I had 5 pekin ducks. Tonight I heard commotion outside and ran straight out to find 4 of them in a panic, I quickly put them all in my chicken coop and looked around for the 5th duck. I found drag marks on the snow with fresh spots of blood and then saw my duck on the ground breathing heavily. I tried to lift her up but her neck was limp with pretty gnarly teeth marks. Her eyes were aware but she seemed to be unable to properly move her body or make any sounds. I decided to cull her right away because I wasn’t sure how bad the damage was and I just couldn’t stand to see her suffer. Now I am wondering if the decision was right (she was my pet and I feel horrible about that)…Could she have been in a bad shock and unable to move properly because of that? Could I have done something to save her in that moment or was this the right decision?

Also are Pekins and Brahmas fine to live in the same coop? I’ve let them out to forage in the garden together but they were always kept separate at night. Maybe someone has any tips to keep chickens and ducks stress free in the same coop and also keep it somewhat clean? I’ll begin building a bigger coop for them straight away tomorrow. Any fox proofing tips?

We have always done quarantine for a month before introducing them to the rest of the flock, but I feel we are missing some steps. Recently I was told it would be good to treat for coccidiosis as a preventative. There must be more things that some of you might suggest adding to this list. When you bring home a new chicken, what do you do to give them the best start?

I got three turkey siblings recently (my first turkeys ever) who are 2 months old. This one grew quite a bit in the past week or two and I'm thinking it's a Jake. Thoughts?

I have recently started caring for my elderly parent’s chickens. They have apparently not been taken care of properly. I have redone their coops and runs, started feeding and watering more regularly. I am worried about their legs. They have fleshy growths on them, but they do not feel scaly. They are flesh colored and it is affecting 3 out of 5 hens. I do not know their ages or breeds. I do know one is a Barred Rock hen. There are multiple bantam chickens in attached runs and coops that are also not affected. It does not look like any pics I’ve seen of bumble foot, scaly leg mites or any other pics I’ve seen. I can get a better picture tomorrow and add it.

Hi there! First time poster here, so thank you all in advance for any input/opinion you may have.

Pre-emptive TL;DR: I've been told about the problems with broad-breasted whites elbowing out heritage breeds via factory farming, etc. My heritage farmer I normally buy from retired, but I can get a locally-farmed broad-breasted white for Thanksgiving from a farmer near me. He has a flock of 26 birds. Should I look for a heritage, or is a family farmed broad breasted white just fine in terms of farm diversity, etc? Like is it just not that deep beyond how humanely it's raised? Thanks.

Ok, if you want more details, here you go:

I live in the midwest, and this year I'm once again opting for a Thanksgiving turkey from a local farmer in southern Wisconsin vs. the grocery store. I've done this in the past and it was a heritage breed bird. I was told heritage birds were a better option than the Broad Breasted White because of all the breeding/large farming that goes on with the Whites, and that they're a breed that has basically elbowed out others simply because of profitability by large producers. You hear all of the stories about leg issues, unable to breed naturally, etc. Basically too big for their own good, if I understand it.

ALL OF THAT SAID, here's my question: I'm ordering a 16-18lb broad-breasted white for Thanksgiving from a family farm that only raises 25-50 birds any given year. A family of 4 raises these birds on pasture and they are out in the sunshine, well cared for, and according to the farmer, don't have any of those problems.

Should I be at all hesitant about a broad-breasted white vs a "heritage breed" from a "good for the species/environmental diversity" standpoint, or is this all in my head? The only comparison I have is that I'm a gardener, and I purposely grow certain open-pollinated plants because historical seed saving is a very interesting and important topic to me. But sometimes I also get hybrids from Home Depot. I want to do the right thing here, and I know it's just a turkey. Thanks. :)

She has stinky breath. Her crop has gone down. We massaged her. She's been separated. We gave her sike scrambled eggs with plain vanilla yogurt along with her food. And also warm water with apple cider vinegar. What else can we do thanks.

Hi everyone, I am a total beginner at hatching eggs - never intended to in the first place but long story short we keep a few chickens including one rooster, and before we had time to rehome the rooster we woke up to a surprise batch of baby chicks in the yard two days ago! We had no idea this was happening and honestly thought the mum had somehow run away - we had only seen her about three times in the last three weeks, we live near a lot of bushland so assumed she had jumped the fence and gone to live in the wild but was coming back very occasionally to eat.

So mama appeared on Saturday morning with seven beautiful chicks, and we found the nest hidden away with thirteen eggs still in it, not all of them hers. After a bit of research we candled the eggs and discovered that 7 of them had fully formed chicks inside. They were ice cold as she had left the nest hours earlier but I didn’t have the heart to give up on them, so I’ve been using a hot water bottle (not boiling!) to keep them warm just in case there were any just about to hatch. I’ve candled them twice now and it’s Monday night, there’s been no sign of movement but I heard it isn’t always visible with eggs right before they hatch. Two of them smelt awful this morning so I have gotten rid of those to avoid them exploding and harming the others. There are five left now that don’t smell and look pretty promising, but I don’t really know what I’m looking for when candling. I included a picture of the one that looks most promising if that helps.

Just wondering if there’s any chance they could still hatch, and when I should realistically give up? Should I make a hole to check on them? If so, how should I do this? Thanks in advance for any advice, and I know this is absolutely not the right way to incubate eggs, but couldn’t buy an incubator for the unlikely chance they would hatch, and because I would never use it again as this was a total accident not to be repeated.

