# My little oddball



## Sean Sullivan (Aug 1, 2020)

Just wanted to post this because I've gotten a lot of good help with my oddball from this forum. This is Doofy. I moved to Puerto Rico after retiring from law enforcement after 30 years and decided to get chickens. Went to the local feed store and found this gem. I think she's a she, who knows with her. She's 7 months old, I believe she's a white leghorn and she's had a rough go. Aside from the obvious crooked beak and no left eye, she's literally been on deaths doorstep 4-5 times. She's also had a broken wing, broken toes, and I believe she may have gapeworms. Can't find any dewormer here anywhere. So I wanted to post this so everyone knows how special she is. Anyone else have one of these?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I can see why she would work her way into your heart. But how the heck did she suffer so many injuries? 

You probably know this but she needs a wet mash of her feed in a deep bowl so she can eat. Her beak is about the worst I've ever seen.

Good on you for taking her in and giving her something of a decent life.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Thanks for posting! How many birds do you have? When you say you can't find wormer, do you mean just chicken wormer or any other farm animal wormer, cattle, equine, swine? Certain wormers will work for certain parasites if you adjust the dosage appropriately.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

What Robin said about the food. Also diatomaceous earth as a preventative wormer.


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## Sean Sullivan (Aug 1, 2020)

Thanks or the info. So Robin, along with her obvious personal quirks, she is a total klutz. Lol. Her wings didn’t develop and if she falls on her side, she can’t get herself back up. She’s scared of the other birds and is usually with the dogs. I assume that’s what cause the bad injuries. I feed her by herself with a small deep bowl so I make sure she is eating. 

And when I purchased my house here, the previous owner left his collection on 6 hens and 2 roosters. Before we moved in, family here gave us 4 others roosters and 5 other hens. I also ended up with 5 chicks from various eggs around the are. The 2 roosters and hens that came with the house are roaming. The others are in pens. And I have a verity of breeds. 


As far as the dewormer, you can get it here for all animals. The one I read which is specifically for killing gapeworm is not easy to find. And Amazon has limited items they actually ship here.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Then you've got a house full of various chickens but only one that rules the roost. 

It sounds as though she has a lot of birth defects. But she's got you to champion her existence.


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## Siobhan (Nov 22, 2020)

Sean Sullivan said:


> View attachment 36986
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> Just wanted to post this because I've gotten a lot of good help with my oddball from this forum. This is Doofy. I moved to Puerto Rico after retiring from law enforcement after 30 years and decided to get chickens. Went to the local feed store and found this gem. I think she's a she, who knows with her. She's 7 months old, I believe she's a white leghorn and she's had a rough go. Aside from the obvious crooked beak and no left eye, she's literally been on deaths doorstep 4-5 times. She's also had a broken wing, broken toes, and I believe she may have gapeworms. Can't find any dewormer here anywhere. So I wanted to post this so everyone knows how special she is. Anyone else have one of these?


Aww she's got my heart.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

I have a situation that I don't know what to do about. My chicks are 11 weeks old and all different breeds. My little rooster is a Welsummer. He has started being a bully to my little Australorp hen. He does not pick on the others like he does her. He chases her off all the time. When they are eating, he will chase her away from the feeder. It makes me mad and I have scolded him. I have started giving her more attention. Why would he pick her out of the other 6 to bully?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Who knows but chances are this is a hormone thing. He probably needs to be kept separate until he matures a bit because young roosters can be obnoxious when they're just maturing. And the separation will solidify the girl's place in the flock.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

He doesn't bother the others. They all have a variety of color(speckled sussex, barred rock, welsummer, golden laced wyandotte, golden comet). I wonder does he pick on her because she is solid black.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No, he's picking on her because he doesn't know what to do with the new flood of hormones.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

This would be right up there with little boys pulling little girls' pigtails.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

As Robin said, the behavior is driven by hormones and age, not by color, and not much by breed. For the time being, he needs to be separated until he is less disruptive to the flock.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

Why just my Black Australorp? My female Welsummer also picks on her.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

None of us is there to see what exactly is going on but you can rely on our years of experience with chickens and what happens when they begin to mature. Take him out and if the little hussy keeps it up take her out too. She might just be copying his behavior.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

The behavior is often trickle down as Robin said.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

Homer Welsummer's behavior toward Lottie Australop has changed today. I began favoring her with treats and just petting her. Now Homer wants to sit with her and ignores his little Welsummer partner in Crime.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

It's alwa


HSJ07 said:


> Homer Welsummer's behavior toward Lottie Australop has changed today. I began favoring her with treats and just petting her. Now Homer wants to sit with her and ignores his little Welsummer partner in Crime.
> 
> Loyalty is where the treats are!


