California-Southern

[Mike craft]

I do not have a rooster. I do have a hen that acts like one thou. I do not have room to quarantine . Do you recommend purchase of hens from a reputable hatchery?

Can't imagine the mess you had. Had a coop issue and put 2 hens in outside restroom. 3 days and oh my . Poo poo poo

 

[chick-habit]

I recommend Dr Z at the Duarte-Azusa Animal Hospital whenever someone asks.  He's been my chicken vet for over 4 years and only 10 minutes from my house!  But that's not why I go to him!  He sees dogs/cats/exotics/birds and worked in the poultry industry and can identify a problem with one of my chickens just checking her over for a few minutes.  He is very thorough and has helped to save my little Silkie with CRD issues more than once!  The Park Rangers bring him injured foxes, deer, turtles, lizards, etc.  He's performed surgery on chickens, dogs, cats, wild birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, you name it.  He doesn't send you to a surgeon specialist that cost more $$$ -- he does the surgeries himself.  He won't waste your $$$ on blood tests and necropsies unless you insist on them.  I have never trusted an animal vet so much as Dr. Z and my friends have started taking their pets to him too.  So glad you had the chance to experience him as your chicken vet!  He took photos of my Partridge Silkie hen to email to his wife last time I was in!  They are real animal lovers!

Well, thank you again. I'm pretty sure I had seen you recommend him! I can always count on you for friendly advice so thank you for that too! (Forgot to mention that I went to a Nancy Sinatra concert about 13 years ago in Hollywood!)

 

[Amelia Egghart]

I do not have a rooster. I do have a hen that acts like one thou. I do not have room to quarantine . Do you recommend purchase of hens from a reputable hatchery?

Aww love bossy hens! So much drama and fun to watch

What's your goal? You can do whatever you want with that much space! If you want to do adult birds, maybe a just a few at a time so you can quarantine and maintain your sanity - you can adopt from a shelter, find retired battery hens, buy from a breeder, etc. Or if you want chicks you can order online, order from a breeder, get some from a neighbor, pick up a bunch from a feed store, etc. First you need to establish what you want them for. Looks, eggs, meat, entertainment, saving a heritage breed? For personal fulfillment or for business? Once you know what you want to do, that helps direct where to go next.

 

[Sylvester017]

Question ??
A guy from my job has 10 leghorn Hens about a 1 1/2 years old. I have 10 hens now. Do you think it would be a good idea to join them . Going rate is $10-20 for a laying hen. He is offering for $8 a piece.
Current in coop
6 rhoad island red
2 leghorn.
1 buff
1 americauno.

coop is 10×23 foot
700 Sq foot yard to run.
Quarantine might be hard to keep .
Maybe I should brooder new pullets.
Thanks for the feedback don't want my hens to get sick.

That's a nice young Leghorn group your friend has. Leghorns will lay for years and years. Just realize that a hen will lay 20% less eggs each year of production. Example: 300 eggs 1st yr, 240 eggs 2nd yr, 192 eggs 3rd yr, 154 eggs 4th yr, etc. Leghorns lay well up to their 8th yr or more where most production hens slow way down before that. The only problem with White Legs is that 45% have reproductive issues or cancer by age 4 -- if a Leg manages to live past 4 yrs she probably will not have those issues. That's the main problem with engineered production birds is that broodiness is bred out of them so their bodies don't get rest breaks from laying eggs except during molt for 8 or 12 weeks of the year. White Legs are fabulous layers with a good feed-to-egg ratio but they really need good multi-vitamin supplementation, selenium, vitamin E, and calcium carbonate added (as well as oyster shell) because it takes a lot out of a lightweight hen's body to be a production bird.

