Recent content by GertieBird

I have a 1 1/2 year old hen who always has some buildup on her bum. Her poops are normal most of the time. When chickens evacuate their cecae (2 blind pouches in their intestines which are similar to the appendix), which happens daily or so, the material is much like chocolate pudding. This...

I am very sorry for your losses. I have had some mysterious losses in my flock since I started keeping chickens ~2 years ago. I did have a veterinarian do a necropsy (post-mortem dissection) of two of my birds and sent the samples to the state lab. Came back as possible Lymphoid Leukosis (some...

I mix both grit and shell into their food. I'll also sprinkle grit on the ground. They seem to get to it when they need it. I had the same problem of upturned bowls when I'd put them separate.

If your chickens are on dirt/grass they'll get worms. They'll almost always have some worm load that, when healthy, their immune systems keep in check. I suppose that younger (less than 6 months old) birds would be more susceptible to an overload. I've not read of anyone that deworms their birds...

Can you put a small piece of adhesive tape on it? Then maybe a drop of super glue (small drop!) to get the tape to really stay on and to stabilize it a little. I read somewhere where someone's non-chicken bird got a cracked beak, and she bought silk nail wraps and used those. Beak healed fine...

Gurgling while breathing is not normal for any animal. You should probably isolate him and start nursing care. Keep him warm...maybe moisten his food with warm water and encourage him to eat. Watch for nasal discharge....get him to a vet if that's practical, and look up his symptoms online. You...

How do you tell just by looking at the pics of such young birds? Is it the redder comb/wattles? I have 4 delawares which are supposed to be females....one is a little bolder than the others, but feather-wise and comb/wattle color look the same to me. They're 11 weeks old today. What can I watch for?

Hi all! I'm in-process for getting a permit to house chickens on my property. The way the WS ordinance reads is that you only need a permit if your coop is less than 150' from property lines (but horses, ponies, donkeys & cows only need to be 50' from property lines....go figure). I'm wanting...

Quote: Yes, the acid in the vinegar reacts with the metal.

I lost two banty hens early this year from what the vet thought was Marecks....the pathologist said Mareck's or lymphoid leukosis. Given the symptoms and the vet saying she saw nerve tumors, I'm going with Marecks. Ugh, it was a sad time. Learned a lot about chickens, not to mention breeders, at...

To CarriBrown: OMG I LOVE YOUR AVATAR!!!! I'm still rollin' about it! My name came from our star banty hen Gertie. She's the smallest even of our banties, and she's survived a hawk attack! She rocks!

It looks like he scraped his comb on something, and the black marks could be scabs. My little roo gets those every so often. I think he scratches it, it bleeds a little, the blood dries and all I see are little black dots/lines on his comb. Hopefully your guy is acting ok otherwise.

I've only ever seen/heard of them bothering with dead animals. But, in the wonderful world of living organisms, there are always exceptions to the rules. I've gotten to the point where I only let my chickies free-range when I'm right there with them.

ginbart: i know this is totally off-topic but i have family in bloom! hehhehe nice to see folx from familiar places! unfortunately i cant help you regarding your issue as i have never subscribed to a topic.... sorry!

I am so sorry for your losses. It sounds like you've had a real rough time of late. In time, may you find peace. In fond memories, may you find comfort. You are in my thoughts. Namaste, ~GertieBird