What did you do with your flock today?

[Happy hen lover]

Oh for sure happy about protecting the chickens. Would have loved to have relocated them but never caught any of them. No matter what I did.

My oldest is having such a hard time with it. She doesn’t get why we have to get rid of them and what it will do to our chickens. I tried to explain that we have grown attached to the chickens and picking them up after they are torn apart is worse than killing a coon.

Yes it's hard for kids to understand but part of pet ownership is protecting them from harm just like being a parent to kiddos.
I'm glad you killed them personally they carry rabies.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Yes it's hard for kids to understand but part of pet ownership is protecting them from harm just like being a parent to kiddos.
I'm glad you killed them personally they carry rabies.

Absolutely!

 

[pennyJo1960]

My Grandma sat me down talked to me as an adult they had disease that made them kill other words lied through her teeth.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I completed integration with my 9-week 'Bravo' group of chicks today! Hooray! It's like graduation day, the completion of a multi-step process.

Two weeks ago, I moved these six chicks from my "schoolhouse coop" into the big coop, in a separate area where they can see all the activity and talk with the big birds. They got used to roosting on top of the scratch barrel. After several days, I moved them out to the run, loose with the others, and as expected, they found a thicket of weeds in which to hide. I put food and water in the weeds for them, and of course they were visited all day long by an endless string of big birds and the seven 13-week 'Alpha' chicks.

At bedtime, big birds and 'Alphas' went in through the pop-door, but of course the little 'Bravos' refused to go in. They clustered and cried by the big door near their scratch barrel inside. I hate chasing and scaring chicks, so I couldn't *make* them go into the pop-door. I relented for several nights in a row, and opened the big door so they could hop up on their barrel. Then I picked them up and moved them to the roosting area in the big end of the coop, with the big birds. Scared little balls of fluff, they huddled. Did this for three nights in a row.

First morning, I found them all with their heads crammed into a corner. Might've been some manners being pecked into them. Second morning, a little better but still in a corner. Third morning (today), they were lined up at the far end of one roosting bar, but no one was bothering them at all.

Then tonight, I tapped my rattly stick to shoo them away from the big door and toward the pop-door instead; and repeated, "Go to Bed!" They grudgingly wandered toward the ramp, then slowly went through the pop-door, but THEY WENT IN on their own!!! I watched the process from inside as they hopped from bar to bar and found a comfy spot on a middle bar. One brave little pullet hopped up to the top bar (prime real estate) and snuggled in-between two accommodating large hens. Good girls!

I'm always so happy when integration goes smoothly and they become one with the flock.

Next, in about three weeks, the 'Charlie' group gets their turn. I have 17 in this bunch! And more on the way soon!

 

[FrankieDoodle]

Yesterday I made the horrifying discovery that my Beigie-girl has/had flystrike. She’s been acting a little off the past few days, but she was still eating, drinking, hanging out with the flock as much as she normally does, etc. so I didn’t really think much of it. Plus, she has ascites and egg issues, so it’s pretty common for her to have an off day, especially when it’s hot like it has been.

Well, when I let them out yesterday, I found her laying in a weird spot. Preparing for the worse (but still not expecting this ) I checked her butt to see if there was a visible egg or something. Instead I saw a million maggots crawling around.

At that point I called room out, and we bathed her, twice, in a permectin solution. And by “we”, I mean I got everything set up and watched Room do it, lol. I don’t do maggots (yet), and she’s better at bathing birds. I can handle most things, but bathing maggot butts isn’t one of them.

After that, I wormed her, although after two days of researching I don’t think that was necessary, and then set up a cage inside for her. I also spent yesterday scrubbing out two coops, the main one and the Polish coop, just in case. She doesn’t go in the other two often, so I didn’t bother with those.

I’ve been keeping an eye on her, but so far no signs of any more. I’m really hoping the permectin killed off the eggs and we won’t have to do this again. I put Neosporin on her wounds, but starting tomorrow I want to do it at least twice a day.
I’ve been feeling bad about not catching it sooner, but after seeing the other pictures, it doesn’t look like they’ve been there more than a day, maybe two at the latest, so that’s made me feel a little better.

Beigie is normally really bad about captivity, but she’s been pretty chill the last few days. It’s both a good thing, and a little concerning. She’s still eating and drinking, and I’ve been pumping her full of anything she’ll eat so she’s been pretty happy, but I still worry. This bird has been through waaaay too much to die because of some stupid flies. She’s been perking up a little today, so I don’t think she will, but I don’t want to curse it. Plus I don’t know how she’ll do with them plus the ascites.

