Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: Cindi on November 01, 2007, 12:20:16 am

Title: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 01, 2007, 12:20:16 am
We have been incubating chicks, some are coming out with kind of deformed legs, like how I mean is that it appears that the hip may be disjointed and not sitting correctly.  This happened with a couple of chicks in our last incubation in the incubator.  I am wondering if this is a genetic thing we need to deal with, or something that others may be familiar with.  We had 15 hatch out so far and out of those we have had to destroy about 4 of them, I am sure that they were not keeping.  Help me with this issue, so new to this part of our farmyard.  Have a wonderful day and a beautiful day in our life.  Cindi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 01, 2007, 01:12:21 am
Out of the sets of eggs I've done over the last 2 years I've only had 1 chick with that problem.  That is the breed of chicken?  The 1 that had the bum hip joint was a light Brahma.  Yes it is genetic.  If you can identify which hens are laying the eggs that are priducing the lame chicks and 86 them you should get rid of the defect.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: JP on November 01, 2007, 05:31:41 am
Cindi, you can't give them little canes to walk with? Sorry you have to 86 some. That's life, like a bad queen you have to put down. Good luck finding the hasbeen.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Michael Bush on November 01, 2007, 08:07:40 am
I've only seen it when incubating them.  I think the temperature is slightly (very slightly) too hot.  Sometimes they seem to pull out of it and finally walk right and sometimes they don't survive that long.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: reinbeau on November 01, 2007, 09:13:45 am
We have been incubating chicks, some are coming out with kind of deformed legs, like how I mean is that it appears that the hip may be disjointed and not sitting correctly.  This happened with a couple of chicks in our last incubation in the incubator.  I am wondering if this is a genetic thing we need to deal with, or something that others may be familiar with.  We had 15 hatch out so far and out of those we have had to destroy about 4 of them, I am sure that they were not keeping.  Help me with this issue, so new to this part of our farmyard.  Have a wonderful day and a beautiful day in our life.  Cindi
Cindi, do you know about the [urlhttp://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/]Backyard Chickens forum[/url]?  I've been reading it for a few years, in anticipation of finally getting my chickens started - it looks as though next spring may be the time!  But anyhoo, I know I've read of people having these problems with chicks and they use a rubber band around their little legs to pull the errant leg back into position (but I have no idea how to do it!).  Post over there and I'm sure you'll get a good answer!
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 01, 2007, 10:18:05 am
 :) :) :)Ann, that looks like a great site and yep, uh huh, I am going to have that as another learning tool to have some fun with.  Thanks, you are a woman full of great information  :)  I will go on the forum there and figure out what we can do about the poor little chicks.  The remainder of these dudes should have hatched out last night.  But we have another batch that will be hatching out in a little over a week from now.  By that time I will be ready with information on hand to help them out (or not).

Brian, I am unsure of the chicken breed.  My Sister has told me, but I forget, I know that they are brown though (hee, hee) and lay brown eggs.  It is kind of a weird name.  I can bet it is genetics, but to find out the chicken that is laying the bad eggs would be a rather difficult task to do I would think.

I can't remember if I told you guys that my Sister went to the auction two weeks ago and bought a whole swack of chickens for .25 cents each.  What a horrible time of year to sell birds, they were practically giving them away.  She bought about 50 or so. 

We have been feeding them up, giving them colloidal silver water mixed in with their water to drink for the first few days, and they are looking much better.  So many of them had all the feathers pulled out of their backends, they looked like little aliens.  But the pin feathers are all growing back, it looks really funny all these black nubs sticking out all over the place.  They are finally looking really good.

There are so many species of chickens that we got.   I will get some good pictures when we allow them outside, they are still inside, but this week's weather is looking pretty good tomorrow, so maybe they will get released.  I know for sure we have some brown ones like we have, some Barred Rock, one that looks like an owl, and is enormous (I think he is actually crossed with an owl  :roll: ;), at that), there are some that are small and white that kind of remind me of the Silkies that we had, but not as fluffy and several other weird looking ones. 

I am pretty excited cause they all look so good, and having such close contact with them, they are getting really friendly like all our other chickens.

I get such a kick out of our relatives or people that come to visit us and I tell them how well trained our chickens are.  We go out to the chickenyard and of course, you know the eagle eyes of chickens.  They see us coming, they know that probably we have something good for them to snack on, so they watch us very closely.

