I've had yrs where I've never noticed a molt. Worst I saw was when I had a bunch of RIR, they were ragged.
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my rir look nasty. Almost as bad as a young cx.I've had yrs where I've never noticed a molt. Worst I saw was when I had a bunch of RIR, they were ragged.
Silkies most of the time dont roost ..He has 1 ISA hen that sleeps next to him on the floor of the coop - not sure why he won't roost -
No signs of anything wrong, he just sounds weird, his previous owner said that's all he's ever done.
He's about 6 months. Couldn't be a sweeter fellow, he just adores that ISA that hangs out with him.Silkies most of the time dont roost ..
Each Roosters crow is a little different ..it may change a little as he ages ...how old is he ?
HI all, I don't post often, but try to keep up with the thread, coo over the tiny chick pics, and feel so sad reading of losses, great to read of the chickens relocating between people on the thread, and that everyone enjoyed Chickenstock.
Tonight I'm hoping for some advice, about possible 1st cases of bumblefoot in 2 of our 4 chickens - I have noticed occasional limping recently, and occasional pecking or looking at the bottom of their feet. They both are still very agile, run, jump up and down, clamber on stuff, free range on all kinds of ground for several hours a day, still eating and drinking fine, but tonight I noticed that there seems to be some swelling on top of one of the feet. These 2 are the chickens who hate being handled, flap and squalk, generally act very stressed, gasping with open beaks when I pick them up. I know ideally I should accompany this post with pics, but also feel that whatever I do will be stressful for them, so if I have to get pics, I should be fully prepared to do some foot cleaning and soaking etc at the same time.
I've tried to do some research about the best approach to take, from many, many threads on here, my chicken care books, Youtube vids of chicken owners doing a procedure, even a chicken under full anesthetic at a vets office for foot treatment. Sadly, I am now more confused than before I started!
Generally an initial foot soaking in Epsom salts seems to be agreed upon, but after that, for one place with set recommendations, there is another with opposite advise, you should make a cut around the black scab and dig out everything you can, then you shouldn't open up the foot, just apply medications, or make up a poultice, use raw honey, foot should/shouldn't be wrapped, chicken should be separated - don't separate chicken as this adds to stress, do everything now - leave them be, some chickens heal on their own ....
I'm even finding for every product recommended, there are arguments for / against, some appropriate for when there is a scab, but which should never be used on an open wound, if you use iodine, it's terrible to use the orange colored kind it should be clear. Even some concerns about bathing using regular tap water (in our case this would be well water) as bacteria may be present....
So, before I do anything, I thought I'd ask fellow BYC members from this NY thread for their experiences and advise, also wondering about the mental aspect of this - I have worked as a receptionist at a small animal vets office (cats only) for almost 10 years, watch all kinds of life and death situations, surgeries, abscess flushes, big wounds sutured back up with drains in etc, and none of it phases me - however that is all performed by a veterinarian and licensed vet techs, usually under anesthetic. I'm very anxious if the advice is to perform a procedure whether I could actually do it, concerned about causing pain, whether my panicky girls would actually magically be subdued if wrapped in a big towel, or thrash about potentially meaning I may damaging other parts of the foot, even if I could get through it without throwing up mid procedure! (None of the vets I work with have any chicken experience, but it may be possible to get one of them to come over and help if a procedure is the way forward)
Thanks!
OH MY GOD ! I hate it when I am not home and they go to bed by themselves ..
One Hen is missing ...she has acted sickly for a few days ..I think she may have died somewhere.
I thought she was the only one
AND THEN I went out and threw some wash water on my plants off the deck ..
(I started this when we had no rain )
SOMETHING MOVED IN THE DARK ..IM LIKE WHAT IN THE WORLD is in my garden
So I look closer ..as it is moving out it is my Rooster LUCKY ..he was sleeping in the garden by the gate ..HE couldnt get in ...
WELL he got a shower ! AND then he started Crowing ...and didnt act like he wanted to go to bed ..
I finally got him to go in the coop
Big Delores is the only one molting. In the morning there is a pile of feathers underneath where she roosted. Poor girl. Too, I'm upset as CM didn't have any Egg producer pellets. They're 21% protein and what I feed the birds. Only thing I got was 16%. I called the CM customer line to complain. I don't have time to wait for them to order my feed. Heck I'm in there just about every two weeks to buy feed.yup - mine started a couple of weeks ago - I think we are in for a winter doozy, never had them molt this early before.
Thankfully the hen showed up this morning ...she still looks sick thoughOne Hen is missing ...she has acted sickly for a few days ..I think she may have died somewhere.