Things You Wish You Would Have Known?

[lazy gardener]

I'm a techno idiot. But, if I can get some pics from my computer to this site, I'll do so. It started out being a closet for storage of supplies in the coop, but I decided that was a total waste of time (much to hubby's chagrin!) So, I took the face off, and put a pop door through one wall, and now am putting in a floor above the pop door... Need to get out there. Broody hen still sitting her golf balls this morning, but she takes more and longer breaks than I would like to see. Perhaps that will change when she has space of her own and real eggs.

 

[Jensownzoo]

If you plan on housing guineas with your chickens, once the keats are old enough to be moved from the brooder into a coop put them into their final location immediately. Adolescent and adult guineas are a pain in the rear to move ANYWHERE, so skip the grow-out pen/coop. If you have to move them, use a net.

However, any and all scratches incurred whle learning this will be totally worth it when the guineas save your laying pullet from getting her head ripped off by a raccoon in the night by doing their predator-freak-out routine. The pullet has made a mostly full recovery, although she will always be a little special due to the head injury. Her name is now "Snowflake", because she's a little flakey but utterly unique.

 

[Lisa Wood]

I know I keep coming back to this pic of one of my CLB's but every-time someone says weird...and birds... I think of this shot. She just so captures the "weird"

She is awesome weird.

 

[Lisa Wood]

I did my entire shed/coop I designed by watching YouTube, window frame openings, door way openings, roofing framing and so on, the rest I just kind of wing it depends on my left over materials since I don't have lots of money.

Aqesone gorgeous coop. Wish my house looked this good,

 

[lcertuche]

Great job. I used to have open rafters and my game chickens would roost on them. Good light and ventilation from your windows. Very secure which is whats important when the birds sleep.

 

[chickrunfun]

Thank you for the compliment on my cream leg bar girl...she is awesome! And they grew into their "hair nicely too!
* pardon Jeanie's rear in this photo...she comes by that wide end honestly*

 

[MultipleAnimals]

("I found him/her Wednesday afternoon/evening, he/she was laying down, not moving, I thought, oh no Dead, so I went in clicking my tongue, and he/she got up, but is limping, one of the feet is curled, I don't know what happened, I had just got home from a job, can anyone help?")


("Do I Need To Splint It? I Don't Want To Cull as this is the last Chick I have, the others were tooken by a 'coon. What should I do for his/her leg?")



("I May Have To Cull, As I Came Home Today I Went To Check On Him/Her and it had fell out of the coop and got attacked, Scalped, And Under The Wing Was Bleeding.")


I Posted All These In The Emergency Section, On Three Different Days On My Thread, No One Has Commented. It's Under Something's Wrong With My 3 Month Old Chick. Can Any Help? I Don't Want To Cull Him/Her.

 

[JaeG]

("I found him/her Wednesday afternoon/evening, he/she was laying down, not moving, I thought, oh no Dead, so I went in clicking my tongue, and he/she got up, but is limping, one of the feet is curled, I don't know what happened, I had just got home from a job, can anyone help?")


("Do I Need To Splint It? I Don't Want To Cull as this is the last Chick I have, the others were tooken by a 'coon. What should I do for his/her leg?")



("I May Have To Cull, As I Came Home Today I Went To Check On Him/Her and it had fell out of the coop and got attacked, Scalped, And Under The Wing Was Bleeding.")


I Posted All These In The Emergency Section, On Three Different Days On My Thread, No One Has Commented. It's Under Something's Wrong With My 3 Month Old Chick. Can Any Help? I Don't Want To Cull Him/Her.

I'm in a similar situation with my bantam who can't seem to support her weight on her legs. Her legs are not paralysed as she kicks them about and they aren't splayed out in opposite directions so I know it isn't Marek's disease. She's still eager to eat and will drink from a spoon, she just can't walk for some reason at the moment. She's only 20 weeks old, is an absolute darling little thing, and I will keep nursing her along for as long as she keeps fighting with me. I have her propped up between rolled up towels so her feet are touching the ground but her weight is supported. Living in the city I know it's useless taking her to a vet as she isn't a dog or cat, and I'm sure they would tell me to euthanize her, but she certainly doesn't seem ready to give up, so neither will I.

Have you tried searching for similar threads to your problem? I'd type in "Chicken with curled foot" and see if anyone else has had the same problem. So often it's so difficult to diagnose these things as so little research has actually been done on chickens. More often than not at the first sign of disease or injury they are put down. I'm so sorry about your chick too. I've had a quail come back from being horrendously scalped so I think birds are extremely tough creatures if given a chance. I do hope someone out there can help you. Good luck.

 

[Jensownzoo]

I have a pullet that survived an attack...she was partially scalped and had a punctured eye and a punctured ear drum. Brought her inside, cleaned the wound and applied Vetericyn, and kept her in until things had scabbed over. She wasn't eating for me, so I thought she might do better with the flock. It took a bit, but she's completely healed now...she's not quite "right in the head" compared to the others, but she's a sweetheart. Call her Snowflake, 'cause she's special.

The curled foot could be injury, infection, or nutritional deficiency so it's difficult to tell you what the prognosis is for that. Try adding vitamins to the water if you haven't already, just in case.

 

[Flock In Texas]

I'm building my first coop right now and I'm eating this advice up.