I always have little scraps of bread that I bring with me out to visit them.  If I bring the bread bag out from within my pocket they all come running.  BUT......the funniest thing is when we are walking there, I begin to call them "chick, chick, chick, chick" making that chicky sound I do, they come running as fast as their little legs can carry them.  (you all that keep chickens, you know exactly what I am talking about, how fast they really can run!!!!!!!).  Some will even fly a few feet to get there faster than the others.  The bread pieces are thrown and they run like the dickens to get the bread, they hang out, wait, hang out, run, I love the chickens.  Even typing this little story about them gets me all excited to go and see them and bring them their well loved treats.  I can't express how much I love raising chickens and ducks.  This has brought such a happiness to my life (along with my bees), and man, when I get those double yoker eggs, I love my chickens even more.  Man can I ramble.  It seems when I get to a'typing, I just can't stop, so many thoughts come into my mind.  Now where was I?  I can hardly remember what the original topic of this post was  :-\ :)

The banties are the smart ones.  They will grab a hunk of bread and run far away with it and then eat it, man can they run like the wind!!!!  I love how our big white rooster, Roakfort, makes his girbly sounds to show his girls the food particles, he usually doesn't eat much, he is focussing on taking care of his heirom, and really loves to feed them well.  Cute.

I think the most beautiful part of raising chickens is when I gather the eggs (I am the gatherer) and bring them into the house to ensure they are clean.  As I am cleaning these eggs, I marvel at the fact that tomorrow morning, should we have some eggs to eat, I know that these are fresh, I know what these chickens are eating and I know that there is nothing on this ol' earth that tastes like a fresh homegrown egg.  I thank my lucky stars that I am so fortunate to have these soooooeeeet treasures from the chickenyard.  I am a lucky woman.

Ooops, Ann.  You just wait until you get chickens.  It will delight your soul.  You will spend hours watching those birds, there is never a dull moment in the chickenyard, and the beautiful sounds they make will enhance your love of life.  Yeah!!!  Good for you.  Come next summer, you will have another part in your life that will bring you joy, as do your bees.  Yeah!!!!

Have a wonderful and beautiful day, in this great ol' earth.  Cindi

I did get a picture when we got the new chickens of the one that I think is crossed with an owl, not a great shot, but this is what it looks like

(http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/5246/chickenunknown640x480lx9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: JP on November 01, 2007, 10:17:05 pm
Cindi, I always enjoy reading your posts. You ramble on if you wanna girl! Your life's stories are quite interesting but I'm in a dilemma, do we call you the bee lady, the duck lady or the chicken lady? Can you really taste the difference between a fresh egg and store bought? I always buy the brown ones and love those double yokes, they are like winning the egg lottery. See ya, Cindi aka Cindi Doolittle. :-D :-P
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: reinbeau on November 01, 2007, 11:17:09 pm
JP, there is no comparison between store bought, factory farm raised eggs and nice real farm fresh eggs.  I'll never buy a supermarket egg again after learning so much about how those birds are treated.  There's no reason why a chicken has to live like that - even if we're going to eat it, it deserves to live a good normal chicken life, not debeaked in a cage never seeing the light of day.  There are three farms near me where I can see the chickens, know how they're raised, and I have no qualms about paying $2.50 a dozen.  The eggs are fresher, the yolks bright golden yellow, they sit high on the whites (the whites don't run all over the pan) and they're just delish. 

Mother Earth News has just published an update to an earlier article about the health benefits of eating real free-range eggs.  Check it out here (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Whole-Foods-and-Cooking/2007-10-01/Tests-Reveal-Healthier-Eggs.aspx). if you're interested.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 01, 2007, 11:28:02 pm
Animals of any kind are interesting to watch.  

I get a real kick out of watching the chickens, especially a mama hen teaching her newly hatched chicks the what and wherefores.  The pigeons are also funny, they get really comical and romantic, the billing that goes on between birds "getting to know each other" is cute.  There is a lot of similarities between pigeons and bees, if you have the time and ability to observe both.  Papa goat has been teaching junior all the proper head butting techniques, the rear back and lunge is my favorite.  Sometimes I think they're going to knock each other senseless.  Junior was born polled where both parents had to be dehorned--I like the natural poll look on a goat. My wife wants to get both billies fixed but I'm more of a mind to try and breed for a polled goat.

