Chickens are easy/hard/fun/frustrating!

[RedDrgn]

I talked about getting chickens for 3 years before my DH and I finally sat down and did a few months worth of research and communication with experienced folks (both here and locally) regarding chickens. We thought we knew what we were getting into, and for the first 8 months, it seemed to be the case. We check them for worms, give everyone a once over once a month, let them free range in the evenings and on weekends (usually), keep the coop/run clean; everything we can to enjoy the chickens and let the chickens enjoy being chickens. But since March this year....OMG, my nerves.

• In March, our BA developed bumblefoot. No problem, we got this. I'd read all about it here and had plenty of first-aid/infected wound cleaning on humans and other animals in my background. We acquired a rooster and began integrating him to the flock, following 15-day quarantine and post-pest checks/worm testing. The rest of the flock was also tested for worms/pests.
• In mid-April, we discovered lice on our wellie (and subsequently on everyone else, too). Ok, fine, we got this, too. Cleared that up in two weeks.
• In late-April, our BA's bumblefoot came back. Ergh, start over. No problem.
• In mid-May, our BR started beating on our BA. Nothing has completely put the kabosh on that, though our rooster certainly tries.
• In mid/late-May, our wellie greeted us one morning with gurgling/rales, which sent us into several weeks of quarantine/stringent wellie-to-flock biosecurity and introduced us to our area's little plague; MG. After going through that, I can only cringe at the epic list of other potential disease that lurk out there. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...rgling-rales-when-breathing-no-other-symptoms
• At the same time as the wellie turned up gurgling, we also found she had bumblefoot in both feet (and we had JUST cleared up the BA for the second time).
• Early-June, we have the flock all back together; wellie's MG symptoms gone and no one else showing any symptoms, but we're still dealing with her bumblefoot and the BR/BA conflict continues to denude portions of our BA (despite trying a week of quarantine for the bully).
• Since June 21st: Egg strike. We went from 4-5 eggs/day since February (with the occasional 3-egg day) down to 2-3 eggs/day. Yesterday, we got one. All the grief of the previous 3 months and now they decide not to lay?
• Present: We found a minor case of bumblefoot in our EE 3 days ago, but it was literally so small that it's gone as of this morning. Our wellie's feet were just about recovered when she managed to tear open a scab and bloody it last night while free ranging (our property is 50/50 lawn/open woodland). Cleaned it up immediately and will keep and eye on it, but seriously? ...and the BR yanked a bunch of feathers out of the BA on the roost last night, I think to remind us that she's still racist (at least, that my DH's explanation).
  

It's just one thing after another lately and I find myself worrying over whatever it is that's still lingering at the time (which is just foot issue for now) as well as wonder what's next? We're supposed to go on a week's vacation next week, so that's like an invitation to disaster, no? I wish I could just go home in the evenings, let the flock out in the yard, and enjoy them like I used to. Lately, I go home, debate if I should let them out (because they might bugger a foot on a stick or stone or blade of grass...I don't know what else they could be stepping on wrong) and check/treat whatever the current issue(s) is(are).

 

[chicmom]

This too shall pass......I went through that a few years ago with my flock seeming to have a cold, and it was MG. This plagued us for a few years off and on. I did have one hen that seemed to be prone to getting bumble foot. She was a GLW, and a beautiful hen, but it kept coming back. I also have some mowed yard, surrounded by a wooded area of appx 6 acres. None of my other chickens had bumble foot. It is one of those things that is prone to come back, once a chicken has it. It's so upsetting when these things go wrong. We did have lice once too. Such a bummer. But, hang in there. I almost gave up too, but I'm glad I didn't.

I would sadly recommend getting rid of your nasty hen and possibly starting over with new chicks next spring. (You really need to do that anyhow--only keep your egg layers for about 2 years, for good egg production, because after that, the egglaying decreases gradually until you get no eggs.)

I do have a few old hens that are retired. Pets now. LOL We have limited space so we can't keep all the hens forever.

Hang in there! Things will improve.

 

[RedDrgn]

I really hope so. We've really had a blast with them (minus this "dark age" period now).

I just never had any idea that chicken feet were so susceptible to cuts. They free range the same amount of time as they did when they were younger and we never had a problem. Maybe now that they're heavier, they just have a greater risk for cuts/abrasions...but then our 7.5lb roo has never had any such issue. Blargh. I know it's persistent, but with our BA, it wasn't even the same area of the feet that she got it on. She actually cut herself in different portions, apparently. Maybe she's a clutz? If we kept them in the run 24/7, there'd be almost no way for them to hurt their feet, but then I'd feel bad keeping them penned up so long. They love ranging so much.

I think part of the egg problem may be the their limited free ranging lately. We've been keeping them in the run more to give their feet time to heal up. We started letting them out more again two days ago, so we'll see if it helps.

I've been wondering about the BR. 50% of those I have discussed her with say it's normal pecking order and that unless she actually impacts egg production (which she hasn't, to our knowledge - the BA has been dropping eggs like nothing's wrong up until everyone cut back recently), to let her go. Another 25% said to isolate her and reintroduce - that was a temporary fix. The rest, like yourself, recommend culling. I can't say I'm not starting to agree with that position more and more as time passes.

