Five-month old Australorp suddenly lame. Update: Now another pullet going lame!

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Tu @topochico225 Have read the term, but never knew what pinless peepers look like or why they are used. So immediately googled and now i know. And the learning continues--in many directions.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

@Sally PB , did u ever find a source to get your own blue australorps? Guess what local tractor supply store received yesterday?! They were labeled simply "australorps straight run." Took a good look at them and saw they were blues! Definitely thought about u when i saw them.

 

[Sally PB]

Not yet. I asked at my local TSC, and they said they did get some last year, but never know when or what or how many chicks they will get. And no, they won't take my number and call. Thanks for thinking of me.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

They wont call u, but u CAN call them. One of my nearest tractor supply stores gets their chicks on wednesday, the 2nd on thursday. U can call the morn of arrival, & employees will hopefully give u correct breed info. Better yet, u can physically be at store on morn chicks arrives. Ive done this many times in the past, esp when i needed to get feed/other supplies anyway. (Heh heh yes thats my excuse and im sticking to it). I got many breeds i specifically wanted this way. Just make sure your local feedstore uses Privett/Welp, bcause i dont know of any other Large hatcheries that currently hatch blue australorps. Hope u dont feel we are hijacking your thread, azygous. After all, this blue austrorp chick discussion is Directly due to amazing May.

 

[AntiqueB]

I'm so glad May has Su-Su, and seems to doing better (except with the cold!).

I want to compliment your set-up, too. It's always perfectly clean in every photo. You obviously put a lot of time and effort into caring for your chickens. They are lucky to have such a thoughtful mom!

 

[Ladyxan]

I keep forgetting to ask.. Is May a blue Australorp and Su-Su is a black one?

I’m still amazed at how many different breed there are and how beautiful they all are. I also now know Foghorn Leghorn was a Leghorn. That must be the color most people think chickens are, too. Reason I say that is the emojis are only white. RACIST!!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

May is a blue Australorp and Su-su is a gold laced Wyandotte. On that note, ive been meaning to ask, did Su-su ever go broody & hatch and raise chicks of her own? I dont remember u ever mentioning in her original nanny hen thread if she did. Either way, Su-su is very special & unique.

 

[azygous]

Su-su is a GLW. She's one of two I've had of that breed and both hens were fierce and persistent broodies. (None of my SLWs ever went broody.) However, the timing was never right for either to incubate eggs. Su-su, instead, has gone partially broody and spontaneously adopted baby chicks after I began brooding them in the run. The first were six weeks old and she raised them until they turned four months. These, she adopted when they were four weeks old. Have you seen the sister thread to this one that's about Su-su? https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/we-know-broody-hens-how-about-a-nanny-hen.1407935/ It needs an update, as I'm thinking about it.

About the pinless peepers. Feather picking is a seasonal affliction. It seems spring induced hormones also trigger the feather picking compulsion in the breeds prone to it. In my flock, my EEs have always been the worst. This year, I have four out of the five that started to do a buzz job on the two roosters' fresh beautiful new neck feathers. They lost a good amount over the three or four days it took to identify the suspects and install the peepers. They definitely slow the behavior down and sometimes stop it. I have one Sex-link (Pearl) who had to have peepers put back on after having them on a few months ago. When fall arrives and the hormones drop back down, the feather picking also disappears. Then the peepers can come off.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Can u link Su-su's nanny thread to this one for those who havent read it? I discovered and read thru Su-su's entire thread in one sitting because it was so enjoyable and entertaining. (Until Jules became sick). Su-su's thread led many of us, including me, to this one about May. But this ongoing story was originally about Su-su. And her story is very special too.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Duh never mind i just realized u Did link Su-su's thread.