Recent content by High Prairie

I'm so sorry to hear this. I lost one of my favorites on Wednesday.

Thank you! I feel like I'm always learning, and maybe I'm better prepared to handle the next thing due to everything I've heard and read from everyone here. Th

I will do that. Thank you!

I'm learning as I go as a rookie chicken keeper. I will definitely be checking crops now. Thanks!

I wormed my flock with two doses of Safeguard back in late August or early September. I haven't seen any signs of worm infestation, but I lost a hen this morning who was suffering from slow or sour crop and who didn't respond to any of the recommended treatments I tried. I don't know that she...

Thank you so much. Our dog killed 7 out of our first 10 chicks. We thought we were doing everything right in acclimating the dogs to the chickens over a several month period and seeing how well others' dogs took to their flock. It was a devastating lesson learned, and we decided that day that we...

Updating to say May is doing great and is super happy to be out with his girls. The swelling seems to have gone down, and I'm waiting for the next phase of healing. We're supposed to be in the 60s Christmas Day. So a 70-degree swing from one weekend to the next. This weather is wild! While I was...

@Eggcessive Thanks so much! I found Two Crows great information and tried several of the suggestions. Unfortunately, I found her dead this morning. It's my first loss since we are new to this, and it's hard. I feel good knowing I tried hard for her. She died in a warm and quiet place in the...

Thank you! I will check her vent for problems and will keep you posted. Best of luck with your hen!

@cathrynk I jumped into your post because I think we're both dealing with sour or slow crops and I want to folllow to read suggestions. I started a thread yesterday, but the only replies I got were from me. I hope everything works out with your birds!

@TwoCrows I've read your crop post numerous times the past two days. I have a hen who is approximately 1 year old. She's a consistent layer--5 to 6 eggs a week. I noticed she seemed off two days ago. She was in the nest box when I let them out for the morning, and I saw her lay an egg. It was...

@ElementalFarms I think the hot oatmeal was the culprit here. But if you read through this thread, everyone has different coops, different water systems, and different feeding regimens and all their chickens still got frostbite. I think the conditions beyond our control we're going to win no...

I'm thinking it might be slow or sour crop. The right side of her chest feels like a squishy water balloon. I haven't noticed any foul odor around her beak or any fluid leaking. I researched treatments here and will try Monistat and possibly epsom salt. She still won't eat and wasn't interested...

I wanted to add that she looked really rough when we got her and four others back in August. Her neck was totally bald, and her feathers were dull and washed out. But with good feed, worming, lice treatment, and love she's come to look much better these past few months until now, when she's just...

I've noticed that Kate has seemed a little out of sorts the past couple of days ... withdrawn, puffed up, not active. It was bitterly cold so I chalked it up to that until this morning. When I opened up the coop, she was still up on the perch all puffed up and sleepy. I set her down in the run...