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

[Fred's Hens]

Yeah, I thought she'd be around 14 weeks. She looks to be one of those "white" layers. They mature very quickly and often begin to lay around 18 weeks. At week 16, it is likely her comb, wattles and face will really redden. Those of signs of sexual maturity. Again, had she been a cockerel, the odds are great that he'd be trying out his crow by now and would've had full blown comb and wattles weeks and weeks and weeks ago.

 

[normanack]

All's well.

I dusted the hen and her bedding heavily with ashes. The next day she was still loaded with mites -- I think the Silkie feather structure protects the mites. I put a dab of pyrethrin spray on her topknot, and the next morning the mites were gone from her head. But I didn't want her all wet with spray as it was dropping below freeazing at night. So I dusted her with permethrin powder, very lightly. That worked, too.
I am not ruling out wood ashes. I'm using them on my flat-feathered birds right now. But in this situation, with hatching so close, I upped the toxicity on this hen, as little as I could, until the mites were gone.

 

[delisha]

All's well.

I dusted the hen and her bedding heavily with ashes. The next day she was still loaded with mites -- I think the Silkie feather structure protects the mites. I put a dab of pyrethrin spray on her topknot, and the next morning the mites were gone from her head. But I didn't want her all wet with spray as it was dropping below freeazing at night. So I dusted her with permethrin powder, very lightly. That worked, too.
I am not ruling out wood ashes. I'm using them on my flat-feathered birds right now. But in this situation, with hatching so close, I upped the toxicity on this hen, as little as I could, until the mites were gone.

awww..I so love a hen with chicks

 

[jockeyeba]

Bee I've got a question: I have 3 -7 week old chicks

I think I missed the question.... is it about this lump?  I've never seen anything like that before and don't have a clue what it could be.  If one has died and another has a swelling on the neck, it could be some infectious disease going on.  Usually when a human or creature has a swelling there it is an infection in the lymph node but I can't say this for sure for your bird. 

Maybe you could tell us more about where you got these birds and how long you've had them?  Maybe a good pic or two of them and their living conditions and environment? 

We hatched them & had them in the house under a 100 watt bulb until I put them outside in a coop with a light about a week & half ago. It got 39* overnight 2 nights ago & they seemed cold the next morning. I put a heat lamp in but the Bantam died yesterday. The AG cross seems a little lethargic today & then I saw the lump & felt it. The SS seems pretty spry. It's too dark to take a picture tonight but I can tomorrow if its still alive

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

All's well.

I dusted the hen and her bedding heavily with ashes. The next day she was still loaded with mites -- I think the Silkie feather structure protects the mites. I put a dab of pyrethrin spray on her topknot, and the next morning the mites were gone from her head. But I didn't want her all wet with spray as it was dropping below freeazing at night. So I dusted her with permethrin powder, very lightly. That worked, too.
I am not ruling out wood ashes. I'm using them on my flat-feathered birds right now. But in this situation, with hatching so close, I upped the toxicity on this hen, as little as I could, until the mites were gone.

Great pic and thanks for sharing your treatment plan! I'm going to give the ashes a try first, as I have them sitting right outside the coop, at the ready. I'll keep the pyrethrum in mind if I don't see progress with the ashes.

 

[Beekissed]

This chick is almost 14 weeks. I have never had a pullet this age with so much color in the comb and wattles. Single comb. I hope its a pullet. Giant bird for the age and that is throwing me off too.Well I suck at sexing birds. If they lay an egg I usually can tell the sex than.

That little bit of CX in the genetics may explain the size of this bird and the development. I thought hen when I saw it too but I've been fooled by the CX time and again...just when I think it has to be a roo, I'd open it up and find a small, underdeveloped ovary or thinking it was a hen, find small testes. It's a guessing game for that breed until they get the appropriate age of sexual maturity. I think we see their huge size and think they should be older and more developed.

All's well.

I dusted the hen and her bedding heavily with ashes. The next day she was still loaded with mites -- I think the Silkie feather structure protects the mites. I put a dab of pyrethrin spray on her topknot, and the next morning the mites were gone from her head. But I didn't want her all wet with spray as it was dropping below freeazing at night. So I dusted her with permethrin powder, very lightly. That worked, too.
I am not ruling out wood ashes. I'm using them on my flat-feathered birds right now. But in this situation, with hatching so close, I upped the toxicity on this hen, as little as I could, until the mites were gone.

VERY sweet pic! Looks like Shaka Kahn with all that "hair" sticking out of the head...

I'm glad that whatever you used turned out right and gave this bird some relief...has to be horrible having the creepy crawlies in those numbers.

 

[delisha]

Thank you Gale and Fred!
I sure hope you are both correct!

I wanted to keep a few pullets from my last CornishX crosses. I am going to try my own developing with out all the out crossing I have always been doing. I am going to keep my RIR Heritage breed separate now that I have a borrowed roo.

 

[Beekissed]

Here in a couple of days we will be at the one year anniversary of this thread. I just want to say a big ol' THANK YOU! to all who have participated and made this thread the great thing it has been for all who read and learn here.

Thank you to all you OTs out there putting things in plain terms, keeping the flock lore real and sharing all your years of experience.

Thank you to all the newbies and not so newbies that came to have fun and to learn...wouldn't even be a thread without that. I've learned so much from you all and I hope this thread continues to fulfill it's intended purpose throughout the next year also.

My salute to you all!!!

 

[armorfirelady]

Here in a couple of days we will be at the one year anniversary of this thread. I just want to say a big ol' THANK YOU! to all who have participated and made this thread the great thing it has been for all who read and learn here.

Thank you to all you OTs out there putting things in plain terms, keeping the flock lore real and sharing all your years of experience.

Thank you to all the newbies and not so newbies that came to have fun and to learn...wouldn't even be a thread without that. I've learned so much from you all and I hope this thread continues to fulfill it's intended purpose throughout the next year also.

My salute to you all!!!

No THANK YOU Bee for starting this thread so us newbies would have a great place to go to get all the knowledge we need for healthy chicken husbandry & a place where the OT's can enlighten us more with their priceless knowledge.

I for one am thankful everyday for finding this forum and the threads that you all brought us to. As a newbie I feel blessed that you all were willing to share your vast knowledge with us. And I know in my heart its because of all your kindness & knowledge that I have 4 happy healthy hens.

So a BIG thank you to Bee, Walt, Fred & Al (im sorry if I missed an OT) We are all blessed by your kindness to share your knowledge

 

[Ridgerunner]

  I can only speak for my own flock about the egg song. There is a distinct difference in my birds between the egg song that has gone out of control and the alarm call. They are similar but the alarm call is different..... it has for the lack of a better term a serious sound to it. I know the difference and grab a gun when I hear the alarm and yell at them to shut up when 40 or 50 chickens and then the ducks start in on the out of control egg song. Thank god they all don't chime in. 
    Now I have some hens who call out EVERY time they lay an egg. With my flock, not speaking for all flocks they seem to be calling for their rooster. I had a friend witness this once. I see it daily. A hen suddenly lets out her LOUD egg song. My friend looks around, wondering why? This hens rooster was 10 feet from us eating with his other hens. This rooster ran top speed 100 yards to round up his other hen who just laid her egg and bring her back to his flock. At least a dozen of my girls do this everyday they lay. It is really noisy around here 

Stony, do you see mating behavior when he rounds them up? I think that's what caused me to notice it more than anything else. A hen that was laying eggs was doing something that got her fertilized.