A good quarantine time is recommended for any new birds. Many backyard birds are latent carriers of diseases that never manifest into symptoms and may never ever show because either the breed is a hardy variety or the flock is very well maintained nutritionally and environmentally. Even your own flock might be carrying something and you aren't even aware of it because if your flock is healthy the hens will never succumb to symptoms their entire life. Approx 95-98% of backyard chickens carry CRD/MS/MG respiratory viruses yet symptoms never manifest in flocks that are kept in prime condition. Many chickens are Marek's virus carriers yet never manifest the symptoms yet can transfer the virus to others that might not be as hardy. You can't get away from it. If our backyard flocks were ever to be tested we'd be shocked at all the latent viruses carried by our birds. But we keep them well nutritionally and environmentally provide clean spacious housing so that none ever succumb to the viruses they carry. Most of our backyard flocks are hardy healthy birds. It's the poultry industry with their crowded conditions and non-varied feed diets that have chickens come down with all the diseases we hear about on the news. Normal backyard chickens are kept in much better conditions than poultry farm birds.

Don't be afraid to take on your friend's Legs as they would be good production birds and would blend with your current flock after the initial necessary pecking order squabbles. A quarantine area for 4 to 6 weeks to observe the new birds is a good minimum to watch for any health issues and to dust or spray them for lice/mite prevention (I've had brand new juvenile birds shipped to me with lice so I do this as a normal practice for any incoming birds). I've taken new birds every year from different breeders from different States and observed from 4 to 12 week quarantines with no issues. For every new bird I acquire I immediately take a fecal sample the first day for testing of worms/cocci because those are so easily treatable and many owners can be unaware their birds have these issues. I take fecal samples of my birds to my vet once every year just for my own peace of mind because wild birds can bring all sorts of viruses and parasites into our yard. Routine scheduled worming is a must for any flock.

Whatever you decide for getting more birds -- whether to acquire your friend's already established flock -- or acquiring new hatchery birds -- you will have to keep either group in quarantine before introducing to your present flock. It's all work, just different kinds of work that you choose for your particular taste.

 

[Sylvester017]

Well, thank you again. I'm pretty sure I had seen you recommend him! I can always count on you for friendly advice so thank you for that too! (Forgot to mention that I went to a Nancy Sinatra concert about 13 years ago in Hollywood!)

How fun! And just to date me I went to a Peter, Paul, and Mary reunion concert in the early 1970s!!!!

 

[Mike craft]

That's a nice young Leghorn group your friend has.  Leghorns will lay for years and years.  Just realize that a hen will lay 20% less eggs each year of production.  Example:  300 eggs 1st yr, 240 eggs 2nd yr, 192 eggs 3rd yr, 154 eggs 4th yr, etc.  Leghorns lay well up to their 8th yr or more where most production hens slow way down before that.  The only problem with White Legs is that 45% have reproductive issues or cancer by age 4 -- if a Leg manages to live past 4 yrs she probably will not have those issues.  That's the main problem with engineered production birds is that broodiness is bred out of them so their bodies don't get rest breaks from laying eggs except during molt for 8 or 12 weeks of the year.  White Legs are fabulous layers with a good feed-to-egg ratio but they really need good multi-vitamin supplementation, selenium, vitamin E, and calcium carbonate added (as well as oyster shell) because it takes a lot out of a lightweight hen's body to be a production bird.

A good quarantine time is recommended for any new birds.  Many backyard birds are latent carriers of diseases that never manifest into symptoms and may never ever show because either the breed is a hardy variety or the flock is very well maintained nutritionally and environmentally.  Even your own flock might be carrying something and you aren't even aware of it because if your flock is healthy the hens will never succumb to symptoms their entire life.  Approx 95-98% of backyard chickens carry CRD/MS/MG respiratory viruses yet symptoms never manifest in flocks that are kept in prime condition.  Many chickens are Marek's virus carriers yet never manifest the symptoms yet can transfer the virus to others that might not be as hardy.  You can't get away from it.  If our backyard flocks were ever to be tested we'd be shocked at all the latent viruses carried by our birds.  But we keep them well nutritionally and environmentally provide clean spacious housing so that none ever succumb to the viruses they carry.  Most of our backyard flocks are hardy healthy birds. It's the poultry industry with their crowded conditions and non-varied feed diets that have chickens come down with all the diseases we hear about on the news.  Normal backyard chickens are kept in much better conditions than poultry farm birds.

