Normal Feet or Scaly Leg Mites? Please help!

[PrettyChicky25]

Definitely rascals! It's all about the PECKING!!! Such a big deal for them!!! Glad you ended up okay. I know you've had birds, but chickens can be a bit different, so just throwing some things out there. You might try a wire bottom cage and a play area with bedding for two different things she can do. Also, search "deep bedding" here on the forum, might give some good ideas.

They're very food motivated and can be very curious. Even my favorite chickens like food much better than me, and they only like me as much as I feed them. I peck with my finger to show them the food, to peck the water out of the horizontal nipple waterer (those are the best by the way). I discipline them by pecking them on top of the beak with my finger whenever they peck too hard or somewhere they shouldn't (like my freckle). Chickens are all about dominance and who's highest in the pecking order. We call them velociraptors and are only half joking. If they try to roost on your head or back when you're bent over, or be above you, that's them trying to tell you they're above you in the pecking order. I recommend you be the top hen, so I wouldn't let them do that. Training them to come when you call for treats can be very useful, and is pretty easy to do.

Like a parrot does, I taught my chickens to step up and use my hand as a perch, and I would carry them around a fair bit, but as they got bigger, they were too heavy for one-handed carry, and we pretty much stopped. Your bantam should stay just the right size. She may enjoy being pet on her crop/breast area under her feathers. I do that while I do crop checks. I would lift under their breast, and they'd flap up onto my hand (the Macaw I knew could single step, but chickens generally don't).

Chickens can be bathed - I think people who show chickens do this on a semi-regular basis, and it can be part of vet/wound care. They can be wrapped in a towel to hold them for medical treatments (syringe med administration) or feet inspection, or inspection of eyes/mouth/head. Just don't squeeze too hard.

Anyway, have fun with it!

Yes, I've bathed her several times and then used a blow dryer to dry her off. She was so good. She also gets Epsom salt baths just for her feet every night where I hold her feet in the water. The bird literally starts to doze off. It's so cute. Her one leg was lame when I got her but after two weeks, yesterday, she started to use the leg again. She has tried flying up to my head but until the vet clears her there is no way she is allowed to do this. lol. I will keep her away from my eyes or do a side snuggle. I gave her what I like to call the full-birdie massage when she starts getting antsy. She loves it. She looked at a scab on my hand and I thought she was going to peck at it but she did not. I think she wanted to know if I was okay. Maybe because I rescued her. Based on what the vet told me and what I've researched, she was at deaths door when I found her. I think she would have died from coccidia in another week or so. So sad. I know birds get super bored though so I am always trying to find things to do with them. I literally bought my birds National Geographic kits for Christmas and we do things like make crystals, dig fossils out of clay, etc together. They mostly watch but they love it! I am sure I will have to keep the chicken from pecking things like this though! Today, she got excited about a bowl of spinach and strawberries I gave her. I will research the ideas you gave me too. Thank you very much for taking the time to respond!

 

[Borders3]

Part of life is death, something we all have to deal with at some time or other. She was a sweet little hen, out of the original eight I had she was the last one. There were about four of them I think, that used to squat for me, so I'd pick them up and give them all a cuddle tucking their head under my chin and murmering softly to them.

 

[Bonnieboo]

I agree wholeheartedly with fluffycrow, two is always better than one
Also, she is a very lucky girl that you found her and are so concerned for her welfare.
A gold star for you!!!

