Normal Feet or Scaly Leg Mites? Please help!

[fluffycrow]

Commercial chicken feed is optimal for a laying hen, minimum 16% protein if you feed no treats, recommend 20% protein feed if you feed treats. You can feed a laying hen diet (which already has needed calcium in the formula) or all-flock diet with calcium (oyster shell) in a separate container. Either way, make sure there's a container of grit available free choice for her if she eats anything besides commercial feed (scratch, treats, bedding, etc.). My personal favorite is Purina Flockraiser (all-flock), but there are many other good options. You can re-feed her her own egg shells and eggs, either cooked or raw - it's very nutritious for them. Sometimes I bake my shells to dry them out for better storage, sometimes not. I make sure to crumble the shells, as I don't want my chickens to start eating their own eggs. A fake egg or a golf ball in the nest box can encourage them to lay their eggs there.

If you cuddle your hen by your face at all, please wear wrap-around safety glasses that chickens can't get around or past. Some chickens will randomly peck you in the eye. You may never think it will happen to you, or that you can avoid it, and your hen will never show any signs, but then they take you by surprise. Wouldn't want you to be injured. It does happen.

Your hen will need a rock of some kind (e.g. cinderblock) to sharpen/wear down her beak on, or it may over grow. They trim their own beaks a little each day as they grow out. Toe nails may need clipping if she doesn't wear them down on their own. If you set the waterer or feeder up on a cinderblock so she can eat at head height and keep the shavings out of the food/water, this solves both issues.

Stuff folks commonly use as chicken bedding. The first product, if you add some small amount of water, turns into sawdust, then is easy to scoop the poops out of. Hopefully I've linked the correct product for you. Other stores may have better prices. If you can avoid putting her on wire, that would be more natural for her - they love to scratch the ground to find food. If you use a solid floor and bedding, you can broadcast Scratch grains or pelleted food and let her go crazy picking them out of the bedding. It's hilarious to watch and one of the favorite things chickens do. If you do end up with wire at least one person has had good luck with 1/2"x1" wire. (1/2"x1/2" is generally too small for the poops to fall through, and larger, their feet fall through).

Good luck and happy chickening!

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb?cm_vc=-10005

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ium-pine-shavings-covers-8-cu-ft?cm_vc=-10005

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...um-pine-shavings-covers-55-cu-ft?cm_vc=-10005

This is excellent information! Hope you enjoy her, she's gorgeous! And yes, please be careful with your eyes, it has happened to me before

 

[PrettyChicky25]

Parrots are known for their complex social structures, very different from chickens though (and thankfully IMO


)! Just as another question, serams, or bantams and bantams in general are known to go broody quite often. How would you deal with her going broody?

I will have to read more about this to find out what to do. I know hens can get a little aggressive around eggs which is understandable. Any advice you have would be most appreciated.

 

[PrettyChicky25]

Commercial chicken feed is optimal for a laying hen, minimum 16% protein if you feed no treats, recommend 20% protein feed if you feed treats. You can feed a laying hen diet (which already has needed calcium in the formula) or all-flock diet with calcium (oyster shell) in a separate container. Either way, make sure there's a container of grit available free choice for her if she eats anything besides commercial feed (scratch, treats, bedding, etc.). My personal favorite is Purina Flockraiser (all-flock), but there are many other good options. You can re-feed her her own egg shells and eggs, either cooked or raw - it's very nutritious for them. Sometimes I bake my shells to dry them out for better storage, sometimes not. I make sure to crumble the shells, as I don't want my chickens to start eating their own eggs. A fake egg or a golf ball in the nest box can encourage them to lay their eggs there.

If you cuddle your hen by your face at all, please wear wrap-around safety glasses that chickens can't get around or past. Some chickens will randomly peck you in the eye. You may never think it will happen to you, or that you can avoid it, and your hen will never show any signs, but then they take you by surprise. Wouldn't want you to be injured. It does happen.

Your hen will need a rock of some kind (e.g. cinderblock) to sharpen/wear down her beak on, or it may over grow. They trim their own beaks a little each day as they grow out. Toe nails may need clipping if she doesn't wear them down on their own. If you set the waterer or feeder up on a cinderblock so she can eat at head height and keep the shavings out of the food/water, this solves both issues.

Stuff folks commonly use as chicken bedding. The first product, if you add some small amount of water, turns into sawdust, then is easy to scoop the poops out of. Hopefully I've linked the correct product for you. Other stores may have better prices. If you can avoid putting her on wire, that would be more natural for her - they love to scratch the ground to find food. If you use a solid floor and bedding, you can broadcast Scratch grains or pelleted food and let her go crazy picking them out of the bedding. It's hilarious to watch and one of the favorite things chickens do. If you do end up with wire at least one person has had good luck with 1/2"x1" wire. (1/2"x1/2" is generally too small for the poops to fall through, and larger, their feet fall through).

Good luck and happy chickening!

