usually management related. Birds that frequently mate may have an absence of feathers, especially on the backs and heads of hens. The males may also have feathers missing from the breast area. These feathers will grow back during the annual moult. If feathers are missing from the abdominal and vent area, the cause is most likely the presence of external parasites such as mites or lice. Infestations of these pests can be controlled by regular dustings of Pestene, Diatom or Poultry Shield. The house and other structures that the birds frequently visit should also be sprayed. This will ensure the elimination of any pests that can reinfest the birds. Several applications at 2 to 3 week intervals will kill pests that hatch from eggs that have been deposited prior to the initial spraying.
My hen looks like her rear is inside out and dark red, why?
It does happen occasionally. It's called "prolapsed vent", "prolapse" or "blowout". It is a condition in which the lower part of the hen's oviduct turns inside out and protrudes through the vent. Prolapse occurs most often when a hen starts laying at too young an age, is too fat, or lays unusually large eggs. Caught in time, the prolapse can sometimes be reversed by applying a hemorrhoidal cream (such as Preparation H) and isolating the hen until she approves. Otherwise, the other chickens will pick at her vent, eventually pulling out her oviduct and intestines and causing the hen to die from hemorrhage and shock. Not all vent picking is due to prolapse, but instead may result from faulty management - feeders, waterers and roosts may be positioned in such a way that birds below can pick on the vents of birds above."
Is there really such thing as a 'pecking order'?
Yes. This is a very real phenomenon. All chicken flocks have a well-defined pecking order. It's their way of creating order and avoiding anarchy.
It is vital to recognise this when introducing new birds to a flock. Until new stock have found their standing in the order of the flock they may be subjected to bullying by other chickens.It is best to introduce new birds under cover of darkness and pay close attention to the flock for the next couple of days. If any signs of bullying are observed, remove the bully instantly. Hopefully this will allow the new birds to integrate with the remainder of the flock. The bully can be returned to the pen when a new
status quo has been established. He/she will then be the outsider. Continue to observe behaviour closely for the next day or two.
In an instance where a new bird has been pecked and is bleeding, remove the victim until it heals. The appearance of blood will only encourage the other chickens
to join the foray. They will continue to attack the victim until it is killed if there is no intervention.
It is vital to recognise this when introducing new birds to a flock. Until new stock have found their standing in the order of the flock they may be subjected to bullying by other chickens.It is best to introduce new birds under cover of darkness and pay close attention to the flock for the next couple of days. If any signs of bullying are observed, remove the bully instantly. Hopefully this will allow the new birds to integrate with the remainder of the flock. The bully can be returned to the pen when a new
status quo has been established. He/she will then be the outsider. Continue to observe behaviour closely for the next day or two.
In an instance where a new bird has been pecked and is bleeding, remove the victim until it heals. The appearance of blood will only encourage the other chickens
to join the foray. They will continue to attack the victim until it is killed if there is no intervention.
How much care do chickens require?
Chickens need regular attention but they are a very low-maintenance pet. A daily check at feeding time and when collecting eggs, allows you to be familiar with individual birds, making it easy to identify any that might be off colour. Early treatment often eliminates potential problems and even losses. Ensure the birds always have water. Change bedding regularly, how often will depend on how many birds and space allocation. Housing will need a thorough clean-out, including disinfect and de-louse every couple of months. Regular worming, de-lousing of the birds will ensure health and vigour in the flock
What do chickens eat?
Free ranging chickens eat almost everything. Worms, grubs, insects, grass. Processed, balanced, commercial rations, rolled barley / wheat. Chemical free weeds from the garden & scraps from the kitchen. Just about anything can be fed to chickens. Remember to keep the diet balanced, not giving too much of anything unless it's balanced, commercial ration. When giving them scraps from the kitchen, avoid salty food, raw potatoes and onions. Crushed egg shells mixed through their feed is an excellent source of calcium. Grit is important in their digestion. They pick this up naturally when they are ranging freely. Chickens will clear many of the over-wintering pests from the kitchen garden if given access. They will also decimate cabbage or other winter brassicas if these are unprotected.
Is a rooster necessary in order to get eggs?
No. A hen will lay eggs regardless - they just won't be fertile eggs. They still have the same nutritional value as fertilised eggs. Most of the eggs available in shops are unfertilised.
Do hens make a lot of noise?
Hens, make a soft, contented clucking sound - until they lay an egg. Then they get quite excited and announce their accomplishment for a few moments but very
quickly settle down. They quietly greet the morning and they are fast asleep on their perch as the light fades to darkness.
Cockerels, crow, early in the morning and intermittently throughout the day. Crowing is most prevalent in spring when they are establishing their dominance. This must
be considered if there are neighbours close by. A occasional bowl of fresh free range eggs may be enough to buy understanding and tolerance.
quickly settle down. They quietly greet the morning and they are fast asleep on their perch as the light fades to darkness.
Cockerels, crow, early in the morning and intermittently throughout the day. Crowing is most prevalent in spring when they are establishing their dominance. This must
be considered if there are neighbours close by. A occasional bowl of fresh free range eggs may be enough to buy understanding and tolerance.