The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[Beekissed]

 

[aggiemae]

And aggiemae, I've never been lucky enough to have chicks hatched by my own hens - and the chicks I've gotten have for the most part learned to dust bathe and to eat oyster shell on their own, or perhaps from watching older hens? I do think hens teach each other - the way I will see a hen stretch out in the sun and a young pullet watching will sooner or later stretch out too!
Not saying chicks raised by a hen don't learn faster and learn more!

Alas, these are the first chickens we have had in a decade and the hens in this flock where all hatched on 4/1/12. If one figure something out they all seem to follow right along but they don't get the benefit of experience that I have seen with our previous mixed age flocks.

If one of them goes broody in the spring we will try to hatch some eggs and failing that provided some chicks and see how it goes.

 

[Beekissed]

That wasn't my original quote...

I've had the pleasure of many broody hatches.

 

[aggiemae]

That wasn't my original quote...

I've had the pleasure of many broody hatches.

Opps! I missed that it was a "multi quote" and will go back and fix it!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sure can...just leave the top off, place it in a dark place and wait a little while...maybe a week or so. Should be able to see a good mother in it by then if stored at room temp.

Well I just got the answer to my question I asked a couple weeks ago, leave the top off.

I put a paper towel over the top of mine and a rubber band to hold it thinking bugs may get in.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Gnarly Bunch Update: As mentioned above, removed possible allergen from the coop and will wait and see if Katy AKA Monkey Butt gets herself straightened up. No eggs today...nada! The girls continue to look smooth and glossy as they travel through the land of molt...some look a little rag tag but Raggedy Ann, Bertha and Ruby Crockett are looking the most lovely of all.

Pics taken today yesterday:








GOOD: Stumpy's feet look great and she is smoothing out and moving better. Ruby, as you can see above, is looking great and her vent is looking better each day.

BAD: The NuStock only works on Jake's fleas as long as it is on his body...he keeps licking it off and the fleas repopulate.

Will make a spray of pine tar solution tomorrow to see if THAT works and if he will lick it off. Will place a little hot pepper juice in the mix to try and see if he will leave it alone. Desparate times calls for desparate measures. Today he got dusted with ashes but it only provided temporary relief and then I saw him out there digging again. Where will it all end????

Boy are they pretty, and what a beautiful place to live in, if I didn't know you were in WV I say we were neighbors looking at the colors in the trees right now.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Well I just got the answer to my question I asked a couple weeks ago, leave the top off.

I put a paper towel over the top of mine and a rubber band to hold it thinking bugs may get in.

If you have any around, a coffee filter banded to the top works really well!

 

[delisha]

The chickens are looking very good. They certainly do not look anything like they used to look. Since this all started I have been at the computer more time than I should be. I have imagined all the lives you have changed as all of us read your words and look at your progress and create batches of FF. All the healthier chickens that you have helped by helping others and they in turn will impart that knowledge to more people in the weeks, months and years ahead. Pretty interesting stuff.

 

[galanie]

Talking about a wheezing hen, I have a wheezer too. I know Bee's hen doesn't usually do that so it's not the same thing. But I have one that wheezes every time she exerts herself. Other than that she seems fine and lays, etc. She's not going to be used in breeding though. She'd for sure be a cull in Bee's flock, she's an Orpington to boot. Yeah, unhealthy and an unthrifty eater. But dang, I love my orpingtons!

My next step will be a plain utility flock in addition to my Orps. I sort of have some of my current crowd picked out for the utility ones but there's some that I will just feed because I like them. Like Wheezy.

 

[mendocinosunris]

Talking about a wheezing hen, I have a wheezer too. I know Bee's hen doesn't usually do that so it's not the same thing. But I have one that wheezes every time she exerts herself. Other than that she seems fine and lays, etc. She's not going to be used in breeding though. She'd for sure be a cull in Bee's flock, she's an Orpington to boot.

Yeah, unhealthy and an unthrifty eater. But dang, I love my orpingtons!
My next step will be a plain utility flock in addition to my Orps. I sort of have some of my current crowd picked out for the utility ones but there's some that I will just feed because I like them. Like Wheezy.

I'll be darned. I've got a wheezy hen too. She's a hatchery barred rock who seems to be just fine and dandy otherwise. When she runs around & chases bugs, she gets wheezier.
She's a good layer, so she'll stay in the flock as long as she earns her keep. After that, she'll be right tasty with dumplings...