NY chicken lover!!!!

[miquwid]

Sally - My ideas exactly - hellos to all new peeps, and so sorry - as we all feel it for all losses

Pyxis - I wish you had seen my big coop before it caught fire.   Dirt floor - I would put sawdust down to start ... now mine would go out each morning and in each night unless I was going to be away - then they stayed in - so keep that usage in mind ... I would add new sawdust once a month.   Just rake the bottom to "fluff" it up and add new.   Then I cleaned it out ONCE a year in late spring.   Late spring because this kind of deep litter actually provides a small amount of heat in the winter.    Very low maintenance and the hens were all very happy with it.

Agreed! I've been using straw bit have been letting it build up to put my green house there. I made my hoop coops movable, so by fall I will have moved the coops to a better spot for that winter sun and then my greenhouse goes up.

Rancher they are nice looking!

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Okay folks--need some advice. This is my hen Gladys whose comb has been ripped down to her beak. Dh thinks Bill did it when he was trying to mate with her (although he didnt actually see it happen). I have her in a cage inside and have been treating it with veterimycin and neosporin. The comb has stopped bleeding now and is turning black on the sides. Should I just let it dry up and then remove it? I dont want to try it now because there seems to be some blood flow still evident. She is eating some and drinking and wants out and is annoyed that this thing is hanging in front of her face. I notice that Bill grabs the top of the hens heads to hold on while he is trying to mate with them. None of the other hens show any injury and he is still getting the hang of it. For now, he is being left in the run while the girls are out freeranging. I dont want to cull him as he shows potential as a great rooster. Dh would like to do him in now. Anyone else ever have this happen?

 

[Glasshen]

Poor Gladys. I have no experience in this, but to me, that comb is never going to be right, so I would snip it off, apply antibiotic of some sort and let her get on with healing. The way it is hanging in her face, it will get in her way to eat and drag in food and on the ground, just an invitation for infection. Maybe he will leave her alone if he can't balance...
Blue Cote, or triple antibiotic without pain meds...

 

[stonykill]

Okay folks--need some advice. This is my hen Gladys whose comb has been ripped down to her beak. Dh thinks Bill did it when he was trying to mate with her (although he didnt actually see it happen). I have her in a cage inside and have been treating it with veterimycin and neosporin. The comb has stopped bleeding now and is turning black on the sides. Should I just let it dry up and then remove it? I dont want to try it now because there seems to be some blood flow still evident. She is eating some and drinking and wants out and is annoyed that this thing is hanging in front of her face. I notice that Bill grabs the top of the hens heads to hold on while he is trying to mate with them. None of the other hens show any injury and he is still getting the hang of it. For now, he is being left in the run while the girls are out freeranging. I dont want to cull him as he shows potential as a great rooster. Dh would like to do him in now. Anyone else ever have this happen?

my BO who raised ducklings was "scalped" by a rooster this spring before she went broody. I washed the wound and applied NUSTOCK. Her wound healed fine. But that wasn't the comb. But here is what I had happen to a few roosters who ripped their combs to shreds. I again cleaned the wound and applied NUSTOCK. I all 3 of my cases the comb turned black and fell off. Just like if the comb had gotten frost bitten. 2 of the 3 roosters are still alive years later. The 3rd I butchered yesterday as he was an idiot.

 

[armorfirelady]

Sorry about Powder Puff, Breella She was very pretty.

A question for you all with dirt floor coops - how does it work? What do you use for bedding with the dirt floor? I'm trying to determine what direction I want to go with this new coop.

My hoop coop is on dirt. And I added grass clippings and a little bit of shavings. I haven't added anything all summer and its nice and dry. The poop breaks down quick. What I use for my deep litter is shavings, dry grass clippings, leaves, pine needles, weeds..........whatever I find for my favorite price ....free I clean it out once a year in the spring into te veggie garden before I rototill. I dry out the grass clipping and leaves and bag them so I can use them all winter.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Juanita-- If there only a few small rust spots in the pot I would scrub them and use it. If the whole inside is rusty I would replace it. Ace hardware carries them. The rack I would scrub and use.

I have free roosters:
8 week old and off lights: cuckoo frizzle OE, BLRW (blue or black), white OE, black orp, splash orp,

3 or 4 month old: Delaware, cochin buff brahma bantam cross, and splash orp

For Sale:
I have a 8 wk old a straight comb OE pullet, 3 or 4 month old splash BLRW pullet (not 100% sure on sex),3 or 4 month old del pullet, and a couple 1 1/2yr old BLRW hens

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

I wish that I had more room for more chickens! You all have some great ones that you are trying to re-home! I think that next year the Hubby will have to help me make another coop. He isn't really happy about the thought of getting any more chickens. He says that I have to start to find a way to get rid of the eggs that I have..I'm working on it. I wanted to start a bantam coop next year and would love to have a few more big gals. I would like to get some other breeds. In the mean time I love the girls that I have.

 

[Lynzi777]

A question for you all with dirt floor coops - how does it work? What do you use for bedding with the dirt floor? I'm trying to determine what direction I want to go with this new coop.

I don't have a dirt floor coop, but the run that is underneath the coop (where the silkies have been sleeping at night for some reason) is dirt. When I move that coop I always move it to grass, then it eventually turns to dirt. When that happens I throw pine shavings in there so they're feet don't get so dirty. From then on I use the "deep litter" method for a while and just keep throwing more shavings in there from time to time. I'll clean it out once completely before winter. However once the colder months I really want to get that coop off the ground.

 

[featherz]

I may have a mess of chicks soon to rehome if anyone's looking - have three broodies who have been hiding little nests of eggs from me and I do NOT need any more chickens. I'll let everyone know what comes out when they hatch.

Oh, and one little EE rooster, but he's too young to go out yet.

Today is my 20th wedding anniversary - married 20 years ago at the drive up wedding window in Vegas - don't let anyone tell you that you must have a big expensive wedding to make it work!! =)

 

[Lynzi777]

Well, it's the last day of summer vacation for my son. Looks like it's going to be another crummy day today. No rain, but very dark and gray outside. At least it feels like jeans and hoodie weather an no longer hot and humid out! Maybe a little humid. I placed an ad for my splash silkie cockerels, no bites yet. I'll be rehoming the blue chick with 4 toes as well since this newer chick that hatched out has the correct number of toes. Anyone know of anyone looking for silkie chicks let me know. Got my angora rabbit last night! I love this thing. It's huge compared to the other breed I have. I'll have to post pictures later. He looks like an old wise sorcerer rabbit from a cartoon or something. LOL


Pharm - So sorry about Gladys! I agree with Glass, by the looks of it, I'm sure is pretty annoyed with what's left of her comb hanging in her face. I would get rid of what you can and let it begin to heal. Poor girl.