Ok, I've got one for the old-timers. One of my leghorns keeps standing on one leg. I went out today and checked her leg and foot. Nothing. No swelling, no bumps, no eschar, no tenderness. Do they do this because they are cold? What's the deal?
Thanks!
Well, everyone made it just fine, even the chicks. Thanks so much to everyone for the support! I clearly need to get some fake eggs, though. As soon as I let the hens free range, the girls I have had for a few months tried to break back into their old baby coop and lay eggs there. The chicks...
Well, we just hit 29 degrees, wind chill to 17. When I checked them at sunset (35 degrees) they were all huddled in the communal nest box, packed in close for warmth. Fingers crossed that everyone does ok! No eggs today, though - I think they may be on strike against the cold. I'm really hoping...
Ok, thanks, that makes sense. I tried to make sure my coop has as much ventilation as possible, since it gets really hot and humid in the summer out here in Virginia. It has an open space between the walls and the roof and some hardware cloth "windows" on two opposing sides for the hot air to...
I just heard that we're in for a sudden cold snap - we're expecting lows (in the 30s to low 40s lately) to drop into the 20s for a few days. Should I be concerned about my hens? A few are still looking a bit ratty from the molt. Other than making sure they have liquid water and plenty of...
Thanks so much for the advice on the sneezing bird. No one is showing any other signs of being unwell, including my mystery sneezer - I still can't even figure out which one of the six it is! Everyone is flitting around the chick coop, eating, drinking, etc. All are alert and have clear eyes...
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I'm not even close to be among the older folks here. Realizing that to a teen, just about anyone over 50 is "really old".
to teen anyone over 30 is old.
Walt
As one of my professors used to say, "old" is 10 years older than me.
This was his justification for constantly changing...
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If the leaves were wet or damp could be mold spores. or just dust from their feed.
They got leaves for the first time today, and I made sure they were 100% dry, so probably not mold. Before that they were getting newspaper, refreshed every few days. I guess probably just dust from the...
Ok, I've got a question for the OTs.
One of my six week old chicks has been sneezing every few minutes for the past few days. I can't tell which one it is. All are active and eating well. At first it was when they were eating (crumbles up the nose?), but it seems to be more consistent now.
I...
I use words like kill when I am dealing with kids whose parents are ok with it. However, if a friend or neighbor would prefer that I not tell their children that I'm going to kill the fluffy chicks when they get older, I respect their wishes. While I wouldn't want my own kids growing up so...
It seems like this has devolved into fighting over the behavior of game cocks and the accuracy of wikipedia articles. It seems counter-productive. Could we get back to practical tips and information for the newbies among us? Thanks!
Well, let me start out by saying that this thread is AMAZING!!
I started out really practical with my chickens. I got 3 Marans pullets age 3 mos from a local farm last August, built them the largest coop I could out of a single sheet of plywood and stuff I had around the house, fed them layer...