NY chicken lover!!!!

[marquisella]

I am really new to the chicken raising. I seem to read so much info. and still feel clueless! My 12 are approx. 17 weeks old. I have 10 Hens and 2 Roos. 1 Hen just started laying. We were surprised because we had anticipated it in August. I go out to the coop early morning to spend time, do the chores and observe their behavior. I noticed this morning that the more docile of the 2 Roos has bent toes (not sure what they're called) but its the index one on each side that bends outward. I had noticed it only on one side and thought it was a birth defect. What can that be and why did it happen to both sides?
I haven't seen the Roos being aggressive towards each other at all. The main Roo does go around biting the girls though! Two questions: should we cull the one with the toe issues? And is it normal for the Roo to bite and chase the girls? No matter what color they are.

Bent toes don't affect a chickens daily life, but, if you have pure breeds and want to breed them correctly, then, they are an issue. No one knows exactly why they have bent toes, it can be: hereditary, problem with incubation, or lack of good nutrition of the hen or chick itself when growing.

But breeders, just don't use any chicken with bent toes just in case it is hereditary. We have so many to choose from eventually, that it usually something we cull out.
Sue

 

[Breella]

I'm not completely sure.  He may be an  EE cross. Crossed to my BM roo.  I only hatched the Green/blue EE eggs  or Dels.  

Whatever he is, he is nasty. He bit me this morning. Little chit latched on and wouldn't let go!

Lynzi, what color are Duncan's eyes? I noticed today that The little one from Duncan and Pearl has normal eyes, not black eyes. I don't plan on starting any breeding projects but am just curious.

Also, not sure if I posted but Frenchie, the chicken with the wounded shoulders has still not laid an egg. Should I be concerned or is it normal when a hen is recovering from such traumatic injury? Her cartilage is almost fully covered one side and makin progress covering it on the other side. I started supplemeting her normal feed with cottage cheese to help raise her protien levels while she heals. She is still in a crate so I don't have to worry about the other chickens pecking her wounds and re opening them.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

I woke up to the cake I made last night destroyed. It was on the cooling rack wrapped waiting to be frosted today. The cat jumped on it and super moist cake just isn't made to hold up to stomping. It was for my aunts surprise birthday party today. So DH went to the gas station and picked up a mix for me this morning. That's what I've been working on.

DH is out cleaning the small pens. We're sending some birds to auction tomorrow morning. He showed up at the auction place last weekend only to realize he miscalculated what day the auction was. Oops

 

[rancher hicks]

Whatever he is, he is nasty. He bit me this morning. Little chit latched on and wouldn't let go!

Lynzi, what color are Duncan's eyes? I noticed today that The little one from Duncan and Pearl has normal eyes, not black eyes. I don't plan on starting any breeding projects but am just curious.

Also, not sure if I posted but Frenchie, the chicken with the wounded shoulders has still not laid an egg. Should I be concerned or is it normal when a hen is recovering from such traumatic injury? Her cartilage is almost fully covered one side and makin progress covering it on the other side. I started supplemeting her normal feed with cottage cheese to help raise her protien levels while she heals. She is still in a crate so I don't have to worry about the other chickens pecking her wounds and re opening them.

That would be the EE part. I have to collect newly laid eggs under the broodies and wear a glove to do so. They bite hard and in one case bit the glove and wouldn't let go even after I took my hand out of the glove. She just sat there with the glove in her mouth.

 

[Cass]

WOW. Lots of new folks. Welcome to all. Lots of good folks here with lots of advice. Take the advice that rings true to you and leave the rest for others to use. (that's the best advice I have, but it's still early )

Bent toes? Hmmm....Personally I like a little bent in my life, so it's really up to each individual to determine if being bent works for them or not. However, I'm with Sue, I wouldn't use them for breeding of pure bred chicks, just in case it was genetic. If you are just making chicks for your own flock then worry not and enjoy the little fellow.

Biting roos? Hmmm again. How is he biting the hens? Is he young and trying to mate with them, grabbing their wing or head trying to get a grip to mount them? (and they aren't cooperating, so it comes off as biting, not mating?) Or is he just mean and walking around biting any hen he finds offends him? Mean roos make the best stew (or pot pie or soup or crock pot dinner) I never keep a mean roo cuz once those spurs grow they can do a LOT of damage to anything they choose to attack, humans included.

Possibility of chicks being pure bred Ameruacanas? Slim. More likely Easter Eggers, but you never know. Personally I think that Ameruacanas are on the lower end of the chicken intelligence scale. I have several pure bred ones that I paid big bucks for and they are dumber than a box of rocks. One of them squished not one but TWO of her chicks, several days after they hatched, cuz she wasn't smart enough to figure out wiggling under her butt was a live chick. Just this morning I had a hen in the nest box and TWO of my Ameruacanas piled in to lay their egg right on top of her. Dumb birds. I am so over blue eggs, now I want dark brown Marans eggs.

 

[Breella]

Biting roos?  Hmmm again.   How is he biting the hens?   Is he young and trying to mate with them, grabbing their wing or head trying to get a grip to mount them? (and they aren't cooperating, so it comes off as biting, not mating?)   Or is he just mean and walking around biting any hen he finds offends him?  Mean roos make the best stew (or pot pie or soup or crock pot dinner)   I never keep a mean roo cuz once those spurs grow they can do a LOT of damage to anything they choose to attack, humans included.

