Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
chick diary
Amelia is growing a fuzzy beard.
All the girls have sprouting combs.
Henpecked
Just like a pack of wolves or a corporate o!ce, chickens have a pecking order. One
hen will become the dominant character and make her stance in the community known
- through violence if necessary. If you notice one bird constantly bossing the others
around by stealing their food, being the first at the fresh water, or pushing another bird
off her spot on the roost, you might have yourself a honcho. Expect any “mean girls” to
emerge when your birds are about six weeks old.
While the occasional peck and lost feather patch on the back of your hens is normal,
you need to be careful that your birds don't get to the bullying point of drawing blood
from one of their mates. A bleeding hen can cause a craze of bloodlust and cannibal-
ism in chickens, and it isn't pretty. Avoid this crisis by making sure your birds live in
a stress-free environment. Contentment is the remedy for civil disobedience among the
feathered set.
INTRODUCING NEW CHICKENS
When you bring new birds into your flock, realize that you just rocked their world.
Every single bird in your coop knew exactly where it belonged on the totem pole, and