I just finished remodeling my chicken pen to better accomidate the steps from incubator to brooder, to intermediate, to fryer and layer.  I now have a dedicated space for each stage of development.  I also want to build a couple of pens for selective breeding--I have this idea of developing a big, broad breasted, dual purpose chicken, that lays multi-colored eggs and runs to 10-15 lbs at maturity.  That's a chicken the size of a small turkey.

Now it's back to finishing the fence for the goat pasture extension.  After that it's more nest boxes and perches for the pigeons.  I plan on racing both young birds (the reason for more nest boxes) and widowhood gents next year. then there is the building of more bee equipment for next year and fencing in the beeyard and garden.  

I only have 1 1/4 acres but you'd think it was a full section sized farm with all the chores I have lined up to do over the rest of my life.

Cindi and others: If you want to help out on developing my Homestead Chicken PM me for details.  I'll give you info on the breeds the hybrid is to be debeloped from and breeding instructions.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: JP on November 02, 2007, 12:05:56 am
Reinbeau, thanks for the webpage link. I read Jon Robbin's Diet For A New America yrs ago and was horrified. Things haven't seemed to have changed much in recent times. I am hopeful though, some of my local grocers have been stocking chemical free, hormone free milk for a few yrs now.

Brian, good luck with your chickens.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 02, 2007, 10:56:22 am
JP, ooooh you make me wanna laugh!!!  I am happy that I make you happy!!!  That is good!!!!  Yes, there is no comparison whatsoever to the ichy store bought eggs, I can't even think about the difference.  I normally do no like eggs one little bit, but without a word of exageration, I love my homegrown eggs.

Ann, you have the deal of the century if you are paying $2.50 for farm fresh eggs.  We sell our eggs for $3.00 a dozen to the locals and we sell them for $4.00 to our yuppie friends in the city.  We have a friend who takes about 17 dozen a month to sell to all her pals at her school where she teaches. They are so pleased to get such a deal because "organic" eggs (we only buy organic food actually) go for $5.00 a dozen in the city, Vancouver.

Brian, now you are doing some interesting stuff at your place too.  I love to hear what you are up to.  I love the pigeon idea and I wish, I really do wish that we could get a couple of goats or two.  But I have had dealings with Nubian goats (I love the floppy ears) and they get into so much trouble around my place that I can't be bothered to keep them.  They are surely sweet though, I love goats.  If ever I could get proper fencing made, then I would without a second hesitance get goats again.  Such cool animals.

My Grandsons had two rabbits that my Sister gave them. Oh brother, what a sore in my side they became. The novelty wore off and I wound up having to mostly take care of them.....but they are gone now.  My Sister went to the aution a couple of weeks ago, and the rabbits mysteriously disappeared.  The kids thought they ran away until I told them that they went to a great home.  They don't miss them one little bit.

So, maybe I could convert the rabbit pen to a pigeon house. It is near our home, my Husband built a great and wonderful rabbit pen and house underneath their tree fort.   I can bet your bottom dollar that it would house a few pigeons with ease.  I will be thinking deeply about that venture.  And Brian, maybe I will lean on you for alittle knowledge about how to look after them. Time will tell that tale, so hold on.

I think that we are going to have to build one of our boxstalls into what you have created Brian for the stages of development of the chickens.  When the chicks are incubated my Sister takes them up into her house for a couple of weeks and keeps them in her laundry room where it is nice and warm (hee, hee) (smiling).  But I am sure that she would surely want them to be outside instead of inside  ;) :)  So, that is another road to travel down, one day.  Thank the stars above my Sister is a designer and builder.  She is creative and has the most wonderful ability to build.  Yeah!!!!  She is so talented she can even design clothes, she is a work and a wonder for sure.

Brian, yes, I am going to PM you and ask for details on what you are doing over there with the breedy stuff.  I am interested and it would be such a fun project.  I will also talk to my Sister and she if she would be interested too.  I am sure she would be, we both love to experiment with things, yeah!!!!!  I wanna hear what you are up to.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day on this great planet, Earth!!!!  Cindi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 02, 2007, 11:13:25 pm
If you decide to bite the bullit and get some pigeons can I suggest Black Country Rollers (aka Birmingham Rollers).  These little acrobats tumble from 100s of feet in the air and occassionally hit the ground. They get up a bit grogy, shake their heads, take to the air again and do it all over, and over, and over.  You will definitely be delighted watching these ball of feathers cartwheel head over heels for a few flips to 50 or more. 

