It's January, which means I would usually be sharing my New Year's Resolutions and goals for the year. But this year, with our interrupted vacation plans due to COVID-19, and the changes to our travel schedule, I just wasn't feeling the New Year spirit... Anyway, personally I felt pretty much on track last year, and don't have any major changes that I feel the need to commit to right now.
So, instead, I thought I'd share a quick homestead update, as it's been a while! In fact, I'm not sure I've posted one since we've had chickens, and there are SO many things about this experience that I've found surprising or unexpected over the past few months... Here are a few lessons about chickens that I've learned (and am still learning), and I'm sure there are many more still to come!
So, instead, I thought I'd share a quick homestead update, as it's been a while! In fact, I'm not sure I've posted one since we've had chickens, and there are SO many things about this experience that I've found surprising or unexpected over the past few months... Here are a few lessons about chickens that I've learned (and am still learning), and I'm sure there are many more still to come!
1.) There are SO many ways they can die!
I've wanted chickens for years, but honestly, before we had them I really never thought that much about them other than 1.) They'd be cute when they were little, 2.) We'd probably lose a few along the way, and 3.) We'd have fresh eggs!
Of course, I knew I'd have to care for them rain or shine, slogging through the mud and snow multiple times per day, so that part honestly hasn't been that bad most of the time. And I knew that many types of predators prey on them, so I figured eventually we'll lose a couple to hawks, dogs, etc. I felt (at least somewhat) prepared to find one or two missing at some point, with only a pile of feathers (or mangled corpse) to indicate their fate. What I didn't realize were all the other ways they could die!
They can get stuck in the fence and break their necks, they can choke to death on their food, there are numerous disease and parasites that can kill them, heck, they can even die from a cut on their foot!
The first time I had a hen acting sick and unable to open one of her eyes, I did some research and discovered the horrors of Marek's disease. When the rooster was limping, I learned about bumblefoot. I realized I was completely unprepared for the anguish of actually having to watch one of my babies die slowly!
Thankfully, that hasn't happened so far (the hen recovered the next day, and the rooster had a sprain that healed in a couple of weeks) - but the prospect was something that I simply had never thought about before, and I have so much anxiety about it now on a regular basis.
I've wanted chickens for years, but honestly, before we had them I really never thought that much about them other than 1.) They'd be cute when they were little, 2.) We'd probably lose a few along the way, and 3.) We'd have fresh eggs!
Of course, I knew I'd have to care for them rain or shine, slogging through the mud and snow multiple times per day, so that part honestly hasn't been that bad most of the time. And I knew that many types of predators prey on them, so I figured eventually we'll lose a couple to hawks, dogs, etc. I felt (at least somewhat) prepared to find one or two missing at some point, with only a pile of feathers (or mangled corpse) to indicate their fate. What I didn't realize were all the other ways they could die!
They can get stuck in the fence and break their necks, they can choke to death on their food, there are numerous disease and parasites that can kill them, heck, they can even die from a cut on their foot!
The first time I had a hen acting sick and unable to open one of her eyes, I did some research and discovered the horrors of Marek's disease. When the rooster was limping, I learned about bumblefoot. I realized I was completely unprepared for the anguish of actually having to watch one of my babies die slowly!
Thankfully, that hasn't happened so far (the hen recovered the next day, and the rooster had a sprain that healed in a couple of weeks) - but the prospect was something that I simply had never thought about before, and I have so much anxiety about it now on a regular basis.
2.) You'll become a part-time vet.
File these under things I never thought I'd be doing: Googling "chicken diarrhea," filing a broken beak with an emery board, splinting a rooster's leg on the kitchen counter...
Yet, there I was, with a file and a pair of nail scissors out in the chicken pasture as my husband held the rooster, wrapped in a towel... This procedure actually worked very well - the hardest part was trying to hold his head still. He began eating again as soon as we had removed the jagged shard, and eventually his beak grew back good as new.
The more traumatic injury occurred on or around New Year's Day. My neighbor (who was feeding the chickens while we were gone) notified me that the rooster was favoring his left leg. I assumed that he had sprained it again like he did back in the fall, and didn't think too much about it...until we returned and I found the rooster huddled in the back of the coop, one leg dangling lifelessly as he tried to hop around on one foot. :-(
A few hours and many tears later, we took our beautiful roo to the vet in a bin full of hay, where we were told he had a broken tibia and were given the following 3 options: 1.) Surgery to put a pin in the leg at the cost of $1,000-$1,500, 2.) Amputation at the cost of $750-$1,000, or 3.) Euthanasia. We opted for none of the above and took him home with a vial of pain medication. He stared up at me with his bright orange eyes as I tried to decide what to do...
