Thank you, Alinas2010! Your advice is both sound and prescient. As it turns out, the woman who runs the sanctuary has offered to assemble the coop, so I can simply buy one and have it delivered to her. Fingers crossed my girls will be able comfortably to ease into their new flock!
Thank you...
Dear BC Community,
I am very sad to report that I have to move and can no longer keep chickens. I am down to two: Holly, an Easter Egger who is 10, and Kim, a New Hampshire Red who is 5 years old. Both are vaccinated and in good health.
I found a sanctuary not far from my home that will take...
Thank you, Nendei and Wyorp Rock. I am so relieved - we love her so much!
Any thought on the blood on her beak? Did she get nicked? Or could she have drawn blood inn the scuffle?
Hello, dear Chicken Community,
My beautiful 6 year old BO was attacked by a hawk last Sunday. Middle of the day and I heard nothing. Somehow she fought it off; I found her looking spooked under a bush with a big handful of her feathers lying around. I am so glad she's OK!!! I saw the patch on...
So looking at photos from a year ago I realize that while she has had this bald spot before she hadn't always and I just didn't get it. I feel like an idiot. This hen Blondie is one of my strongest personalities and I've seen her bully others in the past. She is my broodiest so for Mother's Day...
I did not consider that she might have been pecked - maybe it's happening at night because they range during the day where we can see them, and I haven't seen anyone bully her. I will definitely get her something to deter the pecking.
I guess I've been worrying about the wrong thing. Thank you...
Thank you all - ChickenHappy8708, Jersey giant lover, OneHappyRooster and Black Cat - for your clear insights! I went out last night and searched her - no tiny life to be seen. And she has started really molting. All feathers clear of any nits. I haven't seen anything crawling and no blood in...
Dear BYC Community! My BO's vent feathers looked dirty and dandruffy so I've been investigating whether she has some sort of mite. We have had very hot weather, and I understand mites thrive in the heat, but I can't tell if she's preening excessively. Two of my have 5 hens started molting, so...
I moved the treadle feeders around a bit because I take your point about the run being too narrow. Both were against the same hardware cloth "wall"; now one is perpendicular, which made a bit more room, at least until I can do more. I also added a feeder to the coop and purchased a wall-mount...
Thank you for your reply! I know - it is small; it was fine for four but five is definitely a crowd. I would like to expand the run and will do so as soon as I can manage it. It is 4' wide by 8' long.
I will ask the pet sitter to continue feeding my EE separately in the coop. I will also keep...
The run is small but the coop upstairs serves as space for an escape. I have two automatic feeders and one waterer downstairs in the run. One is directly under the coop. Here are some views of both:
The run downstairs:
The coop upstairs with my EE in hiding:
Thank you for your thoughts. So after a few days of watching more closely and offering treats that bring them together, I did notice that my Buff Orpington has been pecking at my EE, causing her to flee into isolation. So it is a pecking order thing. I kept them confined yesterday. I'll watch...
Thank you! All good thoughts.
Re physical health- I will try to examine her but she is flighty and won't let me touch her; she's always been like this when not laying. She is just coming out of a molt, most of her new feathers are in and she's looking good. I had her examined and blood tested...
Hello Wise Chicken People!
I have a flock of five hens, two 5-year olds and 3-6 month olds, who were adoptees of my 5 year old Buff Orpington. Right now only the young hens are laying but the older ones are on the tail-end of a weeks-long molt.
My concern is about my other older hen, a spunky...
Wyorp Rock, many thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Holly, my Easter Egger, continues to do well, apart from the watery droppings, though even her poop looks more normal today. She is back to being active with the rest of the little flock.
We took a 50 minute car ride yesterday to an "exotics"...
ps... I just read that "Some drugs, such as fluoroquinolones, including Baytril (Enrofloxacin), choramphenical, nitroimidazoles, and glycopeptides (including Vancomycin) are illegal to use in poultry in the United States, regardless if the animal is a pet." Back to the drawing board! I guess...
Thank you, Wyorp Rock. I found Baytril 10% oral solution for poultry on website. I will order that and see how it goes. I do have VetRx which I've never used. I did not think she had anything respiratory so I didn't open it. Do you recommend that I use it as well?
I really appreciate your sound...
Oh my, that's bad news! I will try to get her in to the vet. We don't have many here who treat poultry and I am not convinced that the ones we have deep knowledge.
I cleaned out all the bedding and did not keep the yellow specimen. I found no more of it today - maybe tomorrow. I wonder how they...
Update - I'm very pleased to report that my flagging easter egger started eating and drinking last night and was back to herself today!!! Still no egg and I cannot tell whether she has one trying to get out. She was laying normally every day and then stopped. Today is day 4. She is not molting...
Thank you, RhodeIslandRed5 and adickenscoop!
I did not know about the tool and just checked - it is pointing to something intestinal possibly spread by wild birds. We have plenty, and when my chickens range they do drink from puddles, the birdbath, etc.
No vet here will lab test her droppings...