My Very First Emergency: Egg Bound? Pictures Included

[Miss Lydia]

Morning Deb, what cute pictures, looks like their a hit with GD. Did you order from a hatchery or buy local? Glad their all doing well today.. I have seen that alot of people are using that shelf liner in their brooders looks like it would work good. My brooder is my hens so I don't have to worry about that sort of things.. Guess with this warmer weather we can all start to look for baby chicks no matter how the come.. have a good one! Trish

 

[Michigan Transplant]

Morning Trish. GD loves them and would of had them sleep with her but I didn't think that was wise LOL. I called and ordered them from Estes which is in Springfield and only 25 miles away. I kept postponing the pick up date with all the snow we got dumped with so yesterday was THE DAY. I have some of the shredded bills or old mail in there as well but thought maybe the shelf liner would be more grip able for them. I can't trust my hens to sit on eggs, every time I go out there they all come running to the door thinking I am bringing them treats so even the ones in the boxes sitting on an egg or two come flying off. Not sure if they would go right back or not so will just order chicks of different varieties and then IF I ever get my bator I can hatch some.
It is windy here today and things are blowing all over but good thing the wind is from the south and the outside pens doors are on the north and east so the girls and roo can go outside part of the day. Sure hope it clears up and the wind dies some. Deb

 

[Miss Lydia]

Nice that you have a hatchery so close that way no sending through the mail, I know your excited about them little ones.. Our weather is to be wonderful for about 4 days so alot to do outside, I have Silkies coming next month, and 3 orpington hens coming first of March.. and Runner ducks coming in late spring, so excited.. Spring is coming and I think we're all so looking forward to it.. Have a great day and also glad to hear your hen is doing great. has she laid again?

 

[Michigan Transplant]

I have 9 hens in the front pen...they are the ones with loss of feathers. I got 4 eggs from them yesterday. I wasn't home when they were laid so can't say for sure who laid them. She comes running to the fence when I head down there and will follow me around some so know she is acting much better. Think she might even be grateful for the help the other day.
I would order and just might next spring but there is NO way I would order until I knew there was no more chance of getting any snow. There have been so many loss of lives with others on here who ordered and all or most of them have died. There is no way I could go through that so that is why I wouldn't order till late March or mid April just to make sure they made it through the mail.
You sound as if you have lots on your plate for the next few months. We all have many little things to be excited and grateful for, I know I am. Hope all the deaths are over with for a long time and we all can just enjoy our little ones.
My work day will be Saturday when I can devote the whole day to redoing the back coop. With GD here I can't watch her and spend time with my peeps like I would like to but Saturday will be here soon enough.

Blessings to all

 

[justicespeeps]

I wondered if you could give a hen a bath. btw. Sorry your chicken is sick.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Most chickens don't mind a bath just run the water before hand and make it nice and warm, afterwards be sure to get them good and dry before putting them back outside.. they usually relax and enjoy it. Don't leave them unattended.

 

[Michigan Transplant]

Well, yesterday I found a small egg in with the girls who are loosing their feathers. Think that might be from my egg bound chicken from last week. Guess unless I sit down there and watch them I won't know if she is laying or not. I have 11 girls in the front pen and am only getting about 7 eggs. Knew I had some that were not laying so really need to find out who they are and then weed them out. By July or Aug. I will have another 12 laying. Will weed my 24 RIR's down to about half. Have someone who wants 4 of them so that makes 8 going into the freezer this summer.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend and that there are no more emergencies for a while.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Afternoon Deb, great news about you hen if she was the one who laid and didn't have any trouble... My girls all lay at different times of the day so i would have to move in to see who is laying and who isn't. lol I do have one in the hospital now, found her this morning limping in the coop, shes resting comfortably in a large dog kennel and will look at her again this evening to try to figure out what might be going on.. Her legs and feet look good so I don't have a clue right now.. All the rest are out enjoying this warmer weather, just wish the sun would come out. But it is so nice to be able to sit outside with them all.. How are them babies doing?

 

[Michigan Transplant]

Sorry you have a soar footed chicken. One of mine was limping so I put her in the front pen away from the rooster and some of the other rowdy girls and she is doing better. I washed her feet and could not see anything wrong so thought maybe she just stepped down wrong or something.
My chickens all lay at different times to but I like to try and spend one day down there with them either cleaning or reading just to get away. LOL
Friday was beautiful and we drove around with the windows down and slept with the window open. Was so nice. Sure hope we have an early spring.
As you can see the babies are doing well. Most of them are growing out their wing feathers and are trying to fly. They look really cute running and then flapping their little wings. I don't mind having them in my bedroom since they aren't that noisy but the light is what gets to me. I moved them to the foot of the bed and have a large piece of card board I am going to put up between the mattress and the frame in hopes that I can get some sleep.
Been redoing my pens inside the coop. I am going to make the back pen the whole length of the building since there are 17 in the back pen and the 8 girls who are missing feathers or injured in the little from pen. When they grow out their feather and I can put them back in with the others, I will use the front pen for the 12 new babies when they are big enough to go outside.

Hope you had a great weekend and that everyone at your place is doing well (Humans & Chickens). Hope you find out what is causing your limpy one her problems. If not just let her stay in the hospital for a few more days. Maybe some big fat chicken stepped on her foot.

Talk to you later. Deb

 

[Miss Lydia]

she is on the small size game /bantam and I have some Brahmas that are pretty big.. she was fine yesterday so I don't know but I did try to get her to eat and drink nope not interested, so will keep her in and see what happens.. Yeah lights keep me awake too. Glad to hear the babies are doing good, they are so cute!

it's amazing how fast they grow..