What did you do with your flock today?

[TropicalBabies]

Had to cull my roo a few months ago. He was a really good boy and I miss him. The neighborhood feral roos started moving in and trying to claim my girls, coop and run for themselves - and what ever feral hens wanted to tag along with them. Welp, I spotted a free roo on craigslist. Nice Ameraucana/EE boy who was on his way to being culled or dropped off because he flogged his new to him people. Glad I spotted him.
He did his 2 week iso and I opened the mini coop door a few days ago. He is a good boy. He does a good job keeping an eye on the ladies and they seem to like him. Obviously they missed Beetle too

 

[BDutch]

Obviously they missed Beetle too

Sorry you had to put him down.
Hope the new boy keeps the feral flocks away and will be a nice guy for you and your ladies.

 

[PopoMyers]

Pru is very prone to bumblefoot and I'm constantly on the lookout for it as a result. I suspect it's because she is on the hefty side for a bantam cochin. With Pru, I try to avoid surgery unless the site is really inflamed or she's limping. If I catch it early enough, she usually responds well to foot soaks and/or antibiotics. I mainly take this approach due to Pru being a nightmare to bandage and won't keep still enough for surgery. Plus it terrifies her to the extent I can’t catch her for weeks afterwards, making aftercare impossible.
Surgery is still probably the best option for bad cases, especially if you can keep things clean with a well fitted bandage, like you were able to. I'm wishing her a full and speedy recovery

The bandage stayed on long enough. She is no longer limping, as I now cannot identify which one she is out of 6 white leghorns

 

[PopoMyers]

Had to cull my roo a few months ago. He was a really good boy and I miss him. The neighborhood feral roos started moving in and trying to claim my girls, coop and run for themselves - and what ever feral hens wanted to tag along with them. Welp, I spotted a free roo on craigslist. Nice Ameraucana/EE boy who was on his way to being culled or dropped off because he flogged his new to him people. Glad I spotted him.
He did his 2 week iso and I opened the mini coop door a few days ago. He is a good boy. He does a good job keeping an eye on the ladies and they seem to like him. Obviously they missed Beetle too View attachment 4190805

Guess I've been awol for awhile. Garden and yard duties abound. So sorry to hear about handsome Spyder. Glad the girls have a suitable suitor.

 

[PopoMyers]

I have had soft shell issues with one of my new girls, and Kogasa, my 3 year old Sapphire. They've been switched to a layer feed, and have oyster shell. Usually the soft eggs get smashed by other girls or eggs on top of them in the box, and they mostly get eaten before I find them. I've read that this can be true of girls past their prime, but one of my newer girls? They've had less treats lately as well. Any thoughts or your experience? Kogasa laid a good egg today.

 

[Shetland lover]

I have had soft shell issues with one of my new girls, and Kogasa, my 3 year old Sapphire. They've been switched to a layer feed, and have oyster shell. Usually the soft eggs get smashed by other girls or eggs on top of them in the box, and they mostly get eaten before I find them. I've read that this can be true of girls past their prime, but one of my newer girls? They've had less treats lately as well. Any thoughts or your experience? Kogasa laid a good egg today.

How far down the pecking order is your young chicken? A primary cause of soft shells in younger birds is bullying and/or stress. Also shocks caused by exposure to predators, loud noises etc.
In fact, soft shells in general are less likely to be caused by calcium deficiency than other problems such as shell gland infections, IBV, egg drop syndrome...
Has your young girl been laying long? It could just be her working the kinks out of her reproductive system, for example, the egg passing too quickly through the shell gland so the shell isn't deposited as it should. There's little to be done in this scenario, just wait and see if it resolves itself.
Your Sapphire may just be approaching the end of her laying life, if she appears in good health.
I think switching to layer feed, adding oyster shell and limiting treats is about all you can do realistically. You could also try adding a liquid calcium supplement to their drinking water. I feed eggshells back to my flock, too. Not a problem for your flock but I find my boys gobble up the shells faster than the girls!