What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

I just read last night about the efficacy of those in combating flies and other pests. I hadn't given thought to adding it to their dust bath. I was just going to plant the flowers near the coop. Do you just pulverize the stuff and add it to the bath?

I just tend to throw it in as is. I do strip the rosemary and lavender from the stalks if it's older material and chop the lemon balm if it's really large.

 

[Shetland lover]

Today I became some sort of chicken therapist.

I'm not currently living with my chickens. Their caretaker called me because there had been a hawk attack and she couldn't find Bianca, my favorite hen.

We live in a suburban area where hawks are very rare. That's why we let them free roam. Nothing happened in 3 years and then, suddenly, a hawk?!

But it was true. The mother****er was still flying in circles above the yard when I arrived in the caretaker's home.

She was crying the hell out of herself, telling me what she had seen and that she was afraid that the hawk could've taken Bianca away.

Bianca is a chronically ill hen. I spent a lot of time and money to save her. She still requires special care. Her caretaker said: "She can't end up like this after all you've done to save her".

I said: "No, I don't want to think the worst either, she must be hidden somewhere".

And YES! I walked around the house calling her and then I saw her little head pop up from below the car! She had reacted to my voice but she was still too scared to come out so I picked her up myself and told her everything was fine.

She had some blood in her comb but otherwise she was fine! Just traumatized, like the others.

After a cuddle session I put her in the run and told her caretaker not to free range them for the time being. They didn't look like they wanted to be outside of the coop anyway. Poor girls!

The rooster was super nervous and some of the ladies were still trembling so I stayed a while with them and talked to them to calm them all down.

After I left, my caretaker told me that they had come out of the coop and were eating in the run. Phew.

How terrifying - for them and you! And their poor caretaker of course.
We live in a very urban area and regularly have a peregrine falcon visit us. I love to see it but at the same time, I'm petrified it tries to take Clara as she's so tiny. Fortunately, both my roos are very alert and very protective. I've made sure she can hide quickly under shrubbery if she needs to as well. Bit of a bugger at bedtime if she decides she's not ready roost though. Usually end up playing hide and seek with her...

 

[kurby22]

Well we said goodbye to RooPaul today and it went about as expected. :-( Aria spent all day with him until he left and then sobbed periodically the rest of the day and at bedtime. Breaks my heart but I really feel it was for the best. He and George were sharing a coop with the two new pullets and the pullets seemed afraid to go anywhere and were always hiding in the coop. After RooPaul left, the ladies came out and tonight during bed check, we found all three of them snuggled together on the roost bar So the pullets were happy, George is happy, and according to the new owner her little girl is extra happy Aria has grudgingly agreed that it was a move that made sense and she was happy the girl was to have him.

We got a teeny bit more done on the Cooplex! Runs are built! Next the roof!! Tomorrow!

We also entered a few birds in an online poultry show, so fingers crossed for the entrants! Finally got some nice Ducky Jr pictures too!

 

[PopoMyers]

My chickens still see crows and ravens as scary predators. When one of them gets a glimpse of one in the sky, or even sees the shadow of one crossing the ground it makes its warning squawk and they all half-fly, half-run for cover. Sometimes they even jump for a second if a robin swoops by. LOL

But there are hawks around here, and one of them makes multiple passes over the pasture out back hunting for food sometimes. I've seen a couple bald eagles fly over too, but I don't know if one of them would go for a chicken.

A couple days ago my birds followed my to the edge of the woods, and they spent some time there pecking around. I kept a close eye on them because who knows what critters are hiding in the underbrush.

Be wary of the bald eagles. They will pick a chicken up. We have them up here in Kitsap, many a chicken has been swiped up from many keepers.

 

[PopoMyers]

Got my Brahma a bath and vent trim, since it was in the 80's this afternoon, and she would dry off quickly. I guess it's a common task for this breed. Fluffy, Poopy butts. No eaten eggs today. Yay!, and no escapee. Pikake is not happy to be in jail, but she'll need to be in for awhile until I put curtains up in the coop.

 

[Soujrnr]

Hello chicken peeps! I have a question. I posed it elsewhere, but got no response, so I'm going to ask here if you don't mind. I'm just curious how often you all check for mites and such on your birds. Ours are still skittish, and we can't get near them without them bolting, so we can't inspect them. Someone also mentioned a vent trim. Is that something we need to do as well? Yup, we're total newbs....

I apologize if this is not the right thread, but it does get the most activity. Thanks.

 

[kurby22]

Hello chicken peeps! I have a question. I posed it elsewhere, but got no response, so I'm going to ask here if you don't mind. I'm just curious how often you all check for mites and such on your birds. Ours are still skittish, and we can't get near them without them bolting, so we can't inspect them. Someone also mentioned a vent trim. Is that something we need to do as well? Yup, we're total newbs....

I apologize if this is not the right thread, but it does get the most activity. Thanks.

No need to apologize! I don't specifically check for mites all that often, but we do handle the birds almost daily so you catch them pretty quick that way. I would recommend starting to work on them getting used to some handling so you can work up to at least weekly checks on the birds. Not just for mites, but early catches on bumblefoot, or sniffles, or rapid weight loss that is hidden well by all the floof. My best suggestion is to pester them at bedtime when they are calmest and check each one for bug and such--and keep being present during the day around them with treats so they get more used to you at all times. It will make your chickening much easier and enjoyable I wouldn't vent trim unless they are super fluffy and it's causing gunk buildup. Otherwise, as long as they have a good dust bath (preventative herbs, DE, wood ash, etc. in the bathing area) they should be okay. At least mine are

 

[Smokerbill]

INTRODUCTION DAY!

Today my pullets saw their new roosters for the first time through a panel of mesh fencing. The girls seemed extremely interested. The cockerels, not so much. Food was more important at the moment. LOL

But the roos were distracted with their new surroundings at the same time, so it must've been a lot for them to adjust to.



Yesterday I saw that the pair of cockerels were acting like they'd had enough of the 2x6 double rabbit cage they've been confined to for the last week. It had to be pretty rough on them in that tight space with little stimulation to keep them occupied.

So today I pulled them out, one at a time and inspected them closely. They looked clean, no signs of mites or lice, but I went ahead and dusted them with pyrethrin, just in case they had a few. And to make me feel better about putting them close to my little hens.

They didn't enjoy being grabbed out of the cage much at all, but once they were in hand they were pretty easy to control.

I found a slick way to apply the dust online. I put some dust in one of the tabletop plastic squeeze bottles, the type ketchup and mustard is put in. It worked really well and the nozzle tip directed the dust exactly where I wanted. After dusting I put them in a smaller rabbit cage for an hour while I prepared their new space.

I cleaned out all the old pine shavings in the coop and covered the floor with dry semi-composted wood chips, the same material that's in the run. Set up the feeder and waterer, plus a bowl of grit.

For a roost I just piled up several pallet sections left over when I sawed out my fence pickets. I think it will make a good roost for them, and it's about the same height as the hens' roost on the other side of the screen.

More pics....

 

[ChicFil- A]

People eat it?

It’s the most nutritious plant on planet earth!!! Smart Roo!!!!

 

[Bird Lady Bekka]

Hey everyone! Just wanted to show off my Shetland ducks Today was a big day because the first of the bunch got her name--Sigrid! These are a critically endangered species that we drove 14 hours straight to pick up... may be just a tad the "crazy duck lady" lol So excited to see what they'll look like in a couple weeks! Are there any other Shetland duck owners in the group?