people with house chickens

hmm, maybe I should get a bigger brick. I do notice they wipe their beaks on the floor, but it is just smooth plastic. I wonder if they don't realize it's not doing them any good.

Get a package of sheets of rough gravelly sand paper and use soft wide blue painter's tape to secure them in a couple places on the plastic so they occasionally get some roughage on their beak wiping or a large 12x12 inch paver stone block inside the pen might also work - that's if the birds never get to go outside for dust-baths and scratching around in the grass and weeds. The poop that gets on the paver stone can easily be hosed down outside, dried in the sun to freshen, and placed back inside their pen. No one ever said keeping house chickens was easy but it's just a different kind of pet maintenance from having dogs or cats.
 
Well, possibly if they range outside some beaks would be ok, since mine that are in my camper coop only need occasional toenail trims. My d'uccle roo stayed inside from mid last summer until late spring and he needed both beak and nails at least 3 times! If it starts curling around the bottom it impares eating. Idk on the brick thing, they use their beaks to dig and that wears it doen so wiping on a brick may or may not. Mine wipe to clean their beak after eating.
How long do you range yours every day sylvester? I have not used a dremmel. I use dog nail trimmers, and since mine are lap birds it is a quick snip for toenails. I just lay them on the side i need up, inspect that foot's nails to see where the blood vein ends, then stretch each toe out and make my snips
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always leave a little on the end and don't go to the vein, much like a human fingernail.

I have a Dremel but have not had to use it yet. I was thinking of getting an electric dog nail file when someone suggested a Dremel because it has smaller attachments and I have Silkies but like you I've just been using clippers - the long-handled kind as I've never liked using the small types. I keep a styptic pencil on hand but never have cut to the quick yet in 3 years. Silkies have such dark toenails it's hard to pinpoint the end of the veins. My DH helps to hold down the wiggly birds but I have one Silkie that lets me do anything to her and she stays mellow. She even drinks her meds without forcing her beak - she tilts her head and starts lapping the syringe or dropper - the taste of meds has never turned her off to drinking them willingly. I don't force any chicken's beak for meds and just put the dosage on the side of their beak until the annoying liquid gets lapped up by their tongue. A little might get shook off but the vet always prescribes more than the bird ever needs. He wanted to show me how to shove a syringe down a Silkie's throat and I showed him how I don't have to shove anything down her throat - she willingly laps up her doses - he was amused and amazed! If I put the dosage in the palm of my hand she willingly drinks it from my palm til every drop is gone - she's like a kid licking an ice cream bowl!
 
I am so so so so sorry! My heart aches for you and your family.
so very sorry gonzo. I know how I am when I lose my babies. I just lost four no five guinea keets not a day old to their parents...not sure what happened as I wasn't home, but knowing doesn't bring them baack. I have a small marked grave on my propertyup on the hilltop where I bury each baby. Every one was a life and every one was special. Myheart goes out to you for this. And sorry if I have misspellings, my laptop acs like it got coffeespilled so sorry.
 
Hello everyone!!!

Wow..... I've missed a lot since I was last on here. I'll have to go through and try to do a bit of catching up. How has everyone been, and how are all of your house chickens? I've had a busy summer, so I havent been able to come on as much as I would like to. I can't even remember the last time I came on to give everyone a good Sunni update. Haha!

Sunni is doing great though. She is loving the hot summer weather. The heat doesnt even seem to phase her. We have an enclosed porch on the side of our house, and she loves to spend hours out there every day. Taking "dust baths", lounging in the sun, and just cruising around the room.

She is still a little stinker, and gets into all kinds of mischief. But she's a joy to have in the house.

Here are some pictures that I have taken of her recently.
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Her favorite dog bed. She loves that thing.
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She's still rocking her diaper from hensaver.
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They work perfect for her. Im looking into getting her another one (maybe two) here pretty soon. To give her some color variety. The last three pictures I took as I was chasing her through the house trying to put her diaper on her. She likes to sneak out of the bathroom and run away whenever I take her diaper off to clean it out. She loves her diaper, and actually gets worked up if she's out for a while and doesnt have it on. But she still loves to play a good game of chase with me once in a while.

Another example of how much of a stinker she is:

The other day I brought her into the bathroom to clean out her diaper, and as soon as I got it off of her, she jumped onto my lap (I was sitting indian style on the floor), ducked under my arm and jumped down, ran across the bathroom, and out into the hallway. As soon as she set foot on the rug in the hallway, she pooped on the rug!! And then she did her little chatter that I swear sounds like she's laughing at me, and then she continued to run into the living room. It was one of times where you just have to shake your head and laugh.
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This little one sure does keep me busy. But I love her to death.
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Mschickenmama...your girl is adorable! Totally laughing because I was just looking at a dog bed for our girl Peep! She loves to sit on the end of our couch with her little hinny hanging off the end so we thought she might like a nice, soft dog bed. Do you know if the place you got your diapers has them for Bantams? I have not gotten her any yet, which isn't too much of a problem because we have wood and tile flooring, but thinking about it.
 
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These 2 just can't help themselves! They LIVE to taunt our dog Charlie! I will let them roam the WHOLE house but they always make a beeline to stand right in front of her cage! She got a mouthful of little Mo one time but he has seemed to forgotten all about that. Geesh!
 

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