Recent content by Wonderling

That's interesting that they like comfy spots, mine are weirdos who seem to prefer being uncomfortable...hide from the rain for about 10 minutes and then decide it's just a shower and get themselves soaked while they go about their day as though it's not raining. I've started scattering food and...

Wool carpets are fancy right? I guess we'll see what the chickens think of it. I usually sprinkle diatomaceous earth and then top with a layer of pine shavings, but I ran out of shavings and I'm not going to make a special trip just to get some but I do have a bag (well more like 8-10 bags) of...

Thanks for the reply, sadly she passed away. Based on the fluid I was able to drain from her, she'd been retaining egg yokes and likely had an internal infection before she showed any signs that we noticed so she went downhill from there. She was a sweet, happy bird but unfortunately it was her...

Sadly, Poppy the Australorp has passed away. It appeared to be egg yolk peritonitis (EYP) but it seems she likely already had an internal infection before she was showing any signs we were aware off and it was all downhill from there. My husband strongly suggested we not have chickens anymore...

Thank you, I also get very attached to my pets. As much as it sounds practical to simply cull any sick ones and only have the strong survivors around, I know I could never bring myself to do it. The 3 I have still are nice birds but I think re-homing them sometime in the next couple months will...

Not well I'm afraid, I pulled some fluid from her and is appears to be egg yolk peritonitis (EYP) from what I've found and read online but it seems she likely already had an internal infection before she was showing any signs we were aware off. She hasn't really been willing to eat more than a...

I again washed as much of the poo off of her bum feathers as I could for now and while the feathers are wet I can more easily show what I'm looking at here. The whole lower backend is swollen and firm yet squishy, appearing to be full of fluid. I've used a rubber glove with some lube to check in...

From the few experiences I've had growing chickens I've had more health issues with any chickens bought from a feed store thus from a large hatchery, than the ones we've hatched either from our neighbors hens or our own. Maybe this is more of a hybrid vigor factor since those hatched with us or...

Update: Since I actually remembered I figured I'd throw a final update here on the two little ones. Both boys, of course. Only thing I noticed was that both of them have the same 1 inside toe on their left foot that is slightly sideways, other than that they're normal boys. Here is Egg 2 chick...

Thanks, I tried to feel for if there was an egg but as far as I could feel she's just full of fluid. She eats a layer pellet that has calcium in it and has a Oyster Shell available and some mixed in with her pellet feed as well. I'll try to figure out a way to ensure she's getting some. Her...

Awnry the cockerel was quite curious why I was squatting down by him in the yard with my camera phone. Here is the uncropped image at it's original size:

My australorp hen (Poppy) has a swollen abdomen and it acting rather lethargic. She doesn't appear to be having any trouble breathing but her poo matches the chicken that had ovarian cancer that had spread to other organs from this...

Update: Sadly Marigold the Buff Orpington has passed away, which was extra sad since she died in my arms after it seemed like she was getting close to a full recovery from whatever it was. Previously I sold 2 of the cockerel/roosters and kept just one. Awnry is now quite happy about being the...

So this all started when my two hens: Marigold (Buff Orpington) and Poppy (Australorp), were joined by a mystery rooster who showed up at our house, we named him Dundee (since he was on a walkabout). I hatched a several small batches of eggs and thus began the Mystery Rooster Lineage since he...

Update: He's now out and about as though nothing happened. Crowing his little heart out again, which is nice to hear since he was quiet for so long through all the leg business. Now back out with the flock, he's also back to stalking the two hens and trying to convince them to let him get closer...