- Sep 25, 2013
- 205
- 5
- 96
I've got three problems as of now and it's a little unnerving.
For the first, I got a hen at a flea market named New, she looked a little ratty, but I felt sad for her and bought her. I thought with some TLC she might grow feathers back and look normal, but if anything she's been being picked on here too and losing feathers and looking bad. She has some scabby lesion like wounds on her side and sometimes there is pus leaking from them. The wounds seem a little better, but she doesn't look good, though she lays well and decent sized egg. She's a tan color and her tail feathers had black tips. Her feathers are also kinda frayed all over and not consistent with the feather "Quality" of my other chickens who are doing rather well mostly. I put her in a pen with my duck with 1 working leg and some a chicken that we found on the road (Culled from a farm nearby and tossed to die), should I give her something to help grow back feathers and heal or extra rations or what? I cannot allow a buffet because the dogs will shoo the chickens away and eat it all. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.
Next, my small red pyle old english game bantam (At least I think she's that)Off White, some pictures here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/907619/ive-got-a-few-unsure-breeds here of them (New is not included).
Since Off White is the only bantam laying and I see her int he box, it's her egg, but the egg is like 1/3-1/4 covered in blood. I read that chickens that started laying after a hiatus of laying or chickens laying larger eggs may have this happen? If the egg is bound for a little, would that cause it too? She's been laying more than a month now, it is something I need to worry about?
Last, I came home today and picked up an egg and it practically crumpled in my hand and looked like it was crushed a little when laid. If I set out a bin of calcium, would they eat it when their body tells them they need it by themselves or do I need to add it to food?
With this, could it be something other than a lack of calcium?
For the first, I got a hen at a flea market named New, she looked a little ratty, but I felt sad for her and bought her. I thought with some TLC she might grow feathers back and look normal, but if anything she's been being picked on here too and losing feathers and looking bad. She has some scabby lesion like wounds on her side and sometimes there is pus leaking from them. The wounds seem a little better, but she doesn't look good, though she lays well and decent sized egg. She's a tan color and her tail feathers had black tips. Her feathers are also kinda frayed all over and not consistent with the feather "Quality" of my other chickens who are doing rather well mostly. I put her in a pen with my duck with 1 working leg and some a chicken that we found on the road (Culled from a farm nearby and tossed to die), should I give her something to help grow back feathers and heal or extra rations or what? I cannot allow a buffet because the dogs will shoo the chickens away and eat it all. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.
Next, my small red pyle old english game bantam (At least I think she's that)Off White, some pictures here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/907619/ive-got-a-few-unsure-breeds here of them (New is not included).
Since Off White is the only bantam laying and I see her int he box, it's her egg, but the egg is like 1/3-1/4 covered in blood. I read that chickens that started laying after a hiatus of laying or chickens laying larger eggs may have this happen? If the egg is bound for a little, would that cause it too? She's been laying more than a month now, it is something I need to worry about?
Last, I came home today and picked up an egg and it practically crumpled in my hand and looked like it was crushed a little when laid. If I set out a bin of calcium, would they eat it when their body tells them they need it by themselves or do I need to add it to food?
With this, could it be something other than a lack of calcium?
