Maine

[lazy gardener]

Just my opinion, but I'd rather kill and process a rooster than put up with the rooster drama. It's disturbing to the flock (in my opinion) and even more so to the human witnesses. However, I've heard that sometimes, when one roo knows that he'll come out the looser, he'll give up the fight, and then take a subordinate roll and they'll agree to coexist. I've even heard that the subordinate roosters sometimes take over as assistants to the broodies.

 

[MKandtheforce]

MK, are you sure your girl isn't sneaky and laying somewhere else?

I don't think so. We have a closed in run, so her options are very limited! I haven't check the little outside "playground" for a while or in the little holes they've dug, though, so maybe I'll check those places. I haven't seen any bits of egg shell hanging around, either, so I'm pretty sure nobody's eating any eggs. I would love it if she actually took a look at her nesting boxes, lol. I know when my silkie was laying (she stopped when she got sick; she's in better health now, but she hasn't laid since), she always went to the nesting box. Then again, the silkie is a year older than my other birds... Hm.

As for my leghorns, when they start laying, I wouldn't put it past them to hide their eggs. They're such contrary girls! My mom swears she heard one of them barking, lol.

 

[dowgirl71]

So sorry for everyone's losses! What a string of bad luck. I hope things turn for the better for everyone soon.

anyasmifya, would you consider eating the mean roosters? Even if you do not want to do the deed yourself, it only costs $3 - $4 to have a bird processed. I had resigned myself to not hatching next spring, because I shouldn't really add any more birds and I inadvertently began running a retirement home here. But one thing I will miss is having those roosters in the freezer! If we don't have many left in stock after the winter, I may do a small hatch after all.
Another idea, give them away on craigslist. They may eventually kill each other, but then they just go to waste.

I agree. I ended up with 3 roos, this year, but had no problems finding new homes for them on Facebook (chicken swap page) and Uncle Henrys. I was still getting calls weeks after I'd gotten rid of a couple. Some people hold onto those old copies of Uncle Henrys.

 

[Wee Acre Farm]

and let me throw this into today's miserable mix.....my buff orp has again disappeared. she had been staying away from the flock for a few days but always went back into the coop at night...last night she just never showed up The little one that was injured is now limping and favoring her right leg. Not sure if she will pull through. she is so much smaller than the rest. She has no visible wounds so I am not sure whats wrong. I may separate her if she gets worse or picked on and to top it all off I discovered they have lice again! ahhhh sigh.....i will be treating them tomorrow evening. last time i got rid of the lice pretty easily. hope it goes as well this time.

what a BUMMER!

There is something hitting the birds that is causing limping and no other symptoms. The vet has not been able as of yet to figure it out. A friend of mine has lost birds to it and the vet she called said there are numerous cases being called in to her with the same single symptom. She had a bird coming in this afternoon to examine and we are still waiting on the results. The birds are showing up all over and no specific breed.

 

[CoopChick719]

Maybe solar lamps? I don't have electricity out in my coop.

How's everyone around here doing in regards to getting ready for winter?

I have some cheapo solar lamps--Dollar Tree kind--that I use in the coop. I was suprised at how much light they give off. Winterizing--plastic around the bottom on the coop. Pen wrapped with a tarp on North & West sides. DH helped me put up a small fenced in area for the girls. Nothing special but hopefully will keep the girls in our yard and not 2 houses up the road.

I just buried another hen. My flock of 10 is down to 7.

So sorry to hear about Blanche. Hugs

As for my leghorns, when they start laying, I wouldn't put it past them to hide their eggs. They're such contrary girls! My mom swears she heard one of them barking, lol.

My 2 leghorns have been telling the 5 new RIR's who's boss. They don't get off the roost until the leghorns are out in the pen.

 

[buckabucka]

 
and let me throw this into today's miserable mix.....my buff orp has again disappeared. she had been staying away from the flock for a few days but always went back into the coop at night...last night she just never showed up The little one that was injured is now limping and favoring her right leg. Not sure if she will pull through. she is so much smaller than the rest. She has no visible wounds so I am not sure whats wrong.  I may separate her if she gets worse or picked on and to top it all off I discovered they have lice again! ahhhh sigh.....i will be treating them tomorrow evening. last time i got rid of the lice pretty easily. hope it goes as well this time.

what a BUMMER!

There is something hitting the birds that is causing limping and no other symptoms.  The vet has not been able as of yet to figure it out.  A friend of mine has lost birds to it and the vet she called said there are numerous cases being called in to her with the same single symptom.  She had a bird coming in this afternoon to examine and we are still waiting on the results.  The birds are showing up all over and no specific breed.

We had a limping bird that we culled last year, a Wyandotte. She had been fine for a couple of years and then I found her unable to walk. We had her indoors for 2 weeks, treated for worms, tried B vitamins. She had a great appetite, but did not improve. I thought maybe she had an injury, but I'll be interested in what the vet comes up with.

 

[CoopChick719]

I'll be interested to hear about the limping too. That was a symptom in my last 3 birds.

 

[winkle1234]

I have had two that were limping and two that mysteriously passed overnight in the past two weeks. The remaining ~80 in the flock are acting normal today.

 

[anyasmifya]

So sorry for everyone's losses! What a string of bad luck. I hope things turn for the better for everyone soon.

anyasmifya, would you consider eating the mean roosters? Even if you do not want to do the deed yourself, it only costs $3 - $4 to have a bird processed. I had resigned myself to not hatching next spring, because I shouldn't really add any more birds and I inadvertently began running a retirement home here. But one thing I will miss is having those roosters in the freezer! If we don't have many left in stock after the winter, I may do a small hatch after all.
Another idea, give them away on craigslist. They may eventually kill each other, but then they just go to waste.

I have a friend who will cull & eat the roosters for me. Hopefully he will be able to get out here this weekend and take one or two off of my hands! **** roosters are driving me crazy. It is kind of humorous though watching the polish chase the rhode island! Since, the RIR was the original jerk now the polish is the jerk.

I do need to toughen up and eat some of my own birds. I am just kind of hesitant to eat something that I had as a pet. I am a hypocrite, I'll eat chicken from the store. lol. I was a vegetarian for a while because I realized my hypocriteness. I do believe if one eats meat they should be able to slaughter an animal. Ugh.

 

[anyasmifya]

Ha, ha backyard chickens "bleeped" the word d a m n! I didn't think that would be a curse word. LOL Are their children on this forum? PG only.