If you want birds as pets, verses racing, the rollers are the way to go.  You can even convert your old rabbit pens into cages for the pigeons with 1 pair to a pen.  They will provide hours of "free" entertainment and hold your visitors in awe.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 03, 2007, 11:37:35 am
Brian, OK, that sounds interesting.  More research to do about raising pigeons, I think that sounds slightly more interesting than old rabbits, they were a nuisance and the kids may really love them and their acrobatic natures.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day.  Cindi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: mark on November 18, 2007, 06:09:01 pm
don't use newspaper as litter for chicks it is too slippery and can cause leg problems.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: johnnybigfish on November 18, 2007, 10:16:48 pm
Yeh, pigeons are pretty cool. I like the fact that they can come and go and arent locked up. I have about 70 pure white racers. My dad used to race pigeons and he didnt like the white ones as he thought they attracted hawks more than the dark ones did. He did real good but the pigeon club became real political and clocking technology entered the hobby and he just kinda quit.I talked him into keeping a pair of whites and then I got them along with their offspring when I moved out into the country. They pretty much just eat and poo and fly around in circles but I still like them. Racing pigeons can fly over 60 miles per hour sometimes and  they were shipped up to 600 miles away during race season. Its sad but nobody races pigeons much anymore. For me, I wouldnt race them because, unlike my dad, I dont liike the idea of sitting out in the yard looking at the sky all day waiting for a pigeon to come home. And if theyre coming back from hundreds of miles they do deserve to be watched and cared for like that.
 Now, I'd like to get peacocks! I havent got any yet because I'm afraid my dogs would liike them too!
yalls friend, john
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 19, 2007, 09:07:13 pm
>>For me, I wouldnt race them because, unlike my dad, I dont liike the idea of sitting out in the yard looking at the sky all day waiting for a pigeon to come home. And if theyre coming back from hundreds of miles they do deserve to be watched and cared for like that.

You don't have to wait around for them.  I will be using an electronic timer that picks up the magnetic band on the leg of the pigeon as it enters the loft.  I train my birds to come directly into the loft from flying on either a training or racing toss.  2 things are waiting for the mated males when they get home, food and his honey in the nest box.  It's called widowhood style of racing.  For the young birds (under 1 year old) I just train them to trap immediately--always toss them hungry and have dinner waiting. A 1/2 sister to the birds I have was clocked at 1456 yards per minute--that's over three football stadiums--and in excess of 60 mph on a 500 mile race. 
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 20, 2007, 09:57:26 am
Brian, this topic of pigeons is fascinating!!!!!  I don't think honestly that I would have the time, but I wonder still if I could get my oldest Grandson interested in having some pigeons, I really think this could be his baleywick.  I am going to ask him this morning when he comes over if he would have any interest in this area.  He is just turned 13 and a pretty responsible young man.  (He now is about 5 inches taller than me, his voice changed suddenly to deep, man voice, and he is cute!!!!).  Thank goodness the girls haven't discovered him yet.  The most wonderful thing I can say about this young man is he is a nice guy.  Really, a very nice kid, so is his Brother. Eeeks, why do I always go off topic?  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, Cindi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: johnnybigfish on November 20, 2007, 06:56:35 pm
Wow Brian!
You surprised me about the racing pigeons!
 I had just assumed you knew some stuff about racers, not that you actually race them! We also, occasionally, used the widowhood method. I knew about the clocking method used nowadays but didnt mention it as I didnt think anybody would have understood how it actually works. Last time dad looked into the new method of clocking it would've cast about 1400$ to get started. The club now has most members using the readers instaed of stamp clocks. As a matter of fact, last I heard, the old clocks were kind of a pain in the neck at the clock readings.
 Anyways, my white racers are Jansens!...I keep saying I'm gonna buy some new stock to breed into what I have now but I still havent gotten around to it. Dad, when he raced, never did buy or sell a pigeon. He always did good tho.
 Guess what? Sitting right next to me is a portrait of "GI Joe"
Band number USA 43 SC 6390. This pigeon is accredited with saving over 1000 lives of British troops during WW2! In 1948 this bird was shipped to London where he was cited and awarded the "Dicken Medal for gallantry"..GI Joe is the ONLY bird or animal in the USA EVER to recieve this high award.
You can Google to find more about him.
 And some people only know pigeons as "Poopers on Laundry".
 Anyways, Let me know how you do in this racing season.

your friend,
john
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Kathyp on November 20, 2007, 08:25:29 pm
peacocks are right up there with goats in my book.  make sure you don't have any neighbors for a mile or so around.  they'll be calling the police on you when they hear your "children" screaming!!

cindi, if you decide you need to go the AB route, they make a medicated chick feed.  at least you can get it here.  it's a bit easier than the meds in the water.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 21, 2007, 10:20:36 pm
>>Anyways, my white racers are Jansens!...I keep saying I'm gonna buy some new stock to breed into what I have now but I still havent gotten around to it. Dad, when he raced, never did buy or sell a pigeon. He always did good tho.

