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BettyD

In the Brooder
Jun 23, 2025
2
13
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My husband and I got chickens for the first time this year. We've been planning on raising chickens for several years and were finally ready. Imagine our surprise when we couldn't go to Tractor Supply or Stockdale's and get them!
We purchased 10 on line. All lay brown eggs. We received 4 Sussex, 2 Plymouth Rock, 2 Wyandotte, 1 Black Copper Maran and 1 we haven't been able to identity.

I've attached a picture of the one we can't identify. Any suggestions?

They are now 3.5 months old. We were allowing them to free range. We live on 5 acres and their coop is pretty far from the road. In one day we lost 3 about 2 weeks ago. Have no idea what happened. We thought we may lose 1 or possibly 2 in a day but not 3. They are no longer free range. For those interested, we reinforced half a horse barn for the coop. Nothing can get them in there. Early in the morning, there were 10. By 5 pm there were only 7 :( Only found a few of those downy feathers from their butts. Nothing else.

We now have a Sussex that is limping. It started 2 days ago.

Looking thru this website has been interesting. We are giving them feed but we are also giving them our kitchen scraps (we have reviewed the list of acceptable and unacceptable foods). However, peanuts are not on either list. Some people say, they're OK, others say No. Our chickens are fiends for peanuts. When they see me now, they come running hoping I'll give them some peanuts. When I feed them mealworms, I get that look like what am I trying to pull; this is not peanuts!!

Are the peanuts somehow causing the limping? Does she a vitamin B deficiency? Is there an injury? I haven't been able to catch her to inspect her foot. It's been really hot, once this heat wave breaks, I'll give it an all out effort. Hopefully tomorrow or the next day. I tried to get a video, but she wouldn't move very often and my videos were too big to send to my email.

Looking forward to meeting everyone:)
 

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Hiya, Betty, and welcome to BYC! :frow

Like mealworms, chickens can have a few peanuts in moderation. Both are very high in protein, but also very high in fat, so too many can be bad for them.

If they're not laying, they should still be on chick crumbles or an all-flock and would be getting their nutritional requirements, but if you wonder about it, you could always pick up some Poultry Cell vitamins and put that in their water a couple of times a week.

Try catch your chicken at night in the coop as that's usually easiest. While you inspect, look at the bottom of her foot carefully for a possible black scab indicating bumblefoot.
 

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