Maine

[Marcy54]

Those rodents will just consider the hdw cloth to be their personal ladder to a garden of delight.

We don't have much of a rodent problem with three dachshunds. Good to know though.

 

[buckabucka]

I switched last fall/early winter to a feed with 18% protein. I used to feed Purina flock raiser (20%), so I think I'll go back to that for a while. Also, I used to give them sunflower seeds along with some scratch, but I got a giant bag of scratch that filled the whole can, so I had no room for sunflower seed for a while.
A flock block is a good idea. They haven't had one in quite a while. Mine love to peck at white pine needles, but they have a whole small tree lying in there right now. Monday, or whenever this snow stops, I'll go shopping for them.

Sorry about the foot issues. I have one with curled toes, but they are curled to the side and have always been like that.

 

[lazy gardener]

One of my EE has the foot issue going on. She's the bottom of the pecking order, afraid of her own shadow. She has a persecution complex, running away even when no one is even paying attention to her. She spends a lot of time on the perch, and I can tell that it's uncomfortable for her to jump down. 2 of her toes drift out on both feet. Kind of like the ulnar drift of a severe arthritic's hands. My flock has been on FF all winter, layer for the most part, with an occasional bag of multi-flock, which is 22%. (I wish I could find it in a lower percent.) I've also been sprouting barley, wheat, boss and some mixed brassicas. No feather picking this winter, but I culled a gal this summer who was the feather picking queen. She started on the beards and muffs of her 2 EE flock mates, then moved up the pecking order to the 2 gals above her in the pecking order.

 

[ChickMagnet207]

To all the people claiming to have mean rhode island reds. I would love to see pictures of these birds because I highly doubt you have anything other then production red birds from a hatchery. I have never had a mean rooster or hen in all my years of breeding Rhode Island Reds. They are usually very docile!

 

[buckabucka]

So glad this snow wasn't too bad. I hope to go out and buy flock raiser and flock block for my annoying feather eaters.

I think my sour crop hen is ready to go back to the coop tonight. She seems to be eating and pooping normally. She went from being quite limp and easy to feed medication on Friday night, to fighting me like a bull today. This is the quietest chicken I have ever seen. Never made a sound.
She hasn't been laying eggs this spring, just an occasional weird membrane-like empty shell. She may have a reproductive issue, or perhaps this crop issue has been going on longer than I thought and caused other problems for her.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I, too, am glad this snow wasn't that bad. Going out in a few to see what the roads are like - have to go pick up a prescription. No choice.

 

[suzMEchicks]

Reading about all the chicken health problems. My sister just called and she found one of hers dead this morning. She said her husband told her it was limp looking yesterday. It's the first time this had happened since we both got chickens 2 years ago.
My chicken problems are they are eating the stupid eggs.Still. so annoying.

 

[buckabucka]

Sorry about the chicken loss. I think egg eating would anger me even more than feather pulling!
The flock block provided a major distraction. It kind of makes me wonder if it will be gone by morning. I got some 20% protein feed and luckily they seem to like it. Things are looking better (other than this snow). I think I'll keep old sour crop in the house one more night, just to be sure. I hope the cold isn't too much of a shock.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Sorry about the chicken loss. I think egg eating would anger me even more than feather pulling!
The flock block provided a major distraction. It kind of makes me wonder if it will be gone by morning. I got some 20% protein feed and luckily they seem to like it. Things are looking better (other than this snow). I think I'll keep old sour crop in the house one more night, just to be sure. I hope the cold isn't too much of a shock.

I had one hen that had a serious infatuation with the flock block. She would sit in front of it all day (and night if I'd let her instead of chasing her off to the roost) and just peck it. Those blocks would usually be gone in a couple days. She was my favorite hen and died last year. Now, I've had a flock block in the coop over 3 months and it's only halfway gone. I still have the replacement block in the garage waiting for them to finish the one in the coop.

 

[Marcy54]

To all the people claiming to have mean rhode island reds. I would love to see pictures of these birds because I highly doubt you have anything other then production red birds from a hatchery. I have never had a mean rooster or hen in all my years of breeding Rhode Island Reds. They are usually very docile!

This is my RIR, Rooster. The person I got him from said she got him from got her birds locally or so she said.