Poultry Breeds of Spanish Ancestry

[ronott1]

I'm kind of bummed! My bantam cockerel that hurt his leg has taken a turn for the worst. He was hobbling, now how won't even put his foot down... very disappointing!

that is sad!


I hope he gets better.

 

[Lacy Blues]

He was getting better and then today he can hardly use it. I'm thinking I probably ought to cull him... I don't know. Have you managed to get a bird to improve after a leg injury?

 

[gjensen]

Lacy, of course it depends on what is wrong.

I have a cock bird that had a leg injury, and I did not think that he was going to be ok, but he incrementally got better with time. I am glad that I did not cull him, because he is important to me. I gave him some time, but I would not have let it go but so far.

When you cannot identify what is wrong specifically, it is hard to make that call.

I would be tempted to house him separately with no roost and monitor him. Maybe you can take a second look and see what the problem is.

Good luck.

 

[ronott1]

He was getting better and then today he can hardly use it. I'm thinking I probably ought to cull him... I don't know. Have you managed to get a bird to improve after a leg injury?

Lacy, of course it depends on what is wrong.

I have a cock bird that had a leg injury, and I did not think that he was going to be ok, but he incrementally got better with time. I am glad that I did not cull him, because he is important to me. I gave him some time, but I would not have let it go but so far.

When you cannot identify what is wrong specifically, it is hard to make that call.

I would be tempted to house him separately with no roost and monitor him. Maybe you can take a second look and see what the problem is.

Good luck.

This is great advice!

I have had them limp and the get better. Happy Chooks had one break the bone and that was the end of him. She posted a picture and his leg was bloody bad.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thank you for the advice.

I had taken another look a little while ago. I think what happened originally, is that he was trying to fight with another cock through the wire fencing on his pen (he had just gotten to be about 5 months and was getting to be full of himself). As I can afford it, I will be removing wire below 36" and using fence boards instead. This is the second one that this has happened to. The first one was part of my yard bird flock so not super important but still the one I had chosen to be over the flock.

Anyway, I had bandaged his hock joint before with vetwrap but the stuff did not stay as it sticks to nothing but itself. So, I had removed that bandage and put a new one on and then put sticky tape on the top and bottom of the bandage. Well, about a week or so ago it slipped down too and I didn't see that it was bothering him so I didn't get around to it until today when he started limping really bad and holding the foot up. The tape that was at the top was still there and apparently it had been rubbing and rubbed the skin off of the front of his hock joint. UGH!!!!!

Anyway, I cleaned it up with peroxide and then iodine and I put a "bandaid" on it with lots of antibiotic ointment on there and put him in a small cage where I could get to him easily and no perch.

Then I came in just now and read your messages and it's nice to know I did what you suggest!

So, I checked his bandage before I came in as I was out there for a while doing some other stuff and the stupid thing is already coming off! I really hate bandaids! They're supposed to stick! I get the fabric, sports bandage that is supposed to stay on even if you sweat and they just don't! They make me mad! So, I'm going to have to go and get him again here in a minute or two and replace the bandage.

By the way, does anybody know if there is any such thing as a mouse-proof chick feeder? I have plans on how to make one for the adults which I will do once I get my barn remodeled. But for chicks, I have no idea.

 

[gjensen]

Thank you for the advice.

I had taken another look a little while ago. I think what happened originally, is that he was trying to fight with another cock through the wire fencing on his pen (he had just gotten to be about 5 months and was getting to be full of himself). As I can afford it, I will be removing wire below 36" and using fence boards instead. This is the second one that this has happened to. The first one was part of my yard bird flock so not super important but still the one I had chosen to be over the flock.

Anyway, I had bandaged his hock joint before with vetwrap but the stuff did not stay as it sticks to nothing but itself. So, I had removed that bandage and put a new one on and then put sticky tape on the top and bottom of the bandage. Well, about a week or so ago it slipped down too and I didn't see that it was bothering him so I didn't get around to it until today when he started limping really bad and holding the foot up. The tape that was at the top was still there and apparently it had been rubbing and rubbed the skin off of the front of his hock joint. UGH!!!!!

Anyway, I cleaned it up with peroxide and then iodine and I put a "bandaid" on it with lots of antibiotic ointment on there and put him in a small cage where I could get to him easily and no perch.

Then I came in just now and read your messages and it's nice to know I did what you suggest!

So, I checked his bandage before I came in as I was out there for a while doing some other stuff and the stupid thing is already coming off! I really hate bandaids! They're supposed to stick! I get the fabric, sports bandage that is supposed to stay on even if you sweat and they just don't! They make me mad! So, I'm going to have to go and get him again here in a minute or two and replace the bandage.

By the way, does anybody know if there is any such thing as a mouse-proof chick feeder? I have plans on how to make one for the adults which I will do once I get my barn remodeled. But for chicks, I have no idea.

I need to find a better way to feed older chicks. I waste too much feed.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Well, my hen that was supposed to pull me out of the feather condition ditch, might not be capable of doing so. She was laying faithfully every other day. Then she stopped for like a week and a half to two weeks, got in and spent some time in the nest box but didn't leave an egg, then a couple days later laid an egg that was funky, a few days after that she laid a soft shelled one on the poop board and then this morning she was in the nest again but didn't leave an egg.

I'm afraid she has developed peritonitis. Her last eggs in the incubator quit on me so I guess she's a dead end.

On the bright side though, I discovered a hen of my breeding, one of the girls from last year, I know who the dad was but I have no idea who the mother was... she has really nice quality feathers! I almost gasped out loud when I saw those feathers! So, she will be taking the place of the hen mentioned above. This new girl, has almost no lacing, she's small but you can see her hock joints easily and she carries her tail almost straight up!

Why me?

On second thought, I think I'll wait a bit. I'm going to check all of my other girls (which I like a lot more) for good feathering. Then I'll decide whether or not to use her!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

good luck Lacy

 

[gjensen]

Lacy, if you have one, you have hope.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thanks guys!

One of my other hens squatted for me this morning so I grabbed her and checked out just one of her wings, it was kind of an afterthought. She actually appeared to have a nice tight web! Not super wide but at least they weren't frayed! I don't generally try to catch them during the day, particularly if it promises to be a very warm day. I need my son to help me at night because I made their perch as high as I could because they like it that way. I can get a bird down if I need to but its difficult for me. I'll go back out in a little while and if she does it again, I'll definitely pick her up and spread both wings all the way out! Then tonight, if I can get my son to help me before he dashes back into the house after closing up, I'll be good to go.