Hi,
I'm disabled with 5 fusions in my spine and in constant pain. I had a corporate job and then suddenly, like hitting a brick wall, I couldn't work because of a failed back surgery for the first two fusions. From always living in large cities to four years ago moving to a VERY RURAL area in Colorado; the move to open a foster home where there are none I'm now having to "google" a lot to become a "homesteader" here and learn how to DIY a lot. I read up on "homesteading" and one of the first things I wanted to try was getting chickens, goats(no goats yet), and bees (no bees yet either). In August I adopted 18 chickens that had for 8 months only been fed 1/6 of what they should have and 1/2 of that was scratch; she also kept insisting they "molted" all year; they all had "bare butts". Poor things! So, once I got them, fed them, took care of them they got all of the feathers in and two months later lost them when they really were molting. They also had bugs all over them so to say the least they were miserable; initially they were mean to each other and had become "cannibals". The bugs are now gone and the birds are beautiful. Two of the hens died two months after we got them within a week of each other; the vet said the malnourishment had taken years off their lives, that and I found out from another friend they were about 5 years old when we got them so though we are getting eggs, many aren't laying anymore. Our friends think we should "process" them; there is no way. The vet thought by the end of winter they might all be gone; BUT I wasn't going to have that. I've used your site/posts to get ideas to help them. I've cooked oatmeal and put fresh grated ginger in it to increase their appetites. I clean out their coop and run everyday of poop and put ash from our fireplace (for odor) and diatomaceous soil in both their beds and the places they take their dirt baths. I've tried all kinds of fun activities for them like "eat the swaying cabbage" hanging from the top of the cage and purchased baby toys for entertainment, though they haven't caught on to those yet. I've also been letting them out into the garden to let them have fun, I'm going to post a thread with a question about that next. Family members think I"m crazy, that I have too many other things that need to be done and I'm wasting my time on the chickens. But I say, "what personalities they each have, what a joy it is to hear them each make their own sounds when around me, how relaxing it is to take care of them because they bring joy and a smile to my face". I love taking care of these hens, my 16 babies; thank you for helping me do that!
I'm disabled with 5 fusions in my spine and in constant pain. I had a corporate job and then suddenly, like hitting a brick wall, I couldn't work because of a failed back surgery for the first two fusions. From always living in large cities to four years ago moving to a VERY RURAL area in Colorado; the move to open a foster home where there are none I'm now having to "google" a lot to become a "homesteader" here and learn how to DIY a lot. I read up on "homesteading" and one of the first things I wanted to try was getting chickens, goats(no goats yet), and bees (no bees yet either). In August I adopted 18 chickens that had for 8 months only been fed 1/6 of what they should have and 1/2 of that was scratch; she also kept insisting they "molted" all year; they all had "bare butts". Poor things! So, once I got them, fed them, took care of them they got all of the feathers in and two months later lost them when they really were molting. They also had bugs all over them so to say the least they were miserable; initially they were mean to each other and had become "cannibals". The bugs are now gone and the birds are beautiful. Two of the hens died two months after we got them within a week of each other; the vet said the malnourishment had taken years off their lives, that and I found out from another friend they were about 5 years old when we got them so though we are getting eggs, many aren't laying anymore. Our friends think we should "process" them; there is no way. The vet thought by the end of winter they might all be gone; BUT I wasn't going to have that. I've used your site/posts to get ideas to help them. I've cooked oatmeal and put fresh grated ginger in it to increase their appetites. I clean out their coop and run everyday of poop and put ash from our fireplace (for odor) and diatomaceous soil in both their beds and the places they take their dirt baths. I've tried all kinds of fun activities for them like "eat the swaying cabbage" hanging from the top of the cage and purchased baby toys for entertainment, though they haven't caught on to those yet. I've also been letting them out into the garden to let them have fun, I'm going to post a thread with a question about that next. Family members think I"m crazy, that I have too many other things that need to be done and I'm wasting my time on the chickens. But I say, "what personalities they each have, what a joy it is to hear them each make their own sounds when around me, how relaxing it is to take care of them because they bring joy and a smile to my face". I love taking care of these hens, my 16 babies; thank you for helping me do that!
I was born with some deformities in my back, I know how bad back pain can be!