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## Siobhan (Nov 22, 2020)

I 


Poultry Judge said:


> It's alwa


Like that "loyalty is where the treats are"! Yesterday I rehomed 2 of my 4 roosters. Iam quite sad about it. They were not ever aggressive to me. But with Zack his hormones were making him unbearable with the rest of the flock. Iggy went with him,just because of the imbalance of roosters. The couple asked me if I had hens to sell also. They said they had 4 chickens, so I hope n believe they were not buying my 2 guys with thoughts of eating them. I did ask them twice if they were going to eat them, they said no( I know people can n do lie, hope they weren't) Its a lot more quiet out in the coop today.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I know it's hard but it's really for the best to have the flock not stressed. 

Later if you end up with too many boys you can house them together away from the girls. 

And now you have someone you know would be interested in more birds if you have them.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I know it's hard but it's really for the best to have the flock not stressed.
> 
> Later if you end up with too many boys you can house them together away from the girls.
> 
> And now you have someone you know would be interested in more birds if you have them.


I have had the stew pot discussion with a couple people flogging Roos in the past.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

This is exactly right. Homer has stopped picking on Lottie s today she follows him every step. If he moves to the other side of the run, she is right in behind him. Now she doesn’t want the other hens near him. Just like little school kids. I guess I need not to worry about behaviors


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## Siobhan (Nov 22, 2020)

Today Dorothea was sqwaking at me, I

















































swear she's ticked I got rid of Zack n Iggy! Ooy can't make everyone happy. I know the little guy Cogburn is a rooster. But Iam unsure if one or both of the barred bantam cochins are roosters. I've heard 1 of them crow. Attached r some pics . what do u think?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

A stunning little boy. I don't I've ever seen any with feathers that long.


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## Siobhan (Nov 22, 2020)

robin416 said:


> A stunning little boy. I don't I've ever seen any with feathers that long.


Oh darn ,DD is a boy. Can I have 2 roosters in the flock?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yep. One will be dominant. Sometimes they'll fuss at each other. It's not common for two boys raised together to go at each other constantly. They can live together pretty easily.

It's going to be a wait and see how the two get on but it could work quite well.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

They often will be fine if they have enough space.


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Yep. I am in a bit of a rooster pickle myself; 4 Roos and 3 girls!  The two boys are getting to be a bit much for the girls hormones wise, but I do believe they will calm some with a little more time since they are just now hitting adulthood really! They will get their own little hens as soon as I can locate a couple of well bred partridge Cochin! <-- this is where someone hops on and says I do! 

Point is, one rooster was older than the other 3, hitting adulthood when these were born or so. He has accepted everyone as part of the flock, is still the town cryer, and breaks up anything that upsets the girls! If the boys grab a girl's head feathers and they start flopping and squawking, SuperChip comes flying to the rescue- and pecks them.  It is funny- the two boys don't try to actually climb on them yet, they grab feather and stand there and do their thing in front of them. Wth guys?!  Small wonder the girls flop around.... 
oh and the final rooster, TinyRoo, is the lowest boy but two of the three girls are 'his' by breed default! He's such a good and sweet boy I don't have to ever worry about him causing problems.

Oh- and yeah, I'm gonna say he's a beautiful boy!


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Chicken yard drama! You could have a Youtube chicken soap opera channel.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> Chicken yard drama! You could have a Youtube chicken soap opera channel.


You know that's not a bad idea.


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

But Robin, we canNOT let PJ be the writer of the script! Who knows what would happen? 

