Stella's Social Club

[Happy Chooks]

I opened up the gate between my 7 juvenile pullets that hatched in October and my flock. I sat out there for a while to make sure nobody was beaten up. They are getting some pecks, but minor pecks - most of the flock are ignoring them. My roosters are wonderful with them, gosh you just have to love great roosters looking after the babies.

I have another juvenile pullet that slipped a hock tendon, so I just need to get up the nerve to put her down. (and the cockerel that hatched with the same issue) It's so sad, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet - they are in a segregated pen with 6 other cockerels the same age. I will have to do it soon, before they start getting picked on.

I'm making Asian braised grass fed beef short ribs for dinner tonight. It sounded like a really good recipe, and I had short ribs to use up, so I'm giving it a try. It is slow cooking in my oven and it smells so good.

 

[1muttsfan]

Cyn, one of my Swedish Flower Hen pullets has done the same thing, and I was having the same thought

Prayers for Dar's knee!

 

[The Sheriff]

Finished re-routing the roosts and cleaning the last two coops today!

Now I just have to keep going out at night and plucking the squatters out of the nest boxes and putting them on the roosts.

 

[drumstick diva]

Is a "slipped hock tendon," in chickens anything like a "slipped stifle" in dogs? A lot of dogs have won championship with one or both slipped stifles - no body put them down. If the judge doesn't notice it, it doesn't exist I guess.

I'm just asking because if the chicken in question isn't being used for breeding, are "slipped hock tendons," serious enough to put a bird down?

 

[1muttsfan]

The tendon that runs over the back of the hock joint slips out of place, leaving the leg useless and the bird unable to bear weight on it. Affected birds tend to loose condition, and be bullied as they don't get around well.

 

[Happy Chooks]

The tendon that runs over the back of the hock joint slips out of place, leaving the leg useless and the bird unable to bear weight on it. Affected birds tend to loose condition, and be bullied as they don't get around well.

Exactly. They don't have any use of the leg. They hop around on one leg with the other stuck out to the side. I've tried to put the tendon back in position, but sadly, I've never had any luck with it. (and haven't heard of anyone else having luck fixing it either) I usually put them down as day olds when this happens, but didn't have time when the cockerel hatched. And the pullet happened several weeks after hatch. The pullet screams in pain if I mess with the leg. With her, it may be a dislocated knee joint (or broken), as it's swollen there.

 

[speckledhen]

Exactly. They don't have any use of the leg. They hop around on one leg with the other stuck out to the side. I've tried to put the tendon back in position, but sadly, I've never had any luck with it. (and haven't heard of anyone else having luck fixing it either) I usually put them down as day olds when this happens, but didn't have time when the cockerel hatched. And the pullet happened several weeks after hatch. The pullet screams in pain if I mess with the leg. With her, it may be a dislocated knee joint (or broken), as it's swollen there.

I have seen it only a few times and it never works to try and fix it. They are in constant pain. Had it happen to a six week old BR cockerel suddenly and have had it happen with some of my Delaware, Georgie's chicks. They seem to have hock issues and/or dwarfism in about 20% of her chicks. We've tried everything to fix those but have decided it is really a waste of time and too much stress on the poor little one.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I opened up the gate between my 7 juvenile pullets that hatched in October and my flock. I sat out there for a while to make sure nobody was beaten up. They are getting some pecks, but minor pecks - most of the flock are ignoring them. My roosters are wonderful with them, gosh you just have to love great roosters looking after the babies.

I have another juvenile pullet that slipped a hock tendon, so I just need to get up the nerve to put her down. (and the cockerel that hatched with the same issue) It's so sad, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet - they are in a segregated pen with 6 other cockerels the same age. I will have to do it soon, before they start getting picked on.

I'm making Asian braised grass fed beef short ribs for dinner tonight. It sounded like a really good recipe, and I had short ribs to use up, so I'm giving it a try. It is slow cooking in my oven and it smells so good.

Hi Dar!! Glad to hear from you- I will pray for your knee.

Happy Chooks- short ribs!!! Our Costco has been out of short ribs lately. They said maybe after the New Year...I just haven't been back in to check. You are fortunate!
Hang onto those good roosters! I am sad about your little slipped tendon gal. It is awful when they get a condition where you just can't help them and they are in pain.

Mary- I hope you get your flock trained on the new roosting position soon so you don't have to keep going out there.

 

[The Sheriff]

Mary- I hope you get your flock trained on the new roosting position soon so you don't have to keep going out there.

Well, here are tonights' stats:

Coop #1: two Icelandic's in nest boxes. Put them on roosts and they were back down again when I finished the other coops. Put them back up again.

Coop #2: All Cream legbars and one Barthuner on the roosts!

Coop #3: One Icelandic pullet outside on the waterer, one SFH on the 2x4 ledge above the nest boxes.

Coop #4: Two project pullets on roost, * BCM's in the nest boxes or on the floor.

Coop $5: All dive isbars on the roosts.

One day at a time....

 

[kathyinmo]