the sultan thread

[cluck-cluck]

Oh, I'm so sorry, SilkiesForEver!

that's so sad.

We haven't bought chicken scratch yet, really need to do that next time we're at the store! Certainly my eldest two are old enough for it! I'll try making that chicken crack, the sultans need a little encouragement to try new things for sure!

 

[cluck-cluck]

Ugh! I was just looking at each of my birds and many have their claws gone! They were there when they were younger, but now they're gone! How awful! They must be picking at each other's feet? Will they grow back again? Darn it, it seems like they still have room there, but I really need to get their coop finished because they'll start growing out of that box, then they might hurt each other more

 

[hokankai]

Yikes! I've never had that happen all the times I've had chicks. Do they have enough room? Do you have interesting things for them to peck and explore? Sounds like they are getting bored or overcrowded.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Yes, that's what I'm wondering. I gave them a toilet paper roll to see if that would spark interest. They're in a 2' X 4' brooder. They're supposed to be bantams, and are 5 weeks old now. I was hoping to finish the coop by Sunday but I kinda doubt that'll happen. Maybe I can do it, with tomorrow off, I might have more energy to finish it up. Do you have any ideas of what I might do to help them? Maybe some kind of toys?

 

[hokankai]

Put branches and boards in there for them to hop around on, get a little hand mirror, get some more tubes and put red dots on them to peck, set up a pen outside for outdoor enrichment, give them interesting things to eat (at five weeks they can have treats now), little cat toys, chick scratch sprinkled all over. Rotate things in to keep it interesting

 

[cluck-cluck]

Wow, thanks, I looked on the internet, but found nothing so good! You're great! Hopefully I'll have them moved into the coop in a few days!

 

[hokankai]

Thanks! You learn little tricks through the years

Another fun idea. Get a ping pong ball, draw a red dot on it, poke a hole in the top and push a knot through it. Dangle from the top of the brooder, and enjoy!

Here's a video of my first babies when they were just 3 days old. This was one of their favorite games, and they were upgraded to using mealworms when they got older!

 

[cluck-cluck]

So awesome, but I'm out of time for today. I just quickly put together a new brooder about 2 X the size, with a folding 8' table, a puppy "kennel" (a 2' high fence that bends) cardboard around the edges and a net over the top (from Halloween, LOL) They're settling in, and have plenty to mess with before they get bored I hope! 'cause I gotta run!

I've been handling these birds daily, and they don't have any wounds, so I'm wondering if Sultans have a tendency to lose their claws? I don't always turn them over to inspect them, but when I did yesterday, that is when I noticed the missing claws.

That video was SO funny! I've been keeping little zip ties on their legs to tell them apart (I know it can be dangerous, but I'm keeping on top of it. Last week I replaced them on my crevecoeurs and one came off, and they were playing keep-away with it, it was just as funny! But your video looked like a fussball game (soccer) LOL Fun!

 

[hokankai]

When you have a chance, post a picture of one of their feet. It's definitely not a breed related thing, but a dirty brooder can cause toe necrosis, and injury can cause nail loss.

 

[cluck-cluck]

They've been clean, been living in my bedroom. I don't think they were actually crowded but I forgot I have to do something all day tomorrow and Saturday, I won't be working on the coop! I'll try to take pictures here, but they'll be flash, LOL. That's why I slapped together something bigger for them to live in. Will post pictures asap Thanks for all your help!

Ok, I want you to know, I turn over the shavings all the time, and they still find a way to step in poop! Honest!

Anyway, here is the new brooder:


The bird furthest back is at the half-way point, they're all at one end here



I think this is one I thought lost it's claw, but it's just curled to the side. Not sure why?


But this one, two claws, one on each foot on 2nd from outside toe are missing

Hope you can see that clearly. I could have missed it when I first got them. Silkiesforever had something similar and I think I looked at all of them to see if mine had missing claws also, as we both got them from Ideal. I don't recall seeing any, but with 12 chicks, I could have forgotten to look for this on some?