Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[fisherlady]

And besides, my hubby gets way to attached to our birds and spoils them rotten, if he got turkeys he would end up with them sitting in the living room watching the baseball games with him when I wasn't home!

 

[KJ6485]

I got my new lavender chick's this morning! Learninmyflock was kind enough to to help me get them from dheltzel and care for them for a few days until we met up. I went against my better judgement and instead of waiting for nightfall, just put them under my broody silkie, lucky for me she is now a happy mommy! This is super exciting since these chicks are a week old and already feathering in. She is no dummy , she seems to know they are now brand new since instead of sitting tight, she took them to the food and water. Momma hens are amazing!

 

[fangedknight]

So I managed to get the chicks outside of the henhouse into a makeshift run since the real one isn't built yet. Noticed that one of my hens has her inside toes twisted/deformed. They look pretty bad but she's not inhibited by them and it doesn't seem to bother her. Should I be worried? Or just keep an eye on her? She just doesn't like it when I pick her up.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

So I managed to get the chicks outside of the henhouse into a makeshift run since the real one isn't built yet. Noticed that one of my hens has her inside toes twisted/deformed. They look pretty bad but she's not inhibited by them and it doesn't seem to bother her. Should I be worried? Or just keep an eye on her? She just doesn't like it when I pick her up.

I had a speckled Sussex worth horribly twisted toes. She was 5 years old when I adopted her from a neighbor. She had never free reamed before but loved it when she moved here. She never had any issues with her feet besides needing her toenails trimmed every now and then. She's living somewhere else now but she's still doing great and going on 7 years old by now

 

[fangedknight]

I had a speckled Sussex worth horribly twisted toes. She was 5 years old when I adopted her from a neighbor. She had never free reamed before but loved it when she moved here. She never had any issues with her feet besides needing her toenails trimmed every now and then. She's living somewhere else now but she's still doing great and going on 7 years old by now

Okay that's a relief. Is this something rather common with chickens? Cause I haven't really heard of this before

 

[fisherlady]

So I managed to get the chicks outside of the henhouse into a makeshift run since the real one isn't built yet. Noticed that one of my hens has her inside toes twisted/deformed. They look pretty bad but she's not inhibited by them and it doesn't seem to bother her. Should I be worried? Or just keep an eye on her? She just doesn't like it when I pick her up.

I agree with Aurora....we have an older silkie hen with twisted toes, and they were like that when we got her 5 years ago and it doesn't phase her at all, we also trim her toenails once in a while for the toes that are twisted don't get their toenails worn down like her normal toes do. Watch that her toenails stay ok and that she doesn't get sores on the tops of the toes if they contact the ground funny.
We have a hen who had partial paralysis of her left leg from an injury, for many months her left foot had almost no muscle control and she often walked 'on her knuckles' since her toes were limp and would fold under, she didn't let it slow her down but we frequently cleaned that foot and coated it with triple antibiotic to treat small tears and sores on it. The leg has improved over the last few months and her limp is much reduced and she now holds her foot correctly most of the time but we still watch it for problems.

 

[fangedknight]

I agree with Aurora....we have an older silkie hen with twisted toes, and they were like that when we got her 5 years ago and it doesn't phase her at all, we also trim her toenails once in a while for the toes that are twisted don't get their toenails worn down like her normal toes do. Watch that her toenails stay ok and that she doesn't get sores on the tops of the toes if they contact the ground funny.
We have a hen who had partial paralysis of her left leg from an injury, for many months her left foot had almost no muscle control and she often walked 'on her knuckles' since her toes were limp and would fold under, she didn't let it slow her down but we frequently cleaned that foot and coated it with triple antibiotic to treat small tears and sores on it. The leg has improved over the last few months and her limp is much reduced and she now holds her foot correctly most of the time but we still watch it for problems.

From what it looked like it didnt seem to be severely twisted, but twisted enough to notice. I'll keep an eye on her toes and treat them accordingly.

Oh, does anyone know a recipe for dust baths? Or would it just be easier to get the stuff from the feed mill?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

From what it looked like it didnt seem to be severely twisted, but twisted enough to notice. I'll keep an eye on her toes and treat them accordingly.

Oh, does anyone know a recipe for dust baths? Or would it just be easier to get the stuff from the feed mill?

A pile of dirt works great lol. Mix in a little wood ash or DE if you want but my girls are happy to just dig up a pit in the dirt and go to town

 

[LadyBehir]

I'm a bad chicky mama. I don't do chick food. I did layer and whatever mama bird gave them. She had them out in the run at 3 days old scratching for bugs. Should I worry about them getting too much calcium? They also get cat food as a treat in the evening along with the big girls. I grind it up for them. They seem healthy enough. So do the two from last year that I did the same thing with.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I should have some turkey poults in a week or two from Porter's if you're interested in a few I had to order at least 15 (and promised to sell most of them lol)

We expect pics of the little ones!

And besides, my hubby gets way to attached to our birds and spoils them rotten, if he got turkeys he would end up with them sitting in the living room watching the baseball games with him when I wasn't home!

I fail to see the downside here....

So I managed to get the chicks outside of the henhouse into a makeshift run since the real one isn't built yet. Noticed that one of my hens has her inside toes twisted/deformed. They look pretty bad but she's not inhibited by them and it doesn't seem to bother her. Should I be worried? Or just keep an eye on her? She just doesn't like it when I pick her up.

She should be fine. I have a chicken that I got that has her two outer toes that twist backward. She walks fine and has no problems. She is name Curly because if her funny feet.

From what it looked like it didnt seem to be severely twisted, but twisted enough to notice. I'll keep an eye on her toes and treat them accordingly.

Oh, does anyone know a recipe for dust baths? Or would it just be easier to get the stuff from the feed mill?

Just find some nice red clay soil. They seem to prefer that around here. Usually something around the bottom of a bush, where it is shaded and nothing else is growing. I also add wood ashes.