2018 Newbie Chat!

[Anna Ranieri]

You can make them do what you want, you know.
It’s your flock.
You are managing them.
When I let my babies out I have a stick that’s about 3.5 feet long.
It’s very thin but sturdy.
I don’t hit anyone with it.
I use it to control.
At most I will tap a bird to simulate a peck.
I also hit the ground with it.
Use it to guide them sometimes.
It’s very effective.
I need something to help me tell the big ones and the bantams I want them to move away from the babies or that they’re being too rough.
I do allow them to peck the babies to teach them pecking order but that’s it.
No relentless chasing, no singling out certain ones to bully.
Angus grabbed two different chicks on two different occasions and I tapped him good with the stick and chased him away.
Cricket has been targeting my little Australorp cockerel so I also gently guide her away or strongly tap the ground so she is distracted from him and moves away.
I believe they see me as the mother of the chicks.

So what I’m saying is...you can also show the ducks and chickens that you don’t like their behavior.
You don’t have to let them do whatever they want.
If you don’t like what Midnight is doing, sneaking up on someone or whatever, scare her away yourself.
Teach Midnight that you don’t like that behavior and YOU are the one in charge.
Instead of waiting for Lilah to give her a couple of smacks, do it yourself.
The humans are the real alphas.
Does that make sense?

Got the stick on the go - Midnight way too fast for me so I don't get the opportunity to simulate a peck but at least she knows to move on - stick came very much in handy earlier this morning when Roo jumped out of my daughters hands onto the grass while the others (including Lilah) were foraging I simply did as you said and used the stick like a barrier - worked exceptionally well, so glad you told me about this
Could you tell me what age Roo is likely to become independent please?

 

[CannedMonster]

Got the stick on the go - Midnight way too fast for me so I don't get the opportunity to simulate a peck but at least she knows to move on - stick came very much in handy earlier this morning when Roo jumped out of my daughters hands onto the grass while the others (including Lilah) were foraging I simply did as you said and used the stick like a barrier - worked exceptionally well, so glad you told me about this
Could you tell me what age Roo is likely to become independent please?

Excellent news!
I discovered what a useful tool it is by accident.
It really does help manage them.

Mother hens will “wean” their babies by stopping their care of them.
The age at which the mother stops varies a lot between broodys.
I’ve heard of some broodys stopping care at two weeks and some still caring for the chicks when they’re two months old.
But from what I’ve read on here, most of the time it’s between 5-7 weeks old.
Once the chick is feathered out it doesn’t really need mom anymore.
She will teach it what food is, keep it warm, protect it and hopefully teach it to roost.
Some broodys never really teach the chicks to roost. Some do.
The amount of protection the mother provides also can vary.
Some mothers are so protective they’re vicious, some hardly protect the chicks at all (these aren’t very good mothers) but stopping her protection is one of the signs she’s done being a mother.
She also won’t stay near the chick anymore.
Although, in your case, the chick is the only one she knows right now. Everyone else is new to her.
She sounds like a very confident bird.
She may well become the dominant hen.
Question: why the name Roo?
Here in the US we use that as a slang term for rooster.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Excellent news!
I discovered what a useful tool it is by accident.
It really does help manage them.

Mother hens will “wean” their babies by stopping their care of them.
The age at which the mother stops varies a lot between broodys.
I’ve heard of some broodys stopping care at two weeks and some still caring for the chicks when they’re two months old.
But from what I’ve read on here, most of the time it’s between 5-7 weeks old.
Once the chick is feathered out it doesn’t really need mom anymore.
She will teach it what food is, keep it warm, protect it and hopefully teach it to roost.
Some broodys never really teach the chicks to roost. Some do.
The amount of protection the mother provides also can vary.
Some mothers are so protective they’re vicious, some hardly protect the chicks at all (these aren’t very good mothers) but stopping her protection is one of the signs she’s done being a mother.
She also won’t stay near the chick anymore.
Although, in your case, the chick is the only one she knows right now. Everyone else is new to her.
She sounds like a very confident bird.
She may well become the dominant hen.
Question: why the name Roo?
Here in the US we use that as a slang term for rooster.

