Is Hay Good for Chicken Bedding, Or Not Good?

[Chickenz1]

Quote:
Breakthrough!!! Think "Oil Gland".. I went to bed praying and thinking about that poor dry face skin..I woke up about 5 AM and thought HE CAN"T GET TO HIS OIL GLAND...
Got him out of his box, set him on the floor with his water and food..He started to pant a little..I started hunting through his feathers til I found his gland.. Set him up in my lap, touched the gland and started putting his own oil around his face and head..That rooster closed his eyes, stopped panting altogether, and LUXURIATED all over himself..I put him back down, he started eating..He'd already drank several times..I put him back on his pillow with the food and water and he promptly went to sleep, breathing through his nose and looking more peaceful than I have seen him in weeks..Glory Glory THAT is why his poor little face was so dry and flakey..He's not been able to groom properly since the back injury!

 

[ChooksChick]

Holy of Holies!!!

You are brilliant! You may want to change the title of this thread, however, to reflect that this is about rooster with back injury and his Mommy's fantastic 'Eureka!' moment!!

What a blessing you thought of that- I wouldn't have. He must be so happy now!

I think now you've given him a moment of normal in the midst of all of this, and he can just sleep and heal!

 

[Chickenz1]

Quote:
I think he's happiER.. He ate REAL good the second time I took him out later this morning.. Grains, crumbles, grapes AND watermelon..HE EVEN FLAPPED HIS WINGS GOOD when I held him aloft..He had not done that in two days..

 

[ChooksChick]

That's very encouraging! It wouldn't feel good to do that if he was still horribly injured!

Yay!

 

[catfish/okie]

Thank you much. The grass clippings laid out in mid 90s along the edge of the concrete drive way. they weere dry but I will check them out again. My pen/run is 8x20 with 8x8 on the north side covered with sheet iron. I made my nest out of 1x12 it is a double stacker cut 12 by 16 inches with the bottom one on the ground. I figure they will start laying around Sept. 1. I have 1 more 8 ft. 1x12 The nests are on the north east side. Thanks for all the info!

 

[Chickenz1]

Quote:
True..Thankfully the injury did not involve anything to do with his wings or neck..I wonder if I should be still trying to work the frozen up leg joint..I stopped after the first few days of trying because he was having more pressing concerns..It's tightening more and more..Circulation is good, but I think it's never going to work for him again regardless of whether I can rehab the joint or not.. Any experience along those lines?
By the way, I looked at your BYC page awhile ago..GOOD FOR YOU for tracking down the human that belonged to that RIR in the streets..
Around here, I see chickens, goats, cows in the roads..One night I heard someone's horse clopping by..Couldn't see him, but just heard his hooves.. He sounded riderless, stopping here and there, then moving on.. Sort of surreal for that time of night..

 

[mskluck]

I'm no expert for sure but I'm wondering if all your good intentions might be an overload in changes to see what helps. Don't forget that watermellon is a hydrant for birds which will help hydrate . Too much will cause loose stools. You might fare better by having a vet to take a look at him? Seems like there's too much going on with him to pin point the real cause or causes. Has he been dewormed? His scaley skin seems like a nutrient deficiency; lack of feed might be a culprit of scaley dried skin. If he has worms his appetite would be comprimized therefore lack of nutrients. Sounds like you love your little guy a lot. I applaud your efforts and attention. I wish you luck and success for your roo.

 

[Jeep Fiona]

I use a little bit of hay on top of the wood shavings but wouldnt use just hay. I agree with the last post, its really heavy dirty. I dont think that it absorbs as well as shavings do either. I wouldnt think that the dust would bother them as long as it is not overly dusty. My shavings are pretty dusty and I dont think that I have had any ill effects over that.

Hi y'all been reading I've also been told that using sand course to medium grit is good bedding it keeps them cool during the summer time less Dusty no mites and it dries quicker when wet if you do get it wet I hear pine shavings can connect mold everything can I'm sure just cleanliness is the best to be I live in Arizona I'm going to use sand with straw on top or hey try to give them the best of both worlds

 

[Mrs. K]

I think climate has a big impact on how bedding works. I use grass hay as that is what I have. I am pretty dry climate.

I throw scratch on top of it, and the girls give it a vigorous fluffing, breaking up manure clods and keeping it dry.