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

[Wax Myrtle]

Oh iPad how mad I am at you right now! I just spent 1/2 hr typing up a long post and pouff gone.....
Not easy to type a coherent long post on the iPad. Spend half the time correcting things the iPad "fixed" for me...... I'm going to bang my head against the wall.... I'll try againina little while.

Until I get a better way, all my internet browsing comes through my smart phone, with very slooooow speeds. I got so tired of stuff disappearing, that I usually will copy all the text in the reply window to my clipboard before hitting reply. Especially when I've put time into a reply.

 

[Wax Myrtle]

... And then, sometimes, instead of eating my post, it goes through twice. Argh. Sorry bout the double post...

 

[Miss Lydia]

We must be related!

 

[armorfirelady]

It's helpful to keep a separate calender for your chickens and mark each day's egg count on the day. You can look back at those the following year and see the slow down times, the peak laying times, etc. Also good for recording hatch dates for when you get broodies because, after awhile, they all run together and you have different ages of birds in your flock...hard to keep track at that point without leg bands.

This all becomes important when culling for desirable traits in the flock, laying according to the age of the bird, successful hatches of particular broodies to determine if you will let them be a mama the next time around, etc.

Great advice Bee. Thank you!! I plan to mark down when I do chicken inspections as well so I know when they were done. I dont do them often (only twice since I got them) but decided its better to be proactive and know my birds then wonder if something they have is normal.

 

[Beekissed]

I've seen some fold-away towel racks for inside your kitchen cabinet door that look almost exactly like what you originally posted, Bee, but I am guessing they wouldn't be sturdy enough.

I was looking at such things yesterday but, you are right, they are not sturdy enough for the quick yank against the metal. Wouldn't want a head slipping out or bending. The pic of the Chicken Wringer that guy markets is welded at the seams and looks way sturdy but $32.99??????? For a hunk of metal???

I'll buy a truck and use the tailgate again before I pay that.....

 

[chickachee]

About your chicken....don't be surprised if this one doesn't make it. Standing hunched, looking ill, standing alone from the flock...not a good sign. Who knows what is going on and that's the problem with chickens. They are hard to figure out sometimes and are not like the average pet.

Yeah, I guess I'll just keep an eye on her. I hate the feeling of not knowing what's wrong with her or not being able to do anything for her. I'll hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.

Could she be in molt? the reason i'm asking is one of my hens just went through a really bad molt Kept to herself and was all fluffed out, well what was left of her feathers[game] ever seen a game hen without tail feathers, really strange looking. I thought for sure she was sick and wasn't going to make it, but she has finally come out of it and looking normal again, took a long time though. Had my oldest roo do the same thing. 4&3 yrs old these 2. I hope that's all it is with your hen. They can sure keep us guessing though.

No, I don't think so, just cuz she's only about 5 months old, give or take.

I'll agree standing alone fluffed up not a good sign.... And the eye is worrying. A closed eye is often one of the first symptoms of a respitorary infection. How does she sound??

When I last saw her the previously closed eye was open and looked bright and clear. She doesn't sound congested that I can tell. I'll see if I can tell if there's any odd sounds from her when she hits the roost tonight.

Thanks all!

 

[cbuffy]

Originally Posted by Beekissed


It's helpful to keep a separate calender for your chickens and mark each day's egg count on the day. You can look back at those the following year and see the slow down times, the peak laying times, etc. Also good for recording hatch dates for when you get broodies because, after awhile, they all run together and you have different ages of birds in your flock...hard to keep track at that point without leg bands.

This all becomes important when culling for desirable traits in the flock, laying according to the age of the bird, successful hatches of particular broodies to determine if you will let them be a mama the next time around, etc.

I keep my egg count on my calendar as well - I don't have a breeding program, no roo, but it helps to know when they lay, when they lay off (LOL), etc. And it's fun! I have a calendar in the kitchen for my egg count, a calendar in my bedroom for my workouts, a calendar in my office for days off and work schedules... I'd be lost without paper calendars! (My family knows, so I can always count on 3 or 4 every year for Christmas...)

 

[Bulldogma]

OK - we talked about pumpkin a little while back. Bee likes to ferment the pumpkins by leaving them in a shed to freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw...

But apparently MY chickens like fresh pumpkin! See proof here!

 

[Beekissed]

Desparate times call for desparate measures....chickens gotta trick or treat too! You got tricked...

It could have been worse~they could have lit a tiny pile of poo on your porch.

 

[Wax Myrtle]

I was looking at such things yesterday but, you are right, they are not sturdy enough for the quick yank against the metal.  Wouldn't want a head slipping out or bending.  The pic of the Chicken Wringer that guy markets is welded at the seams and looks way sturdy but $32.99???????  For a hunk of metal???  I'll buy a truck and use the tailgate again before I pay that.....

Never owned a truck, so not hugely familiar, but did I remember correctly that you used the "V" hinge on the tailgate? Or, would a V-shaped bracket work? And would accomodate all sizes... If nothing else, a piece of flat metal with appropriately sized bolts as a stand-off at each end would be cheap and could be mounted to scrap 2x4 and then to a tree (or barn wall?) OH! Look at sectional closet and/or shelving parts, maybe?