NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

Well it made me stop and think about my BM roos and his bloody foot. Their coop has an area right in front where water runs through. Not quite a pool of course but gets some water. With the warm weather and then the cold he might have to a bite. I usually put straw there and haven't but will tomorrow. They are out walking around in the snow like they were snow shoes rabbits. If the snows not to deep they just walk in it. Crazy birds!

Anyhow I have a bale of hay in the garage so I'll put some in front of both half hoops tomorrow. I've been wanting to move the BM hoop back into the woods about 4 or 5 feet so I can put a bigger over hang on it. I just need to figure out how to do it without killing my self.

You can see in this picture where I had put straw down for them. I sprayed his foot with Blue Kote tonight. I have BM eggs in the bator and will be hatching alot of them this year. Then culling in the fall. They're super layers. I had one egg that was very dark. I don't know who is laying it but it must be one of the new hens.

 

[Gramma Chick]

I keep track of mine to ever since they started to lay last summer. I also keep track of how long things last me. It is cool to see each month how may eggs they have laid.

If I remember I just put on the calendar the number of total eggs laid ..each day

 

[Gramma Chick]

Well a chicken died in my arms today ...She was a older comet ...that I was given as a rescue . I think she was at least 3 years old .
I went out to the coop to get eggs ..she was kind of huddled next to the water .
I picked her up ..cradling her in my arm .. she was limp ..I thought she was dead at 1st ...
Checked her responses ..opened her eye ...she focused on me ..pushed on the legs ..she pushed back some
as I brought her inside I noticed there was fluid in her abdominal spaces.
She died shortly after that . I think she may have had heart failure .
I processed her ..the fluid in her abdomen was clear & smelled like chicken broth .
I tried a new way ...instead of dunking in boiling water & plucking feathers ..I just skinned her .Most of the feathers stayed right on the skin
She had a good life here ..Her name was Butter

 

[Glasshen]

Gramma, sorry for your loss. I am sure you made her last moments better for her.
I have a BO named Butter, and one named Honey. Those two have begun pecking me. They used to seem so meek and demur, but they have started pecking my trousers sometimes, and yesterday Honey pecked my hand a couple of times and I still have the marks! Stewie, my original rebel girl has been on her best behavior, no pecking of denim.

 

[rancher hicks]

Gramma - I am sorry for your loss.

I'm sure she was as happy with you as you were with her.

I know it's hard. Every time I have a problem with my birds I want to scrap the whole lot. Still I know I do my best and they have a good life here.

I've got two young roos right now that come and stand by me, since I've added them to the coop. It's too bad they are roos and have to go. I've considered keeping the Black and Red EE, but I can't keep his mate.

 

[Lynzi777]

Gramma - sorry for the loss of your hen. You have her the best the life you could tho. Hugs

 

[Lynzi777]

They're here!!! All 11 accounted for, no extras. They made it thru the 14 degree weather!!

They're tiny. I didn't expect the ones I have now to be that much bigger than them. Owell, they'll be extra warmth!

 

[Xovan]

Gramma I feel your pain. We lost our first two weeks ago. That is bad enough but it was a Saturday morning and my girls 11 & 9 like to feed them and get the eggs when they are off from school. I could hear the crying from in the house. It broke my heart. I have no idea what happened. She was frozen solid and had no external signs. I did not have the heart to thaw and process her with the girls home so it will remain a mystery. Thanks for listening I don't like to bring things down but for some reason it feels right now.

 

[AQHAchick22]

Quote:
I brought him into the shed in a crate. I'm pretty sure he is going to lose his toes unfortunately...I put some antibiotic cream on his toes and lightly wrapped them. I'm not too worried about him not breeding I would rather have my welsummer roo and BO roo be the breeders anyway.

 

[AQHAchick22]

So sorry for your loss Gramma...at least she died in the warmth of your arms and not huddled in the coop.