Ha yea it was timed perfect. He loves his animals. He wants a dwarf goat next.

Perfect!

Had one of my chicks killed last night...

So did a bunch of googling yesterday and I guess I didn't use the right keywords. Wanted to integrate the new chicks to the coop and pretty much everything I read yesterday was only focused on the weather and if it were warm enough for them. Since we're in the swing of summer and it doesn't hardly get below 80 degrees at night I figured this would be a great time to do it. Chicks are 5 weeks old and pretty close to being feathered in so I moved them to the upper part of the coop last night. This morning at 6am the big chickens were raising hell so I went out to see what was going on. On the lower part of the coop on the floor one of the baby chicks was lying there. It is a white chicken, but her head was completely bloody. Instantly I knew it was the big chickens had ganged up on her and killed her by pecking her head. So 6am I'm setting the brooder back up in the garage to put the remaining chicks back in.

After getting all that done I googled specifically what had happened and sure enough I totally botched that one. Live and learn I guess.

Also expect one or more of the big hens to get broody with the chicks around or they could become possessive against each other.

Wife wants me up this morning. Couple different places on the yard had feathers. Didn’t see blood.
Chicken gone.

I suspect it was a hawk or owl. Coulda been bobcat. Thoughts ?

Don’t know if this is true. But always heard aerial predators don’t get black chickens. Don’t know if that’s true. Or they think they are crows.

I got a 'mystery chick' from a hatchery in the spring. I know (or I think I know) it's a Cochin, but is it a hen or rooster? I thought it was a rooster, but it doesn't act like a rooster. Cochins are notoriously laid-back, but it doesn't crow, chase hens, or buck up to the dogs.

And yes, he hangs out in the house sometimes....

anyone hatching chic's this year? I got 7 of the 15 left from last year. I going to holds off till next year. Plan to make fryers out of the 7 I got and start over. decided to remove all of the bedding in the house and go to sand. Pain in the butt managing the wood chip bedding.

I have better sides and a nesting box now, need to finish the roof if it ever stops raining. So far they are nice and happy

So glad mine are gone. I guy that got them kept them until they were expired. I started getting eggs from another co-worker that then sold out to the guy I gave my chickens to so I'm still getting "my" eggs cheap and better than the store without the work.

How old were yalls birds when they started to crap some eggs?

Hens will start laying around 4-6 months old. Breed, feed and weather can all contribute to when they start.

Sure seems like it takes forever to get that first egg..
4-19 we picked up 2 Bielefelders an Orpington and some gold laced Wyandottes. The birds are huge and super healthy but still no eggs, thinking probably around 6mo mark, seems longer that our old road islands.
To others point, we no longer allow yard birds "free ranging" etc, too much BS, they are in their super secure TS producers pride run and so far have had Zero security issues and they're on a cam, would surely be dead now if we free ranged, they are all still kicking it and are giving me lots to compost. I put up a in a few big perches to use up the height of the run and they seem to like it fine.
Best of luck.

It has been a long 5 months already, lol. Our have an auto door on the coop, they free roam the backyard from sunup to sundown. Hopefully they will find the way to the coop to drop some eggs

Look under stairs or porch for eggs, basically look at anywhere they may lay the eggs. I find them everywhere around the house.

I will def check for them, thanks for the info.