The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I can't get that multi button to work! Anyway...

@JanetMarie

Thanks. I'll put a radio out there for now. Although I haven't seen that fox since the attacks. Darn thing probably knows my neighbors aiming for him.

@ gevshiba

I'm with you. Bees make me jumpy. I wonder if those fake hives work to keep the nests away? I'm going to try hanging some under the kids slide. They always tend to hang out there.

So for the update on my chickens and maybe a little perspective from those that don't mind offering:

My rooster is eating yogurt and scrambled eggs and drinking water as long as I hold his head up for him. He continues to stand on his legs with the top of his head on the ground. At times he'll move around his hut while trying to lift his head. It's more of a head flip as he can't lift it more than an inch or so. I'm not sure I'm doing right by him. I've checked him thoroughly and I can't find anything wrong other than a few feathers on his neck that are missing. No open wounds, nothing protruding. I tried making him a neck brace, but it did nothing for him. I keep a rolled towel under his neck to keep his face out of the bedding.

My maran seems to be getting much stronger. She's alert. She can stand and walk a short distance. I found that out when I was getting her another syringe of water and she stood up, turned, and walked back into her hospital cage. Her right wing seems to droop a bit when she's standing up straight, but it doesn't seem to bother her. She'll eat on her own. All I have to do is put her dish in front of her. But I can not for the life of me get her to drink! I literally have to pry Her beak open and squirt the water in with a syringe. All the while she's giving me the stink eye. I don't know what to make of that. Why won't she drink? Her wounds are scabbing nicely. No sign of infection. Her poop looks normal. So far so good.

What are your thoughts about my rooster? Do you think it's possible for him to heal, maybe not completely, but enough for him to rejoin the flock? Or am I just prolonging his misery. I'm not sure how aware he is of his surroundings. Most of the time his eyes are closed unless I'm feeding him. Then he'll usually open his eyes for a bit. I'm at a loss to decide what is best for him. I'd appreciate any input.

I personally give mine a week to see if they show improvement, than wait another to be sure. Only you can tell if he appears to be suffering or just healing. If he's no better in two weeks I would cull knowing I gave him a chance.

As far as your hen, I think she will drink when she's thirsty. Are you feeding her moistened food? That would make it so she doesn't need to drink.

 

[gevshiba]

I can't get that multi button to work! Anyway...

@JanetMarie

Thanks. I'll put a radio out there for now. Although I haven't seen that fox since the attacks. Darn thing probably knows my neighbors aiming for him.

@ gevshiba

I'm with you. Bees make me jumpy. I wonder if those fake hives work to keep the nests away? I'm going to try hanging some under the kids slide. They always tend to hang out there.

So for the update on my chickens and maybe a little perspective from those that don't mind offering:

My rooster is eating yogurt and scrambled eggs and drinking water as long as I hold his head up for him. He continues to stand on his legs with the top of his head on the ground. At times he'll move around his hut while trying to lift his head. It's more of a head flip as he can't lift it more than an inch or so. I'm not sure I'm doing right by him. I've checked him thoroughly and I can't find anything wrong other than a few feathers on his neck that are missing. No open wounds, nothing protruding. I tried making him a neck brace, but it did nothing for him. I keep a rolled towel under his neck to keep his face out of the bedding.

My maran seems to be getting much stronger. She's alert. She can stand and walk a short distance. I found that out when I was getting her another syringe of water and she stood up, turned, and walked back into her hospital cage. Her right wing seems to droop a bit when she's standing up straight, but it doesn't seem to bother her. She'll eat on her own. All I have to do is put her dish in front of her. But I can not for the life of me get her to drink! I literally have to pry Her beak open and squirt the water in with a syringe. All the while she's giving me the stink eye. I don't know what to make of that. Why won't she drink? Her wounds are scabbing nicely. No sign of infection. Her poop looks normal. So far so good.

What are your thoughts about my rooster? Do you think it's possible for him to heal, maybe not completely, but enough for him to rejoin the flock? Or am I just prolonging his misery. I'm not sure how aware he is of his surroundings. Most of the time his eyes are closed unless I'm feeding him. Then he'll usually open his eyes for a bit. I'm at a loss to decide what is best for him. I'd appreciate any input.

My friend had a rooster that couldn't lift his head like that. If I remember, he had gotten in a fight with another roo. No wounds. He eventually could eat by stabbing at his food. He could stand, but only for maybe 30 seconds. He finally died, on his own, after 3-4 weeks. She kept thinking he was improving, but I think it was wishful thinking on her part.

My sister, who lives in PA, has delved into the world of poultry. She got 8 ducklings and 5 chicks. This is someone who has never had a bird, or wanted any. She's doing her homework on building the coop, but is fighting her husband, who doesn't think predators will be a problem. For the first time ever, as they stood in the yard the other day, they saw a fox walk across the property. I told them, the fox got the memo about poultry being on the place. We should all buy stock in hardware cloth!

