Hippie Chick

One of mine tends to go like this when she's moulting, could she be starting a moult?

Thank you Beantree

My 6 year old Araucana's comb has changed shape this laying season. I haven't had this happen with a chicken before, or if it has happened then I haven't noticed it, but Clara's comb is a pea comb so perhaps it's easier to see any change there. Normally her comb is a fairly small ridge, typical of the pea comb you'd expect to see. Now she has a raised bit, looking like a turret on top of a castle wall! It's the same colour, bright red, as the rest of her comb and the same texture and she seems her normal crazy self in any other way - she's still going broody every ten eggs or so! It seems to have grown as she came into lay and has now stopped getting larger. Is this something that can happen as a chicken ages? I'm struggling to find information on this. Thanks all x

+3 October 2020, three gorgeous Swedish Flower Hens -1 Brunhilde the Bluebelle, my flock leader 20/2/2021 = 2,377

My head chicken Brunhilde passed today. She was old and tired but very content to be with her flock and will be missed.

There's been an outbreak of bird flu near Deal in Kent at a commercial farm UK Gov News Site

Good to know!

I don't know, I haven't seen the Smallholder's Range ones myself but the Allen and Page website states that their organic ones are "2.5mm pellet size – suitable for bantams". I use the organic ones and they are very small pellets, much smaller than other layers' pellets I've seen. If you're still unsure I can take a photo against some kind of scale for you of the organic ones.

https://www.facebook.com/BRR.CockerelRescue/posts/2880692058825085 The link takes you to the rescue's Facebook post. It's not an appeal for money or rehoming animals. The rescue has been told that the terms of their tenancy is changing and they can no longer keep their disabled rescues and will also have to rehome two of their own cats. They are not able to do this (see the link for the full details) and urgently need to find a property to move to in the Swindon area of Wiltshire. If you know of anywhere and can help that way can you please let them know, or if you are on FB or Twitter would you please consider sharing their post. Whilst the legalities of the situation are unclear and many are suggesting it's an illegal action to just change the contract without due notice etc., they need to take action to ensure the welfare of their rescues so are searching for properties to move to. Thank you.

I've seen this being discussed in a Facebook group I'm in. I thought I'd share it to see if anyone had any views or experience with the chemicals. I'm not considering using it, no need and I hope I never have a need either! Link to Article on Mother Earth News I've pasted the salient bits here if people don't want to read the whole thing: "Most home treatment options for scaly leg mites suggest dipping the bird's legs in mineral oil or petroleum, and then slathering them in Vaseline. The goal of this is to smother the mites. The treatment is then repeated after an interval of a week or two, to take care of the nits that might have hatched in the meantime. It struck me, while reading this, that this kind of treatment is similar to combating head lice (which, after all, are a lot like mites in many ways). I have gone through purgatory two years ago, when my daughters had a persistent infestation of lice, and I still had a bottle and a half of anti-lice spray sitting under my bathroom sink. The active ingredient of it is dimethicone. In a stroke of inspiration, I decided to try it on my Black Brahma, figuring that if it's safe to use on children's scalps, it should be alright for chicken feet. Unlike dipping, which involves capturing the chicken (not very convenient with a large rooster - Brahmas are among the heavier breeds), spraying can be done quickly and efficiently once the flock has gone up to roost. I sprayed my Brahma at twilight, carefully covering every spot of his feet and legs. A few days later, I was happy to see that the awful dead grey scales are beginning to fall off. I've noticed another chicken who is suffering from this condition, and I'm going to treat her in the same way. I'm really pleased to have discovered this simple, quick, no-mess way of treating scaly leg mites, and will keep it in my *****nal of chicken home remedies."

Have they definitely relapsed? Three of mine are going through heavy moults right now and they really look a mess too.

Thank you Lewis and Dogmother, I passed your messages on but I don't know the outcome yet. I appreciate you both replying, she said it was a huge help in trying to understand what may be going on without having seen it.

I don't think it is scaly leg mite, although I can't be definitely sure so that's only an opinion! I'd say your girl is moulting her leg scales or is starting to do so. It scares me every time I see this on mine but nothing ever develops from it.

A friend has contacted me to ask how well a chicken would fare when it has hatched with 'a broken knee'. First thing - I have already said it needs a vet or avian expert to look at it. I am going to say it again as it's a legal responsibility not something to be debated by the school... yes, it's a school hatching project 🤬 and I imagine most of us, if not all of us, feel the same way about those. The chick is said to be a couple of days old. I assume it can stand and move around, I think she would have said if not. I also guess she hasn't seen it and has only just found out this evening otherwise she'd have swooped and dealt with the vet/expert herself. But, my friend has been approached to look after the chick and give it a home and is willing to do so but wants to know what to expect and how the chicken will be impacted, so can we just discuss that aspect please as she's fact finding right now. Not that I have a lot to go on, other than it hatched with a suspected broken knee. My friend has kept chickens before, so has chicken keeping experience and is set up to take the chick on. She has nothing to do with the hatching project other than someone knows her and wants her to take the chick rather than send it back to the farm so it has a better chance, the farm is agreeable to this. Personally I think it's more likely to be a deformity than a break but maybe they're right. So, with the very vaguest of details possible... anyone have any ideas on how it would impact a chicken's life?

Agnes, 4 years old, Rhode Rock. Passed away 21st March 2019. A feisty little thing that always laid rubbish eggs and didn't bother laying eggs at all from March 2018 onwards! A real character who always ran down the garden path flapping her wings like she was on a runway about to take off. I'll miss her.