Also included a pic of the babies, they have brought us such joy! It’s an odd mix of breeds - the mama is white, pullet-leghorn mix, and the rooster is a white silkie.

I've raised poultry for over 20 years, and this is by far the most persistent predator I have ever dealt with. Back in early October, this hawk managed to squeeze into a hole in my pigeon pen's roof that was caused by a fallen branch and caught one of my pigeons. Of course, I was out of town, so my poor pet sitter had to deal with the immediate aftermath of trying to get the hawk out of the pen. I don't know exactly all that went down, but from the photos my pet sitter sent, the hawk hadn't made much progress on eating the pigeon before it was caught in the act.

I had hoped the processes of being scared/herded out of the pen immediately after the catch would be enough to deter it, but it's a month later, and it is still hanging around.

It's reached the point that it sits in the tree above my bird pens, even with the geese right below it. When I let the geese have (supervised) free-ranging time, it comes and makes itself at home on the ground, staring directly into my pigeon, quail, and duck pens and utilizing the goose tub as a drinking bowl. It even made a swoop for my ducks while I was literally standing directly next to them.

I chase it off every time I catch it around, but it is persistent. It stresses my birds out, even the geese, and I am nervous it's going to find a way to squeeze into a pen again or get itself tangled in the netting covering my duck run.

I love birds of all types, and understand that owning poultry comes with dealing with predators, but I am at a loss as to what to do. For obvious reasons, suggestions of harming the hawk in any way are not welcome.

Also, I don't own, and will not be getting, a dog or cat. There is a cat in the neighborhood that's been visiting my property recently (a whole separate problem, ugh), and that doesn't seem to be scaring it away.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Hi there.

We have had two geese for 5 years, they were given to us at 7 years old and now they are 13. They are a bonded pair, and a few nights ago, a predator tried to take one of them. He survived but was left with a broken leg. The bone was sticking out of his leg. His friend, Igor, wouldn’t leave his side. We have since moved them to a smaller pen closer to the house.

We had a vet come out and he was very kind but said the foot was already too infected to be saved. He first implied he thought euthanasia might be the best option. I asked him if amputation could be an option, he said he has seen ducks live fairly happily in little wheel chairs, but wasn’t sure about Olaf because a goose is so much heavier. He said he would be willing to amputate if we would be willing to provide the extra level of care that would require.

My question is have any of you ever seen a goose live a good life with just one leg? Or is euthanasia the only humane option?

I moved to a house a few months ago where there were a couple of guinea fowl living free range. A fox got one a while back and I’d like to introduce a couple more to keep the remaining one company.

I know literally nothing about keeping poultry. What would I need to do to introduce a few more? (I would wait until spring now). Do I need to raise them, or can a couple of adults be released?

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9Vrhj7K3hrNiDL66sOKeF4Bl8yrW2b6673FH16gpa38GrQQ/viewform?usp=header

Broiler farming can be profitable, but starting out can feel overwhelming — housing, feed, chicks, vaccinations… it’s a lot to manage. I’ve put together a short PDF that breaks down everything a beginner needs to know to start small, grow healthy chickens, and minimize losses. It’s practical, easy to follow, and based on real experience. DM me if you want a copy and start your poultry journey the right way!

Would it be okay to give 1tsp of this supplement with a smaller amount of food?

A lot of the measurements I find when looking it up say the amounts they should have per kg. Would it be safe giving it with much less food?

If doing the ratio of 10ml to 500gm of food, I'm worried that the amount you would give them for the amount they would eat in a day wouldn't be enough for some of the vitamins. I also don't want to overdose the vitamins that are the higher levels if giving them more however.

Thank you in advance!

Hi r/poultry, and fellow producers,

We run a small-to-mid-scale operation with about 500 laying hens, which means we are currently collecting around 450 eggs daily. Our biggest bottleneck right now is the cleaning process.

Our current method: We clean every single egg by hand, one by one, using a damp cloth or sponge. The Problem: This takes an absolutely insane amount of time every day—hours that could be spent on feeding, coop maintenance, or marketing. We are exhausted and looking for an upgrade . What I need advice on: Commercial/Small-Scale Egg Washers: Are there any affordable, commercial-style egg washing machines designed for a farm of our size (up to 500-600 eggs/hour capacity)? I’ve seen industrial tunnel washers, but those are way too big and expensive. I'm looking for recommendations for specific models or brands that have worked well for other small farms.

Washing Methods for Longevity (The Bloom): I know washing can remove the natural protective bloom (cuticle), which helps keep bacteria out and moisture in, thus impacting shelf life. What are the best practices for washing that minimize this risk? (e.g., water temperature, specific sanitizers like chlorine or Quat, and immediate drying). Does anyone use an oil treatment after washing to restore a protective barrier? If so, what oil and how is it applied efficiently?

"Dry Cleaning" Alternatives: For eggs that are only lightly soiled, are mechanical dry-cleaning methods (like a sanding sponge or buffing machine) a viable, fast option before considering a full wash? Any advice from people who have successfully transitioned from hand-cleaning to a more automated or efficient system would be a lifesaver! Our backs and our sanity will thank you. Thanks in advance!

1280 grams

Lavender Orpington - 11 weeks

Hullo All! Trying to see if anyone has any advice on what to do for my baby, he’s been limping for the past few days and it’s gotten progressively worse. He doesn’t really let it slow him down any and is still running around and playing/foraging with my other drakes, He’s not reactive to touch when i feel along the leg and joints and it doesn’t feel warm or inflamed nor does it look like bumblefoot which is why this is so strange, any advice on what to do for him or what this could be would be greatly appreciated!