At least they weren’t there long enough to tunnel through her. The wounds look awful, but I don’t see any actual holes or anything. Which isn’t to say they’re definitely not inside her, buuuut. . .
She’s a trooper. If any of my birds could survive this, it’ll absolutely be her. XD

 

[FrankieDoodle]

On a different, less disgusting note, Toad has started to come after me when I go outside. I don’t know why it started, but I’ve been ready to send her to the neighbors house, lol.
She’s 2yo so it’s seems so late to go aggressive, plus it’s been a few months since I let her free range, so I have no idea why she’s starting now.

She’s one of my Poles, and she’s got a massive comb and spurs. I’ve honestly been waiting for her to start crowing. I’ve seen her lay before, so I know she’s a hen, but ugh. She’s been creeping up on me everytime I sit outside, and at one point she attacked me, spurs and everything, with no warning. I’ve grabbed/pushed passed her/“pecked” her enough times that she’s finally getting a little scared of me, but it hasn’t really helped much. Really not happy with this. :/

 

[FBMcrazy8]

On a different, less disgusting note, Toad has started to come after me when I go outside. I don’t know why it started, but I’ve been ready to send her to the neighbors house, lol.
She’s 2yo so it’s seems so late to go aggressive, plus it’s been a few months since I let her free range, so I have no idea why she’s starting now.

She’s one of my Poles, and she’s got a massive comb and spurs. I’ve honestly been waiting for her to start crowing. I’ve seen her lay before, so I know she’s a hen, but ugh. She’s been creeping up on me everytime I sit outside, and at one point she attacked me, spurs and everything, with no warning. I’ve grabbed/pushed passed her/“pecked” her enough times that she’s finally getting a little scared of me, but it hasn’t really helped much. Really not happy with this. :/
View attachment 3195297
View attachment 3195298

I’m sorry about the way she is acting. BUT she is so pretty!!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

@FrankieDoodle I just love that second photo! Reminds me of an indignant old lady with a bad hairdo!

 

[FrankieDoodle]

Still a joyView attachment 3190967View attachment 3190968View attachment 3190970

She’s so cute!! How’s she doing today?

Well, last night I got the chickens outside in their coop. First night out and so I was a little nervous. We hadn’t seen the coon for 2 nights in a row and hadn’t seen anything of him being around still. However, he has shown up randomly before. So at 10:30 pm I went to check on them. They were quite and I opened one of the boxes for the nests. They are all sleeping and doing great. I go out at 11:30/11:40pm for just kinda “one last check” and I hear it. A raccoon close to the coop. It was up in the tree next to the coop. And unfortunately I couldn’t find where my husband put the BB/pellet gun. I do know that we made this coop as secure and possible and a raccoon would have to REALLY work to get in this coop. Of course I still didn’t really well sleep all night.

Woke up and went out to check on them. They are alive and well! I let them out for a while before I head to town for a little. And because it wouldn’t be long but enough I wasn’t comfortable leaving them out I put them back in the coop. We don’t have the netting to go over the coop yet. And though we don’t have many hawks or flying predators that we see everyday, they are there.

Got home and let them back out. For whatever reason I looked in the tree. Normally you can’t see coons in trees during the day but I did. He was just hanging out…sleeping…but not hiding very well. I pointed it out to my husband and we got the pellets and pellet gun. Now we have been trying to catch this thing for MONTHS. I do mean months. Tried everything to get him into the live traps but he was too big for it. His butt kept open the door while he ate. My brother caught a few in it but he had the same problem. We caught eye of him and we did know he was big.

So we shot him down, yes dead. And this one WAS not big. He wasn’t a baby but wasn’t the same one. We haven’t seen the one for 2 nights prior and last night would have been 3. He still isn’t around tonight either. But the coon near the coop in the tree closest to the coop is no longer going to be a problem.

Oh wow, I’m glad your birds are okay! I hope you’ll be able to get the others/big one.

I’m sorry about the way she is acting. BUT she is so pretty!!

Thank you! She’s in desperate need of a bath. Whenever that gets done, I’m going to make sure I’m far, far away, lol.

@FrankieDoodle I just love that second photo! Reminds me of an indignant old lady with a bad hairdo!

Oh yeah, you’re right! XD

 

[pennyJo1960]

Frankie believe it or not before I decided to ear a DVM degree one horse had that .. My Dad "showed me" how.
Maggots really should not be on earth even today.
I am picking up 2 frizzle tomrrow for postal bud here.