Noob to chicken husbandry and already have run into issues.

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Well I just went out and checked on the sick hen and she was dead. The remaining RIR seems to be doing well. Although she's had liquid poop. I did notice her poop today had firmer substance. the two older birds seem to be doing well. I'm hoping the Wazine does the trick.

When I was coop training them I whipped up an easy to make PVC gravity feeder. I continued supplementing their diet with the layer crumble from Pet Club. So far the feeder and the crumble seem to be working well.

Thanks for the advice. I bought the 3 girls from a local gal. They all seemed healthy when I went and picked them up. I feel bad I didn't catch the two sick girls in time to help them. When I buy more hens I'll deal with someone with a better rep who takes more responsibility for their animals.
 
I would like to suggest that you take some time and research different chicken breeds and choose a breed that is right for you. Some birds do better in different climates or are stronger foragers, some are more prolific egg layers some are meant to be eaten whilst others were bred to be ornamental. I always recommend quarantining new birds for a couple weeks for observation so that they do not spread any potential illnesses to your current flock. Learn as much as you can about the breed you are interested in. Many hatcheries sell birds that are not of exceptional quality so buy more than you need and keep the best and hardiest birds. If you keep a Rooster then you should consider how you are going to deal with a hen trying to raise baby chicks. There is a wealth of good information out there and on this site and never feel embarrassed to ask questions. We are here to help and chances are someone here has already walked a mile in your shoes. This site saved 3 of my chickens lives from a Vitamen E deficiency when they were 4 weeks old. Best wishes.
 
Well it looks like the Wazine worked. The rest of the flock (all 3) are looking well and their butt feathers are clean. So I made sure to put the date on my calendar to repeat the Wazine treatment. My wife bought some ceramic eggs with the Wazine. I'm planning to put in the nesting box so I can try to prime my one laying hen to start again. I'm skeptical, but it's the only idea I could come up with. The other unknown is the age of the laying hen since she was adopted from an estate sale. I'm not too worried about her age since I'm not planning on BBQing her as her retirement. Before I die I may end up with a lot of retired chickens as pets.

I'm just finishing the fenced off area for the flock that should keep my fixated dog from harassing the chickens. Today I'll be spending a lot of time laying down pea gravel for a bed to move the coop to. Presently it's up against the house. Both of us are getting tired of the chicken poop all over our patio. The new site is right next to a metal shed fixed to a concrete slab so I'm not worried about it blowing away. I'll just need to set a plywood panel to the south side or some other wind block to prevent another blow-over, plus I'll be anchoring the coop with T-bars.

I'll be building a new coop this winter like the one they did on the "Ask This Old House" show. I liked the design and with the gravel I'll get lots of drainage when cleaning the coop. I was also thinking of installing an automatic solar door like the one I found on the "Instructables" website. I love all the free information available on the internet.

Thanks for all the input from you folks. I hope one day to be able to contribute for someone else's questions and problems. In Ham radio we call that "Elmering". (A reference to a Ham operator who promotes the interest in others for the hobby through instruction, information and guidance.)
 
Chunck said:
Well it looks like the Wazine worked. The rest of the flock (all 3) are looking well and their butt feathers are clean. So I made sure to put the date on my calendar to repeat the Wazine treatment. My wife bought some ceramic eggs with the Wazine. I'm planning to put in the nesting box so I can try to prime my one laying hen to start again. I'm skeptical, but it's the only idea I could come up with. The other unknown is the age of the laying hen since she was adopted from an estate sale. I'm not too worried about her age since I'm not planning on BBQing her as her retirement. Before I die I may end up with a lot of retired chickens as pets.

I'm just finishing the fenced off area for the flock that should keep my fixated dog from harassing the chickens. Today I'll be spending a lot of time laying down pea gravel for a bed to move the coop to. Presently it's up against the house. Both of us are getting tired of the chicken poop all over our patio. The new site is right next to a metal shed fixed to a concrete slab so I'm not worried about it blowing away. I'll just need to set a plywood panel to the south side or some other wind block to prevent another blow-over, plus I'll be anchoring the coop with T-bars.

I'll be building a new coop this winter like the one they did on the "Ask This Old House" show. I liked the design and with the gravel I'll get lots of drainage when cleaning the coop. I was also thinking of installing an automatic solar door like the one I found on the "Instructables" website. I love all the free information available on the internet.

Thanks for all the input from you folks. I hope one day to be able to contribute for someone else's questions and problems. In Ham radio we call that "Elmering". (A reference to a Ham operator who promotes the interest in others for the hobby through instruction, information and guidance.)
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good! happy your flock is ok! you are doing a great job!
 
Hi and
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! We are glad you joined the flock! :)
 

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