The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You probably are! 

I have only had one hen that was broody.  The hatchery red girl and she brooded in December the first year, then August (9 months later).  She did well with the chicks but has not gone broody again since. 

Now...
I'm probably the only person that DOES want a broody!  (But not 6 of them

Actually I have about 8 large breed hens that continuously go broody throughout the laying season. And of course all 10 of my bantams will, I am never short on broodies. Seems we never can get what we want when we want it. Odds are in another month you will have a broody hen, just the way things seem to work.

 

[gevshiba]

You probably are!

I have only had one hen that was broody. The hatchery red girl and she brooded in December the first year, then August (9 months later). She did well with the chicks but has not gone broody again since.

Now...
I'm probably the only person that DOES want a broody! (But not 6 of them

You aren't the only one wanting broodies!

 

[curious chickee]

I only have 5 Broodies, one sitting on EE, two on brahmas, one on modern, and one with 2 week old brahma chicks.

 

[JanetMarie]

I have one broody. Her eggs are due in 1 1/2 weeks. She started with 6 eggs, and now has 5.

Juggling chicks, ducklings, and two goslings that we drove an hour away and picked up on Sunday. The two goslings were in a cage with two older goslings, trampling on them. One was just hatched that morning. There was a cage on top of that cage, with chicken chicks, that the sellers tried to cover the bottom of that cage, but chick poop was falling though. One of my goslings has dried poop on it's neck. I cut most of off yesterday. He's not thriving like the other one.

In the barn was a chicken lying in her side. The owner picked her up and put in a cage, with an empty water dish. Another cage was in the barn, with chicken chicks, and one gosling the owner said 10 days old. Had an empty water dish with poop in it. She put water in the dish after I said something about it, without cleaning the dish. Everyone was so thirsty. I wanted to purchase all the goslings, but with an almost dead chicken in the barn, I can't risk bringing disease home. I purchased the two youngest ones, since they had less time to be contaminated.

I've sent the seller an e-mail, explaining about the poor conditions the poultry are kept in. Ironically she is heavily involved in a dog rescue!! I am checking to see if there is anything that can be done by a waterfowl rescue, and will inquire with the Humane Society today. It may be that their only hope is that people buy them.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@JanetMarie

That is just awful! I'm glad you are going to inquire at least. I don't understand why folks keep animals if they really don't want to take care of them.

 

[Serenashome]

@JanetMarie Oh that's horrible! I'll never understand how people can be so callous in action while speaking of their own good deeds as if one behavior removes the other.

 

[lazy gardener]

Janet, I do hope you do make a report. Cases like this often go un-reported. Without someone like you speaking up, those animals are destined to early and cruel deaths. Unfortunately, in a situation like this, especially when the abuser/hoarder is selling animals, they are also a vector for disease which will contaminate the surrounding animals. If the poultry is so abused, i have no doubt the dogs are as well. I think I'd have jumped in my car, and gone home as fast as possible to sterilize my feet and clothing. No matter how much we want to save a bird, it's not worth bringing illness into our flock.

 

[Leahs Mom]

SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE:

I noticed one of my hens had at least 2, and possibly 3, soft shell eggs about 2 weeks ago. They were all laid while on the roost and under this girl's area as far as I can tell.

Today, she is obviously not well. Just laying down mostly and is obviously not acting well. First noticed it this morning when I went to let them out.

Now I'm assuming that she "may" have one that hasn't passed and may be open inside. This is all assumption just because I saw the soft eggs before.


Is there anything that anyone knows that may clean out the system if this is the case?

I don't think peritonitis at this point. But wonder if I should give some liquid calcium...

 

[JanetMarie]

Janet, I do hope you do make a report. Cases like this often go un-reported. Without someone like you speaking up, those animals are destined to early and cruel deaths. Unfortunately, in a situation like this, especially when the abuser/hoarder is selling animals, they are also a vector for disease which will contaminate the surrounding animals. If the poultry is so abused, i have no doubt the dogs are as well. I think I'd have jumped in my car, and gone home as fast as possible to sterilize my feet and clothing. No matter how much we want to save a bird, it's not worth bringing illness into our flock.

You are right. I may have done the wrong stupid thing by bringing two home. One is dying. The other is thriving. They are separate from any other poultry. I believe they are hoarders and a combination of laziness and stupidity. If they had a brain they would know how endangered Cotton Patch geese are, and clean up their act, so they could sell the goslings for $50.00 each instead of $10.00, since they are trying to make money off them.

I just got a call back from Animal control while writing this, and after explaining the conditions, he asked for the address and is going there. Unfortunately, I won't get to know what happens, but they at least get a visit, and possibly animals taken away!! Yeah!

Any suspected neglect should always be reported.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE:

I noticed one of my hens had at least 2, and possibly 3, soft shell eggs about 2 weeks ago.  They were all laid while on the roost and under this girl's area as far as I can tell.

Today, she is obviously not well.  Just laying down mostly and is obviously not acting well.  First noticed it this morning when I went to let them out.

Now I'm assuming that she "may" have one that hasn't passed and may be open inside.  This is all assumption just because I saw the soft eggs before.


Is there anything that anyone knows that may clean out the system if this is the case? 

I don't think peritonitis at this point.  But wonder if I should give some liquid calcium...

Soft shelled eggs are usually from stress, the egg isn't kept in the shell gland long and is passed unfinished. If she's unwell I wouldn't necessarily think it's from the eggs. She may be passing them soft as a means for her body to get rid of them while she's sick.

When there is an imbalance of calcium, whether too much or not enough they still will have a shell on the egg. It will be brittle or lumpy, or have nodules.

Being spring there are things like worm flare ups, cocidiosis, and anything the wild birds might have brought in. Plus there's all kinds of internal problems that can crop up. I will usually watch them for a week or two, many things resolve, some get worse, those we cull. If I was wanting to treat I would try a broad spectrum antibiotic to see if she rallies.

If it's an internal egg she may absorb it. I have a 8 year old buff Orpington that occasionally internally lays, been doing it for 2 years, I haven't culled because she is fine between them. I can tell when she has done it because of her stance and attitude. Eventually I'm sure we will have to cull, but for now she's hanging in there and enjoys life in between them.