Hey All,
I'm in my 3rd year of suburban homesteading (and chicken raising) and I finally have a sick chicken (I think).
Over the winter one of them (only a year old right now) started having a bit of 'baldness' around the comb. For a while I just thought it was white feathers...but it's not. I noticed one of them limping over the winter too, but only saw it once and it seemed to get better so I ignored it.
Over the last 2 weeks we've had on/off blood on an egg too. I had recently switched to a higher protein feed and figured that might be the cause...so I got rid of it (I actually had to anyway, new chicks in with them means switching everyone to grower). Yesterday had a really softshell egg which I hadn't seen in these chickens yet.
As mentioned, recently introduced new chicks into the coop too...bloody eggs started about the same time the chicks were in the coop (but separated) from the big girls. Then, on top of it all, I tore out and rebuilt the inside of the coop to accommodate more birds.
This morning Ms Bald was limping and standing kinda by herself (pecking slowly, not walking around much). Nothing else visibly wrong, feathering looks good, etc. But I suspect she's the bloody egg provider too.
Whatta ya think? Could it just be stress from food changes, new chicks in the coop, and a coop reconfiguration (probably shouldn't have done that all once
) Just keep watching her for now?
Thanks!
I'm in my 3rd year of suburban homesteading (and chicken raising) and I finally have a sick chicken (I think).
Over the winter one of them (only a year old right now) started having a bit of 'baldness' around the comb. For a while I just thought it was white feathers...but it's not. I noticed one of them limping over the winter too, but only saw it once and it seemed to get better so I ignored it.
Over the last 2 weeks we've had on/off blood on an egg too. I had recently switched to a higher protein feed and figured that might be the cause...so I got rid of it (I actually had to anyway, new chicks in with them means switching everyone to grower). Yesterday had a really softshell egg which I hadn't seen in these chickens yet.
As mentioned, recently introduced new chicks into the coop too...bloody eggs started about the same time the chicks were in the coop (but separated) from the big girls. Then, on top of it all, I tore out and rebuilt the inside of the coop to accommodate more birds.
This morning Ms Bald was limping and standing kinda by herself (pecking slowly, not walking around much). Nothing else visibly wrong, feathering looks good, etc. But I suspect she's the bloody egg provider too.
Whatta ya think? Could it just be stress from food changes, new chicks in the coop, and a coop reconfiguration (probably shouldn't have done that all once
Thanks!
