Surviving Minnesota!

[MNChickMom]

Where do I find out what all the terminology means? Like primaries, secondaries, sprigs and so on? I read the standards and don't even understand most of the words. All of my birds are hatchery so I know there will be many flaws. Just want to pick the best out of the "bad".

You came to the right thread there are tons of knowledgeable chicken showers on this thread. I am not one of them. I was the one on the receiving end of the help. These guys/gals helped me identify side sprigs. Automatic disqualification. (My kids were not dq'd in 4h but they were dq'd in open class) Here is a picture

 

[holm25]

Here is a side sprig on a young cockerel who's future is not looking bright. He's not near as big as his dad and smaller than another mutt cockerel.

 

[holm25]

I circled it in this pic

 

[Cebarmlds]

Came home to find the 2 23 week old tomorrow, pullets started laying

(ee's)

 

[lvie]

Well good afternoon (I think) I went out to check on my hens, which I do probably a half dozen times a day because I like to. I also take a head count - why? - because they are not going anywhere. But I do. I was missing two so looked around. And there were my two RIR in the run beside the coop and one was not looking good at all.

Well, I had one of those little landscaping fences holding up other pieces of retainers to keep the chickens in the run and somehow the one that was there fell over and the RIR was impaled on it. She was half dead with her head hanging to the side. I got her loose, threw the thing out of the run so it could not happen again. I brought her in and gave her water with electrolytes which made her perk up. But as I inspected her I found her breast torn up. Her crop is still entact and not ruptured so I cleaned her up and applied tea tree oil and then closed it back up with one of those elastic bandages that you wrap around your wrist and secure with the velcro to hold it on. She has perked up with the hydration.

Her back was feather out recently - Tom had picked it clean and now it is bare again. What is? I think the other birds were attacking her. So she is in the basement, wrapped up, hydrated and in a kennel.

Then I went out and got the RIR who had been standing watch over the first RIR and brought her in to inspect her. She has been gimping slightly so I wanted to check her out too. She is in a full molt which is obvious. And it looks as if her wings might have gotten picked out and they are slightly bloody but not too bad. I cleaned her up and put her in the kennel with the other RIR. She seems to be doing okay. However, I did not have big concerns about her.

When a bird is damaged I know that the other birds will pick on that bird. Do other birds pick on hens that are in molt also? I will keep them in this night and watch and maintain the hydration and food. Then my next plan is to fence off an area in the coop, with a roost and bedding and food/water for them for a while so I can observe.

What do you say?

 

[Cebarmlds]

Can you use Bluecote on chickens? Cover the bloody areas so they don't get picked on again?

 

[MNChickMom]

Can you use Bluecote on chickens? Cover the bloody areas so they don't get picked on again?

Yes, we have used it before.

 

[Momof3plustwins]

I circled it in this pic

Thank you for your insight! I don't think I have seen the sprig on any yet. I have one RIR cockerel that's tail is either really sad and would make me cull him or he is feathering in much slower tan the other cockerel of the same age or his feathers are being picked out. I have to watch him.

I also have of our 2 month olds 2 BR pullets. One is much darker than the other. The darker one would be the nicer of the two color wise, right?

 

[duluthralphie]

I have some pink stuff I like better than blukote. It is a salve and made for fly strikes but must taste terrible because the chickens never pick it. Not that it will help any of you as I am having a senior minute and cannot think of the name of it. It is in the pole barn, I am not.

 

[KlopKlop]

I have some pink stuff I like better than blukote. It is a salve and made for fly strikes but must taste terrible because the chickens never pick it. Not that it will help any of you as I am having a senior minute and cannot think of the name of it. It is in the pole barn, I am not.

is it made by the same people as bluekote? Fleet farm sells that stuff in red too that maybe is the same?

Bluekote has saved a few of my birds before but darn if you get that on your skin. you will be blue for a while. my one big CX hen got all pecked last spring when she was introduced to the laying flock and that definitely saved her.... fastforward almost 18 months and she still has some of her under feathers that are purple.