Windy hill chickens - first flock(s) of my own

[kattabelly]

There's been snow on the ground for the last 48 hours but looking like that will be gone by the weekend, if not tomorrow. Yay, more water! There's already a small stream running through the chicken plot.

Moved the fence to give them access to a new section of the back strip of field but they were more excited about all the fresh snow to eat

Wen's looking better, putting more weight on her foot but starting to hurt or get tired after a while. She came out to the field with the others and then shouted at me to come get her once she was struggling to keep up. She's been enjoying our polytunnel trips. (I'd be worried about the state of her feathers here if she hadn't always been such a scruffbag.)

Eggs from all three regulars. Stragglers went to roost ss+40 tonight.

 

[thistlewick]

Orkney and Shetland have very high percentages of Scandinavian DNA, upwards of 50%

And down in the 'lower' parts of Scotland, anywhere from 10-25% is Scandinavian. This is everyone in Scotland by the way, who considers themselves Scottish.

When I did my own personal DNA years and years ago, and saw a very suspicious 12% "Scandinavian" DNA marker, I began my foray into my family tree.

I knew my father's side was half Dutch, half English. My paternal grandmother did ancestry. But my mother's side? When I went down that rabbit hole it's all Scottish, all the way back. Allllll the lines. Turns out that "English" side of my father's line is *northern* English.

Every boat that took my ancestors from there, to here, took off from Glasgow. All save my Dutch ancestry.

Uhhh, long way of saying Scandinavians did some Viking, sure -- they also did a lot of settling and marrying and intermixing.

Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk lolol

 

[Shadrach]

There's been snow on the ground for the last 48 hours but looking like that will be gone by the weekend, if not tomorrow. Yay, more water! There's already a small stream running through the chicken plot.

Moved the fence to give them access to a new section of the back strip of field but they were more excited about all the fresh snow to eat

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Wen's looking better, putting more weight on her foot but starting to hurt or get tired after a while. She came out to the field with the others and then shouted at me to come get her once she was struggling to keep up. She's been enjoying our polytunnel trips. (I'd be worried about the state of her feathers here if she hadn't always been such a scruffbag.)

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Eggs from all three regulars. Stragglers went to roost ss+40 tonight.

Limps. Very difficult to do much about if the problems not visible. The ones I've seen, I can't say dealt with because I have yet to have a chicken fully recover from a major tendon strain, muscular deep bruising and maybe even partial hip dislocation which would need an xray to establish.

I have to ask, is it possible for you to keep one with you where you live?

 

[kattabelly]

Limps. Very difficult to do much about if the problems not visible. The ones I've seen, I can't say dealt with because I have yet to have a chicken fully recover from a major tendon strain, muscular deep bruising and maybe even partial hip dislocation which would need an xray to establish.

I have to ask, is it possible for you to keep one with you where you live?

She had some bruising initially, and gentle palpation and manipulation showed two toes were clearly broken. No visible bruising or other injury, or pain response further up the leg. I just wish I knew how it happened.

She's already choosing/able to spend more time on her feet and with the others, though I'm making sure she has plenty of time to rest and also feeding her separately for now.

Officially I'm not allowed pets here, though I've ignored that in the past for incubator hatched chicks. I'd bring a very sick chicken home if I thought it would be in their best interests but in this case I think she's better off staying with the others.

 

[BDutch]

Limps. Very difficult to do much about if the problems not visible. The ones I've seen, I can't say dealt with because I have yet to have a chicken fully recover from a major tendon strain, muscular deep bruising and maybe even partial hip dislocation which would need an xray to establish.

I have to ask, is it possible for you to keep one with you where you live?

My Black was injured badly last year. I picked her up from a neighbour, sitting and not moving on top of a bin, 4 or 5 houses down the street. Probably happened escaping from a predator. I felt so sorry for her and I didn’t know what to do. But she did.

She went into a nestbox by herself, just standing, not moving. I gave her rest, water, chick feed and now and then some treats. She was standing for days, recovered slowly, but she did. After about 6 weeks she was herself again. She’s not limping at all and very quick for a 10 yo chicken.