Backyard Fowl Keepers

Supervise initial introductions , watching their behavior helps you intervene if pecking gets too aggressive.

Fast developer! Keep lockdown conditions stable and wait for progress. Peeping is a good sign.

If you let nature take its course, expect a staggered hatch where she may abandon the late eggs. If she stays, though, the first chicks will need food and water before she's done.

I'd recommend a Barnevelder rooster with Cream Legbar and Olive Egger hens. You'll get beautiful pure Barnevelders and hybrid chicks that could lay anything from dark brown to olive to blue eggs!

The biggest concern is feed. Cornish Cross need a high-protein meat bird starter, but that's too much for your layers long-term. You'll either have to separate them early or find a way to regulate their diets. Another issue is space,Cornish grow fast and need extra room to avoid leg issues.

If it were a serious infection, I think you'd be seeing more symptoms by now. Keep up with the gentle cleaning and consider adding vitamins to her diet.

This morning, while watching the flock go about their usual routine, something caught my eye. One of the young Buff Orpingtons stood still, stretched her neck out, and gave a sudden twitch. At first, it seemed like a one-off movement, but then she did it again. And again.

Aside from this odd ...

Im raising my first batch of chicks and have six little ones, all about four days old. Five seem happy and active, but one chick constantly peeps. It eats, drinks, poops, and interacts with the others, so I dont see any obvious signs of distress.

The peeping stops when I enter the room, and the ...

I'd gently feel her abdomen. If she seems swollen or uncomfortable, she might have an internal issue, like ascites or a developing reproductive problem.

I've found that adding a layer of lime or wood ash under the bedding helps absorb excess moisture and keeps the coop drier.