My biting Roo is just 5 weeks old. Only bites me, not his buddy chicken. As for the hen I think was bitten the injuries were old but being out in a flock it appears that other chickens were pecking at her wings and causing further injury. I have her somewhere that they can all still see her but they can't pick on her. Once she is healed she will join the flock, or Maybe she will be the first resident of my tractor project.

 

[rancher hicks]

WOW. Lots of new folks. Welcome to all. Lots of good folks here with lots of advice. Take the advice that rings true to you and leave the rest for others to use. (that's the best advice I have, but it's still early )

Bent toes? Hmmm....Personally I like a little bent in my life, so it's really up to each individual to determine if being bent works for them or not. However, I'm with Sue, I wouldn't use them for breeding of pure bred chicks, just in case it was genetic. If you are just making chicks for your own flock then worry not and enjoy the little fellow.

Biting roos? Hmmm again. How is he biting the hens? Is he young and trying to mate with them, grabbing their wing or head trying to get a grip to mount them? (and they aren't cooperating, so it comes off as biting, not mating?) Or is he just mean and walking around biting any hen he finds offends him? Mean roos make the best stew (or pot pie or soup or crock pot dinner) I never keep a mean roo cuz once those spurs grow they can do a LOT of damage to anything they choose to attack, humans included.

Possibility of chicks being pure bred Ameruacanas? Slim. More likely Easter Eggers, but you never know. Personally I think that Ameruacanas are on the lower end of the chicken intelligence scale. I have several pure bred ones that I paid big bucks for and they are dumber than a box of rocks. One of them squished not one but TWO of her chicks, several days after they hatched, cuz she wasn't smart enough to figure out wiggling under her butt was a live chick. Just this morning I had a hen in the nest box and TWO of my Ameruacanas piled in to lay their egg right on top of her. Dumb birds. I am so over blue eggs, now I want dark brown Marans eggs.

Unfortunately my BM roo and CR roo both have crooked toes but they're all I've got to work with, but I do agree. If it's a table bird and eggs you're going for the feet don't matter much.

I will however cull for this as uncrooked toed birds are hatched. Not sure of the genetics part of this system though.

I suppose the Ameraucan issue depends on who you deal with. I personally am not all that big to keep them as I can get a decent blue egg from my EE's. I do keep my Amer. Roo as the only father in the flock. Got him as chick from Chickenstalker and I trust her.

Should I need to replace him I will do so with any other color roo, but cross him to other EE's of my breeding. It's the egg color variety that I'm shooting for.

 

[Cass]

My ducklings are doing wonderful. But, Man, are they slow to feather out. They are 4 weeks old today and are just getting shoulder and tail feathers.

Here's my question. Are these ducklings going to be able to fly away? Or will they stay with they flock they are raised with? I would hate to have to pen them up all the time while the chickens free range, but I don't want to lose them the way I did my Mallards. This crew is/are Muscovies.. (And spell checker does NOT like that word, at all)


Rancher, you crack me up.

Stony, your camper is looking WONDERFUL. When you go to sell it (after you make what you really want) be sure to let us know, cuz I think a bunch of us want it. You might have a bidding war on your hands.

 

[Lynzi777]

Whatever he is, he is nasty. He bit me this morning. Little chit latched on and wouldn't let go!

Lynzi, what color are Duncan's eyes? I noticed today that The little one from Duncan and Pearl has normal eyes, not black eyes. I don't plan on starting any breeding projects but am just curious.

Also, not sure if I posted but Frenchie, the chicken with the wounded shoulders has still not laid an egg. Should I be concerned or is it normal when a hen is recovering from such traumatic injury? Her cartilage is almost fully covered one side and makin progress covering it on the other side. I started supplemeting her normal feed with cottage cheese to help raise her protien levels while she heals. She is still in a crate so I don't have to worry about the other chickens pecking her wounds and re opening them.

Duncan has what I believe are brown eyes. I do know when I've looked at him up close his eye looks more like a brown eye with a black dot in the middle than just a black eye. Now that you say that I'd have to look at all my silkies eyes...

Remember with that BR I gave you I told how I think she was broody or was on the verge of being broody? So she may not lay for a little bit. ALL of my birds are coming off being broody. I keep throwing them out of the nestbox and they're finally staying out of it. Frenchie was in there the day before I brought her to you. So I'm hoping with this all action of rehoming and you keeping her by herself we broke her of that and she'll start laying soon for you. But both her and my other BR were laying eggs up until I brought them to you. I'm not getting a single egg from anyone at this moment.

 

[Lynzi777]

My ducklings are doing wonderful.  But, Man, are they slow to feather out.  They are 4 weeks old today and are just getting shoulder and tail feathers.  

Here's my question.  Are these ducklings going to be able to fly away?  Or will they stay with they flock they are raised with?   I would hate to have to pen them up all the time while the chickens free range, but I don't want to lose them the way I did my Mallards.  This crew is/are Muscovies..  (And spell checker does NOT like that word, at all)

I was told when you get domesticated ducks they will NOT fly away because they can't. Now breeds may vary, I have Khaki Cambells and they get maybe a foot off the ground when they try to fly. But I was told they are fattier than wild ducks because they are domesticated, making it difficult for them to just up and fly away. Mine free range all day every day and have never left the yard.