Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[motherochickens]

This chicken is the same age as my others (about 5 months old) - but has always been much smaller. I feel like I've seen her eating and drinking and she doesn't have any other visual things out of place, but for a while now (not sure how long, maybe a week or more) one of my chickens has been standing and laying down like this... a white fur ball with a beak sticking out. She doesn't seem to be in pain... but the others don't do this.

Any suggestions? Is she fine? Is she egg-bound? None of my chickens have layed an egg yet and are not on layer-feed yet.

I'm worried... any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[BGMatt]

This chicken is the same age as my others (about 5 months old) - but has always been much smaller. I feel like I've seen her eating and drinking and she doesn't have any other visual things out of place, but for a while now (not sure how long, maybe a week or more) one of my chickens has been standing and laying down like this... a white fur ball with a beak sticking out. She doesn't seem to be in pain... but the others don't do this.

Any suggestions? Is she fine? Is she egg-bound? None of my chickens have layed an egg yet and are not on layer-feed yet.

I'm worried... any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Most common things would be egg bound or coccidiosis. But could be other illnesses as well.

 

[TerrorBird]

Quote:
I take the deaths of my birds hard, too. I don't think you're being silly at all. Planting something as a grave marker is a wonderful idea. We actually use the grave itself as the site for the plant.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

The two hens I lost last winter are buried under my big Damask rose"Ispahan": beauty to beauty.

 

[flirty31]

Oh man, I want a hen that lays these eggs SOOO badly!!!

Too bad roosters aren't allowed in Tacoma city limits

 

[ChaeBird]

Anyone here on Dogs On Deployment? They find long-term fosters for pets while military personnel are deployed, and someone in Battle Ground, WA, is looking for someone to foster four hens through August of 2016.

 

[CarolynF]

Carolyn, he is a White Langshan cock (I don't raise marsupials), just got the pair flown in from Ohio but the hen is a little camera shy and torn up/rough looking from being in breeding pen.

Yuk Yuk Yuk.... if I meant THAT type of roo I would have said "Skippy"!!!

I suppose you don't raise young goats either?

...... kids .....

So what is it about White Langshans that you like enough to go to some much trouble and expense?

 

[CarolynF]

This chicken is the same age as my others (about 5 months old) - but has always been much smaller. I feel like I've seen her eating and drinking and she doesn't have any other visual things out of place, but for a while now (not sure how long, maybe a week or more) one of my chickens has been standing and laying down like this... a white fur ball with a beak sticking out. She doesn't seem to be in pain... but the others don't do this.

Any suggestions? Is she fine? Is she egg-bound? None of my chickens have layed an egg yet and are not on layer-feed yet.

I'm worried... any help would be appreciated. Thanks

I can see why you're worried. How long has she been doing this? Have you checked to see if she's egg bound? Does she display any of the symptoms of coccidiosis?

I had a hen that was doing that, but she'd lay an egg and go back to acting normal, but the egg was always shell-less. I had to cull her which was sad because she was my favorite hen.

 

[BGMatt]

So what is it about White Langshans that you like enough to go to some much trouble and expense? 

Langshans are my favorite breed. Have been since I was a kid. They're the ultimate homesteading fowl. Super hardy, great layers, huge size for meat, have a temperament I really like, great reproductive qualities, did I mention huge? (The cock bird in that photo comes up to my knee, I'm 6'3" and he's not done growing)

Anyway, this time around and after talking at length with a few folks I consider mentors I have decided to specialize in all three varieties of Langshan (at least til I can afford pens for a couple side projects in a few years), both becaus they're my favorite an I already have a lot of experience breeding them from before so not a steep learning curve and will be able to have a lot of success.

I have a few chicks out for blue and black, and one mature hen already, so this pair of whites completes the initial stock acquisition. They'll be used on their own and with the blacks (simple recessive white) to improve my line as a whole. So unless the chicks that I have on the ground from shipped eggs turn out horrible, it will be a very solid foundation. As far as why adults instead of eggs or chicks, it was what was available from a quality breeder, and I prefer that anyway since I know what I'm getting (His size and back line are great, chest needs to fill out but the hen has a great chest anyway to help correct that).

 

[KMHunter]

Quote: The first sign of coccidiosis is standing around, inactive, fluffed up. I would treat for that with Corid. Powdered or liquid. It works fast.