New Owner of 11 beautiful hens

Pics
Date sort Score sort
Don't panic, those are lovely birds and chickens are not terribly difficult to keep. You are getting good advice here and will get more. Chickens are very docile at night and don't see well in the dark, so that's the best time to handle them. You want to put your hands over their bodies like a football, including their wings so they can't flap. A flapping bird can be, well, a bit of a pain, lol! Then tuck her under one arm, again like a football with her fanny toward you for the exam. Look for small moving things that might be lice or mites trying to hide under her feathers. They may be under her wings, between her legs and body, or in the feathers along her neck. When you're done, place her feet firmly back on the roost before you let go of her. We don't mind pictures of chickens' bottoms or poo, it helps us help you figure out what's going on with an unwell bird.

A good size for a roost is a 2x4 laid flat, with the 4" side being the part they stand on. They sleep crouched down on their feet to keep them warm, prevents frostbite to the toes.

Feed a crumble or pellet of all-flock formula and provide both grit and oyster shell in separate dishes, available at all times during daylight hours. Grit is for digestion; OS is for strong egg shells. Water should always be available too.

Protection from predators is paramount. Everything eats chicken. Confinement at night is critical. Use hardware cloth, not chicken wire, when building. Think about predators that dig and protect from them as well as those that enter through small openings, such as rats and snakes. We're here to share experience with you and wish you all the best. Chickening is fun! :frow
 
Good morning, welcome to BYC. Congratulations on your new home, and, your new flock.
You've been given great advice. I agree with picking her off the roost at night to examine her. Hold her close to your body, and place her feet on your forearm, to help her feel more secure.
Please keep us updated on their progress.
 
BigBlueHen53 said:
Don't panic, those are lovely birds and chickens are not terribly difficult to keep. You are getting good advice here and will get more. Chickens are very docile at night and don't see well in the dark, so that's the best time to handle them. You want to put your hands over their bodies like a football, including their wings so they can't flap. A flapping bird can be, well, a bit of a pain, lol! Then tuck her under one arm, again like a football with her fanny toward you for the exam. Look for small moving things that might be lice or mites trying to hide under her feathers. They may be under her wings, between her legs and body, or in the feathers along her neck. When you're done, place her feet firmly back on the roost before you let go of her. We don't mind pictures of chickens' bottoms or poo, it helps us help you figure out what's going on with an unwell bird.

A good size for a roost is a 2x4 laid flat, with the 4" side being the part they stand on. They sleep crouched down on their feet to keep them warm, prevents frostbite to the toes.

Feed a crumble or pellet of all-flock formula and provide both grit and oyster shell in separate dishes, available at all times during daylight hours. Grit is for digestion; OS is for strong egg shells. Water should always be available too.

Protection from predators is paramount. Everything eats chicken. Confinement at night is critical. Use hardware cloth, not chicken wire, when building. Think about predators that dig and protect from them as well as those that enter through small openings, such as rats and snakes. We're here to share experience with you and wish you all the best. Chickening is fun! :frow
Click to expand...
what a great write up, thank you so much! It rained heavily last night and temps dropped to 30's, decided that me and hens being stressed in this weather wouldnt help it. I got some good sleep and its Day 4 with the ladies. I gave them a bit of goat yogurt with their crumble this morning, they loved it!

I am planning to redo their roosting branches to 2x4's as was suggested asap, trimming nails and most importantly I will inspect that hen tonight and wash her vent area really well. Nobody else but me can help here, at least thats how I convinced myself. :)

I will keep everyone updated on how it goes, never been fan of a forum, but this forum already feels like a family! Thank you everyone,

D
 
Here is one more picture of the area from inside, will post pictures from inside of the coop later in the day when i let them to free range.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20211021_074801.jpg
    IMG_20211021_074801.jpg
    857.3 KB · Views: 1
:welcome :frow You have been given some good advice but as far as the spurs, I would take them off. They will grow back. There may be a little blood but no problem It is like taking off a finger nail sort of. I use pliers and carefully rock the spurs until they break loose then pull them off. You can use something like blood stop if the blood is an issue but they may bleed a little but not for long. If you try to cut them you may make things worse. You will find a lot of good information here BYCArticles.jpg Good luck and have fun...
This is the way I remove the spurs. Some come off fairly easy and some not so easy so I just carefully rock the pliers back and forth until it pops.
 

Similar threads

G
    • Like
Hens not laying for last 9 months
Replies
2
Views
213
GMBfarm
G
CluckCluckG00se
    • Like
Help - older hen + new home + baby chicks?
Replies
4
Views
356
CluckCluckG00se
CluckCluckG00se
Psychofeatherlover
    • Love
First owner didnt treat toms broken leg
Replies
2
Views
659
Psychofeatherlover
Psychofeatherlover

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom