Recent content by rachelbinnc

  1. rachelbinnc

    Which breeds are most likely to stand up to predators?

    I have a silver spangled hamburg who is impossible to catch. She is petite and fast and even fullgrown can fly quite well. She is also quite wild compared with the other breeds I have and heads for cover if a leaf drops from a nearby tree. Her eggs are a bit small but she lays six a week. I...
  2. rachelbinnc

    Help me something attacked my chickens - kill her or not?

    I have a hen who is recovering from a horrible dog bite to her back. They are really very tough creatures. I definitely agree that you need to keep her inside in a dog crate until the wound dries up. If you leave her outside, there is a huge potential for flies to lay eggs in the wound and...
  3. rachelbinnc

    Will voles bother chickens?

    I caught my hens fighting over a dead vole recently. Voles are like chocolate to those girls.
  4. rachelbinnc

    Well..it happened to little ol naive me

    I'm sorry this happened! I have had something similar happen and I know how sad it feels. Unfortunately, without a secure coop, it is only a matter of time. Your neighbors who free range their chickens will get hit eventually too. I went 9 months with my girls free ranging during the day in...
  5. rachelbinnc

    Eggbound hen - am I crazy to pay a vet $150?

    I think you are the only one who can answer this question. Just trust your decision once you make it and know it is right because it is yours to make.
  6. rachelbinnc

    swollen breast!?

    It is normal for them to stuff themselves. Please do not limit her food intake -- chickens should always have free access to a food that is appropriate for their age. They are growing very fast and need the nutrients. Also, most of the crumble feed made for starting chicks has grit...
  7. rachelbinnc

    My Chicken attacked by my puppy today...need advice

    I am so sorry this happened. I just lost four hens to a stray dog and it was so sad. Dogs tend to shake their prey quite vigorously to kill them. It sounds like that is what happened to your chicken. I'm sorry, but it does not sound good. Do you know if there is a vet willing to see her?
  8. rachelbinnc

    Hen with stiff butt.

    I've heard that submerging her hind end in warm water can help if she is eggbound. Has anybody tried this? Keep in mind that chickens are very tough creatures. They can act normal under a lot of duress.
  9. rachelbinnc

    Do you trust your dog around your chickens?

    My chickens are perfectly safe with my poodle/corgi mix. However, their pellet feed better watch out! He's on it at every opportunity . I intentionally chose my dog based on temperament -- at the time, I had three cats and I didn't want a dog that would chase them. I went through local...
  10. rachelbinnc

    One of these things is not like the others??!!

    Also good to point out that you can't always use leg color with hatchery stock cuckoo marans. Many cuckoo marans lines were crossed with barred rock at some point, so have the yellow legs. So, number 2 could be a cuckoo marans, just not a perfect one. My imperfect cuckoo is my favorite bird...
  11. rachelbinnc

    One of these things is not like the others??!!

    I'm just going to throw this out there. The second one looks exactly like the cuckoo marans I ordered from My Pet Chicken last year. Mine has light yellow legs with black spots. She does not have the very distinct barring like barred rock -- instead it is rather muted, but quite pretty...
  12. rachelbinnc

    5-6 weeks - need gender help!

    I think it is really too soon to tell. When you have several different breeds together, it can be confusing because different breeds develop differently, with different sized combs on males and females. You can have a male of one breed with a tiny comb compared to the female of another breed...
  13. rachelbinnc

    Please help! Abscess on butt...

    Sorry, I see now that your issue really is with flies and maggots. Thorough cleaning is going to be very important, as is keeping her inside until the wound is healed (or at least scabbed over). Do a forum search for "maggots" and you will get some good information.
  14. rachelbinnc

    Please help! Abscess on butt...

    Hi there. I'm sorry about your chicken. I know how worrisome an infection can be. I just had a hen get a terrible infection after a stray dog bit her on the back. My vet gave me chlorhexadine to flush the infected area daily and this herbal poultice called Golden Yellow to put on it to dry...
  15. rachelbinnc

    Free range chickens

    I just wanted to say a few things about free-ranging, because I know that is part of your plan. For nine of the ten months I've had my chickens, I loved it. The chickens were happy, the eggs were delicious, and the yard was pest free. However, if you choose to free range (even during the...
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