The New Flock 2021: Back to Basics

[speckledhen]

Scarlett would not eat until I made her some special food. She first had some cat food, which sparked her interest. Then i gave her scrambled eggs with a little plain yogurt in it to hide the baby aspirin, in case she was in any pain. She is so thin and even weak. She was in the hospital cage since we realized something was really wrong, but today, I put her back with her peeps. There is nothing I can do, nothing I can treat, probably something internal and what that might be, who knows? When she allows me to pick her up and doesn't run from me, I know she's pretty far down. She is such a pretty hen with soft almond shaped eyes, a very consistent layer. I hope she rallies, but I'm preparing myself to bury another hen.

 

[getaclue]

I occasionally give mine canned cat food, especially when they're molting, so they get animal protein. I find the animal protein improves feather quality. Mine LOVE the cat food, so I'm not surprised that Scarlett took to it. I'm sorry both of you are having to go through this.

 

[speckledhen]

I noticed Shelby looking a little pitiful yesterday and after a merry chase, found that her crop was very sluggish and her breath was smelling like it was beginning to sour. She's very thin as well, sisters those two, I guess. Came from the same batch I bet, both being splash. We removed food overnight, gave her something soft and hubby massaged the crop, but we put her back with Scarlett this a.m. Either it will fix and get moving properly or won't Shelby had a more difficult molt than Scarlett. Scarlett is showing a little more interest in food, at least.
It's hard to do all the things I have to do, take up slack on the homestead for my husband's condition and attempt to do quilt and crochet projects to save my sanity as well as make YouTube content. Plus, Bonnie is still separated from her group, Bash is also molting and moving slowly. It's a little much at the moment. If I lose either or both of those EE hens, I'll have to somehow get rid of those two little roosters, Axel and Dane. I tried for months and no one wanted them, but with Dove broody and sitting on a nest all day, there are way fewer hens than we need for the boys.

 

[speckledhen]

Adding that crippled 12 yr old Druscilla may not be with us in the morning. She has been so strong in spite of losing the function of one leg, but she no longer has meat on her keel and her voice is weak and breathing shallow. So, I'll be left with 12 yr old Belgian D'Anver, Mina, in a pen by herself again. Since they're both alone, maybe she and big Brahma Bonnie with the torn wing could be friends. Most of the big birds are scared of feisty little Mina. She drops that shoulder in a threatening pose and will fight at the drop of a hat, LOL. She's like a Chihuahua with an attitude.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sorry you are having a rough time with your birds this year Cynthia. Mina sounds adorable. That's quite old for a chicken. Glad she's still going.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, Lisa. I hated losing Ripley and was not expecting both Scarlett and Shelby to have issues this soon on the heels of that loss. They're only 2 1/2 years old, for cripes sake. I mean, even 5 years old around here is a baby in my flock. I know that old birds are always on borrowed time and I can't cure old age so there is some comfort in that.
Yeah, Mina is a little pitbull! She thinks she is 10 ft tall and bulletproof, 20 ounces of attitude, LOL. I'm grateful that she at least has had Dru for company for quite awhile and vice versa.
ETA: I thought I submitted this reply and here is sits, geez.
Dru's fight is over, she's at rest now, poor old gal. Scarlett, however, is so weak, she can't even run without falling. She's in the hospital cage with some heat and is just skin and bones. The molt exacerbated some internal problem, I guess. At this rate, I'm going to have to make a rooster pen so the girls don't have too much unwanted attention as their numbers dwindle. And Bash is not himself either. His hard molt at 7 years has made him lose weight and he was having trouble jumping on the first run of his roost tonight.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sorry you lose Dru. I know your birds mean a lot to you. We had to cull a pair of bantam hens this past week. Fall is always hard on the older ones, and really all of them. It can bring out more problems here. One of mine was my oldest bantam hen. She was only eight.

Mine don't last as long as some of yours do Cynthia. I try not to get attached to my chickens, but that doesn't always work out. Rest in peace Dru, and hoping Scarlett, and Bash will improve.

I hatched almost all roosters this year. Too many of them running around here too. Gotta round them up soon, and start another rooster flock for the winter.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, these hatchery birds are going to ruin my record of having the longest lived chickens in the South, Lisa.
Aubrey Webb of Boggy Bottom Bantams here in YouTube (he used to be, stopped breeding when life hit him hard a few years back) used to say he let the extra males free range all the time. He called them "spare parts", LOL. I got my Belgian D'Anvers from his stock. Sadly, those will all be gone when Mina passes, but they were horrible layers anyway. And the roosters were the dumbest bunch.
Sorry about your little hens. Your winters definitely trump ours.
When all my oldsters are gone and the hatchery girls finish dying off from what the heck ever is their issue (thankfully, not respiratory), we will have to reassess the situation. I'll have to start over and though I love these bantam Cochins, I need some layers of larger eggs because we eat a lot of eggs here. I've always been partial to Barred Plymouth Rocks as has my husband so that will likely be the last and permanent breed of choice if I can acquire some good stock. I can't hack different breeding groups again, another reason for one breed and the roosters(s) to go with those hens. I do adore Cricket and her daughter, Dove, but those two and Iris are the broodiest crazies I've ever had.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Nice to hear you plan to give something else a go. How are those Easter eggers laying for you? Are they still doing okay?

 

[speckledhen]

Nice to hear you plan to give something else a go. How are those Easter eggers laying for you? Are they still doing okay?

At the moment, they're all in various stages of molt. Before that, they were great layers and I think a couple should be back at it again soon. Juliette may be the only one laying, or maybe one other, but I've been very happy with them as layers. They're nutty as heck, though.
My main layers now are my 8 year old Barred Rock sisters, Atlas's daughters. But Zara went broody so she quit for awhile. She's snapping out of it now, though.