Thank you for all the info, we have seen lots of Lilah teaching Roo, is marvelous and amazing to watch - You made a valid point a short while ago about incubated chicks not being taught how to eat and us not knowing how to teach them right - I believe I have evidence of this, of our birds, those who were raised by mothers eat exceptionally well and healthy, those who were not, don't. i.e I finally managed to find mealworms sourced/packaged/grown in UK (which are the only ones we are legally allowed to give to them) they are dried, I gave them to the flocks to try, Lilah took hers to Roo, broke them into little pieces then nudged Roo forward to eat them, Roo loves them - the two ducks raised by mum, knew exactly what they are and how to eat them, the other four chickens/duck incubated hadn't a clue and looked scared of them, Pedro and Jellybean eventually had a try but pecked at them tentatively, eyeing them suspiciously, while the drakes looked on, by the time they plucked the courage to sample them the other two ducks had eat them all lol.
We are as certain as we can be that Lilah is/has taught Roo to roost, our reason being that when holding, Roo appears to be roosting on our hands, arms, lap or fingers and when on ground if there's a brick, lump of wood, or side of a dish etc, Roo will opt to stand on it when napping, we sleep them in the bungalow for now - the cage we made them has an opening, Lilah often roosts on the edge of it watching over Roo having a run about - so we are hopeful she has taught Roo.
Answer to your question :- well that came about because of you - in a post by you a while back you spoke about your rooster Loki, you talked about roosters in general and further in the post you referred to them as Roo's - when deciding with my daughter whether we were prepared to take the chance of the chick being male - I relayed to my daughter things I have read you saying about cockerels ( best ones to have, how to handle them and about Loki, Angus and Silkie) I then told her that Americans call them roosters, and that you often refer to them as Roo/Roo's - she loved that so much she wanted to call the chick Roo and said it doesn't matter if a girl or boy we both agree it suits the little chick perfectly.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

He’s willing to see her if I want to bring her.
I just may do that because it’s very hard to clean.
It was already trying to heal dirty by the time I even found out about it.
I don’t have the experience to know what I’m even looking at.
I think there’s still feathers stuck in it.
That’s not good.
If I had discovered the injury sooner I think it would’ve been easier to clean.

Any news on Agatha? I know its still early days but just wondering how shes holding up?

 

[CannedMonster]

Any news on Agatha? I know its still early days but just wondering how shes holding up?

She’s about the same.
I’ve been giving her special treats to be sure she’s eating.
Yesterday I had DH hold her while I tried to clean it better.
There was a dead piece of tissue I had to remove.
It bled some but I think it’s better that it’s gone and out of the way.
I’m having a hard time getting her out of the crate to check her and spray the wound.
She moves to the back where I can’t reach her.
My DH has to use a stick to move her towards the door so I can get her.

Her attitude is good.
She’s alert but does sleep and doze too.
She doesn’t have much to do in there.
I feel bad that she can’t go around with the others.
She doesn’t seem too affected by the wound but she does hold her leg up sometimes.
I couldn’t sleep for a while last night worrying about her.
I’m more encouraged this morning because she was acting normal.
I think it’s going to take a long time to heal.

 

[CannedMonster]

For metal wounds I would try coloidial silver and I would do a round of antiobiotics. . I do not see why it(coloidial silver)wouldn't be safe for chickens. I had a dog pull up crate wires and puncture his chest(just missed that heart and lung). I used the colidial silver. The vet couldn't believe how fast it healed.

Edit:
I just read more--the colliaidial silver can work on a bite also. I used it on myself for dog bites.

Hey I was reading up about colloidal silver and it sounds amazing.
I’m going to see if they have some a Tractor Supply or perhaps somewhere else in town.
I’ve read that it can be put in her water to act as an antibiotic and also sprayed on the wound.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

She’s about the same.
I’ve been giving her special treats to be sure she’s eating.
Yesterday I had DH hold her while I tried to clean it better.
There was a dead piece of tissue I had to remove.
It bled some but I think it’s better that it’s gone and out of the way.
I’m having a hard time getting her out of the crate to check her and spray the wound.
She moves to the back where I can’t reach her.
My DH has to use a stick to move her towards the door so I can get her.