Jansens are good stock.  If you know your animal husbandry you don't need to buy or sell a bird.  I use both in-breeding and line-breeding to develop my stock.  All substandard birds end up in the pot.  If a turkey had as much breast meat for its size as a pigeon does it would have 1/2 again the amount of breast meat that it does.

I race Sams--there are only 2 lofts of them in the USA, it is a line of birds developed from a couple of old feral track birds and mated to Jansens and a number of other Belgium strains.  They come in 2 basic colors--blue and red.  1/2 my flock are mealies (aka silvers or red bars).  Sams were developed by my childhood friend who has had pigeons since I was 10--the next year I got into bees.  I helped him with his pigeons and he helped me with my bees.  I traded 2 beehives for 8 birds and now have 16.  So, in our sunset years we've both gone back to our youth with having both bees and pigeons.  I'm the bee "Expert" and he's the pigeon expert. 
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 22, 2007, 12:15:26 am
Brian, you still astound me with what you are up to, good for you, yea!!!!  Best of this  beautiful day, wonderful health wishes to us all.  Cindi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: JP on November 22, 2007, 01:09:21 am
My Mom's Dad used to keep what we referred to as Homing pigeons. A few times I remember bringing some across the Lake Pontchartrain bridge and we would let them fly home. He would band the little ones legs. One night a coon got into the pen and that wasn't a pretty scene at all. My uncle wound up killing the coon. Those pigeons were really cool. I enjoyed them while he had them. They were handsome birds. I think common pigeons as we called them and still do give the racing pigeons and homing pigeons a bad rap.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 22, 2007, 11:06:49 am
JP, how cool.   I want to interest my Grandsons in keeping pigeons.  I really think it would be something that they would be interested in.  My Husband also kept pigeons when he was a child, (he is always a mystery to me).  After 27 years I still don't know all about him, he told me once that there would always be things that I didn't know about him.  And he is right.  So, he can help to bring a little expertise to these young lads, should they choose.  I think I would like to get the rollers that Brian was speaking about.  I have written down the actual name of them and I am sure I could find them in Canada.  The border doesn't allow cross country shipping of birds, nearly positive about that.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, Cindi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: JP on November 22, 2007, 11:44:27 am
> After 27 years I still don't know all about him, he told me once that there would always be things that I didn't know about him.  And he is right. 

Its our job to keep things interesting, sometimes a mystery. He's doing a great job at that!

Good luck with the pigeons. Perhaps Brian could send you some via the airways. Sort of kidding sort of not, maybe that can happen, I don't know. Happy Turkduckin'.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: johnnybigfish on November 25, 2007, 10:08:53 pm
Hey Brian,
 Are you going to fly 15 birds to a  team? Thats what we did, old birds and young birds. Sometimes we would race 2 15 bird teams in a race. Dad has been racing pigeons since he was about 9 years old. He quit racing while he was doing his 29 years in the Air Force. In the last base housing unit we lived in(here at Sheppard) the base permitted him to build and maintain a small loft for pigeons. Dad raced out of that for about 2 years until we moved off base. Then we built a lot better, larger one! It was done before their house was even finished!
 The Air Forces decision to let dad have that little loft was really a surprise for most of the nabors. I think the fact that dad was ranking chief of the Air Force at that time had a lot to do with it, And also, just prior to getting here from Alaska, Dad had won something called a "Dedalion Award", an award(very prestigous) for being recognized as the # ONE supply organization in the entire Air Force. The AF had plans for dad to travel around the world (selling the AF to people who might enlist) for some more years before he retired. Dad retired from this house with the first loft to the house they still live in today. Dad realized,in 1975, after 29 years of service he had had enough.
 I'll tell you more later!
your friend,
john
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 25, 2007, 11:53:44 pm
I just collected a batch of eggs from the pigeon loft.  They are still mating up--I hope to have 7 pairs before Christmas.  I will let them keep any eggs that will have a 2008 hatch date for the young bird racesin early summer.  Out of the 7 pair I hope to have a 12-14 bird racing team.  Of the old birds I will be racing 9 stronge men under widowhood in the fall. 

