Chooks :)

[dede]

We love our chooks, although I have 1 bantam who keeps escaping under the fence and 1 hen who thinks she's a rooster and try's to crow
They are all laying at the moment so all is good. I'm guessing they will stop as the weather gets colder.

[judydawn]

Love to hear that Mandi    Bit of an identity crisis aye?

[dede]

Sometime hens that think they are roosters actually grow spurs and become aggressive and stop laying. But she still lays eggs and is not aggressive or has spurs. If she did we might have to eat her lol.

[knittercook]

We love our chooks, although I have 1 bantam who keeps escaping under the fence and 1 hen who thinks she's a rooster and try's to crow

This is very common when there is no rooster present, one hen will feel the need to become masculine and dominant

[dede]

Lol, well that's definitely what she has done then
Does that mean she's lesbian? Lol

[fundj&e]

     thats it now i have heard every thing 

[dede]

[goldfish]

We love our chooks, although I have 1 bantam who keeps escaping under the fence and 1 hen who thinks she's a rooster and try's to crow

This is very common when there is no rooster present, one hen will feel the need to become masculine and dominant

Can vouch for this - have seen it happen - a little Pekin bantam hen older than the rest and at the top of the pecking order decided she was "it" and kept the others in line . . . she'd "crow" morning, noon and/or night!!

[Meagan]

  lost a chick this morning    she hadn't been looking great and was the runt. I thought she was getting better but we buried her this morning 

[dede]

Oh poor little chicken. How did the kids cope?

[Meagan]

Eldest really seemed shattered but they are both coping better than I am  I should have gone with my gut and called to talk to a vet or the hatchery earlier 

[dede]

Birds of any kind are hard to treat, once they get sick they don't  seem to recover.
Hope you have no more issues

[Meagan]

Me too. We have cleaned the feeders and moved them to a temporary box while we dispose of the box they were in! I was really at a loss explaining to the boys what happens when a chick gets sick and dies! Totally unprepared for that!!

[dede]

Who knows, could always be a mystery. I'm sure the others will be fine if they have not shown any signs of being unwell.

[achookwoman]

Oh,  Megan.  How awful for all of you.  Unfortunately this can happen.  Don't waste your money on a vet as they don't seem to know much about chooks.  A few do have special skills in this area but not many.  Would be better to ring the hatchery.  If the others look OK then then this little one had something wrong.  Best to remove any sick looking bird, small or large,  from the others if one looks ill.  Make sure it has plenty of fresh water and keep it warm.  Hope the others are OK.