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Post by mzgarden on May 19, 2015 0:25:59 GMT
I'm baffled because now this is the 3rd bird in about 4 months. They seem fine and then one day they are holding one foot off the ground and gingerly putting it down but more hopping around. We had to put one down because she was hopping one day and then hopping and flopping on the ground. I don't want animals to suffer, so when she could no longer hold her own in the flock, we culled her before she became a target. She was a Buff Orpington we've had about 2 years now.
Today we have a 23 week old Aracauna and a 35 week old RIR limping and hopping around. Unless my eyes deceived me, at one point, it looked like when the Aracauna put the one foot on the ground it was actually turned 90 degrees inward. These birds have been fine until recently.
I'm trying to figure out what might be causing these leg issues and if they're connected. We have two coops and all three are from the same coop. They are in a flock of 40 total, 25 of which are in the barn stall (other 15 in a separate coop). They get commercial layer feed and free range in the pastures during the day, ACV in their water. No signs of illness - feathers are ok, eyes are bright, they eat and lay eggs.
We have two roos - the roo for the barn stall flock is a good sized australorp and the roo for the coop flock is just a little smaller aracauna.
Is it possible the roo is too big for them and is somehow breaking or dislocating a leg when he mounts them?
Ideas?
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Post by bergere on May 19, 2015 10:09:56 GMT
Its possible that your Roo is too heavy for them. Some roo's are polite and others just slam down on the hen. You could move him some where for a few weeks, to see wither he is the issue or not.
This is one of the reasons I don't really want a male Turkey. My Hen Turkeys run with the chickens, and I am afraid of what might happen if I had a male turkey housed with them.
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Post by aoconnor on May 19, 2015 12:11:44 GMT
Its possible that your Roo is too heavy for them. Some roo's are polite and others just slam down on the hen. You could move him some where for a few weeks, to see wither he is the issue or not. This is one of the reasons I don't really want a male Turkey. My Hen Turkeys run with the chickens, and I am afraid of what might happen if I had a male turkey housed with them. I was thinking the same thing, maybe an injury from a heavy rooster, or else fighting with the other hens.
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Post by mzgarden on May 19, 2015 12:30:06 GMT
Thanks, that was sort of what I was afraid of. For sure, the hens are not fighting. DH is home all day and we have a baby monitor in the barn with the speaker in the house. We'd hear the squabbling if it was consistent. Will have to think about this because he's a good roo and he's our planned successor to our older roo (his Daddy). Since they free range, a roo that is vigilant and watches the sky during the day is a wonderful thing.
Thanks again.
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