SufficientSelf's Chicken Thread!!!

I have a few orphans that this broody hen sat on for 21 days. Now she's the proud mother of 4. She allows me to pick up the babies but she sure doesn't like it.

Mommaandbabysmall.jpg


Whenever we have a clutch of chicks they (and momma) are pretty much on their own. The chicks never get any type of special food or treats. And they stay right in the coop with all the other chickens. The chicks run around outside as soon as mother hen thinks it's time to do so. We have very good success with this arrangement and rarely loose a chick.
 
As a backyard chicken owner, I continue to learn valuable lessons. I can confidently now advise newbies who have a picky spouse, not to get white chickens. When they moult, the white feathers all over the green (read brown, now) lawn is just too much to take. One of my chickens was standing in the wind today with the feathers blowing off her! Funny.
 
That is a good point SoLucky. My barnyard is starting to look pretty messy now too. At first glance you wonder if somebody had a big ol' pillow fight out there. Bad chickens!
 
We're putting up a new run for the chickens, the mess from deconstructing the old one distracts from the feathers all over. :D

It's chain link and I'll be attaching smaller fencing around the bottom to keep chicks and heads inside.

My brahma won't let me see the chicks anymore. She takes them away and hides them when I step into the run. The silkie cockerel doesn't like her in there anymore either since she pecks his pullets. So we are making another 10x10 pen as well that will be her home for a while.
 
I need advice on treating fowl/avian pox. I live in SE Louisiana and we have been experiencing lots of rain and now tons of mosquitos. One of my hens appears to have fowl pox and another appears to be in the early stages. I have read several articles that say to just let it run its course. The lady at the feed store insisted that I move the coop, treat the drinking water with antibiotics, and spray the old coop site with a fungicide. I am nervous about the long term effects that the antibiotics and fungicide may have. Does anyone know of any natural remedies/treatments for the pox and for reducing the mosquito population?
 
Lol at the feathers! We just sold our Sebbie geese, but they lets looked like someone just had a pillow fight in their pen!
 
mamahen said:
I need advice on treating fowl/avian pox. I live in SE Louisiana and we have been experiencing lots of rain and now tons of mosquitos. One of my hens appears to have fowl pox and another appears to be in the early stages. I have read several articles that say to just let it run its course. The lady at the feed store insisted that I move the coop, treat the drinking water with antibiotics, and spray the old coop site with a fungicide. I am nervous about the long term effects that the antibiotics and fungicide may have. Does anyone know of any natural remedies/treatments for the pox and for reducing the mosquito population?
Click to expand...
It's a virus...why in the world would they suggest you give antibiotics and spray with a fungicide for a virus? :hu

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26362--,00.html

I'd isolate the infected birds and wait it out. If you have a source of catnip, you can feed it to the birds, place it in the nestboxes and bedding and even steep it in an oil and paint the roosts with it to ward off mosquitoes.

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=Catnip+Leaf+and+Flower

As with any virus or other pathogenic invader, you might want to give an immune system booster like mother vinegar in the water and even feed some fermented foods.

I'd place NuStock on any body part not covered in feathers or beaks as a preventative...it's just sulfur, pine oil and mineral oil.

Or...since you live there and this will likely raise it's ugly head again in the future, you could just let them get it and let them form antibodies against getting it again. Sort of like kids having chicken pox.
 
Didn't even think about the other colors of feathers because the white ones stick out so much, great idea.
 
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