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

If she's a house bird I can't risk her bringing anything into the home (she is already recovering from a bad case of coccidia). I suppose I could set up a big Tupperware container though and put sand in it and let her play in it like a sandbox. Would something like this work?

a big sandbox could work for sure, and you could also add a little wood ash in there as well. you could also give her trays of sprouted greens and she can dig and scratch them up as well.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Thank you for the ideas! I will definitely try them out. I already have chicken diapers, a big chicken perch, a playpen, a dog crate, a cat bed, a chicken plushie and bird toys for her. I am just waiting to get clearance from the vet (for the coccidia) before I give them to her.

don't forget you need a nesting box for her! ideally lower than her perch, and don't let her sleep in it, otherwise will be filled with poop

 

[fluffycrow]

But I'd highly encourage you to get a second hen, maybe another serama, chickens are social creatures, and interactions between other species is not exactly the same thing unfortunately

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

If you have a space that is not "dust-free" (like a garage) you can make a box of peat moss as a dust bath. Mine love that and it keeps them busy in winter on days they can't go outside. I agree with prior commitment that chickens like the company of other chickens. Other birds are just not the same as language and social cohesion. They get nervous when they lose their flock.

She will call out to announce to any nearby chickens to see if she can locate a flock

 

[FunClucks]

Chickens make a lot of dander and poop. If you must keep her inside, consider building her an indoor enclosure. If you have a garage, she can live happily there - chickens do just fine down to about -25F as long as they have a draft free place with plenty of ventilation over their heads to sleep.

An extra large dog crate (2'x4') covered halfway up the sides with housewrap or old feed bags, or cardboard, could be a good enclosure for her. You can connect (with zip ties) two crates side by side or end to end if you get the ones with two doors and then you still have a door you can clean out each cage through. 2-4" of pine shavings in the bottom of the cage, food and water and a nest box, also some perches could be put in these. You can sprout alfalfa, wheat, or any number of other greens for her, and provide covered or uncovered cat litter boxes for dirt bath and nest box. Hanging chicken skewers for treat distribution/entertainment.

This would give her somewhere to run around without a diaper and a safe place for her to stay when you can't watch her. I do think you should get her at least one other chicken. They do much better and are much less stressed in a flock. Be sure to get another bantam so they're the same size. Your girl is beautiful!

ETA: rule of thumb is chickens need at least 10 sq feet in the run per standard chicken, so I guess it would be slightly less for bantams. An extra large dog crate would be 8ft square. Like this:

https://www.ruralking.com/catalog/product/view/id/137471

 

[PrettyChicky25]

I agree with you, you don't need to go looking for that person, especially since you haven't seen anyone searching for a chicken! What I'm saying is that there really isn't much to eat on a serama, nor does it lay much. Furthermore, a person that doesn't take the best care of their chickens and only wants them for food of eggs (nothing inherently wrong with that, but when you don't take care of your animals that becomes a problem) wouldn't even know the serama is a breed, and that's why I believe it's someone that did properly take care of their chickens. I'm glad you see her as family, but I want to make clear the fact that she doesn't think of you the same way. I'm ABSOLUTELY sure she loves your company (she wouldn't be cuddled up to you if she weren't) but chickens are not parrots, they were bred to be food sources and food producers (fortunately or unfortunately, depends on how each person views it) or garden decorations or both. For those reasons, most chickens and most chicken breeds (obviously there are exceptions) don't necessarily see their carers as family, but rather the friendly food provider and living perch! Anyways, at the end of the day you know your chicken best, but as I'm sure you already know from keeping parrots, you sometimes can't go against nature. Hope this works out for you!

I know what you are saying. I have a dove that I rescued from someone that threw him away in a cage, literally put his cage next to a dumpster in a housing complex. This dove coos all day, and I know he would like a mate. But the fact is that most doves on Petfinder (where I found him) stay there for a very long time. He is 16 years old, according to his leg band. He will be living out the rest of his life with us and just has to accept the fact that he's single. He has a stuffed animal which he treats like a mate but he asks me for hugs and lets me cuddle his face. (Personally I think he's living his best life!) Years ago, I bought my parrot another parrot of the same species and as soon as I took her out of the box I knew there was no love connection. I still have them and they tolerate each other. I tried! If for any reason I believe this chicken is unhappy, I will find her a new home. I'm careful but not cruel.

 

[FunClucks]

Yes! Me too! Haha little chicks are good for finding every spot.

I was looking at my hand and arm today - they managed to bloody freckles I didn't even realize I had! Long sleeves for me next time I do chick chores. Stinkers!