Her attitude is good.
She’s alert but does sleep and doze too.
She doesn’t have much to do in there.
I feel bad that she can’t go around with the others.
She doesn’t seem too affected by the wound but she does hold her leg up sometimes.
I couldn’t sleep for a while last night worrying about her.
I’m more encouraged this morning because she was acting normal.
I think it’s going to take a long time to heal.

Sounds really positive and hopeful, thank goodness - sleep is always really good in aiding healing and recovery - maybe is a blessing in disguise that there isn't much for her to do.
I admire your courage, strength and determination, you are a good mother to your flock - so many people would take the easy way out but you are fighting for your Agatha and by doing so you are giving her a fighting chance - always warms my heart when seeing such a level of care - Agatha is a toughie and you along with your husband are strengthening her - all praise to you both for caring so much

 

[llombardo]

Hey I was reading up about colloidal silver and it sounds amazing.
I’m going to see if they have some a Tractor Supply or perhaps somewhere else in town.
I’ve read that it can be put in her water to act as an antibiotic and also sprayed on the wound.

I actually make my own. It might not be a bad idea to get the little machine and make as needed. You can make different strengths to ingest or use topically. I do 5 ppm for ingestion and 30 ppm for topical.

 

[CannedMonster]

Sounds really positive and hopeful, thank goodness - sleep is always really good in aiding healing and recovery - maybe is a blessing in disguise that there isn't much for her to do.
I admire your courage, strength and determination, you are a good mother to your flock - so many people would take the easy way out but you are fighting for your Agatha and by doing so you are giving her a fighting chance - always warms my heart when seeing such a level of care - Agatha is a toughie and you along with your husband are strengthening her - all praise to you both for caring so much

Thank you Anna.
I’m trying.
I don’t know what the outcome is going to be but I’m still hopeful.
I’m trying hard for Emily too.
Emily is lowest on the pecking order and Agatha is her sister.
They’ve been by each other’s side since I bought them at a couple of days old.
The other female I had died at 4 weeks.
I don’t know how Emily would cope without her sister.
My older hens peck her and don’t hang out with her.
Perhaps after rehoming the Wyandottes soon Red will become more accepting of Emily?
Of course, Red has always been very independent.
Speaking of the Wyandottes...the lowest one, Pepper, sometimes comes on the deck, goes up to Agatha’s crate and starts harassing her through it.
I chased her off this morning.
The friend who’s taking the Wyandottes is really sick right now so I can’t take them over there yet.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Thank you Anna.
I’m trying.
I don’t know what the outcome is going to be but I’m still hopeful.
I’m trying hard for Emily too.
Emily is lowest on the pecking order and Agatha is her sister.
They’ve been by each other’s side since I bought them at a couple of days old.
The other female I had died at 4 weeks.
I don’t know how Emily would cope without her sister.
My older hens peck her and don’t hang out with her.
Perhaps after rehoming the Wyandottes soon Red will become more accepting of Emily?
Of course, Red has always been very independent.
Speaking of the Wyandottes...the lowest one, Pepper, sometimes comes on the deck, goes up to Agatha’s crate and starts harassing her through it.
I chased her off this morning.
The friend who’s taking the Wyandottes is really sick right now so I can’t take them over there yet.

I don't know much at all about poultry however years ago I used to keep/breed budgies, I know it isn't a fail safe but one thing I learned over those years is that if they are going to deteriorate they usually and typically do so from the get go. Eating and drinking is always a good sign, - in aviary birds, not drinking is a sure sign they won't recover and the drinking more important than the eating - I don't know if it is the same with poultry but in all cases eating and drinking is a positive sign. It is a bad wound yes but it doesn't look infected and if you can keep it from getting infected even better.
I've heard stories about Wyandottes so doesn't surprise me that Pepper is taking advantage, I feel sorry for Emily, hopefully the readjusting of the flock after the Wyandottes have gone will lead to Emily included - literally praying for you all, get a positive feeling when praying for Agatha, hoping its a sign but I don't know.