The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Sorry!!! Didn't mean to sound demeaning .... just thought it was funny when Del said that.

I know what it's like waiting for those eggs.... my first chickens laid about 4 weeks later than I thought they were supposed to.

I kept wondering if I was doing something wrong with the feed or whatever. Then, when they FINALLY did lay, I thought my husband had put a little fake egg in the nest box to trick me

We had fake eggs in there so they'd know where to lay (first flock) and I was used to seeing those. Then one day, there was another cute little egg in one of the boxes. I picked it up and marched straight into the house and asked him if he had put that egg in there. (He DOES like to be a trickster sometimes.) I even wondered if he had gotten a REAL little egg and put it in there to trick me.

It was, indeed the real thing. But it had been so long I think I had actually given up on the thought that they'd lay at all.

 

[BlueMouse]

I can only go off the information given and this is just my opinion

Sorry i did not answer..
1. The bird is too young to moult enough to cause weight loss. No bird should loose weight from a moult that you can tell by picking the bird up.
2. There is something wrong with the bird, you have recognized it and are looking for solutions.(good job)
3. Take a fecal into the vet or purchase a microscope and check for internal parasites. Checks for external parasites in all of your bird.
4. Check your feed. Does it look or smell different.
5. Hold the bird up to your ear and listen to her breathing.


There might not be anything wrong with your bird either. Some birds are thin. She might have congenital defects. It is just a guessing game on your description.
If all of your birds are healthy except that one..it is the bird and not your methods. Survival of the strongest. Do not save a weak bird that can cause harm to your flock. Do you want to build resistance and health or spend time doctoring birds? Adding additional feed to one bird is not a solution.

It is not moult

Enjoy your feast and celebrate the experience of your hard work and good animal practices.

We have lost the art of meal celebrations and gratitude of our food. Eating with the family at the table should be an event and daily celebration!

Thanks for replying... I will check her again this evening. Maybe parasites? although weird that only one bird would be affected. She's been my thriftiest bird. Good forager, lays every day when she's not broody. Good mother. She's always been a bit on the thin side, but she feels lighter now. She's one that I don't pick up or handle often because she is extremely flighty. I will check around her vent for parasites and listen to her breathing.

 

[Kassaundra]

I can show you what mine looked like molting. Year and a half is about the time of my girls first molt.

But mine never lost weight during molt

 

[kimmerjo]

What kind of chicken is that in the middle?

 

[MumsyII]

Red Ridge, Mumsy and all that process the heritage RIR -

At what age do you find they're ready with enough meat but not so tough that you can't eat them as regular "fried chicken" or the like?

Mine are twenty one weeks now. So I will let you know in the next week as I put two in the near dinner lineup. These two are my first culls. So they were chosen because one is blind in one eye and isn't as big as his mates. Another is also not as big as the others as well. I'm still waiting to choose my four breeding selections. The rest of the boys are very meaty looking and have the broadest backs I've ever seen in a cockerel. At twenty one weeks, I just heard the first attempt at a crow from one yesterday. Next year this will be the age I process. Because HRIR take a full year to mature, these first boys have to finish filling out before I know who gets to breed. My goal is to have birds to process for the table at any time of the year. I'm very nearly there.


This is a contender for the breeding pen, not the table.

Lots of good eating on these birds already. I just don't want to butcher all of them.

One of the pullets.

Can't wait to get eggs from these girls.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Nice Mumsy!!

I got a weighted ovation on the Silkie Thread from a "Popular" poster. It was worth 3 points. Never had more than one point per ovation before.

 

[Leahs Mom]

hmmm how does one give a "weighted ovation"? Do you have to be a paid member?

 

[Kassaundra]

What kind of chicken is that in the middle?

All three of these are EE easter eggers

 

[aoxa]

I can show you what mine looked like molting. Year and a half is about the time of my girls first molt.

But mine never lost weight during molt

My youngest molt was 8 months. They were born very early in the year. Started molting in October. I had maybe five or six of those girls molt. It's not abnormal

 

[aoxa]

Nice Mumsy!!

I got a weighted ovation on the Silkie Thread from a "Popular" poster. It was worth 3 points. Never had more than one point per ovation before.

Usually GFM give two points I believe.. Mods give ten.