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

[HappyHenMama]

Henmama, can you pick her up and look at her skin, see if there's a skin problem? It's not too unusual for a broody hen to loose some long feathers..she should be weaning that chick off soon. Look for soreness, like maybe something pulled them out..like a rat? Check the coop for holes, even a one inch hole is too big. They can neglect themselves brooding and caring for the chick, so can start a molt. Just keep food for her at all times, a pics worth alot.a

Thank you Achickenwrangler. I'll try to get a pic today...I have 11 chickens out there free ranging and sometimes it's hard to get a close up of them. The adolesents are still very skiddish so it sends everyone a running. I appreciate the advice. I'll check her out today and I'll check the coop, but I feel better knowing that this may be a broody molt.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Catch her at night when she's sleeping.

 

[cathiesue]

I put a new roo (after a suitable quarantine, getting to know you period, and why can't we all just be friends talk) in with my dirty dozen girls. Everyone was about the same age about 3 months. The pullets actively run from Red the roo and resist his advances. Other than that I love Red. I believe he's a former Marie. He lets them know about food, fusses at the stray ones and is constantly on guard. How much longer can I expect the girls to give him the"cold shoulder" They've been together for a month now and the feather losses are mounting up, so to speak.

 

[Sami's Mommy]

Hey guys just wanted to say this thread is pretty darn cool! Im new to chickens, but i will say I learned my lesson about holding a chicken too close to my face when she bit my sunburt nose. It hurt a LOT!!! We are more on the hobby side of chickens i will say, but no fluffy silkies here! We have 5 mixed layer pullets (btw whan should they start laying??) 1 barred cochin bantam, 1 red frizzle cochin bantam, 1 blue frizzle cochin bantam, and two belgian quail. The five little guys (bantams) were purchased friday and were in a rabbit run next to the others and we finished their pen saturday morning. We just put everyone in there, had some issues with the top gun mixes, so we took them out and put those two in half hour later so they were the newest. Only minor issues came and they fixed it themselves. We live in town so its all hens and so far so good. I will say i dont have the heart to cull anything

(i breed rabbits too) but hey they are mostly for looks anyway. If one developes bad habits its outta here and ill find a nice hobby breeder with free range to take her. Im not gonna cuddle a chicken (although i did kiss one once, just cuz. For the record i kissed toads a a little kid lol) I have cats and a dog to cuddle with.

How do all the OTs feel about housing ducks with chickens? Even if its just in the run

 

[kajudu]

I can't extol the virtues of "chicken friendly backyard dog" enough. When I first got chickens, my husband's duck dog (black lab) was informed that the birds were mine and she was not to even look in their direction. 6 months later she became the best predator watch ever! We have had a few night time skirmishes in the back yard with some (probably) raccoons. The lab had the best time scaring away the attacker and they won't be back anytime soon. My ladies are still free ranging.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Sami-it doesn't take long to recognise that look of zero in on something on your face..does it?!
Dogs are great. They really clear out snack attackers. You can house ducks with chickens and rabbits and turkeys...geese are a little bossy unless you got lots of room, their bites can do some damage too. Culling isn't same as killing...there are options...for the benefit of a strong and healthy flock....sometimes a time out can help too. Chicken jail.

 

[therapydoglady]

for Chicken Curious and Kassaundra


Back to Marek's Disease...it can manifest as total or partial paralysis of neck, wings, and legs.
it can manifest as skin lesions
it can manifest as ocular lesions (in the eye)
it can manifest internally as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
it can manifest as "giant crop" or equivalent to esophagomegaly (enlargement of esophagus)
or, it can effect the entire immune system.
A poor chicken can present with all or none of these symptoms (and I'm sure there is a myriad of others as well).

When we had the broiler houses (way back in the dark ages) Marek's vaccine was not even in existance. There was a drop of some kind that they put in the chick's eyes to prevent "gray eye" which was more than likely Marek's...it didn't helpl much. I have seen (not ours, thank goodness!) entire broilerhouses slaughtered, piled up in a giant mountain, and burned due to various diseases. I was very glad when we converted the broiler houses( three of them that held 8,500 chickens each) to laying hens (even THAT was before "caged layers" thank goodness again!) It was more work, but I sure enjoyed the hens more than the broilers.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

That's alot of chicken!

 

[fultzie]

How do all the OTs feel about housing ducks with chickens? Even if its just in the run

i keep ducks with my chickens all the time ..just make sure there the same size as the chickens befor you sit them out in the coop with them and you will be fine,,my ducks run the roost for the most part lol

 

[therapydoglady]

I house my ducks with my chickens, too...Everybody needs some quackers with their chicken soup!