Hi. I have no problem participating ...

[Hrobinson]

...but today I came here to get some answers from the experts. We have (as of April 2011) been raising chickens and on August 24th we bought 15 Cornish Broilers chicks. I will do a search but the condition I'm about to describe is to me, unheard of... and I'm older than you probably.

The condition was noticed this morning. A lethargic female with dirty wings was kind of cowering in the corner of the pen. It was kind of cool this morning (after a rain last evening) and I just wanted to wash her off a little and maybe get her up and active. Her crop was still full from yesterday so I surmised that maybe she was bound up or something. Not so.

I went and got her this afternoon and noticed that her wing bones (both sides) had penetrated the outer skin layer and were dried out and protruding. I have some pictures.

We have ruled out predators. Perhaps a overbearing rooster got frisky? i don't know. At this age she weighed 5 1/2 pounds. I did not notice any unusual behavior yesterday. There are about 4 roosters among the other 11, they are all the same breed and age.

It was my first chicken kill. We do plan to process the rest in the next week or so but it saddens me that any animal had to go this way.

Is this condition known to anyone here? Can a bird grow that fast as to burst from their own skin?

If I had to guess I would say that she has just tried to fly too much or that a rooster pecked her skin apart, or both. I'll try to post pictures.

My partner wants to know if it could have been some type of bacterial infection that caused rotting? (the thought of that is awful)

Both of us were actually relieved when I cut her neck and she bled out.

They're fed once per day and 15 birds ate about 3 pounds of food per day. I have decided to fed them smaller amounts but more often until next week arrives.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

from Missouri

 

[kidcody]

Wow! This can happen when they start to grow there adult feathers (pin feathers) the others will peck at them. If it starts to bleed they will continue nonstop like how you found this chicken in.

It can happen rather fast and the only way to stop this is to remove the damaged chicken into a isolation pen. Also this can happen if there is not enough food so they will look for more protein. I would suggest to keep food in front of them at all times. Chickens are very good about eating only what they need.

from WA. glad you joined us

 

[greymane]

from the Finger Lakes of New York. That is rough. Kidcody gave some great advice. Bluekote is a great tool for open wounds like this. Best of luck!

 

[Hrobinson]

Thank you. I've been reading about someone that had a roo bite the skin off a hens head/neck and all the steps that were taken to nurse it back to health, i.e., yogurt, penicillin, etc. I respect that. In fact, I have treated one of our own layers that had a pretty serious injury and she lays happily to this day... but, what we're dealing with here is a chicken bread for eating and was due on the chopping block anyway. (The shame of it all is that we are unable to justify eating that meat; a decision that had to be made regarding those little things like bacteria and sepsis.)

I would ask the owner if, after having gone through the the extensive treatments and the worrying they did, (having a vet euthanize a "viscious" roo?) that at some point, doesn't the stew pot await the non layers?

What I will do is cull the roos earlier than the rest... starting tomorrow, probably. So, essentially I do appreciate the fact that there was more to that thread than the superficial treatment of some obnoxious wound.

Tell me... I'm ignorant. Thanks again. -H

 

[NonnasBabies]

Welcome!

 

[Hrobinson]

Thanks BB.

 

[Hrobinson]

Quote:
I gather different methods from different sources. Most claim what you are, about leaving food out 24/7. Others claim 12 hours on 12 off. These particular birds are voracious -- as though their moderation switches have been turned off. They eat until their crops get so distended that they can't breathe, then they gasp for air.

I used to be an aquarium junkie and the rule of thumb there was feed only as much as they can eat in 5 minutes but, more to the point: If the crop exists (through evolution) only to facilitate a "fast grab" of food which is to be digested over time, how can letting a bird (like these) eating non-stop, facilitate the moderation that is (obviously) required?

Again, I'm ignorant of these things, i.e., I don't know diddly about chickens. Thanks. -H

 

[Hrobinson]

Quote:
I feel as if I have been lucky or blessed or Karmalized or what have you, all along. As I held the first egg in my hand I realized though, just how awesome Nature is. One of the birds is consistently laying double-yolks and we can't keep enough eggs on hand.

I have treated open wounds differently in the past but these wounds (bihumeral/corucoidal detachment with septic rancidity) seemed to be, at the time, beyond the scope of some blue aerosol isopropyl spray (and frankly, the $5.00 I had invested in the bird.) The animal was obviously in shock and suffering, and would have continued to suffer even throughout its eventual (Natural) life span.

I watched a (Humane) video on Youtube and the lady stated a profound truth. Something like: "The only difference between a carrot and a dead chicken is 'vertebrate bias'. " That stuck with me and I can't/won't argue with the truth. -H

 

[Hrobinson]

Quote:
Hi from an Okie transplant from Missouri, from Virginia, from california, etc.