I have had chickens since a child, but they were just there, and just provided the eggs. Then I didnt have hens for very many years until about 6 years ago I collected 10 Ex Bat hens and boy was that an experience! I collected them naked, unwell and some injured on a very cold Vic Australia central highlands August day, but the sun was shining. I had no way to really transport ten hens in my little VW hatch so I folded down the back seats and laied a tarp down with some hay and off I went. One laid an egg on the way home in the car!!! Those chooks were free, but boy did they cost me a fortune in on going vet costs!! They are the friendliest chooks I have ever had and I dont regret all the money I sent on them during their short lives. I still have one of those hens six years on. She laid a lash egg about six months on after getting her and she hasnt laid again since. She has been treated at least 6 times for absolute death rattle respitory infections but never has she made any of the other hens sick.
I have an assorted flock now with the original Bat Hen, a red sex link, two black Australorps and a Welsummer x with a blue egg layer (she looks just like a welsummer and she is huge), but she has a rose comb. I raised two araucana chicks last October a blue splash and a black... they both grew to be cockerels. I'm keeping the splash and a friend is taking the black as she has a beautiful flock of araucana and lost her roo about 5 months ago (I will get eggs from her in time). I also got a poorly bred silver laced Wyandotte roo that was a class room breeding project. He was raised by two kids who were very upset they had to part with him due to council rules (I'm raising some mixed breed chicks and I will take a hen to them and I know they will be very very happy) and lastly I have 15 five week old chicks, and 12 almost one week old chicks. Then today I collected three blue laced red Barnevelder one of which is in a very poor state so it confined to the house in a crate until I can determine whats going on with her and treat her. She has scale mite, two twisted toes and a cough, poor girl.
I've been googling for answers, treatments and how to's for a while now for various things I've needed to trouble shoot and almost every time google sends me to this forum. So here I am.
Aside from chickens, I have horses and alpaca, dogs and a cat. I'm a trained nurse who re trained as a social worker... The animals are the best decompression there is, I believe tens times more powerful than valium so I take lage doses of animals every single day.
My husband tollerates (only just) all the animals, and at times hardly copes at all, but he tries very very hard. My daughter is a young adult now and doesnt live at home anymore but she visits often and shares my love of all things feathered and fur covered .. Thanks for having me here.
I have an assorted flock now with the original Bat Hen, a red sex link, two black Australorps and a Welsummer x with a blue egg layer (she looks just like a welsummer and she is huge), but she has a rose comb. I raised two araucana chicks last October a blue splash and a black... they both grew to be cockerels. I'm keeping the splash and a friend is taking the black as she has a beautiful flock of araucana and lost her roo about 5 months ago (I will get eggs from her in time). I also got a poorly bred silver laced Wyandotte roo that was a class room breeding project. He was raised by two kids who were very upset they had to part with him due to council rules (I'm raising some mixed breed chicks and I will take a hen to them and I know they will be very very happy) and lastly I have 15 five week old chicks, and 12 almost one week old chicks. Then today I collected three blue laced red Barnevelder one of which is in a very poor state so it confined to the house in a crate until I can determine whats going on with her and treat her. She has scale mite, two twisted toes and a cough, poor girl.
I've been googling for answers, treatments and how to's for a while now for various things I've needed to trouble shoot and almost every time google sends me to this forum. So here I am.
Aside from chickens, I have horses and alpaca, dogs and a cat. I'm a trained nurse who re trained as a social worker... The animals are the best decompression there is, I believe tens times more powerful than valium so I take lage doses of animals every single day.
My husband tollerates (only just) all the animals, and at times hardly copes at all, but he tries very very hard. My daughter is a young adult now and doesnt live at home anymore but she visits often and shares my love of all things feathered and fur covered .. Thanks for having me here.
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