Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Beekissed]

It's handy to put on any scuffs or reddened areas that may be exposed during molt, or dry looking combs and wattles in the winter. Keeps the sun from burning the bare places and protects them from infection. Bag Balm has a mild sulfur element to it and they say it has an insecticidal effect, so keeps the flies off wounds. Just handy to have around...just in case.

I use it on damaged fruit trees, dog bite punctures on another dog, cow's udders..of course, my heels, coop door hinges in a pinch, etc. Bag balm has many uses...love it!

 

[Beekissed]

that is it folks . i am calling dr. phil. the episode should be called "when hard farmers go soft "

We NEED a check up from the neck up....

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

Hi Bee & OTs!
I found this thread early summer and tried to read the whole thing... Y'all post faster than I can read! I've read about half, and LOVE the advice of the OTs. and now...

I have my first chicken problem:/

For about 2 weeks, I've been seeing a soft shelled egg broken under the roost. Not daily, but close to it. I have a mixed flock of 8 hens & 2 roosters (3 more on the way if my broody Cochin successfully hatches them!). They're about 7 months old, been laying well for months, eat purina layer feed, and have free choice oyster shell and egg shells. I wasn't worried about the one hen that's been laying soft shells, but tonight I gathered 3 eggs (seems no one's laying in the nesting boxes - think broody is scaring them off?) and of those, 2 broke when I picked them up. They're not rubber eggs, just very thin shelled. Yesterday, same thing. My lone leghorn lays the toughest shelled eggs every single day - she's still doing great. Everyone else seems to be having issues? (these are not our first, just the first simultaneous soft shells.)

With their age, I'm not sure if molting is a possibility, or if it's the temperature drop at night that's temporarily throwing them off? Or dietary?

I'd appreciate any thoughts/advice you can offer!

-Nikki

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

...should have mentioned, no antibiotics, etc ever used; "pasture-raised" where they're locked up at night but the door opens at 6:30 every morning and the flock runs my whole 10 acres until they put themselves to bed at night. They have layer feed, but only eat about 5# a week right now, so their main diet consists of the bugs & plants (and occasional toad) they find while they're out "clucking around."

Thanks again

 

[bruceh]

they are to young to molt. they should have really just started to lay.. it can take awhile for their systems to get in order.
i would offer more oyster shell on the side. what type of feed are you using? layer mash ?

just my opinion

i should have your post more carefully . scratch what i said you are doing it.

 

[Beekissed]

This time of year is tricky. Even though they are not molting, they are still experiencing changes in temps and hormones with the changing of the light/temps/etc. If I ever get soft shells, this is the time of year that I get them...around the end of Aug and into Sept.

It sounds as if the nutrition is right, they are young and healthy....time takes care of things like this. Give it time and the shells will firm up. It won't take long and pretty soon you'll realize you haven't found one like that for some time.


I'd just watch them and wait. Mark it on your calendar when you first started to get these types of shells and keep track of when they start to resume normal shell production. Next year, if it happens again, you can start expecting these trends. I used to do such things but now I just know how the seasons flow and don't bother to record my flock changes. I began to see that, year after year, the rhythm was the same, so now I just ride the wave of the seasonal changes without too much concern. When you learn that cycle, you will know immediately when something is really wrong and not just a seasonal change of a temporary nature.

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

Thank you so much! I've been practicing the "let chickens be chickens" method of raising them since finding this thread and I've had super healthy birds that everyone compliments when they see them... I couldn't imagine that everyone was suddenly sick. I'm going to mark it on the calendar & keep track, but with far less worry than I was experiencing a few hours ago. Thanks!

 

[therapydoglady]

Our chicks FINALLY got here. Poor things have been in that box and bouncing around in the postal arena for four days! They were all alive, but expect two or three to be dead by morning. They weren't very lively. I took each individual chick out of the box and helped it to drink. Boy were they thirsty! And I spread a piece of a feed bag out on the bottom of the brooder and put some of the chick food on it. They were soon pecking around on that. I bet they find the feeder by morning. They're cute and fuzzy. I'm excited. We're in the chicken business, I guess!

I hate that it took so long. Next time, I'll make a trip to pick them up myself! That's awful!

Brie

 

[normanack]

Our chicks FINALLY got here.  Poor things have been in that box and bouncing around in the postal arena for four days!  They were all alive, but expect two or three to be dead by morning.  They weren't very lively.  I took each individual chick out of the box and helped it to drink.  Boy were they thirsty!  And I spread a piece of a feed bag out on the bottom of the brooder and put some of the chick food on it.  They were soon pecking around on that.  I bet they find the feeder by morning.  They're cute and fuzzy.  I'm excited.  We're in the chicken business, I guess!

I  hate that it took so long.  Next time, I'll make a trip to pick them up myself!  That's awful!

Brie

I know mailing chicks is how it's done, and the vast majority are fine, etc. etc. but it seems an awfully rough way to start a life, bouncing around in a box with uncertain temperature swings when they are built to be under a warm, soft hen those first few days.

 

[Beekissed]

Question for the Newbies: I've read here and there that some have implemented things they've read here and have had good results. Care to share those stories?

Sure would help other newbies to know that it can work for them the same as it works for us.