- May 12, 2014
- 53
- 6
- 41
As of 3 weeks ago my chicken experience has been perfect. I raised 6 production reds from day old and they should be laying any day now.I made a mistake 3 weeks ago and lost 2. I got too comfortable with free ranging my birds and they wandered out of sight near some woods and were attacked. I thought it must have been a dog but one was carried away and my reading tells me more likely a fox or a coyote. Bot are common here in rural central Kentucky. As we so often do I compounded my mistake with more problems.
In my rush to get back up to a full house I found an ad for pullets and drove out to buy them.They had a two Barred Rocks and a White Rock ,just what I was looking for. I should have NEVER bought these 3 chickens. I knew they were filthy and rough looking,but I drove almost an hour to get there,and my 2 boys were expecting to bring home chickens.I get them home and immediately know I made a mistake.Poor is not the word,but I kept them seperate for 5 days and put them on acv right away,clean coop and fresh water.The 2 Barred Rocks cleaned right up and and have found their place in the flock.The White Rock perked up good too but has regressed,he was the worst of the three with a rattle in his breathing and a generally poor condition. The rattle is back and now he has a scab or wart over one of his nostrils.I am ready to cull this chicken.Not because I can't deal with a sick chicken but for the sake of my flock. My reds are perfect with hardly a feather missing.Im worried I have already put them at risk and don't want them exposed any more than I have already.feel free to comment. BTW the Barred Rocks cleaned up good.
In my rush to get back up to a full house I found an ad for pullets and drove out to buy them.They had a two Barred Rocks and a White Rock ,just what I was looking for. I should have NEVER bought these 3 chickens. I knew they were filthy and rough looking,but I drove almost an hour to get there,and my 2 boys were expecting to bring home chickens.I get them home and immediately know I made a mistake.Poor is not the word,but I kept them seperate for 5 days and put them on acv right away,clean coop and fresh water.The 2 Barred Rocks cleaned right up and and have found their place in the flock.The White Rock perked up good too but has regressed,he was the worst of the three with a rattle in his breathing and a generally poor condition. The rattle is back and now he has a scab or wart over one of his nostrils.I am ready to cull this chicken.Not because I can't deal with a sick chicken but for the sake of my flock. My reds are perfect with hardly a feather missing.Im worried I have already put them at risk and don't want them exposed any more than I have already.feel free to comment. BTW the Barred Rocks cleaned up good.