At only 8 months old, wouldn't the bone heal by itself with some support?? He's such a good rooster, and takes such good care of his hens! I love to hear him crowing, and calling the hens over for a yummy treat. It just wouldn't be the same without him...
After some internet research, we laid him on the kitchen counter wrapped in a towel, and applied a makeshift split with self-stick bandages and a small strip of wood. Other chicken keepers have suggested it may take 4-5 weeks to heal, and he should be kept isolated. We got a wire dog crate which has proved quite handy, as it just fits inside the coop, so I can put him in there at night. During the day, the crate sits just outside the chicken run, so he can watch his hens as he likes to do. He seems to be feeling much better, eats well, and is quite energetic and spritely in his hopping, constantly trying to tease and tempt the hens to come near his crate. The leg still dangles in a disturbing way, but it has only been a few days, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. He does seem able to move it a bit now, and it appears normal in color instead of pale and cold like it was before splinting.
Apparently, chicken leg breaks are quite common - who knew?? I feel terrible, as we could have prevented this by cutting down the high support beam in the coop that they liked to roost on - and we should have done it back in the fall when Josh as well as two of the hens had sprained their ankles - presumably from jumping (or being knocked) off the roost... :( (Lesson learned: we finally did this a couple of days ago, and now the roosts are all much lower, perplexing the hens to no end, but hopefully preventing further breaks and sprains.)
File these under things I never thought I'd be doing: Googling "chicken diarrhea," filing a broken beak with an emery board, splinting a rooster's leg on the kitchen counter...
Yet, there I was, with a file and a pair of nail scissors out in the chicken pasture as my husband held the rooster, wrapped in a towel... This procedure actually worked very well - the hardest part was trying to hold his head still. He began eating again as soon as we had removed the jagged shard, and eventually his beak grew back good as new.
The more traumatic injury occurred on or around New Year's Day. My neighbor (who was feeding the chickens while we were gone) notified me that the rooster was favoring his left leg. I assumed that he had sprained it again like he did back in the fall, and didn't think too much about it...until we returned and I found the rooster huddled in the back of the coop, one leg dangling lifelessly as he tried to hop around on one foot. :-(
A few hours and many tears later, we took our beautiful roo to the vet in a bin full of hay, where we were told he had a broken tibia and were given the following 3 options: 1.) Surgery to put a pin in the leg at the cost of $1,000-$1,500, 2.) Amputation at the cost of $750-$1,000, or 3.) Euthanasia. We opted for none of the above and took him home with a vial of pain medication. He stared up at me with his bright orange eyes as I tried to decide what to do...
At only 8 months old, wouldn't the bone heal by itself with some support?? He's such a good rooster, and takes such good care of his hens! I love to hear him crowing, and calling the hens over for a yummy treat. It just wouldn't be the same without him...
After some internet research, we laid him on the kitchen counter wrapped in a towel, and applied a makeshift split with self-stick bandages and a small strip of wood. Other chicken keepers have suggested it may take 4-5 weeks to heal, and he should be kept isolated. We got a wire dog crate which has proved quite handy, as it just fits inside the coop, so I can put him in there at night. During the day, the crate sits just outside the chicken run, so he can watch his hens as he likes to do. He seems to be feeling much better, eats well, and is quite energetic and spritely in his hopping, constantly trying to tease and tempt the hens to come near his crate. The leg still dangles in a disturbing way, but it has only been a few days, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. He does seem able to move it a bit now, and it appears normal in color instead of pale and cold like it was before splinting.
Apparently, chicken leg breaks are quite common - who knew?? I feel terrible, as we could have prevented this by cutting down the high support beam in the coop that they liked to roost on - and we should have done it back in the fall when Josh as well as two of the hens had sprained their ankles - presumably from jumping (or being knocked) off the roost... :( (Lesson learned: we finally did this a couple of days ago, and now the roosts are all much lower, perplexing the hens to no end, but hopefully preventing further breaks and sprains.)
3.) You will love them far more than you ever expected.
Sure, I thought they'd be cute as chicks (which they were!!), and I figured I would grow somewhat attached, as I've always liked chickens a lot since I was a kid and one of my main chores was caring for them. But I had no idea how much I would love them!
