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

[Gargoyle]

Okay. The genders will never be equal until men's jock straps include under wires to lift and separate... Just saying.

Hm, that might be a marketable product. Especially if we give it a catchy name, like iJock or iRise.

Originally Posted by NanaKat
Can birds suffer from rickets and if so is it a deficiency that can be corrected? If not rickets, what could it be?
Will try to post a picture of my flock.

Yes, they can get rickets, but that won't happen overnight. Lack of vitamin D3 causes it. Yours sounds more like a toxic reaction or illness.

 

[Beekissed]

Sounds almost like a neurological problem...maybe they are ingesting something, somehow, that is causing a metal toxicity or a mycotoxicity?

 

[NanaKat]

My flock out freeranging...we have cattle, I don't use sprays in the garden. I do use Ivermectin barn spray in the hen houe and run but only when the chickens are out freeranging and there is time for the hen house to dry...use it as a precaution for mites and for flies.

I started using a swamp cooler this year since the barn has a metal roof and the cooler air helped with the over 100 degree temps we had for a month.

 

[Beekissed]

Good looking flock!

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:

Hm, that might be a marketable product. Especially if we give it a catchy name, like iJock or iRise.

Originally Posted by NanaKat
Can birds suffer from rickets and if so is it a deficiency that can be corrected? If not rickets, what could it be?
Will try to post a picture of my flock.

Yes, they can get rickets, but that won't happen overnight. Lack of vitamin D3 causes it. Yours sounds more like a toxic reaction or illness.

What is a good source for D3? Is there a supplement or a grain high it D3?

Sounds almost like a neurological problem...maybe they are ingesting something, somehow, that is causing a metal toxicity or a mycotoxicity?

Since the cattle graze the pastures close to the barn, we haven't seen any noxious plants, but I will search that out. There is a pile of metal pipe the boys use for building pipe fence, ...drill stem. Will look into that too.

Good looking flock!

Thank you...I have over 100 ranging from a few weeks to 4 years old.

 

[Gargoyle]

What is a good source for D3? Is there a supplement or a grain high it D3?

Sunlight. I believe it's also in commercial feeds.

 

[Mountain Momma]

WOW! That's all I can really say about those birds!!!! WOW!!!

If anyone wanted to know the real difference in breeder stock and hatchery stock, right there is the difference. Take a look at one of my Barred Rocks from a hatchery and then compare it to these fine feathered fatties in this post. Such a difference in the depth of the body, both chest and rear, the smoothness and fullness of the feathering...mine are just like a very bad copy of the real thing. Kudos to Fred on the exceptional breeding of these heritage birds!

I think all these chickens look good! By the way, I am going to have my daughter start reading the thread now so by the time she graduates she will be done and here is proof that the next generation in our house will be better chickeners than we are!!!! Sorry but I am so dern proud of her!

 

[NanaKat]

What is a good source for D3?  Is there a supplement or a grain high it D3?

Sunlight. I believe it's also in commercial feeds.

Free ranging is in sunlight and I feed Universal egg layer pellets and broiler feed.
I'm really puzzled by. The rickets and will check the ingredients on the package.

Thank you for the information. I hate losing birds that appear healthy.
Necropsy is a choice, but the lab would need to be advised on what to rule out.....

 

[Beekissed]

Good grades make a mama proud!!! Pretty eggs there....

 

[Gargoyle]

Free ranging is in sunlight and I feed Universal egg layer pellets and broiler feed.

Rickets doesn't come on suddenly. Since it came on suddenly, I really think it's either toxins, infection, or, as Bee said, neurological.

I wonder if the drought caused something, a new type of plant disease or mildew that they ate, or bugs that normally aren't around that showed up this year.