here's a real newbie question.....

[AshleyRae]

This spring we got three hens. One's a Barred Rock, one is a leghorn and the other is Rhode Island red. I won't swear to the purity of the breeds, though... When we got them, my leghorn was the biggest, but now the other two are quite a lot fatter than she is, even though she is clearly the boss. Do different breeds have standard shapes, or is something wrong with my Buttercup?

 

[Wynette]

Do different breeds have standard shapes?

Yup.

 

[Stiggy]

yes you will see the differences in size. the RIR and BR will always be bigger, they will take longer to beef up though and longer to lay ( on average) as they are slower growing than the leghorn . the leghorn is a more flighty breed and they are smaller in body and not as wide, hence they can fly much better and get up and away into the trees better than your heavier birds . so yes certain breeds do have certain shapes, and they are defined per breed and class ( heavy, light, game, bantam etc )

 

[AshleyRae]

Thank you. Buttercup does get higher than the other girls, I'm glad to know she's a slender breed and not sick! They're so funny and sweet it would break my heart if something happened. I've never kept birds of any kind so this is a whole new experience for me.

 

[Stiggy]

that's ok, if you think she is getting to thin then pick her up and see how heavy she is and how much 'meat' is on her bones, and what not. its also a good chance to check for bumble foot, lice and mites. picking them up regularly is always a good idea. I hope you have a good strong predator proof coup as well

 

[AshleyRae]

My boyfriend built a good coop for them, and has plans for improving it as we get materials. He actually used the house as the back wall, which encompasses our bedroom window. I don't think anything can get in, but even if it tried, we would hear it.
I check all my pets regularly for bugs, but I've never heard of bumble foot.

 

[Stiggy]

well it sounds like you have good maintenance going on. have you sorted out an area to dust bath? they will love you for it if there isn't one already. bumble foot is an infection, there are plenty of forums on here to do with it. if you catch it early then it has a great outcome, but left to long the infection spreads and goes into the bones and blood stream and the bird cannot walk. always check limping birds for that reason. however your bigger heavy breeds are more likely to get it then your leghorn due to the increased pressure on the foot as they are bigger

 

[AshleyRae]

I just read a thread about bumblefoot, ewww! Poor things, I will check regularly. They don't much like being handled even though they follow me around. We don't have a dust bath yet. It's been so wet lately, which is odd this time of year, but by the end of this month or start of July, I'll probably put one in. Can I use play sand for it or do they need something special?

 

[Stiggy]

It's winter here and I'm using an baby bath, which is perfect since I have Silkies which are small. personally I would use dirt, but small amounts of sand can be added ( chickens sometimes eat the sand thinking its grit and its not all the great for their systems in larger doses) they dry dirt is a wonderful thing and al long as you can keep it dry and in a powdery texture they will love you for it . ( see my pics for proof that they loved the baby bath).
yeah bumble foot isn't nice and its not nice to treat either

 

[AshleyRae]

So where do I find dry, dusty dirt? Here in SW Missouri our yard is mostly clay and rocks. Thanks for all your helpful advice. Like I said, I'm new to birds. They're quite different from my dog, cat and goat. But I do okay with reptiles, so I think I'll figure it out. I'm so lucky to find backyard chickens!