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

[ajlynco]

I have some 9 month old Blackstars and they're great birds. I came home tonight to close the pop door and do a head count and noticed one girl had feathers missing from around her neck and most of her tailfeathers were gone. She was pecking and pulling at her tail feathers and the area around her butt was bleeding. They'd been on the roost for about 2 hrs so I'm wondering if this is what a molt begins like or did something get to her and rough her up? I didn't see any signs of a scuffle and the rest of the girls were calm and roosting as normal. If this is a molt will the other chooks leave her alone or should I put her in quarantine?

 

[Beekissed]

Sounds like something got a hold of her...molting doesn't happen that suddenly and it should never bleed. Sounds like a dog attack...they like to pull out the tail feathers and will worry the neck a good bit.

 

[RiddleMe]

The first one shows a very good front and good width of back. On the negative side she has a cushion at the base of the tail and the tail is pinched. ....all the feathers in a bunch unlike the other bird that has a very nice back line and a well spread tail good width of feather and good condition overall. The second one could have a shallow lower breast, but I can't see well enough.

I will add that pictures online can be very misleading and for all I know they could be the same bird. In addition I am not grading it as a breed, both birds look to be in excellent condition.

Walt

Excellent critique!  Let's see if I can find a side pic of that second gal...




I think the same thing as you, Walt.  The first hen has something amiss in her tail end...I've never seen that weird pad of feathers before and such a low slung tail head.  Underneath that tail is a vent with an overbite, so to speak.  It's not designed correctly and it's much, much too loose even when not in lay.  Consequently, this creates a leaky valve...she has a messy butt most of the time and has a continual problem with ulcers at the corners of the vent.  When she came to me she had pretty bad gleet and though that has been cleared up, her vent is decidedly not healthy.  She is a cull bird and is next on my list. 

The second hen, to me, has a flat chest even when in good condition.  I love her tail and tent but she is too narrow all along her frame for her breed, and her chest, though wide now, is just as you said...flat.  I don't know her laying abilities yet and even her age..she is not one of mine but got thrown into the mix along the way. 

Guess that's why you are the judge, Walt!  Good eye. 

Walt is this what you meant a few weeks ago by a flat lower chest? This is exactly what I was picturing vs the rounded chest on the first bird.

 

[delisha]

Quote: Lisa, I purchase tennis balls in the tubes(3) I fill them up with Ammonia. The next day I just use the first three with one ball in each coop.(I have three coops) The other three I place on property borders. In a few months I gather three balls and place them back in the container and put out the other three balls. I try to remember to alternate. Sometimes I forget what I did last. In the coops I place them in the attics.

 

[fowlman01]

Y'all must be gettin' too old....if that Mad Vent pic doesn't give you a chuckle, then your funny bone has arthritis!

I hope this wasn't the result of your egg production checking......

w.

 

[fowlman01]

Walt is this what you meant a few weeks ago by a flat lower chest? This is exactly what I was picturing vs the rounded chest on the first bird.

Yes.....once you see it you will notice how common it is. There is no breed I can think of where a flat spot anywhere in the lower half of the bird is a good thing.....you should not see straight lines anywhere in the breast area.

w.

 

[Pozees]

I agree with puller. I have a little ranger 4.0 with standard five sp trans that is good but a bigger baby would be nice.

We have a '70 Dodge Camper Special in that mustard-y tan color, 4 speed including the granny gear, wish it was 4WD and had a tailgate, but the thing is a tank. Floored, it can beat about anything around, and heaven help the driver of a vehicle that hits it. There's a lot of metal there, and it is unlikely to bend or move much.

 

[galanie]

I agree with puller.  I have a little ranger 4.0 with standard five sp trans that is good but a bigger baby would be nice.

We have a '70 Dodge Camper Special in that mustard-y tan color, 4 speed including the granny gear, wish it was 4WD and had a tailgate, but the thing is a tank.  Floored, it can beat about anything around, and heaven help the driver of a vehicle that hits it.  There's a lot of metal there, and it is unlikely to bend or move much.

Oh wow yeah people that I've known with those old Dodge trucks love them.

 

[Maven]

Heh. Ever since I read Al's recommendation on top dressing with fat/oil/lard, I've been doing it once a week on my FF. Mostly it has been the vegetable oil because I continually forget to pick up more lard when I go to the store.

Last night I made chicken and rice, and remembered to save all the fatty broth off the top of the pot when I got done stewing the chicken. This morning I used it for my Friday FF top dressing.

HOLY-MOLEY did those chickens go NUTS for their feed this morning. Usually they'll all come to the trough, eat some, then go scratching in the leaves, leaving the rest of the FF to nibble on throughout the day. This morning, I thought a couple of them were going to flat-out EXPLODE they ate so much. That trough was almost completely licked clean before I even left the run!!

This made me think about the previous discussion about chickens being omnivores and how much they need the ANIMAL fat and protein in their diets along with the vegetables and greens. Those chickens acted like I hadn't fed them in 6 weeks. I told the Mr. I'll have to stew chicken once a week from now on for that 'liquid gold' as Al calls it.

And they were covered head-to-toe with specks of the FF from the feeding frenzy that went on!

 

[KnobbyOaks]

Y'all must be gettin' too old....if that Mad Vent pic doesn't give you a chuckle, then your funny bone has arthritis!

Have you ever thought about photoshopping a cigarette hanging out that vent? You've posted it before and I roar because I see an old old old man with no teeth and a horrible horrible unshaven face.