Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Fancychooklady]

Guys I need some help. I have to ask the age old question hen or roo, regarding my speckled sussex Iris. I also asked in the sussex thread but everyone here replies quicker. Everyone at home this morning but myself, heard Iris make some noise which they think was some feeble attempt at crowing this morning. I adopted her at 12 weeks, she had been sexed but the lady at city chicks said they had had a few 'gender benders' in the past, which is understandable of course. As she grew I had no reason to think otherwise, no early crowing, or comb development. If she is a he I can take him back and he can live out his days there, without ending up in a pot. What do you all think? She is six months old, and very friendly.

Sorry but id say roo. See the the saddle feathers and hackle , pointy feathers around neck. Sussex are slow developers but I have no problem sexing them at 5-6 weeks.

 

[appps]

Can I ask for some bumble foot ideas. My little pigeon seems to have something wrong with his foot. I half suspect his middle toe could be broken due to how it sits and the way he walks. At times the colour looks off other times it doesn't so much so I'm thinking depending on how it's bent there could be circulation issues. Strangely though there is zero in the way of swelling which I would have expected with a break? Sometimes the toe sits at a 45 degree angle when it's flat on the floor. He has no strength or grip reflex at all in that foot. Today my sister took a look at it and we have strapped it to one of the outer toes to hopefully keep it straighter and help the circulation while we work out where to go from here.

She also said he looks like he is just starting to get some harder spots on his feet, so not bumble foot yet but if not watched could go that way. More than likely due to the way he is walking. He loves a bowl of water to paddle in. Is there anything I could put in there as I don't know, as a disinfectant or something to help? I'm wondering did I hear you guys mention eps and salts or something once?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Can I ask for some bumble foot ideas. My little pigeon seems to have something wrong with his foot. I half suspect his middle toe could be broken due to how it sits and the way he walks. At times the colour looks off other times it doesn't so much so I'm thinking depending on how it's bent there could be circulation issues. Strangely though there is zero in the way of swelling which I would have expected with a break? Sometimes the toe sits at a 45 degree angle when it's flat on the floor. He has no strength or grip reflex at all in that foot. Today my sister took a look at it and we have strapped it to one of the outer toes to hopefully keep it straighter and help the circulation while we work out where to go from here.

She also said he looks like he is just starting to get some harder spots on his feet, so not bumble foot yet but if not watched could go that way. More than likely due to the way he is walking. He loves a bowl of water to paddle in. Is there anything I could put in there as I don't know, as a disinfectant or something to help? I'm wondering did I hear you guys mention eps and salts or something once?

An Epsom salt soak will help but bumble foot is primarily a staph infection so you need to soak in some disenfectant and spray with something like Terramycin ( antibiotic wound spray ) . Bent toes can also be a vitamin deficiency.
Riboflavin B12.

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

 

[appps]

An Epsom salt soak will help but bumble foot is primarily a staph infection so you need to soak in some disenfectant and spray with something like Terramycin ( antibiotic wound spray ) . Bent toes can also be a vitamin deficiency.
Riboflavin B12.

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Ta! I don't think he has bumblefoot yet but I do think he is getting harder calluses on his feet perhaps and I really know nothing about bumble foot but think I've read it makes them more susceptible to it? So want to nip anything in the bud.

I'll go have a read. I know birds mask pain but there seems to be no sign of pain or swelling which you would imagine something if it was broken.

 

[appps]

@fancy. Thats a great link! Know this is day old chicks but this.

Don't use the paper towels more than 4-6 days or they may cause your chicks' toes to twist from standing on such a flat surface too


Could explain the problem. He was in a indoor bunny cage so very flat surface and since has been on pretty much everything else they discourage. Though not till he was fledged, he was on straw before that.

 

[User395221]

I gave my big girls a feel today and I can feel their bone as well. It's this one I can feel - the kneeled sternum.

http://137.222.110.150/calnet/chickenskele/chickenskele.htm

I don't think there's anything different about my little teeny chooks, it's just that their bone isn't as far down as on the "big girls" because there's "less chook" so I was more aware of it being there when I'd never noticed it on the big girls.

 

[Anniebee]

From potato chip -----

"Oh, I don't need to look for anything, she's got the entire top of the yard to get out. She obviously just wants to..... I'm aiming to put them in with the others eventually and their run and house/run are covered over on top, so she won't be able to fly out of there."

..........

Well - that explains everything. !!

??

If she is 'flying' anywhere, perhaps a short clip of both sides of her flight wings might be an idea.

After every moult I 'prune' my chickens very carefully so's they won't be enticed into high trees around here, that I could not climb for a rescue. It does not stop them roosting ( when they want ) but it does stop them investigating tall timbers ( and getting over fences ).

Good luck with wayward chickens ... they are SUCH a blessing ....

Cheers .......

 

[Anniebee]

Guys I need some help. I have to ask the age old question hen or roo, regarding my speckled sussex Iris. I also asked in the sussex thread but everyone here replies quicker. Everyone at home this morning but myself, heard Iris make some noise which they think was some feeble attempt at crowing this morning. I adopted her at 12 weeks, she had been sexed but the lady at city chicks said they had had a few 'gender benders' in the past, which is understandable of course. As she grew I had no reason to think otherwise, no early crowing, or comb development. If she is a he I can take him back and he can live out his days there, without ending up in a pot. What do you all think? She is six months old, and very friendly.

Not at all familiar with sexing chooks, but this girl / boy looks as though he/she is becoming a 'he'.

Fancy has answered most about him/her .... but what struck me was the comb and wattles at that age. Very strong growth there. hmmmm !!

( plus what Fancy said about the saddle and hackle feathers ).

Perhaps if she/he remains giving 'squeaks' as a type of crowing 'it' could stay ?. He/she is a very pretty chicken.

I do hope you can keep your chicken and that 'gender bending' has happened - on the pullet hen side of things.

One can only hope ?? !!

Cheers ........

 

[Fizzybelle]

Iris is beautiful, personality wise and feather pattern too. I sent an email to the lady who owns the hatchery where I got Iris from, see what she says. Brisbane city council states clearly no roo's. I'd consider a no crow collar, but my mother doesn't want to keep a rooster in case he makes the hens extra broody, which I don't think it will, but she's just funny about some things when ideas are in her head. I take pet ownership seriously, my animals most definitely have a forever home with me( where they are spoilt and fussed over, as they deserve), and hate the idea of having to give up an animal, wondering what if? The hatchery will rehome roosters either with them, or other breeders, which sounds ok, I just hope whoever she's given too will be kind to her/him if it has to come to that. I spent(still spend) so much time raising all of my chickens, to be friendly and sociable, it's just heartbreaking.

 

[User395221]

If she is 'flying' anywhere, perhaps a short clip of both sides of her flight wings might be an idea.

She's ok, she's jumping or flying up onto the roof of the house and then out over the yard fence. She's ok, she's only out of the yard into my backyard, she just likes to wander about out there. It's only temporary, they'll go into the covered run soon-ish and the yard and little houses will be moved. When they're moved, I'll make sure they aren't next to the fence, and will probably cover that as well (if I don't get another run I've got my eye on in the classifieds)