I literally think about them ALL the time... When I'm not with them, I miss them. When I can't see them, I wonder what they're up to. I anxiously obsess over every little issue that comes up (of which, as you can tell from above, there are plenty). I lie awake at night worrying about Josh's leg, or Eggo's runny poop issues, or Helga's limpy run. And I am always happy to talk about my chickens to anyone who will listen - much to the annoyance of some of my sisters! :-)
While the cuteness of baby chicks is incomparable, as grown chickens, they are now so beautiful and fun - each with their own unique personality. Leggo is a little brat - following me everywhere, eating out of my hand, jumping on my back when I'm bending over - but refusing to let me touch her, and she's fast as lightning and SO hard to catch. Helga is sweet as ever, gentle and beautiful with her feathers like silk and her calm demeanor that still somehow refuses to be bossed around by the other hens. Henny and Penny are endlessly curious, following me everywhere to see what I'm up to. And Chickie-Chickie is sassy and bold, and becoming quite the escape artist - doing her best to get out of the fenced yard and dig in my compost whenever she gets a chance, and bossing everyone around the rest of the time.
And the eggs? They are amazing. :-) From the large green ones, to the small, round brown ones, and the pale pink ovals - they are all so delicious, with tough, sturdy shells, and high, firm, bright orange yolks. I love our eggs!! As this is their first winter, we still get plenty (3-4 per day), even with the short, cold days. I expect the number will increase with the day length, so we'll have to find some ways to preserve some for next winter, when they'll be more sparse.
Sure, I thought they'd be cute as chicks (which they were!!), and I figured I would grow somewhat attached, as I've always liked chickens a lot since I was a kid and one of my main chores was caring for them. But I had no idea how much I would love them!
I literally think about them ALL the time... When I'm not with them, I miss them. When I can't see them, I wonder what they're up to. I anxiously obsess over every little issue that comes up (of which, as you can tell from above, there are plenty). I lie awake at night worrying about Josh's leg, or Eggo's runny poop issues, or Helga's limpy run. And I am always happy to talk about my chickens to anyone who will listen - much to the annoyance of some of my sisters! :-)
While the cuteness of baby chicks is incomparable, as grown chickens, they are now so beautiful and fun - each with their own unique personality. Leggo is a little brat - following me everywhere, eating out of my hand, jumping on my back when I'm bending over - but refusing to let me touch her, and she's fast as lightning and SO hard to catch. Helga is sweet as ever, gentle and beautiful with her feathers like silk and her calm demeanor that still somehow refuses to be bossed around by the other hens. Henny and Penny are endlessly curious, following me everywhere to see what I'm up to. And Chickie-Chickie is sassy and bold, and becoming quite the escape artist - doing her best to get out of the fenced yard and dig in my compost whenever she gets a chance, and bossing everyone around the rest of the time.
And the eggs? They are amazing. :-) From the large green ones, to the small, round brown ones, and the pale pink ovals - they are all so delicious, with tough, sturdy shells, and high, firm, bright orange yolks. I love our eggs!! As this is their first winter, we still get plenty (3-4 per day), even with the short, cold days. I expect the number will increase with the day length, so we'll have to find some ways to preserve some for next winter, when they'll be more sparse.
Keeping chickens is so much more challenging - and so much more rewarding - than I had ever imagined. Tramping out to the coop through the blowing snow in sub-zero windchill, obsessing about injuries and illnesses and keeping their water from freezing, looking for solutions to the mud pit the chicken run becomes whenever it rains (or snow melts) - all of these are counter-balanced by their fun antics, their perky and fun personalities, the times I get to pick them up and cuddle them after they escape the fence, and of course, all those yummy, healthy eggs! :-)
I am sure there are many more challenges to come, but for now, I'm enjoying having the whole flock still (mostly) intact, and keeping my fingers crossed for Josh's leg to heal well... Also looking forward to feeding them fermented grains for the first time this week, which I'm sure will be met with great excitement! :-)
Until next time, love from the homestead,
Rose.
I am sure there are many more challenges to come, but for now, I'm enjoying having the whole flock still (mostly) intact, and keeping my fingers crossed for Josh's leg to heal well... Also looking forward to feeding them fermented grains for the first time this week, which I'm sure will be met with great excitement! :-)
Until next time, love from the homestead,
Rose.
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