Confusion ?_?

[Chickenmom283]

We got four Wyandotte baby hens sometime during the beginning of winter. The person who gave us them had already brooded them, and they were ready to head into the coop. We introduced them to our 7 chicken flock slowly, and made them a shelter only they could get into, if needed. They thrived, and we took the shelter away once they were too big to fit. They were fine for a little, but then two felt the sting of frostbite. We tried to treat it with coconut oil but it sadly didn't work and possibly made it worse. Our smallest and biggest Wyandottes (which are kind of small) Lost a toe each. Then Shimmer, our smallest, lost more, and she has lost almost all toes. I'm confused though. None of them have started laying yet, and Shimmer is doing anything but thriving as the lowest on the pecking order. She started making these weird chirping/crying sounds a while ago and I'm wondering what they could mean?? How can we help the flock accept Shimmer better??

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of the frostbite damage, the pullets, housing/etc.? How much space (sq ft) do they have?
A video of the noises that Shimmer is making would be good. Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

How old are they supposed to be?

While it's good to look at "timelines" the birds do not read them. They come into lay when mature enough. Birds that have suffered stress like frostbite may also be delayed in laying eggs until their body heals, it takes a lot of energy to recover and also a lot of energy to lay eggs.

Is Shimmer being picked on/bullied from feed? You may need to cage her within the coop or run with her own food/water until she recovers and gains her strength. Some birds are not well accepted into a flock. It's natural for the pecking order to be a bit rough, but a bird that is timid can also suffer from malnutrition.

 

[Chickenmom283]

Shimmer is thankfully not being bullied, and she has gotten over frostbite, but I can send a pic of her feet. They have 12 sq feet and always have more than enough room for more chicks (if needed) while roosting. Our coop is sadly pretty bad anymore after a long winter and we are making another. It's not destroyed or anything, but the insulation is pecked off, and poo is frozen to the floor. We have a heat lamp, and it does help a lot. I'll send a pic and see if I can record her next time she makes that sound. They should be mature enough to lay rn at 4 months as Wyandottes.​

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of the frostbite damage, the pullets, housing/etc.? How much space (sq ft) do they have?
A video of the noises that Shimmer is making would be good. Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

How old are they supposed to be?

While it's good to look at "timelines" the birds do not read them. They come into lay when mature enough. Birds that have suffered stress like frostbite may also be delayed in laying eggs until their body heals, it takes a lot of energy to recover and also a lot of energy to lay eggs.

Is Shimmer being picked on/bullied from feed? You may need to cage her within the coop or run with her own food/water until she recovers and gains her strength. Some birds are not well accepted into a flock. It's natural for the pecking order to be a bit rough, but a bird that is timid can also suffer from malnutrition.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They have 12 sq feet and always have more than enough room for more chicks

They have 12sq ft of what for 11 chickens? Housing space, roosting bars?

 

[Byrd gal]

What kind of roost do they have? Are they able to sit on it and cover their feet?

 

[Byrd gal]

I think everyone is in the same boat as far as cleaning and repairing this has been a long cold winter for sure.And boy, I have never seen such a mess here too!! I am so ready to get to work on mine. If you need suggestions on your coop just post some pictures. There are plenty of people here that can help with just about anything you need from building tips to why a chicken does the things they do. Welcome to BYC!!

 

[Chickenmom283]

Well now 8. We can't find three after a dog attack an hour ago

They have 12sq ft of what for 11 chickens? Housing space, roosting bars?

 

[Chickenmom283]

Well now 8. We can't find three after a dog attack an hour ago

12 sq on the bottom and then roosts and foot long and wide and tall nesting boxes

They have 12sq ft of what for 11 chickens? Housing space, roosting bars?

 

[DobieLover]

Shimmer is thankfully not being bullied, and she has gotten over frostbite, but I can send a pic of her feet. They have 12 sq feet and always have more than enough room for more chicks (if needed) while roosting. Our coop is sadly pretty bad anymore after a long winter and we are making another. It's not destroyed or anything, but the insulation is pecked off, and poo is frozen to the floor. We have a heat lamp, and it does help a lot. I'll send a pic and see if I can record her next time she makes that sound. They should be mature enough to lay rn at 4 months as Wyandottes.​

12 sq on the bottom and then roosts and foot long and wide and tall nesting boxes

Something is not right here.
Can you please post pictures of your coop? It sounds like you have a tiny pre-fab coop that shouldn't be used to house more than a single chicken, and only if there was a large run attached to it.
Using a heat lamp in teeny tiny coops is very dangerous as that is one of the best ways to start a coop fire and this likely explains the frost bitten feet and combs.

Chickens require a minimum of 4 sq feet of space per bird in the coop (NOT including nest box area) with about 10-12" of roost space per bird. The coop needs to have A LOT of ventilation year round to remove the excess moisture that they expel throughout the night.

The coop needs to be kept DRY and extra bedding should be used in the winter for them to nest down in during the day to keep their feet warm. The poop load needs to removed pretty much daily.

They need an additional 12-15 sq ft of space per bird in a secure run. You'd want to keep the water in the run to prevent adding another source of moisture in the coop.

 

[AprilsZoo]

What are the roosts like in your coop?

They need to be wide enough that they can sit on them flat-footed (or pretty close to it) and lower their body mass down onto/over their feet. This is what keeps their toes toasty. A thin, skinny roosting pole will cause problems not just with frostbite, but also with calluses and bumblefoot, and eventually arthritis.
A good thing to use as a roost is a 2x4 suspended so they sit on the widest side. For Silkies or bantams you might get away with a 1x3 or 2x3.

It‘s really a shame that most of the coops out there give such misleading information regarding how many birds the coop can house. And most of the stores that sell them aren’t any better. Idk if it’s because they’re just parroting what’s on the box (pun intended). Or if they figure it won’t do any good to tell people what the real capacity of the coops is, because people will either think they’re lying or stupid when the box says something different.

OP, sorry to hear about the dog attack ... is the toeless hen one of the missing ones?
The ongoing frostbite problems will continue with so many hens in your current coop. Pre-fabs in particular are notorious for having really sucky ventilation. It seems counter-intuitive, but in the winter you need more ventilation, not more heat. Like Tonya said, with that small of a coop, you are literally playing with fire having a heat source in there.

Post back with photos ASAP, both of your set-up, and of the feet of the hens in question, and we’ll be able to help get you sorted in no time.