meaughtman
In the Brooder
- Nov 29, 2018
- 10
- 66
- 49
First off let me start off by explaining how i became mother to this one hen.
My neighbor, he is an elderly man has had, in the time I've been living here ( 14 months) a 10x10 dog kennel where he would house dogs, then chickens, then goats, and so on. So he had about six or so chickens and during the day he lets them out and they would always hang out in my yard all day laying in the pine needles under my 10+ pine trees in my yard. I would feed them my food scraps, i am vegan ( unless my husband kills it in the woods) so they were getting vegetables and during the summer i would freeze watermelon for them and they really enjoyed that.
Well over time the six chickens turned into five, and then four, then three until there was only two. My now chicken, her name is Sue was always the odd one out, the others would peck at her and she never had all her feathers on her back. So the two chickens stayed in my yard pretty much all the time. Then no one but Sue came over for a few days, and i didn't see my neighbor outside everyday like normal so i went to check on him and he wasn't home, so i asked our other neighbor and turns out he had had a heart attack and had surgery and was in rehab, this is all happening in the after math of a hurricane where out neighborhood was extremely messed up and we had no power for seven days. So it was just Sue i bought her actual chicken food and gave her water and next thing i know she is sleeping right at my back door every night. It was about ten o'clock one night and i felt bad for her sleeping out there with no shelter at all so i made a temporary box with an old cat litter box and she slept in it on her own after that.
So i then decided this is my chicken and i got her a home, i hope is proper, i feed her and give her water and i got some feather regrow food because of how her feathers have always been. We have formed a bond like I've never seen with a chicken. If i am lounging outside in my chair she hops up and sits on me and we just hangout. I love her dearly and i want what's best for her. My neighbor came home from rehab, i talked to him about Sue. He said i could have her and that she was old and wasn't laying (she has been laying for me) he also told me that something had killed the other chicken ( the last next to Sue) right outside of there coop. And we have coyotes very very close. So now that she is officially mine i want to take excellent care of her but i am having a few issues i don't know what to do or where to look... Thank goodness i found this website. Here are my concerns.
1. i noticed yesterday when she was sitting on me that she has some bugs, they are little white bugs, lice or mites i'm not sure.
2. what type of chicken is she?
3. Is it safe to eat her eggs?
4.She laid about six eggs for me and then yesterday her egg shell was soft and she ate her egg, today the same thing, is that normal?
5. Is her house good enough?
6. is the heat lamp i put up for her going to over heat her or cause a fire?
i have gotten the powder and the spray for the lice or mites and plan on using them Saturday as soon as i have the time off work. I know there is other questions i had but they have left my mind. If you have read this entire post, THANK YOU!! I just want to make Sue happy like she does me. Thanks for your help and Thanks for listening, Here are some photos * also i know i have a lot of grammatical errors, i'm in a rush so no need to tell me
My neighbor, he is an elderly man has had, in the time I've been living here ( 14 months) a 10x10 dog kennel where he would house dogs, then chickens, then goats, and so on. So he had about six or so chickens and during the day he lets them out and they would always hang out in my yard all day laying in the pine needles under my 10+ pine trees in my yard. I would feed them my food scraps, i am vegan ( unless my husband kills it in the woods) so they were getting vegetables and during the summer i would freeze watermelon for them and they really enjoyed that.
Well over time the six chickens turned into five, and then four, then three until there was only two. My now chicken, her name is Sue was always the odd one out, the others would peck at her and she never had all her feathers on her back. So the two chickens stayed in my yard pretty much all the time. Then no one but Sue came over for a few days, and i didn't see my neighbor outside everyday like normal so i went to check on him and he wasn't home, so i asked our other neighbor and turns out he had had a heart attack and had surgery and was in rehab, this is all happening in the after math of a hurricane where out neighborhood was extremely messed up and we had no power for seven days. So it was just Sue i bought her actual chicken food and gave her water and next thing i know she is sleeping right at my back door every night. It was about ten o'clock one night and i felt bad for her sleeping out there with no shelter at all so i made a temporary box with an old cat litter box and she slept in it on her own after that.
So i then decided this is my chicken and i got her a home, i hope is proper, i feed her and give her water and i got some feather regrow food because of how her feathers have always been. We have formed a bond like I've never seen with a chicken. If i am lounging outside in my chair she hops up and sits on me and we just hangout. I love her dearly and i want what's best for her. My neighbor came home from rehab, i talked to him about Sue. He said i could have her and that she was old and wasn't laying (she has been laying for me) he also told me that something had killed the other chicken ( the last next to Sue) right outside of there coop. And we have coyotes very very close. So now that she is officially mine i want to take excellent care of her but i am having a few issues i don't know what to do or where to look... Thank goodness i found this website. Here are my concerns.
1. i noticed yesterday when she was sitting on me that she has some bugs, they are little white bugs, lice or mites i'm not sure.
2. what type of chicken is she?
3. Is it safe to eat her eggs?
4.She laid about six eggs for me and then yesterday her egg shell was soft and she ate her egg, today the same thing, is that normal?
5. Is her house good enough?
6. is the heat lamp i put up for her going to over heat her or cause a fire?
i have gotten the powder and the spray for the lice or mites and plan on using them Saturday as soon as i have the time off work. I know there is other questions i had but they have left my mind. If you have read this entire post, THANK YOU!! I just want to make Sue happy like she does me. Thanks for your help and Thanks for listening, Here are some photos * also i know i have a lot of grammatical errors, i'm in a rush so no need to tell me
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What a lucky little girl to have you adopt her. Oyster shell will help with her soft eggs. You can get it where you bought the feed. If not then on line. Just keep a bowl of it next to her feeder. They naturally know how much and when to eat it.