Don't be afraid to take on your friend's Legs as they would be good production birds and would blend with your current flock after the initial necessary pecking order squabbles.  A quarantine area for 4 to 6 weeks to observe the new birds is a good minimum to watch for any health issues and to dust or spray them for lice/mite prevention (I've had brand new juvenile birds shipped to me with lice so I do this as a normal practice for any incoming birds).  I've taken new birds every year from different breeders from different States and observed from 4 to 12 week quarantines with no issues.  For every new bird I acquire I immediately take a fecal sample the first day for testing of worms/cocci because those are so easily treatable and many owners can be unaware their birds have these issues.  I take fecal samples of my birds to my vet once every year just for my own peace of mind because wild birds can bring all sorts of viruses and parasites into our yard.  Routine scheduled worming is a must for any flock.

Whatever you decide for getting more birds -- whether to acquire your friend's already established flock -- or acquiring new hatchery birds -- you will have to keep either group in quarantine before introducing to your present flock.  It's all work, just different kinds of work that you choose for your particular taste.

thanks for all the information . 95/98 % wow. I am going to think about it before I make any decissions. Either build a 2nd coop or make a brooder room for baby chicks.was told to put some diamacious earth in nesting box for lice . Need to read up on that more.

 

[Sylvester017]

thanks for all the information . 95/98 % wow. I am going to think about it before I make any decissions. Either build a 2nd coop or make a brooder room for baby chicks.was told to put some diamacious earth in nesting box for lice . Need to read up on that more.

DE comes in 3 grades - yellow, clay gray, and food grade white. Here's a website with pros/cons re DE that helped me decide to use organic enzyme Manna Pro Poultry Protector in the end on both hens and coop. Manna Pro is easy to use and less problems with respiratory issues from dust products like DE. I had a White Leg that would sneeze up to an hour after her dust baths from ordinary dirt so I decided against using any powders or dusting products. With DE the user is warned to wear gloves, mask, goggles for protection before handling -- how do I use those same precautions to protect my hens' respiratory issues? DE has been a contentious argument between chickeneers so each has to decide for themselves. My friend said DE was no help for her 16 hens and switched to Manna Pro Poultry Protector for quicker sustaining results. Manna Pro has mite products too and many others.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/05/diatomaceous-earth-de-benefitrisk.html

 

[Amelia Egghart]

On the subject of DE, I have a bag of food grade that I only use outside the coop to prevent creepy crawlies from marching inside. I use it in the garden as well, light dusting to keep bugs off the sprouting seeds and transplants. Its bad for the bugs in the same way it's bad to breathe in, for birds and humans. But outside the coop is great!

Manna Pro poultry protector is great stuff. That's what I treat their perches with and rub into their legs. No problems yet!

 

[Sylvester017]

Yep, DE is a personal choice. But being allergenic myself and having a couple hens with respiratory issues I had to squelch using it in my yard. Some people don't use DE because of other pets in the yard besides chickens. We have horrible Santa Ana winds in my area being too close to the SGV mtn range so flying DE dust in our yard would be disastrous. TG for Manna Pro products!

 

[froggiesheins]

OH BOY! yet more mis-information of DE....sigh.... DE WILL NOT keep the mites&lice at bay. It is a great deterrant BUT you have to use too much for it to be safe to those little chicken lung lobes. IF it is irritating to YOUR nose, think of what it is doing to their PRIMATE respritory system. The active ingredient in "Poultry Protector" is Potassium Sorbate, go look up what it is......

I too live in a wind tunnel (Jurupa Valley) and wind breaks are a MUST HAVE for your birds.
And yes I can be a pushy broad sometimes.....Just trying to get the word out about mis-information is all..... GO HUG YER CHICKENS :cd