The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

Jen,
Pullets are really not normal yet. I am glad you are concerned and it sounds like something you should be watching. Lack of color means something is up and yes, it could be molt. Unusual, but, it is possible. You need to examine her and check her stomach and vent area. Feel for an egg. Her belly should be soft and pliable. Molt can look and act like so many different things. Some birds molt and you simply can't tell by behavior, other act like they are misrable. Do the exam and please


Thanks for the suggestions. I picked her up and felt around. I didn't feel anything hard in her stomach. I looked on her chest where it's mostly fluff and there are all new feathers coming in the whole chest area. I will keep checking!
 
When
Well - when my daughter got home from school, I had her go get her injured pullet - it had been a pet since we got her this summer. My daughter brought her in and offered her some meal worms - the pullet ate 1 or 2 and lost interest. My daughter set her down and the pullet tried to walk and fell over. My kid made a hard decision, but I'm proud to say she made the right decision all on her own. They sat together for about an hour and then my daughter brought her to me and said, "I don't want her to hurt any more." I offered my daughter choices about her pullet's remains, and she chose to have me skin her and cure the hide, and to not waste the meat. The skin turned out pretty well for my first time skinning (thanks PeepsCA for the tips). I messed up the tail (now a separate piece) but got the rest off just fine and it is now salted and pinned up, hanging to dry. It was a Mille Fleur bantam cochin, so it really is pretty as a wall hanging... though I admit, every time I turn around and see the hide hanging there, my first thought is that the chicken is in the house. Working on getting over the "slightly creepy" factor of such a life-like piece of artwork in the home... What I found was a seriously "Omega" shaped keel... this would have kept the pullets body from ever being straight or balanced. I knew there was something going on with (what I thought was) a hip - - turned out to be a dislocated pelvis. A week or so ago after some rest she seemed to be getting better, but then declined after being put back in the coop. Well - what I think happened was she went from sleeping on the floor to perching again, and reinjured that pelvis when she jumped off the perch. No doubt - we did the right thing. Kiddo didn't watch the actual cull, but came in right after and wanted to help with the necropsy. When I can afford it, I'll have this photo done pretty large and frame it to hang by the hide (per my daughter's request).
When you are ready to have it printed, PM me. I have an account at a pro lab and can get it printed and drop shipped to you at cost.
 
well done Margaret..well done.

She sure is a happy little thing

Justine..this brought joy to my heart..thank you
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I have to share this video I worked on all evening. I felt like the videos I took of Margaret today scratching around deserved a story.

To see her scratch around is so beautiful to me. At one point she was walking backwards and could not even stand.. Now look at her.

It's also a tribute to all of those who helped us with the cost of the new baby barn.
Between Leigh's daughter and Margret, my heart is bursting. What beautiful testaments to life these two girls brought to us all tonight. Blessings to everyone, and all your loved ones, and also all of our beloved animals, whether they have fur, or feathers or scales. I am feeling so happy to be part of a wonderful group of people. It is a pleasure and a privilege to learn, laugh and read from all of you each day.

Thank you!
 
Neighbor buys comets or red sex links or production reds don't really know which and never ask from an Amish egg farm every spring. These are laying.The farm has thousands and replace every spring. He pays between 50 cents and a dollar for them depends on the year. Wish you were closer I'd hook ya up. He told me what does not get sold is killed and used as fertilizer. He buys 1 to two hundred a year and truly free ranges them roost where you will no coop no fences. Predators take all but a few by the next spring but his kids always bring in fresh eggs. He buys no food for them because they have 50 acres of grass and other stuff to eat in warm weather and in cold weather they eat with the hogs. No cost involved except purchase price and the little hog food consumed. Not bad to have eggs year round with no worries for 1 hundred dollars a year. I know it cost me way more than that for my few chickens.

Last spring I bought 6 debeaked Production Reds from a fellow for $3 each. They were from an Amish egg farm in Arkansas where they only keep their birds til 1 year old then replace. The fellow I got them from I'm sure paid $1 or less each as he buys about thousand each year. He said that he'd sell some eggs & birds locally, eggs that he couldn't sell he fed to his hogs, and by the time hot weather set in he would butcher whatever birds were left (usually a couple hundred). I truly did get my money's worth from those birds, as they were reliable daily layers of jumbo size eggs. However, that didn't last long. They pretty much quit laying by fall and really haven't started back up, except for one that is laying an occasional shelless egg. I'm going to cull them in the next few days. So the birds you get probably won'y lay for long, but will work great for a short time.
 
I am loving this thread so much. I work work work outside off and on all day then run upstairs to check this thread and just enjoy the pictures of chicks, coops, and all so very dearly. My head and library is filled to over flowing with a life time of knowledge. When I can organize my thoughts and images, I will share what ever I can. Happily and willingly. I will share now a few precious images of my family and garden. This is where I raised four children and nearly 200 chickens and ducks over 26 years.

The big snow of 1988. The year we moved to our 1/2 acre on Whidbey Island. I still had a horse and kept her here for a year.

Five years later the horse was sold and I was raising chickens, Call ducks, and Old roses and Perennials for sale.

My two oldest daughters playing in the gardens.

My youngest daughter with her favorite show quality pigeon. (koolaid lips) HAH!

This is my favorite picture of my youngest daughter. Twenty years ago she loved this little EE chick. In those days the hatchery told me it was an Ameracauna. She named it 'Woofpeef'. It grew up to be the biggest, rankest, meanest roo ever! I sold it. She never knew. Because of this picture I never forgot that name. Double Hah! My baby girl is maybe 3 years old here. Wearing little rubber boots and fly down. She is grown and married now. Has her dream job as a dog groomer and wants chicks from Johnny and his girls. My heart is glad.
Hi Mumsy,

I know this post was from December but I just had to say I loved your pics & the stories behind them. The one of your girls in the garden is so pretty! My baby girl just turned 18 and has been getting college acceptance letters in the mail. So I went out and got 8 more chicks from TSC. A co-worker said "what are you doing re-feathering your soon-to-be empty nest?" I guess maybe I am. Bittersweet when they grow up!!
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Hi Mumsy,

I know this post was from December but I just had to say I loved your pics & the stories behind them. The one of your girls in the garden is so pretty! My baby girl just turned 18 and has been getting college acceptance letters in the mail. So I went out and got 8 more chicks from TSC. A co-worker said "what are you doing re-feathering your soon-to-be empty nest?" I guess maybe I am. Bittersweet when they grow up!!
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O.M.G.! Thank you for posting this tonight. I was missing my kids and Grandkids. These images are truly precious and remind me why I do what I do. I'm a mom. Moms teach stuff. The good and successful things and the not so good and not so successful things. My kids are all really enjoying their mom and dad having chickens on the old place once again. And I'm still gardening. Till the day I die.
 
I'm glad to have made you smile! Absolutely precious memories! I have one in college & one soon to be graduating HS. I hope I have taught them what they need to know when the head out into the world...without me.
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I don't know what I'd do without my mum! We just had a cancer scare with her but all her recent tests came back cancer-free!! The dr. says she's healing wonderfully! Thank goodness!!!
 

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