xScrunchee Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 (edited) Hoping that you wonderful people can help me with my Tallulah. First of all I want to show you a lump that she has on the top of her beak. It doesn't seem to bother her at all and has developed within the last week or so after she flew into the wire of the WIR and cut the top of her beak. When the cut was there-there was no lump. Now the cut has healed, the lump has developed. Scar?? Again-pics not the clearest so hope that you can see. Next question- Tallulah is a Shamo cross. I got her 4-5 weeks ago as POL but I'm not 100% sure if she is in fact a 'she'. She hasn't laid and doesn't crouch yet she does not crow neither. Her head gear is not very large but being a Shamo cross makes it harder as they don't have large head gear anyway. She is however growing spurs I know that hens can grow spurs and it is quite common in Shamo hens so fingers crossed it's ok. Just taken a few pics to see what everyone thinks. Her neck feathers Spur Spur So-what d'you think? Edited October 29, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 I wonder if the lump is an abcess. I'd take him/her to the vet. Looks a bit on the blokeish side to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 Would an abcess be soft? The lump is hard-feels the same as her beak I think she looks a little manly too but Shamo hens definitely look more masculine than most hens so this is why I am really not sure Not sure what else she is crossed with neither. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Would an abcess be soft? The lump is hard-feels the same as her beak It would depend where it has formed and what structures were encasing it, so it is possible that it is an abcess. It could just be odd regrowth of the beak follwing trauma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 My cat, Molly had a absess recently and that was hard.........until it exploded all over the living room He/she does look a little butch but as you say could be the breed. Stunning whatever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 Think I will get her to a vet in any case. I sort of assumed that it was scar tissue but I would rather be safe than sorry As for her being a he/she, I might have to start contacting some petting farms to see if they would take her/him if it turns out that she is a he. I would be absolutely gutted to be honest but I couldn't keep 'him' as I already have Kev and there are not enough girls to go around as well as the fact that I am managing to keep Kev with his little crow but Tallulah is a very large bird and no doubt would have a very loud crow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted September 26, 2009 Author Share Posted September 26, 2009 Anyone else fancy having a guess? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted September 26, 2009 Author Share Posted September 26, 2009 After reading something on the internet about the width of the pelvis in laying hens I just went out and checked the new girls. They say that if a hen is laying or very close to laying-you should be able to put your hand over the vent and feel the pelvic bones on either side with three or four fingers fitting in the gap between the bones. I tested this out on my laying hens and sure enough I can place 3-4 fingers over the vent area between the bones but Tallulah I could only fit about one and a half fingers She is very big, nice red face, comb and wattles and looks like she should be laying already so after this finger test thingy it is looking even more likely that she is not a she Has anyone else ever heard of this and is it an accurate way to tell how far off a hen is from laying? http://www.happychicks.co.uk/mall/infopageviewer.cfm/Happychicksshop/SickPoorlyHenChicken Edited to say that I feel like a right saddo as I have replied to my post three times in a row Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 Just a quick update- Tallulah is a cockerel and is going back to the breeder later today as I can't keep him with Kev. The breeder will be taking him to a poultry auction. I am so gutted. The breeder has appologised and feels really bad as he was sold to me as a point of lay hen. Oh well, onwards and upwards I guess. He will be very, very missed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 That's a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Oh dear I am sorry she is a he Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Oh no, sorry you have to let Tallulah go, but hopefully he will find himself some lovely new ladies soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Oh my goodness, please don't let the breeder put Tallulah into a poultry auction. Even pure breed males fetch absolute peanuts and usually end up in a curry. As a cross-game cockerel, he's more likely to be used as a training bird for cock fighting, or worse. Please, please, please look for another solution. There is a poultry-rehomer called Beegal on some of the other forums and he takes boys too, which he does his best to re-home. When I enquired, he just wanted a bag of poultry food as a contribution to his costs. Please consider it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 NOOOOOOOOOOOO This is the last thing I would want but it's too late now She said that it is a small auction and they get re-homed to schools and stuff. I have been sooo upset this past few days and begged her not to eat him or throw him in with her other cockerels in case they attack him. When she said about the auction I was sooo happy that at least he wouldn't end up on someone's plate. OMG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Oh I'm so sorry. It was just the word "auction" tbh. Maybe it's not a run of the mill poultry auction. I really hope she's right and that he goes to a nice new home. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 Don't be sorry-not your fault at all. I am just trying to get in touch with the breeder to ask her about this auction place and to tell her my concerns. I would rather Tallulah be humanely* (sp) dispatched than bought at an auction and used for fighting or whatever. I will offer to pay her whatever amount she might expect at auction if it means that she will not take him there. Thank you for pointing this out to me Jools. I honestly cannot bear the thought of him being ill treated in any way at all. He is a lovely bird and it's bad enough that he has to leave us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CluckyBucks Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 What a shame xx xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speckled hen Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 What a dilemma I had this problem when I discovered that Colin was a boy, the breeder also planned on taking him to an auction, after much deliberation, we kept him Sadly though he died a few weeks later, I am so pleased I kept him though, I was devastated when he died but I think I would have been just as upset seeing him go off to auction as I just hated the thought of him not being as loved as he was by us. I was lucky though, we didn't have another cockerel to consider. I do hope you manage to find a solution that feels right to you. All the best and good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
