The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[sharron]

Hmm weird. Do you plant tomatoes every year? They say you're not supposed to plant tomatoes or other nightshades in the same spot the next year.

I don't use fertilizer either but I did buy organic potting soil to mix in the hole and I also bought Espoma Garden Tone which is sort of an organic fertilizer and works well for me. Next year though I am planning on planting in the old chicken run/now compost pile and likely won't use any fertilizer. Do you have any compost or old poop you can add?

we rotate all of what we plant, since we have plenty of space, never the same thing in the same place for 2 years at least

 

[ShrekDawg]

we rotate all of what we plant, since we have plenty of space, never the same thing in the same place for 2 years at least

Wow that's awesome! We have a pretty small garden but still plenty of room for rotating I think

 

[DigMyChicks]

Hmm weird. Do you plant tomatoes every year? They say you're not supposed to plant tomatoes or other nightshades in the same spot the next year.

I don't use fertilizer either but I did buy organic potting soil to mix in the hole and I also bought Espoma Garden Tone which is sort of an organic fertilizer and works well for me. Next year though I am planning on planting in the old chicken run/now compost pile and likely won't use any fertilizer. Do you have any compost or old poop you can add?

I plant every year. Last year they looked much better but still had a fungus. I don’t plant anything in the same spot. We have had plenty of rain which I’m sure is not helping the situation. I don’t compost and I’m sure old chicken poop is spread in the field somewhere. I get more then enough tomatoes. They just look like crap.

mine are like that too, but still alot of tomato's altho mine are ripening very fast, thinking about taking some down to the auction tomorrow, hate for them to go to waste

I had so many go to waste last year. It was a great tomato season in the area, l couldn’t give them away.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I plant every year. Last year they looked much better but still had a fungus. I don’t plant anything in the same spot. We have had plenty of rain which I’m sure is not helping the situation. I don’t compost and I’m sure old chicken poop is spread in the field somewhere. I get more then enough tomatoes. They just look like crap.

I had so many go to waste last year. It was a great tomato season in the area, l couldn’t give them away.

Yeah, some of mine got like that last year after we had a lot of rain. That could possibly be it but not sure if there's coming back from it. This year seems pretty dry. As long as you are getting tomatoes though, that's all that matters!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I think one of my chickens got attacked last night or this morning. My mom found her and already cleaned up all the feathers. My dad of course just thinks she's "molting" yet none of the other chickens are, she was fine yesterday, and he says the dog was freaking out last night. And no pin feathers. Anyway, I don't blame him for not knowing about chickens. My real concern is just checking and treating her and finding what did this. I'm thinking fox or raccoon? But if it got in, wouldn't it have killed her? And why aren't other chickens hurt? Did she perhaps just get caught on the fence in fright? I think it is going to be a real pain to check her because she is my flightiest chicken... :/ but I need to catch her so I can check for injuries. Ideas for as painless a catching process as possible? And idk whether to separate her or not. I also don't know what to do if I find injuries. I mean, I do, but what specifically to put on. I have Blu Kote, Neosporin, and Pick No More (I know it doesn't treat wound but to prevent chickies tearing her up more), and I think I have Vetericyn somewhere or am willing to buy if it is better. Also have NutriDrench if you think that might be helpful? But she is acting perfectly normal and eating and drinking.

 

[ronott1]

I think one of my chickens got attacked last night or this morning. My mom found her and already cleaned up all the feathers. My dad of course just thinks she's "molting" yet none of the other chickens are, she was fine yesterday, and he says the dog was freaking out last night. And no pin feathers. Anyway, I don't blame him for not knowing about chickens. My real concern is just checking and treating her and finding what did this. I'm thinking fox or raccoon? But if it got in, wouldn't it have killed her? And why aren't other chickens hurt? Did she perhaps just get caught on the fence in fright? I think it is going to be a real pain to check her because she is my flightiest chicken... :/ but I need to catch her so I can check for injuries. Ideas for as painless a catching process as possible? And idk whether to separate her or not. I also don't know what to do if I find injuries. I mean, I do, but what specifically to put on. I have Blu Kote, Neosporin, and Pick No More (I know it doesn't treat wound but to prevent chickies tearing her up more), and I think I have Vetericyn somewhere or am willing to buy if it is better. Also have NutriDrench if you think that might be helpful? But she is acting perfectly normal and eating and drinking.

