How to raise Backyard Chickens: Re: [CHICKENS-101] Re: Other chickens eating the eggs....

I wish it was a cold, I'd be over it by now. Now I've caught another virus on top of it... At least my nose and sinuses aren't running. People let chickens in the house because they make great pets, it's fun to put diaper on them, and let them roam. Cathryn

It sounds like you have a cold Cathryn...I'm sorry. My daughter is just getting
over one also. Chicken soup was all she wanted.

I think I am going to try the
checking for eggs every couple of hours idea. Most of them lay before 11:00 but
there have been about 4-5 that want to lay in the afternoon. Maybe after their
siesta? I didnt find any egg remains today when i went out, so maybe it was a
just a couple of times thing? Why do chickens eat eggs...dont they realize that
the eggs are their babies? Will keep you all informed of our trials.

Next question. I have never known anyone to let chickens in their house...Why?
Do they live there? or is it just during the day or are they babies or ??? Also
as far as saddles go...do they protect the tail feathers also? my black and
white chickens (dont know what breed they are) seem to be the only ones that
dont have tail feathers or lower back feathers. Why do they lose their tail
feathers? Sorry about all the questions. I'm trying to get a handle on this
whole poultry thing. I have thought all along that i had a tom and a hen for BBB
turkeys, but I think now they are both hens...My ex went out one day to check on
the kids, and he had to move one the turkeys and "She" was sitting on an egg. A
larger normal sized (brown with darker speckles) egg. Not the size I would
expect from a turkey. Will they sit on a chicken egg? What color eggs do turkeys
lay? All my kids were purchased from TSC during chick days, between the first of
April and the first of May. If I have a tom, when do they start growing their
beards. Both of them are starting to get little...uhm hanging lumps? on their
necks. Their snoods are about 3/4 of an inch long. is there any way i can tell
now if the are boys or girls? They both have very differant personalities at
feeding time. When I take their cracked corn out to them...one just sits there
eyeing me warily...but eats carn when dropped in front of her/him/it? The
other...DEMANDS very loudly...that he wants his corn...He loves eating the corn
out of the scoop...Like he just can't wait any longer. Very bossy thing. Has to
be the tom i think. LOL As long as they have access to the dirt and gravels...do
I need to feed them grit? Chickens OR Turkeys?

Is there one beginners book on raiseing poultry that is better than another....i
have two...one of them is a Storey Book. But i dont see them as very
informative. I would really like a book that shows ALL breeds with the colors in
the same section as the breeds. Is there such an animal? Okay...i'm shutting up
now. I really do apologize for all the questions. My brain is like a giant
sponge...just soaking up the info. Will try and post more pictures of my kids
tomorrow. Thank you very much for all of your answers. Have a wonderful night.

Christine
Northern Michigan