My stock of birds have been raised with the goal of winning races in the 500-1500 mile distance.  They do okay at 100-500 miles but do much better at the longer distances--and to think the beginning of this line was just an old track (common) pigeon.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 26, 2007, 12:18:34 am
Brian, all I can say is, you are truly an amazing man.  Have a wonderful, great day, Cindi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Angi_H on November 27, 2007, 03:12:33 am
Your picture looks like either a Silver Favoral (sp) or either an Americanna or Aracanna which will lay either light blue to green eggs. I raise and breed poultry. And also grow heirloom veggies. I will be getting 2 hives here soon from a friend of my hubbys who was also one of his best men at our wedding in 99 and is also a co worker for firefighting. Here are the breeds I raise.

Cuckoo Maran (the chocolate egg layer) color is dark brown and breed from France
Standard Dark Cornish (meat type bird)
Royal Palm Turkeys
Black Mottled Turkeys
Coturnix Quail
Indian runner ducks in 3 different colors.

Leg and feet problems can also be a heat issue with in the incubator. For crooked toes and for splay legs there is an easy way to fix that from hatch. For splay legs you can take a rubber band and loosely put it around one leg and loop it around the other leg bring the 2 into a more normal position. Then every evening place the chick in a dixey cup to force the chick to keep its legs under it for about a week. This will and has worked. Now for crooked toes due to malposition in egg or prolonged hatch you can take a band aid and tape the foot and toes as streight as you can get them and tape over the top making sure all of the toes are aligned right. Make sure to keep the poo removed and it should be right after about 4 to 5 days.  Any other hatching or chicken questions shoot away. I am also a vet tech and have been around farm animals and stuff for over 30 years.

Angi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 27, 2007, 09:41:08 am
Angi, thank you for the information, you bring a wealth of it here and I am grateful for that.

We used to have Indian Runners, and Rouens.  We had two of each, they crossbred and brought some beautiful crosses to our yard.  The crosses had a specific name, Kahki Campbells, that was what a site on the internet indicated when these two breeds were crossed.

A nasty weasel got into our duck barn a couple of weeks ago and killed them all, including the Muscoveys (two adult Muscoveys survived).  The young Muscoveys (I think 8) were in with the chickens so they are alive and well, so neat.  I love ducks.  I don't know if you read my post about the death of these birds, that is why I mentioned it.

I love the Indian Runners and we will by all means get more.  They are the most interesting breed and I can't wait to get more.  I loved to watch them.  I love the sound that the male Runner made, you know that sound, he would never stop making his sounds when he was walking, leading his girls, he loved the Rouens as much as the Indian Runners, they were all the best of pals.

I used to love when they would all walk with their heads turned sidesways and pointed towards the earth.  No clue what that was all about, but it was the funniest noise they would make when they would do this.  It was like they were pointing out something to each other. 

Angi, do you know why the ducks do this head sideways pointy thing?  So curious about things I am, and curiosity never got this cat.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, glad you are here.  Cindi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Angi_H on November 28, 2007, 12:35:16 am
If you notice the female will do that when they are next to the male. That is her submissave dance. Meaning hey I am ready here I am. Oh ya and the male wimpy quack. The females have such a loud quack compared to the males. When the females are ready and want to breed when they walk up to the male they do there little quack talk and bow there head and tip it up and down talking to him. Kinda like a greeting. Runners are very fun to watch and have. And great for free ranging as since they dont fly they are great. I have Fawn and white, Fawn in with a blue Fawn Drake and Fairy Fawn in with a White Draks right now. I show them as well and I get best Breed, Reserve Breed, Best light breed Duck, Reserve light breed duck, And 1St and 1 second. Fairy fawn is not a reconized color as of yet. I sale hatching eggs and that is what helps keep the feed bill at bay. I will also be raising my Royal Palm and Black Mottled Turkeys both Hearitage Breeds to sale this spring and raise for T day and Christmas.

Angi
Nice to meet another Poultry lover,
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 28, 2007, 10:21:01 am
Angi, come to speak of it, I had noticed that sometimes the females would do this funny sideways head thing and then the male would be attracted to them  ;) :) and give them some attention.  It was interesting.

