Texas

[erikk]

Quote:
I think people freak out on this too much. 1) Plants won't pick up and pull something like salmonella up from the soil through the plant and deposit it into a tomato. It's more if you drop a tomato onto the ground it could get contaminated, but just like most other things you should wash before eating and it won't be a problem. 2) As for poop "burning" the plants that's more about the poop on leaves, such as a grass lawn or on top of ground growing lettuce or something. It's spot damage and not going to hurt the plant as a whole and unlikely to damage anything above the chicken's height.

The biggest danger of chickens in the garden is that they'll scratch up the roots of your plants or peck things like red tomatoes directly. I don't worry about the chickens as I tend to plant more than I can eat anyway (over ripe produce goes to the chickens, they love cantaloupe, etc) and the flock isn't big enough to cause enough damage for me to notice.

Again, I don't worry about chicken poop on or near my actively growing food. I've never had a problem, and backyard produce is still going to be cleaner than grocery store produce and I'm happy to let the chickens get the pest insects.

To each their own, but I believe concerns are more internet urban legend than fact.

Erik, near Abilene, TX

 

[Starfire669]

I'll probably end up keeping him...he is a good little guy, which is why I haven't put him on CL.  I would hate to see him caged or left of fend for himself, either way is death.  After we finish the roost extension I've asked my husband to add an extension to the fence to give my bachelor boys their own area...I don't think the hubs realizes that means another coop, too!!   

I think my bachelors days are even more numbered than originally planned. 1 of my BR hens lost her eye and the only chickens that I have seen fighting are the cockerels. Those boys will run up to a hen and peck its head hard, or run up to each other and fight. So even though they are only 14 weeks old it is time to start culling. I am beyond mad that my largest, favorite BR hen was blinded. I don't think any of the other hens could have done that to her, she was top of the pecking order. I treated her with some Blu-kote around the eye to prevent infection. Anything else I can do for her? The eye itself was poked, so there is no hope of it healing. But she also has damage above and below the eye as well.

 

[Cowpoke]

Shirley here-- live in cheeks Texas!!! I have 14 chicks about 6 wks old! Love my babies!

Welcome from Freeport, TX!

 

[RustedOak]

I think my bachelors days are even more numbered than originally planned. 1 of my BR hens lost her eye and the only chickens that I have seen fighting are the cockerels. Those boys will run up to a hen and peck its head hard, or run up to each other and fight. So even though they are only 14 weeks old it is time to start culling. I am beyond mad that my largest, favorite BR hen was blinded. I don't think any of the other hens could have done that to her, she was top of the pecking order. I treated her with some Blu-kote around the eye to prevent infection. Anything else I can do for her? The eye itself was poked, so there is no hope of it healing. But she also has damage above and below the eye as well.

I have no advice to offer since I'm a newbie but I'm sorry to hear about your girl's eye. There would definitely be some heads rolling and some bodies boiling!

 

[Starfire669]

I have no advice to offer since I'm a newbie but I'm sorry to hear about your girl's eye. There would definitely be some heads rolling and some bodies boiling!

There will be heads rolling and bodies boiling. From the look of the wound she was pecked from above, which further implicates the cockerels as they are the only ones bigger than her and only 2 other hens are close in size. Also the cockerels, when they peck on the girls peck the tops of their heads, so it's pretty clear how the likely culprits are. The biggest offenders are the 3 SLW Roos and the biggest RIR Roo. The SLW Roos are very aggressive, I will not get anymore of those birds. So I will separate them from the girls and plan for those 4 boys trip to freezer camp.

The injured girl is walking around, eating, drinking, and otherwise acting normal. So other than the loss of her right eye she seems to be ok. But I am hopping mad, this particular girl is my friendliest lady. She will sit I'm my lap when she is in the mood or I have treats, lol.

 

[TammyTX]

There will be heads rolling and bodies boiling. From the look of the wound she was pecked from above, which further implicates the cockerels as they are the only ones bigger than her and only 2 other hens are close in size. Also the cockerels, when they peck on the girls peck the tops of their heads, so it's pretty clear how the likely culprits are. The biggest offenders are the 3 SLW Roos and the biggest RIR Roo. The SLW Roos are very aggressive, I will not get anymore of those birds. So I will separate them from the girls and plan for those 4 boys trip to freezer camp.

The injured girl is walking around, eating, drinking, and otherwise acting normal. So other than the loss of her right eye she seems to be ok. But I am hopping mad, this particular girl is my friendliest lady. She will sit I'm my lap when she is in the mood or I have treats, lol.

I've never encountered the eye being poked out like that! Scary, I bet. I do have a rooster that is blind in one eye who gets along just fine, if that gives you hope that she'll do alright.

Did you Google for treatments? I don't know if using an antibiotic is recommended or not, but you might want to look. What about using some contact soaking disinfectant for an eye wash? The kind that people use for their contacts...you can get generic solutions at Walmart.

 

[tiedyemommy]

Sorry I've been M.I.A. Yesterday was our little one's birthday party, and this whole week has been full of preparations for said party.

The dust has settled, and things are returning to normal here. Whew!

The Ladies were a big hit with the kids, and most of the kids were able to hold/pet a chicken of their choosing. The Ladies also don't appear to have been too stressed by the day...we kept the "play time" to a minimum...for both the chickens' & the kids' sakes. Heh!

 

[Starfire669]

I've never encountered the eye being poked out like that!    Scary, I bet.   I do have a rooster that is blind in one eye who gets along just fine, if that gives you hope that she'll do alright.

Did you Google for treatments?   I don't know if using an antibiotic is recommended or not, but you might want to look.  What about using some contact soaking disinfectant for an eye wash?  The kind that people use for their contacts...you can get generic solutions at Walmart. 

Her eye is nearly closed. Only a small slit is open and the eye is opaque. She seems to be getting on just fine. I am just upset that this happened to any of my ladies. The Roos are smaller than hoped for, I could house them in the goose coop, but the I couldn't leave the ducklings in there with Ebony overnight. I'd be scared those jerks would hurt a duckling and Ebony, being lame, cant come to the rescue fast enough.

 

[ABlackDogRanch]

Happy weekend, all!
When I first got my pullets in April, one of my dogs went NUTS and was constantly circling the open air kennel. I feared my dreams of free ranging were over!

I'm happy to report that after a few weeks, he has more than chilled out:

The barn cat we acquired also doesn't care about the chickens. She followed me into the coop to clean and paid no mind to the ladies.

Woohoo! Peace at Black Dog Ranch

 

[Starfire669]

Happy weekend, all!
When I first got my pullets in April, one of my dogs went NUTS and was constantly circling the open air kennel. I feared my dreams of free ranging were over!

I'm happy to report that after a few weeks, he has more than chilled out:

The barn cat we acquired also doesn't care about the chickens. She followed me into the coop to clean and paid no mind to the ladies.

Woohoo! Peace at Black Dog Ranch

Congrats! I wouldn't dare try that with 1 of my dogs. She has already killed a couple chicks and I can tell from the way she stares that she would love to do it again. She is kept far away from the ladies as possible. On the other hand, my mousers are scared of the ladies and have been since they were 9 week old chicks, lol.