 

[galefrances]

(Oldhenlikesdogs) "I personally give mine a week to see if they show improvement, than wait another to be sure. Only you can tell if he appears to be suffering or just healing. If he's no better in two weeks I would cull knowing I gave him a chance.

As far as your hen, I think she will drink when she's thirsty. Are you feeding her moistened food? That would make it so she doesn't need to drink."



Thank you for your thoughts. I guess I'm just being impatient and second guessing myself. I hadn't thought of moistened food. I started with yogurt and then added scrambled egg. I figured they needed the protein for healing. I don't know what her issue is with the water. But now that you mentioned moistened food maybe I'll start fermenting again and see if she'll take that.In the meantime I'll give her some mash.

 

[galefrances]

I can't get that multi button to work! Anyway...


@JanetMarie


Thanks. I'll put a radio out there for now. Although I haven't seen that fox since the attacks. Darn thing probably knows my neighbors aiming for him.


@ gevshiba


I'm with you. Bees make me jumpy. I wonder if those fake hives work to keep the nests away? I'm going to try hanging some under the kids slide. They always tend to hang out there.


So for the update on my chickens and maybe a little perspective from those that don't mind offering:


My rooster is eating yogurt and scrambled eggs and drinking water as long as I hold his head up for him. He continues to stand on his legs with the top of his head on the ground. At times he'll move around his hut while trying to lift his head. It's more of a head flip as he can't lift it more than an inch or so. I'm not sure I'm doing right by him. I've checked him thoroughly and I can't find anything wrong other than a few feathers on his neck that are missing. No open wounds, nothing protruding. I tried making him a neck brace, but it did nothing for him. I keep a rolled towel under his neck to keep his face out of the bedding.


My maran seems to be getting much stronger. She's alert. She can stand and walk a short distance. I found that out when I was getting her another syringe of water and she stood up, turned, and walked back into her hospital cage. Her right wing seems to droop a bit when she's standing up straight, but it doesn't seem to bother her. She'll eat on her own. All I have to do is put her dish in front of her. But I can not for the life of me get her to drink! I literally have to pry Her beak open and squirt the water in with a syringe. All the while she's giving me the stink eye. I don't know what to make of that. Why won't she drink? Her wounds are scabbing nicely. No sign of infection. Her poop looks normal. So far so good.


What are your thoughts about my rooster? Do you think it's possible for him to heal, maybe not completely, but enough for him to rejoin the flock? Or am I just prolonging his misery. I'm not sure how aware he is of his surroundings. Most of the time his eyes are closed unless I'm feeding him. Then he'll usually open his eyes for a bit. I'm at a loss to decide what is best for him. I'd appreciate any input.

My friend had a rooster that couldn't lift his head like that.  If I remember, he had gotten in a fight with another roo.  No wounds.  He eventually could eat by stabbing at his food.  He could stand, but only for maybe 30 seconds.  He finally died, on his own, after 3-4 weeks.  She kept thinking he was improving, but I think it was wishful thinking on her part.

My sister, who lives in PA, has delved into the world of poultry.  She got 8 ducklings and 5 chicks.  This is someone who has never had a bird, or wanted any.  She's doing her homework on building the coop, but is fighting her husband, who doesn't think predators will be a problem.  For the first time ever, as they stood in the yard the other day, they saw a fox walk across the property.  I told them, the fox got the memo about poultry being on the place.  We should all buy stock in hardware cloth!

That's what I'm afraid of. I'll give it the two weeks as oldhenlikesdogs suggested and then I'll do what needs to be done. Sooner if I feel he's suffering. I definitely don't want that.

I have a secure coop and run with buried 1/4 inch hardware cloth that I too had to fight my DH for. But when I got the roo and new hens I started free ranging because I have always felt strongly that animals should live free as they were meant to. Now my DH blames me for the attack. My heart hurts as I feel so badly for what happened, but I don't regret my decision. Although now my DH like your sisters husband realizes I was right about the hardware cloth, as he never did truly think there was any threat other than Hawks.

BTW does anyone know how to quote without repeating the entire previous quote?

 

[gevshiba]

BTW does anyone know how to quote without repeating the entire previous quote?

I highlight and delete. Maybe there's a better way? I'm not that great with computers.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's what I'm afraid of. I'll give it the two weeks as oldhenlikesdogs suggested and then I'll do what needs to be done. Sooner if I feel he's suffering. I definitely don't want that.

