- May 19, 2015
- 18
- 7
- 94
Hello Everyone! I am new to Backyard Chickens, as well as raising chickens. We always had chickens as I was growing up, but my dad did most of the care. Now that I have a family of my own, and I am starting a small farm, chickens were first on the farmstead. We bought 8 from the tractor supply as babes, and my dad brought by 4 adult (a huge rooster and 3 hens), and 5 "teens". And everything imaginable went wrong. One chicks got pasty butt, I cared for it by special bottom washing, then he filled up with air (something called subcutaneous edema or his air sacks filled with fluid...who knew?) he eventually died. Then one of my Delaware chicks got trampled and pecked by the others while we were out for the day.As the remaining got old enough, we let them venture out side and something "got" two of the babes. So slowly we were dwindling down to fewer and fewer. The chicks were then old enough to be introduced to the adults, so we set a separate cage inside the coop. Then as the luck was going, one of the chicks got a respiratory illness and we had to separate him from the flock. i brought him inside and did everything I could. Medicated him, "spa" baths...he didn't get better so we had to cull him off. He was the sweetest, fattest chicken and I was so sad. So then came the time to move...we packed up all the chickens we had and moved to the mountains...what a fun car ride that was...NOT! We got here and headed back for the second load of furniture, and goods ANNND when we got back that night ALLLLLLLL of the chickens had been eaten but two poor, shaking, fearful hens. Blood and feathers scattered the lawn. The two girls left got named Henny Penny, and Lucy (they were lucky!) and we started over. Just this week we bought two new girls for our small flock from an auction and **** it...one is sick. So I've separated her from the rest and I'm using Vet Rx. Anyways...there's my chicken story. I love my small flock. and i am ordering hatchery eggs this week. Wish me luck on round two!!
welcome to BYC !!