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb?cm_vc=-10005

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ium-pine-shavings-covers-8-cu-ft?cm_vc=-10005

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...um-pine-shavings-covers-55-cu-ft?cm_vc=-10005

Thank you for all of this info! I was thinking of trying to build a cage with a bottom similar to a parrot cage but with small enough bar spacing where the chicken's feet wouldn't have a problem walking on the grate. Also, I have no problem clipping her nails as they grow out but will get her a cinderblock too. As for getting pecked in the eye, been there done that. A rescue dove I had years ago gave me a corneal abrasion and I had to drive to the ER at 3:00am because I was in so much pain. I know chickens seem to be peckers so I will be careful! Birds are rascals...

 

[fluffycrow]

I haven't had the best success with broodies unfortunately, so I'm not the best person to ask for this, but I can definitely give you some advice! First of all you need to know what a broody is, and when do hens typically start to go broody. As light hours increase during spring time, hens start to lay again. They find a safe space where they lay each egg. When they have reached a certain amount of eggs in the nest, usually between 6 and 8 or 12, their body tells them it's time to bring more chickens into the world. They will spend more and more time on the nest, and their temperature will also rise. They will stay like this for approximately twenty one days, only leaving for short breaks for pooping, drinking and eating. Its important to keep in mind, brooding takes a toll on a chickens body. Now, you can either encourage or discourage broodyness. If you dont want a broody, the best method for breaking her is putting her in a dog crate, where air can pass all around her. Before she even goes broody, you can take the eggs daily, but that's not a guarantee it'll work. If you want to encourage it, leave the eggs there, and keep her nest darker. Hope this helps!

 

[FunClucks]

Thank you for all of this info! I was thinking of trying to build a cage with a bottom similar to a parrot cage but with small enough bar spacing where the chicken's feet wouldn't have a problem walking on the grate. Also, I have no problem clipping her nails as they grow out but will get her a cinderblock too. As for getting pecked in the eye, been there done that. A rescue dove I had years ago gave me a corneal abrasion and I had to drive to the ER at 3:00am because I was in so much pain. I know chickens seem to be peckers so I will be careful! Birds are rascals...

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!

 

[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!

 

[PrettyChicky25]

I haven't had the best success with bloodiest unfortunately, so I'm not the best person to ask for this, but I can definitely give you some advice! First of all you need to know what a broody is, and when do hens typically start to go broody. As light hours increase during spring time, hens start to lay again. They find a safe space where they lay each egg. When they have reached a certain amount of eggs in the nest, usually between 6 and 8 or 12, their body tells them it's time to bring more chickens into the world. They will spend more and more time on the nest, and their temperature will also rise. They will stay like this for approximately twenty one days, only leaving for short breaks for pooping, drinking and eating. Its important to keep in mind, brooding takes a toll on a chickens body. Now, you can either encourage or discourage broodyness. If you dont want a broody, the best method for breaking her is putting her in a dog crate, where air can pass all around her. Before she even goes broody, you can take the eggs daily, but that's not a guarantee it'll work. If you want to encourage it, leave the eggs there, and keep her nest darker. Hope this helps!

Yes, thanks for the reminder! I used to have a dove years ago who started laying eggs when I put her to sleep past 8pm. I started putting all my birds to bed earlier and she stopped laying. I had to be careful because I didn't want her body to use up all her calcium which I know would be a factor with having an indoor chicken as well. I take all of my bird outside in the spring-fall but can't in the winter. I will try to keep the chicken in a not-broody state as much as possible for her own well-being, but will research this a lot.

 

[fluffycrow]

Just one thing, unlike a dove, you can't make a chicken not lay eggs. And yes, it is possible she might need calcium supplementation in the near future, although I like to provide it no matter the situation. Then again, you and I have very very different setups. Although I will say, letting her hatch eggs, as long as it's monitored, is not overly stressful on her body, so if she goes broody it would be your call to break her or bot, you'll see, since you don't have a male, her eggs won't hatch though. Good luck, and I definitely wouldn't mind getting update pictures here and there

 

[FunClucks]

Yes, thanks for the reminder! I used to have a dove years ago who started laying eggs when I put her to sleep past 8pm. I started putting all my birds to bed earlier and she stopped laying. I had to be careful because I didn't want her body to use up all her calcium which I know would be a factor with having an indoor chicken as well. I take all of my bird outside in the spring-fall but can't in the winter. I will try to keep the chicken in a not-broody state as much as possible for her own well-being, but will research this a lot.

Just be sure to provide free-choice oyster shell in a small container she can eat it whenever she wants. That way her body will never run out of calcium (unless she has a genetic issue absorbing it, which is not common). The commercial chicken Layer feed also has enough calcium to support egg production. No need to stop her from laying.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[SmiYa0126]

She may attack you out of nowhere trying to establish dominance. I had a guinea do that, and also had chickens rip off my scabs and tried to rip my moles off. Also be careful with her eating jewelry or anything metal or generally inedible. One of mine almost ripped a button off my shirt.