One of the things (actually really more interesting that watching the bees) that I find fascinating, is the antics of the chickenyard critters.  There is never a dull moment, always something going on.  I can spend alot of time sitting on my milk carton, watching them, I really need to get a more comfortable apparatus out there for sitting, really, don't know why I haven't, just a little procrastination I guess.

The Indian Runners and Roeuns were my pride and joy.  I loved them to pieces, I just wish that they would have become friendly, like the beautiful Muscoveys who love to visit with you.  These other two species just didn't want any human contact and would always go away, really fast.  I have so much to learn about chicken yard critters. I didn't realize that Runners came in different colours than black, so much to learn.  I think that I would love to have some different ones, other than black too.  (Maybe I will have to increase the size of the yards, I have 5 acres, so space is not an issue).  We have movable fences that we change the shape of the yards every now and then, and then if we want them larger, we just add more wire and posts.

I have a picture of these that I will show you.  We will get more this spring too, I like them, and I love the quacking noises that the females do, it sounds like a funny laugh that I remember from a cartoon show as a child. 

The Indian Runner male crossed with the Rouens as well, which made some pretty looking progeny.

In this picture you will see the male and female Runner on the left, the group of older babies in the centre and the two female Rouens on the far right.  This was a beautiful flock of birds.  But we will have them again, that is one of my biggest quests of chickenyard replacement birds, yea!!!!!  Beautiful day, love our life we live.  Cindi

(http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/601/longneckfamily640x480uo3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Angi_H on November 29, 2007, 01:44:42 am
those runners look like they are crossed with something as they are heavy as well as do not stand up right like they should. If I could attach a picture I would show you what I mean.  Indian runners are very thin and walk upright. They so not fly and do not waddle. It is really hard to explain with out you being able to see a picture. Now I am not trying to make you upset. What I am saying is I just dont think they were pure.  Go to feathersite dot com here is the wording just take out the spaces you will see what I mean
http : // feathersite. com/ Poultry/ Ducks /Runners /BRKRunners. html

I have fawn and white which on there it is called Penciled. I have one drake and 4 hens My drake and one of his daughters are always getting Best Breed and Reserve breed and Best Light breed duck and reserve light breed duck When one wins best the other brings home reserve. I wish you did not live in Canada otherwise I would send you some hatching eggs. It is a long process with alot of paperwork to send even hatching eggs there. I also have Fawn (buff on there) hens 2 in with a Blue Fawn Drake. I have one very nice Show Quality White drake that is in with all of my Fairy Fawn hens they look like the gray or trout hens on there. Look all over that sight it will have you drooling over all sorts of breeds.  As soon as I can post some pictures I will show you some of my best birds. My quail are now laying and I am getting 20 eggs a day from them. If you email me I can share that way as well. I am also very much into Conservation and education toward conservation for wildlife. I am a member of Wildlife Warriors and Steve Irwin was and still is my Hero. He is truely missed. My heart still aches because he is gone. He did more in his one life time for conservation and wildlife education for our mother earth that anyone could have ever thought. He has bought millions of acres around the world for conservation efforts. Sorry to get off and write a novel I do that when I start talking about things I am passionate about.


Angi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: KONASDAD on November 29, 2007, 12:19:31 pm
If you decide to bite the bullit and get some pigeons can I suggest Black Country Rollers (aka Birmingham Rollers).  These little acrobats tumble from 100s of feet in the air and occassionally hit the ground. They get up a bit grogy, shake their heads, take to the air again and do it all over, and over, and over.  You will definitely be delighted watching these ball of feathers cartwheel head over heels for a few flips to 50 or more. 

A friend has some rollers that someone gave him when their spouse died. Living close by his house are five nesting pairs of peregrine falcons on the bridges between NJ and philadelphia. Seems this rolling acts as trigger for the falcons and they are decimating his flock .
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Finsky on November 29, 2007, 04:34:59 pm
.
I incubated  quails and some got twisted legs if incubator did not have air mixer.
Same happened when my friend incubated duck eggs.
Temperature is uneven in the apparatus. And I thought that  it was too cold in some corners, but Michaels says too high.

But when you mix the air, thermostate works well and the temp is even in every place. 

Those quails were the most stupid creatures I have ever met.

