Consolidated Kansas

[cherwill]

Danz - we would love to see more in-progress pictures of your building!

Can ya'll believe that yesterday was Ethan's birthday?!?!? This year has really flown by! I took him outside the other day while it was nice, and we played in the leaves...

A year already! He's adorable, and looks totally happy playing in the leaves.

 

[zigzag45]

I have a hen that is looking just short of bloody around the base of her wings after being mounted by another hen. Which saddle has worked well for you?

 

[sharol]

I have a hen that is looking just short of bloody around the base of her wings after being mounted by another hen. Which saddle has worked well for you?

I bought several from http://www.hensaver.com/. I discovered that I needed the wing protector for my Marans hen after I already bought the regular ones. They are very well made, and they ventilate very nicely. They work great, and I'll buy more from her if I need them.

Sharol

 

[chicken danz]

I made my own but they look like the hensaver ones. I didn't have the wing saver part on it but after using them I think it would really help a lot. I have a lot of girls with bare wing tops.

 

[sharol]

I made my own but they look like the hensaver ones. I didn't have the wing saver part on it but after using them I think it would really help a lot. I have a lot of girls with bare wing tops.

That was why I ordered a couple with the wing protectors. One of my Marans girls was bleeding on the tops of her wings, and it looked uncomfortable. I removed it a week or so ago, and she looks better, but the feathers are already getting thin again, so I guess I'll put it back. It doesn't seem to bother her, and it really works.

 

[chicken danz]

There's a lot of naked backs and wings around here right now but lots of it is molting. I'll be glad when the girls get all their new feathers in and will be all..."Oh look how pretty I am!"

 

[Trish44]

I have some pretty ugly looking birds around here right now as well, some of them are pitiful looking in the middle of a molt. I think the very worst one is my Cream Legbar rooster, he looks like he went through a tornado & lost. He has lost almost all of his tail feathers & a lot of his other feathers. I sure hope he grows them back soon. It seemed like a lot of my hens molted early this year, which is a good thing since we have that cold front coming Tues. I sure am not looking forward to that at all. I've been working really hard trying to get all of the painting done on my breeder coop so I can move on to another project. Today I got it almost done except for a tiny bit around the inside frames on the people doors. I got all of the front window frames painted & the plastic inserts put in for winter. In the summer I just leave the windows with nothing over them so the air can move through. They have hardware cloth covering them to keep critters out. In winter I take the window frames off & insert plastic panels behind them & screw them back on to keep the cold wind out. There is still plenty of air circulation in that coop since it's open up by the roof in front & back. I left the side crank out windows cracked open a bit tonight to let a bit of fresh air in that way as well

I also moved my BCM chicks out from the brooder to the breeder coop with the other chicks this afternoon. Hopefully they will do OK I wanted to get them out there & acclimated a bit before it gets really cold. None of the chickens were liking that wind today, it was really blowing here most of the day. I was trying to watch my head because the hedge apples that were left on the trees were coming down today & I was thinking to myself boy as far as they're falling & as fast if they hit me in the head I'll get a concussion. There have been some really huge ones this year, bigger than I have ever seen.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I expected a molt for my older hens (Most are 1 and 1/2) this year but despite an abundance of feathers around the coop none really look an worse for the wear.

I will have to look into the aprons with the wing protector. My poor red star hen looks awful, she is a bet...err...too friendly with Midas!!!!

 

[Trish44]

It's funny how roosters seem to pick favorite hens & breed them more than others. My two young roosters have plenty of hens to choose from in my laying flock. I have about 30 hens & 3 roosters, but one of them is still too young yet & he's the one who was injured as well. He's doing better, but somehow he hurt his foot in all of the drama too so he's been limping.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

It's funny how roosters seem to pick favorite hens & breed them more than others.

I always figured that some hens, like people, are just more sexually apealing for some reason or other. My red star also squats for anything, so I figure she is just 'easy' LOL. Now my Light Brahma Aunt Pitty Pat, you have to buy her dinner AND a movie

Her feathers are pristine!!!!!