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Common Chicken Questions - Answered

Posted: Friday, September 01, 2006

by Jess Brophy

Here are some common questions people have about their chickens. After reading this, please make a comment at the bottom of the page. Thank you.

Can you tell the sex of a baby chick by it's feather color?

On most breeds, it is imposible to tell if they are male or female, but sometimes you can wait until they are 3 to 4 weeks old and then you can tell by the spur on the bottom of their leg. If they have this extra toe, then they are a rooster. I also can tell by the size of their comb.

Do you get better show chickens from hens or pullets?

Most people use chickens for show when they are 1-3 years old. You should get to know the chicken before showing, so you can know when it molts, or sheds, how good of layer it is, and how good of conformation it has.

What do you do when your chickens start eating their eggs?

Make sure you are feeding your chickens enough protein, corn, and calcium. They may be eating their eggs from lack of vitamins. If this tecnique doesn't work, then try putting a hole in an egg then put tabasco sause or hot pepper into the egg. The chicken will quickly learn that the eggs are bad to eat. You can probably find layer pelets and cracked corn at your local farmers store.

What floor do you put in the chickens' coop?

I use straw, and clean it out every 3 weeks. You can also use wood shavings.

Do you get better chicks from pullets or old hens?

It really depends on what kind of chicken you are looking for. If you are looking for a good show chicken, then ussualy a pullet, just because they are younger and younger looking. But if you are looking for a good layer, then I would breed a hen, because she may pass those good laying qualaties onto her young. Other than that, it doesn't matter.

Do you ever use bleach in your chickens water?

Personaly, I beleive that it is too risky. But, on the other hand, some people do because it keeps the bowl clean. If you want to, use half a teaspoon per gallon.

I hope some of these answers answered your questions. You may also leave another question at the bottom of the page. Thaks for your time! :-)

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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)

» left by Anonymous 3 years 153 days ago.

I have a question regarding chicken behavior. We have a new "flock" of 6 hens - raised together as chicks. The other day, we discovered one of them injured badly - hardly any feathers on her head and she seems to have lost an eye. The other birds had blood on their beaks, but there is also an area in the coop where the wire is slightly bent - suggesting that she got stuck, or something tried to get in. We have her separated and are nursing her back to health (not farmers, obviously, we are "pet" owners....) but have noticed that the other girls are NEVER out in the fenced yard, unless coaxed out by us. Do we need a chicken therapist? Any suggestions? Also, will they accept our handicapped bird back into the group when she is well enough to rejoin them? Sorry for the lengthy submission. Any help is greatly appreciated. We want all of the girls healthy and happy. :)

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