View attachment 1485734 View attachment 1485736 View attachment 1485737 View attachment 1485738 View attachment 1485739 View attachment 1485740

I do not see any injuries. I would guess molting too.

You do not need blu kote unless there is blood. It is a good idea to give her nutri drench.

Maybe some feather fixer layer feed if you can can get it too. I bet you will have a lot of molting going on soon

 

[ShrekDawg]

I do not see any injuries. I would guess molting too.

You do not need blu kote unless there is blood. It is a good idea to give her nutri drench.

Maybe some feather fixer layer feed if you can can get it too. I bet you will have a lot of molting going on soon

Thanks! I hope molting is all it is! I just thought it was weird that no other chickens are molting, the wings have bare spots (can see it better in the vid), and I don't see any pin feathers coming in? And that it's her whole body. I thought molting started in one spot first?? Although she has been looking raggedy on her chin. But it's so sudden, yesterday she was fine and not missing so many. Idk. It's all very weird. I do think I will check her over just to be sure. Isn't it a little early for molting??

 

[sharron]

Thanks! I hope molting is all it is! I just thought it was weird that no other chickens are molting, the wings have bare spots (can see it better in the vid), and I don't see any pin feathers coming in? And that it's her whole body. I thought molting started in one spot first?? Although she has been looking raggedy on her chin. But it's so sudden, yesterday she was fine and not missing so many. Idk. It's all very weird. I do think I will check her over just to be sure. Isn't it a little early for molting??

i didn't think molting just happened all at once but i know when molting they can look pretty rough

 

[ronott1]

Thanks! I hope molting is all it is! I just thought it was weird that no other chickens are molting, the wings have bare spots (can see it better in the vid), and I don't see any pin feathers coming in? And that it's her whole body. I thought molting started in one spot first?? Although she has been looking raggedy on her chin. But it's so sudden, yesterday she was fine and not missing so many. Idk. It's all very weird. I do think I will check her over just to be sure. Isn't it a little early for molting??

They can start molting any time they hit a year to a year and a half. We are already moving towards less hours of sun in the day which is usually the trigger. It is very rare for more than one or two to molt at the same time. Usually they start about now and go into February...often one at a time...and it is common to go out in the yard and see an explosion of feathers!

 

[ShrekDawg]

i didn't think molting just happened all at once but i know when molting they can look pretty rough

Yeah, that's what I thought but I guess it can change per molt and bird maybe. But yeah, mine always look rough.

They can start molting any time they hit a year to a year and a half. We are already moving towards less hours of sun in the day which is usually the trigger. It is very rare for more than one or two to molt at the same time. Usually they start about now and go into February...often one at a time...and it is common to go out in the yard and see an explosion of feathers!

Thanks, yeah, that's the weird thing. I've had them since October 2015 so it'll be 3 years in October and I normally always recognize a molt and I don't freak out when I see them half naked or anything like that but I don't ever remember them molting in the summer before and all signs this time seemed to point to predator with it being so sudden, tge bare wings, dog freaking out, etc. And I do have some security concerns I need to take care of. BUT. Upon closer examination, it turns out there ARE pin feathers coming in so I guess I was wrong. She was also a lot easier to catch than I expected lol that said, 2 of them look empty? Like where she lost a feather and there should be a new shaft, it's empty/a hole, is that normal?

Anyway, I guess it turns out that I am the one that does not know chickens after all... but again, usually can always tell and all signs were leading the other direction lol

Can they start molting under stress or heat? It's been very hot lately. And maybe something did come by.

Can they also start molting earlier as they get older? Because again I never remember it so early.

My girls usually start in the fall, September or October, sometimes even November, and they usually synchronize and all seem to molt at once. Or at least 2 at a time.

They're usually done pretty quickly too but last year Bunny (the bird in question) stopped laying late summer and didn't start again until spring. So maybe this is usual for her. Idk. The other girls started molting a bit later in the fall. Which I guess is why it caught me off guard. I guess Bunny is a bit of a slacker ha the other EE is an excellent layer even in winter or at least stops the latest, starts the earliest.