We've got limited space, too. About a 7/8 chickens max (large fowl). They're all practically pets, though, so I'm not sure if we'll cull or just add 1-2 next year or the year after and let nature take it's course. That'll be a tough call. We like the eggs, but we also really enjoy their company, too.

Thanks for the ray of light, though. I'm glad we're not alone in having everything happen in rapid succession and making us want to tear our hair out. I guess it's true that when it rains, it pours!

 

[dreamcatcherarabians]

I love my girls too but I found out the hard way about getting rid of the bully. I tried all the methods to stop it and finally had to rehome the bully (cull but not kill). She's fine in her new home, only her and a roo, and she's settled right down. I won't wait so long again, it's been really nice not to have to doctor butts and and balded heads!

 

[bucky52]

I can relate,they are fun, ejoyable and entertaining.I worry about the heat,cold.i have a hen that keeps bumblefoot.i bought home 10 day old chicks.in april .i had to clean their litttle behinds for pastybut.than.had to treat for cocci..than the stress of intergrating two weeks ago with the older hens.than i have ended up with four roosters out of the ten.had to rehome them.but in the end it's all worth it.

 

[devora]

Oh man, you and your girls have been though it, ugh. Sympathies and support comin' your way...here it is...there it goes...**boom** right at ya.

I concur w/ 'hang in there.' Maybe you're going to go through all the things one can in a short time and never, ever have any chickens problems again.

Hey, we can dream, can't we?

Good luck. And remember happy hour starts when you decide b/c it is 4p somewhere.

 

[RedDrgn]

I love my girls too but I found out the hard way about getting rid of the bully. I tried all the methods to stop it and finally had to rehome the bully (cull but not kill). She's fine in her new home, only her and a roo, and she's settled right down. I won't wait so long again, it's been really nice not to have to doctor butts and and balded heads!

What starts them down the "bully road", though? I mean, our BR always has been at the top of the pecking order, but she was never mean. Last night, I got home early and let them out in the yard and watched as our BR continually hunted down and pecked our BA (if the BA didn't see her coming and run away first). Meanwhile, our roo tries as hard as he can to stay between them. The kicker was when they went to rooster, which is almost always one of the calmest "roostings" I've ever heard of any flock having - everyone in their place; not last night. Last night, the BR went in the coop first, pecked the BA off of of two different roosts TWICE and then did the same to our wellie (who I've never seen her touch before), until it got too dark to see. ARGH!!!!

I'm starting to wonder if the laying issues are partly the result of the BR. Talking to my DH last night after watching her antics, I really think she's going to be heading for freezer camp Saturday morning. I was willing to let the pecking order be, but now that we're not getting many eggs and our BA is progressively getting more and more bald (and it's definitely not our rooster) and is less than half the weight of the BR, I think it's time. We'd rehome her if we could, but with our wellie being positive for MG, we cannot in good conscience, let her leave our property alive.

I can relate,they are fun, ejoyable and entertaining.I worry about the heat,cold.i have a hen that keeps bumblefoot.i bought home 10 day old chicks.in april .i had to clean their litttle behinds for pastybut.than.had to treat for cocci..than the stress of intergrating two weeks ago with the older hens.than i have ended up with four roosters out of the ten.had to rehome them.but in the end it's all worth it.

I even get a bit frazzled reading about your issues. It's like WHEN WILL IT END?!

Last night, our dom ended up on my shoulder and let me give her a good head scratch and a cuddle. That chicken is such a feathered-cat/dog, I swear, but yeah, worth the trouble. A package of Tricide Neo should be arriving today so that we can hopefully get everyone's feet back to 100%. One step at a time, right?

Oh man, you and your girls have been though it, ugh. Sympathies and support comin' your way...here it is...there it goes...**boom** right at ya.

I concur w/ 'hang in there.' Maybe you're going to go through all the things one can in a short time and never, ever have any chickens problems again.

Hey, we can dream, can't we?

Good luck. And remember happy hour starts when you decide b/c it is 4p somewhere.

OMG, thank you! I guess I didn't check the box about spreading issues out of many years when I applied for this chicken gig, but I agree that I hope it means the end of issues (or our delusions about them)!

Mmmmmm....happy hour!

 

[dainerra]

she started "picking on" the BA because of the injury. Especially since the injury keeps coming back, the BA is the weak member of the flock. Injured/sick birds attract predators. It's normal for them to try to drive out birds like that.

 

[RedDrgn]

she started "picking on" the BA because of the injury. Especially since the injury keeps coming back, the BA is the weak member of the flock. Injured/sick birds attract predators. It's normal for them to try to drive out birds like that.

But the bumblefoot never affected our BA's behavior or even her movements throughout treatment. Now, she's actually cleared up and the BR's behavior has only gotten worse. I know they pick on weak/sickly birds, but other than the BR, nothing's currently wrong with the BA.

 

[bucky52]

the Tricid Neo.did not help with the bumblefoot.i have started with epsom salt soaks.again this week,the next step is borax acid salve.