Looks pretty suspicious. I don't believe the hen plucking or rooster treading, more like rodents chewed your hens feathers. Have you seen mice or rats near your coop?
Our five porcelain chicks (about two weeks old now) are feathering out fast. Can't wait to see the feathered pattern emerge, because so far I'm very impressed....reminds me very much of moonstone. Will post pic later :D
Question: does anyone use poultry nipples for their brooder/grow out pens? Do you prefer them or was it experimental? If the goal was cleaner/drier bedding, was it an effective change? How difficult was it to make the switch for the chicks? How do you elevate them over the brooder area?
I'm...
Weather appears to be on the up and up here in Battle Creek...I am ridiculously eager to begin growing my garden as well, but I must wait until my raised bed is thawed a bit more (it's presently under 2.5 feet of snow).
Egg production is wonderful for my three year old layers...I won't complain...
Oh....and a question for anyone with experience with curled toes in chicks. Anyone have input on splinting toes in bantams? I have read that this might be caused by inconsistent temps in the incy OR by poor substrate.
My daughter and I have been using strips of vetwrap to make toe splints for a...
Congrats on the safe arrival of your kids Stacykins!!! Would love to see some photos of the new arrivals :)
Wondering if any of the regulars on here live near me (Calhoun County) and if anyone is a breeder/hatcher of Showgirls (my hubby is in love with these peculiar looking chickens) and I'd...
Okay....need some info on this years Chickenstock?!? I can't wait for winter to be over and meet some fellow chicken lovers from surrounding areas. Any help on date, location and what to expect for a first time attendee would be appreciated :)
Hi Everyone...it has been a looonnnngg time since I've posted. So much to catch up on :) I'd like to share a photo of my new bantam cochin babies, after their "spa" treatment...these poor kids were crusted with mash, bedding and near trampled by older ducklings in a stock tank brooder. I'm just...
Maybe it's time to worm your chickens? I just did for the first time to my three year old flock and I'm amazed by the difference in egg quality. I feed my grit and oyster shell as free choice, free range and feed a complete layer pellet....no more gritty shells, better shell coloring now too...
So...storms blowing in and who do I find running coopside?? The D'Uccle hen I had looked for over an hour outside for earlier today!!!
Heartbroken earlier, I had given up on her and returned the free rangers back to the run (as we headed out to bus the kids to after-school activities) and...
I am gonna have to vote with all drakes....the feet size confirms it. Ducks are smaller and just more "petite" looking in generally next to the gargantuan drakes.
The thing that got me is after years of growing up around farm animals and a nurse of ten years , I still can pick out a sick one just by smell. Opened Thumblina's beak to obtain the throat swab with a moistened Q-tip and almost threw up That and the chicken poo she's passing....yup something...
Well...... got the results of the fecal on Thumblina (my daughter's cochin)....she has nematodes (ascarids) as well as an URI. A throat culture (collected by none other than myself) eliminated gapeworm, thank goodness, so its not the cause of the breathing issues.
In the meantime she got a...
OR look on amazon....there is a crate that looks like a tiger cage. I have been saving up for one (in case Stack reverts back to destruction again). My friend in dog show world swears by hers as "dog proof" for her most destructive dog....a Labrador Retriever.
Next up, my question to veteran chicken keepers: My daughter's beloved LF Cochin is droopy, with increased respirations, an infrequent cough and no noted nasal drainage. Would it be appropriate to use Vet Rx with her? Already separated her into a dog crate and looked her over.....nothing seen or...
Just read through over fifty posts....so here is my two cents.
I have a dog with separation anxiety too. I use benadryl as a sedative for my 75# pit bull...he was abandoned and then in the animal shelter for over four months. Due to the stress and the fact that he can be "dog aggressive" (was...