And yeah, there's ALWAYS chicken drama!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

But he said you could have it. Uh oh, I'm not sure that's a good idea either. Although if you want to do one on hermit crabs I'm all for it.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Or a reality chicken show, where the cameras run 24/7!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'll bet we could find a bunch of 24/7 poultry cameras on the net.

But I'll bet there aren't any about hermit crabs. That could be a money maker.


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Actually, us crazy crabbers do have caMs on our crabs.... including myself, with one on the way! I have access to my friends' cams and can watch their crabbies at will... or spy on them. You know. Either way.  seriously and totally kidding- I keep the sound off.  But yeah. We are weird like that.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

That's pretty cool!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Since I don't have crabs in my life I'd probably spend way too much time watching them on my computer screen. Or better still using my TV.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I know it's hard but it's really for the best to have the flock not stressed.
> 
> Later if you end up with too many boys you can house them together away from the girls.
> 
> And now you have someone you know would be interested in more birds if you have them.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

I had to give my rooster away as he was so mean. On the day he turned 15 weeks old he turned from the sweetest little rooster to a terror. He tore my hand open, tried to fight me, would not let any of the hens eat and just terrorized them constantly. I understand he is still like that. My problem now is my hens are all 6 a different breed and every one of them bullies my little Black Australop. She is solid black and the others are bright or multi colored. They don't want her to sleep beside them and make her wait til they are finished eating before she eats. She was so friendly and sweet, now she is so skittish. What can I do to help her?


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Well, first, I’m sorry your roo turned into... well that. Its such a bummer. 
Can you possibly add one more black hen so they can buddy around together? And maybe an outside black hen wouldn’t be as skittish as your one girl is. Just depends, I guess! But without the rooster does that leave enough space for one more? I wish I had a better suggestion, but once they make up their mind.... sometimes they don’t change it.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

Overmountain1 said:


> Well, first, I'm sorry your roo turned into... well that. Its such a bummer.
> Can you possibly add one more black hen so they can buddy around together? And maybe an outside black hen wouldn't be as skittish as your one girl is. Just depends, I guess! But without the rooster does that leave enough space for one more? I wish I had a better suggestion, but once they make up their mind.... sometimes they don't change it.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

I have thought of adding another Black Australorp but I can't find a started pullet. It will take about 15 more weeks if I get a baby chick. As far as room, I have 6 chickens but have room for 15 comfortably. My coop is 20 long 10 feet wide. My covered run is 20 long and 10 feet wide. My big run that I let them in is 40 ft long and 32 ft wide.


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Oh then you're in great shape! If you can add a couple or three even that would be great- with at least one more of the same color at least, if not breed. It's been a learning curve for me too, figuring out how the same color/breed do tend to flock together. Interesting as heck to me! 
I'd say adding to them is a good bet, and maybe you could even get a fully tame roo this time around.... if you wanted one. They're available too!


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

HSJ07 said:


> I have thought of adding another Black Australorp but I can't find a started pullet. It will take about 15 more weeks if I get a baby chick. As far as room, I have 6 chickens but have room for 15 comfortably. My coop is 20 long 10 feet wide. My covered run is 20 long and 10 feet wide. My big run that I let them in is 40 ft long and 32 ft wide.


As we get closer to Spring more folks will be advertising birds for sale. During the Winter, I have weeks with zero requests but now they are starting to pick up and I have quite a few juvenile birds in the six month range which works for folks who want some eggs by this Spring/Summer.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

Overmountain1 said:


> Oh then you're in great shape! If you can add a couple or three even that would be great- with at least one more of the same color at least, if not breed. It's been a learning curve for me too, figuring out how the same color/breed do tend to flock together. Interesting as heck to me!
> I'd say adding to them is a good bet, and maybe you could even get a fully tame roo this time around.... if you wanted one. They're available too!


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

Poultry Judge said:


> As we get closer to Spring more folks will be advertising birds for sale. During the Winter, I have weeks with zero requests but now they are starting to pick up and I have quite a few juvenile birds in the six month range which works for folks who want some eggs by this Spring/Summer.


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

Are you in North Carolina?


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

HSJ07 said:


> Are you in North Carolina?


I'm in northeast Ohio and it's still cold!


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