I would not recommend eating or hatching the eggs while the birds are undergoing medical treatment involving drugs. Fertility is usually reduced in times of illness and stress anyway. The package the drugs come in should have a "withdrawal period" listed, or you can search for the withdrawal...
When I hear gurgling, I think bacterial pneumonia, which brings amoxicillin (or other penicillin-based antibiotic) to mind. May also be CRD (Chronic Respiratory Disease caused by mycoplasma bacteria). CRD can be treated with Sulmet (available over the counter at feed stores). Treat sooner, not...
Little black bugs = mites, little grayish/yellowy bugs = lice. There are a lot of things you can do: 1) dusting coop with DE (will not hurt the eggs or new peeps) 2) give all your chickens baths (the bathtime should not hurt your broody & her nest time, as it doesn't take that long to wash a...
Feed stores usually carry a product called Wonderdust, which is a great topical antiseptic for open, non-bleeding wounds. If the wound is bleeding, Blood Stop Powder works well for this, forming a black covering that stops the bleeding, keeps out infection, and seals the wound as it heals. If...
Looks like your chick has spraddle leg and has swollen and discolored hocks from resting on his hocks rather than his feet. This is really common and can be fixed - the earlier you catch it the less dramatic the measures you need to fix it, and the quicker it fixes. This website is my favorite...
Sounds to me like your girls are at point of lay & their systems are just getting into gear. It's not uncommon for pullets nearing 6 mos of age (earlier for earlier-layers, later for later-layers) to lay a few small eggs, then a few soft eggs, then no eggs, then after a week or two, start a...
New birds that come in bring in whatever germs and parasites they have in their bodies into your flock. This can be protozoans like coccidia, or larger parasites like mites, lice, or worms. In addition, the new bird may be carrying germs for coryza, CRD or other respiratory infections. Some of...
My guess based upon comb size is male, male, female, female. When they're smaller, sometimes you can comb sex them (not 100% accurate) by looking for the 3 points at the back of the comb, farthest up the head (prominent points = likely male). Generally, males have larger combs, and will be the...
His aggression may be due to 1) him being a "teenager" just feeling his oats; 2) his competition with another, larger rooster who is the 'top dog' has given him an attitude 3) him just being an overly-enthusiastic hen-treading machine; 4) a high rooster-to-hen ratio, 5) All of the above. If it's...
Sounds like you have a blinker chick now (blind in one eye). I had a blinker sizzle, and he got on all right, but he was never high on the pecking order (of course being mostly silkie may have had something to do with that). If there are pecking injuries to the skin, and the chicks are young...
Sounds like he's destined for the crock pot. You don't want to just let an unwanted chicken loose, because he can attract predators to your wanted chickens. Also, if he is untouchable now, what if he's attacked by something & it doesn't kill him? If you had to catch him to put him out of his...
If you can get some poultry electrolytes in him ASAP, do. If you don't have poultry electrolytes, a 50-50 solution of Gatorade and water will work in a pinch. Administer via oral syringe if you have to. Switch to large mealworms and see if that will get him to eat. High quality dry cat food...
Probably no cause to worry. The cracked beak happens occasionally, and if the vet didn't see anything dangerous when they examined your girl, she'll probably be just fine. Some folks just put the glue on and then release them back to the run, so keeping her indoors is being cautious. Keep her...
I doubt you're doing anything wrong. Sometimes they just don't make it - they have some genetic thing, or have to struggle to hard to get out and their hearts give out - there are a million reasons. A flattened chick / hatching egg is a sign of a hen problem, and sometimes big breeds end up...
Will she let you touch it? Does it appear to be painful? If so, it might be an abcess. Or a tumor. Abscess could be hot and painful, a tumor would feel kind of like a rock. On the other hand, if it's rubbery and feels like it's only involving the skin (in other words, you can slide it around a...
So-called "True Rumpless" are missing the tailbone itself, and usually a few lower vertebra as well. Such a chicken would not grow tall tail feathers, and the back slopes down to a rear end that lacks a tail. Do a search for "aracauna" or "manx rumpless chicken" to see what they'll look like...
Contact a wildlife rehabber in your area & let them know that you are interested in taking any starlings that get brought in. Folks sometimes find them and bring them in but rehabbers usually won't take them b/c they are a non-native, invasive species (which is why they are not protected under...