(http://www.nhdb.nl/~dfkp/Europesekwartel.jpg)
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Angi_H on November 30, 2007, 12:49:26 am
Nice looking male coturnix quail.  It is all in how they are housed and how many times they have been inter breed on how dumb they are. Most people say turkeys are dumb but they are not they are actually smarter then you think. My quail love the dust boxes and when I change from nice soft dirt to sand they will have nothing to do with it and they scream at me till I dump it and change it to dirt. I had wanted to try sand to keep the dust down out of there water and feed but they would have nothing to do with it. I also know when they are out of water as it is the pitch in there yells that tells me same as when they are out of feed. Some are smart and will come up to me and want to sit on my lap and others just flutter about trying to escape. I have the reg coturnix with a few Texas A&M and a few tuxedo in there. With some Jumbo which lay a huge egg. I have my favs for birds though that is my Cuckoo Marans and my Turkeys. My Royal Palms will jump into my lap and sit and sleep. You could say they are spoiled. They also want to know what it is I am doing at all times. If they can not see me they are up on top of there dog house looking over the wall to see what I am up to and see who is getting what treats that they arnt. They are very silly. Now if I could just get my Bees I would be happy. I am tired of waiting. I want a home grown honey and butter bisquits for breakfast.

Angi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on November 30, 2007, 09:39:10 am
Angi, I love you posts by the way, interesting, and I love to hear what you are up to.

You are probably right about the runners being crosses.  I have no clue.  I will look at the site that you put in your post later, I have saved it and really want to have a look.

When we got the runners last year from the auction, they called them Indian Runners.  We at the same time got the Rouens.  The picture you see had the mother and father Indian Runners and the mother Rouens in it.  They cross bred and came up with the funny looking runners.  They were such interesting birds.  I am very excited about getting some more, it would be really nice to have pure breds though.  I honestly didn't realize that they may have been crosses, just no clue.  But that is cool and great to know. 

I am sure that there are Canadian hatcheries that would carry the breeds of birds that I would really like to get this year, so that is part of my agenda for this wintertime hibernation (hee, hee).

Angi, keep telling your new forum friends of the events of your life, you are a good writer and have interesting things to say, yea!!!!  Have a wonderful and great day, loving my life I live.  Cindi
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Angi_H on December 01, 2007, 01:36:41 am
There are a couple of people from Canada in several of our chicken forums and I will ask them to send me what hatcheries are near there.  some people say sending eggs to Canada is not big deal but when I tried they got stopped because of a wrong paper something like that lol. There are several that I know of up there I will ask and get back to you. Once I can start posting pictures I will show you all some of my stock. I am going to a poultry show From Jan 11 to 13th in Stockton. It would be that same weekend/week as the big Bee show in Sacramento. I would have love to have gone to that. Money is a little tight right now and if it wasent for me having things I sold for that show I wouldnt go. But then again this is one of the bigest poultry shows in the West and the best of the best will be there. I just need to watch the money and what I buy up there. lol I could say I am poultry poor right now. I am getting 2 Welsimers shipped to me on MOnday that I won in a contest. I have one hen now so that will be nice that will make another Breed I will be able to make money with. I will have 3 hens and 1 rooster. The roosters are mean SOBs though not like my Cuckoo Marans now those are gentle giants. And nice dark eggs. The darkest eggs ever out there. Some hens lay almost a black egg. When they are done with there winter break I will post pictures of how dark the eggs are you would be amaized of how dark they are. I sold one dressed out home grown turkey that dressed out at 30 lbs. The lady loved it and has booked one for next year. ONly these will be smaller are there Heartage birds. She says she dont care as they dont like to shop at grocery stores and only buy through CSA. Community Supported Ag. I have her subsribing to my farm as well as about a group of 5 ladys that live up the hill and one will meet me in Fresno 1x a week to pick up for the group. ONe of the ladys is wanting Local Honey for her boys that suffer from asthma and adhd. she also wants Bee Pollen for them to try to get there health better. As a matter of fact I am taking her 9 doz quail eggs tomorrow and a doz Duck eggs. I get 5.00 a doz fo Duck eggs and 4.00 a doz for chicken eggs and 1.50 for a doz quail eggs.


Angi

I want my BEEEEEEESSSSS
I forgot to call the guy tonight.
Title: Re: Chicks with deformed legs
Post by: Cindi on December 01, 2007, 10:21:38 am
Angi, thank you, I would appreciate your finding out about Canadian breeders for me, I look forward to that response.

You will get your bees, be patient, that is hard to do when one gets antsy, but all good things take time, I am a firm believer in that.  Beautiful day, great life.  Cindi