We got a junk coop set up in the vegetable garden, and we got the entire vegetable garden top netted. When we moved the three old hens over (that have been segregated in the green chicken tractor because they have feather picking issues), we noticed that two of them (the two leghorns) look TERRIBLE. I think that one has a prolapse and the other might be internally laying. Not kidding. Anyway, Child #2 washed their bottoms, and tried to stuff back that bloody nastiness that was trying to fall out of the one and washed off the super messy poopiness of the other.
I am not sure that the only poopy bottomed one is internally laying....but it is odd, the area way below her vent, right before it curves to her belly is super red and a bit warm to the touch. Her vent looks fine actually, except that everything was WAY messier than it should be.
And no, NO external parasites, I even had the kids look carefully, and nothing. Dunno.
We shall see how they are over the next few days.
Anyway, the three old hens got the vegetable garden, the last set of chicken chicks that were in the small white tractor, have been moved over to the larger green tractor, and all of the quail (the three week old youngest quail and our one 'old' quail but not the two teenager quail) were moved into the white tractor. So, they are out of the house. Which is very good, since I was starting to go "wow! That is a stench!" So, I am sure the spouse wasn't happy. The two teenager quail will be kicked out tomorrow, under supervision. Last time that we tried to integrate, those two didn't like the idea. However, everyone is older, and it will now be in a much larger space, so maybe it will work.
Pant, pant, pant.
I think I now have everything located and set up to make my bantam coop, a good enough coop to use all winter......... Except I am STILL unsure where to put it!!!!! I just can't decide how to balance unhappy spouse with ease of care and safety/monitoring of the coop!!! And no, I can't discuss things with the spouse, that would be bad. So....where, where, where, where?
This morning, I heard a peeping from the toy room...told a boy to check on the teenager quail, see if they were out of food or water. Nope, one of the youngest quail was there in the room, all abandoned! Silly us! Child #2 counted when we out them into the white tractor, we thought we had them all.
I am not sure that the only poopy bottomed one is internally laying....but it is odd, the area way below her vent, right before it curves to her belly is super red and a bit warm to the touch. Her vent looks fine actually, except that everything was WAY messier than it should be.
And no, NO external parasites, I even had the kids look carefully, and nothing. Dunno.
We shall see how they are over the next few days.
Anyway, the three old hens got the vegetable garden, the last set of chicken chicks that were in the small white tractor, have been moved over to the larger green tractor, and all of the quail (the three week old youngest quail and our one 'old' quail but not the two teenager quail) were moved into the white tractor. So, they are out of the house. Which is very good, since I was starting to go "wow! That is a stench!" So, I am sure the spouse wasn't happy. The two teenager quail will be kicked out tomorrow, under supervision. Last time that we tried to integrate, those two didn't like the idea. However, everyone is older, and it will now be in a much larger space, so maybe it will work.
Pant, pant, pant.
I think I now have everything located and set up to make my bantam coop, a good enough coop to use all winter......... Except I am STILL unsure where to put it!!!!! I just can't decide how to balance unhappy spouse with ease of care and safety/monitoring of the coop!!! And no, I can't discuss things with the spouse, that would be bad. So....where, where, where, where?
This morning, I heard a peeping from the toy room...told a boy to check on the teenager quail, see if they were out of food or water. Nope, one of the youngest quail was there in the room, all abandoned! Silly us! Child #2 counted when we out them into the white tractor, we thought we had them all.
