The Old Folks Home

[Cynthia12]

Ha. It better be far into the future before I have any grandbrats

We have 33 grandchildren, and one great grandchild. None, are brats.

 

[Peep_Show]

I've got another one in the coop that's limping, and her toes on the left foot are pretty swollen but there's absolutely no bumble or other mark on the foot to explain it.

Possibly frostbite or the beginning stages of it.

anyone want to give me a list of possible causes?

2 year old production white Leghorn with bare areas on underside, mostly the last rear half

- no signs of mites or lice

- no signs of going broody

-poop trays are full and

, but I went in and checked last night while she was sleeping, no body parts are touching the poop in the poop tray.



I have been feeding feed a bit on the low side for protein... I guess I will switch to the higher stuff next time I buy some.

Any other thoughts?

Sounds like my coop! I might guess someone is taking advantage of her when she's in the nest box and picking feathers when she's turned around facing the wall doing her thing and plucking and eating those nice short tender feathers for a little protein.
Up the protein intake in your coop and slather her nakedness with that Rooster Booster Pick-no-more stuff. Also watch in the coop as to who may be the offender....worse comes to worst use the No-Pick Peepers on that bird.

BTW, things are a lot more congenial in my coop since the Peepers have been in play. The RSL's though are kind of a little too aggressive for my tastes and so we may be rehoming one. They're good as two, the the three of them together are a nasty little bully clique.

 

[drumstick diva]

You tell him Cynthia!! You are blessed. Maybe he is so set against grandchildren because they may be like HIM.

 

[Alaskan]

@Peep_Show

thanks for the guess..... but it can't be some other chicken, since it is in a difficult to reach space.... unless this leghorn spends her days on her back

She must be eating her own feathers??????? A bit of an odd location I think.... but i dunno

Hopefully if I switch to a higher protein feed that will take care of it.... just don't know what it is that is causing it... I just really hate it when my chickens don't look nice.

(and OF COURSE, I just bought a bunch of low protein feed)

 

[drumstick diva]

I'm surprised no one else has mentioned the obvious here - it's clear that whatever is happening to this hen, is all ALASKAN's FAULT!! I rest my case.

 

[chickwhispers]

29 eh?

It's my number and I'm stickin to it.

I'm surprised no one else has mentioned the obvious here   - it's clear that  whatever is happening to this hen, is all ALASKAN's FAULT!! I rest my case.

 

[chickwhispers]

Seriously though Alaskan my buff orpington did thst last fall and plucked hervown feathers out she sat a little longer o. The nest box but never really went full out broody.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

(Ignore Paul... this was a look alike contest entry).

That little roo of mine started out with an ever so slight mismatched beak at hatch and it got worse and worse as he aged. You can see his head is deformed slightly, too. The above picture is him likely around 4 weeks (because he's still indoors) and by the time he died his beak was even worse.

He was a very sweet boy and very friendly, but could barely eat. We'd have to give him wet mash every day just to get a few calories in him, and he was still very skeletal. He also made a giant mess trying to eat, which attracted rodents if the others didn't clean up after him. He was also unable to groom himself (didn't even take dust baths) and ended up getting a bad case of mites which is when we decided to cull him. I was very sad. If I had it to do again I would have culled earlier. I know some have success stories with their cross beaks, but we did not.


More snow coming tonight!

 

[Beer can]

Probably depends on the severity of the cross beak. My fathers broody hen a jap black bantam had a cross beak, went more on a angle than mismatched. She hatched out his RIRs for many years, and never had any problems.

 

[drumstick diva]

snow coming here too AND rain or freezing rain and mixed precipitation into tomorrow AND Tuesday