I have a secure coop and run with buried 1/4 inch hardware cloth that I too had to fight my DH for. But when I got the roo and new hens I started free ranging because I have always felt strongly that animals should live free as they were meant to. Now my DH blames me for the attack. My heart hurts as I feel so badly for what happened, but I don't regret my decision. Although now my DH like your sisters husband realizes I was right about the hardware cloth, as he never did truly think there was any threat other than Hawks.

BTW does anyone know how to quote without repeating the entire previous quote?

My large breed flock is 100% free range. I believe for their mental well being it is worth the risk. Predators happen even for the most secure set ups. Folks have posted about bears ripping open coops and fences, nothing ever is 100%. I have chosen a more natural way for my birds to live and occasionally lose some to predators. We try to be proactive in our set up and reactive to the situation. You don't need people saying you did something to cause it, life caused it.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I don't let mine free range that often but I used to more and am starting to again. When i used to I used to let them out in the afternoon for hours but then I didn't like having to watch them all day plus we had an incident with a hawk relatively recently. Maybe march or april? Fortunately it didn't get them but I was inside not paying attention when I saw a hawk in the tree in the backyard and ran out, it flew from tree to tree then finally just left. Anyway, I relaized there were no chickens. I eventually found them all scattered. First one I foumd was in between a fallen pine branch and the woods next to the run, just hunched on the ground, frozen in fear. She let me catch her and bring her home. Then I found 2 more in some bushes on the side of the house. Turns out the others were there too. Some let me catch them while others were bribed back with food. One was still missing and I was really worried, I searched the whole yard, under every bush, and even went in the woods near the run and walked from there to the front yard. Still couldn't find her but I found a huge pile of orange feathers and some in flight/running chicken footprints. I figure the one all alone frozen in fear was the one attacked since the footprints were headed that direction and she's a buff Orpington. Anyways, the one missing eventually came home on her own about an hour later. Running out of the woods. She's a barred rock so couldn't have been the one attacked. I think maybe i posted here about it or another thread. But fortunately they all came home and there were zero injuries or reduction in laying or anything. I know we got lucky. But anyway, after that I kept them locked up for a long time. Now I sometimes let them out for a few hours before bed. For instance, I might go let them out now. It's 6 here and they usually go to bed around 8:30 because it's so light for so long now. I like it because even a few hours makes them so happy and they get exercise too

 

[16 paws]

galefrances,

I don't know if this will help you at all but I had a rooster with a similar problem. Mine was a Serama. He was fine in the morning and when I went to lock him up that night he was at the bottom of his coop laying there like he was dead. I rushed him inside and gave him heat and syringed water in his beak to hydrate him. I had no idea what happened to him. He was in a coop with his Serama hen Dolly and she would never of hurt him. He slowly got better after a few days but he could not walk or move his wings. If I stood him up he would just fall over. I was feeding him every few hours for the first few days. Then he started to eat and drink on his own. I tried everything, giving him physical therapy, supplements, made him a sling to stand in and on and on.I was on the internet constantly trying to figure out what was wrong with him. I could not find anything that matched his symptoms. I wonder if he was poisoned by something because for the first week his leg was shaking really bad. I still thought he would regain his balance enough to walk again. Just two days ago I went to check on him like I did so many times thru out the day and he had drown in his water dish.

I could not believe it! He was able to move his head fine. I just don't know what happened. Of course I blamed myself for not being there. I moved his water real close to him because I was worried about him getting enough liquid. I was heart broken and crushed. I had worked so hard to help him. So my story didn't turn out so well. Honestly only you can know whats best for your guy. My heart goes out to you. I know what it feels like to see them like that.
I have been working with a chick that was left blind after a attack and then the roo. Its a lot......

Whatever happens just trust there is a bigger picture that we don't see. Everything will work out in the end. You will know what is right to do for him.
Marie

 

[lalaland]

Galefrances, that is really good news that your hen is eating on her own. Besides moistening her food, you could offer her watermelon or grapes to help hydrate. I had a hen survive a dog attack - four serious puncture wounds, deep enough to insert a finger all the way in - and it took about 5 weeks but she made it and even returned to laying after a few months. She had no interest in eating at all! only drank. I had to feed her live meal worms and kale or spinach.

I think oldhenlikesdogs has it right - give the rooster time, and follow your instincts. He very well may heal up.

 

[lalaland]

I have 6 chicks hatched by two different broodies - let's see, they are about 6 week old or something. the mama hens are finished with them. Now, it is chaotic in the coop - the babies come in after everyone is on a roost, everyone pecks and chases them off the roosts. Of course, the lowest on the pecking order are the most vicious and determined, even getting off one roost and going over to the one where the babies are trying to be safe and chasing the babies off.

I cannot wait until things settle down, this is absolutely aggravating.

The good thing is it is mostly calm during the day with a big big run, lots of places to be or hide in, and multiple water and feed stations.