# My new legbars



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I got 6 legbar pullets, 1 dark brahma pullet and 2 legbar roosters from the woman who gave me the quail.
My neighbor is taking 1 rooster, 1 brahma pullet and 3 legbar pullets. I'm keeping e legbar pullets and a legbar rooster. I've been looking for legbars for awhile now... the roosters are 2 weeks older then the pullets and the pullets should lay in sept.


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## zamora (May 26, 2015)

Congratulations, it's so exciting getting new birds!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

One rooster with some of my hens.










The new legbar pullets and rooster in Chickens of the Corn.. the other rooster has claimed the 7 pullets as his . Little does he know next week he and 4 pullets are going next door to live....




























The dark brahma pullet

The rest of the legbar pullets


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Does anyone have a way to keep the birds from flying over the fence. My bet is that with the two right next door to each other they'll be going over the fence.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Have you seen Maryellen's. Talk about a rainbow. This is just one of the posts with her eggs.

http://www.chickenforum.com/f32/todays-new-eggs-8982/


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

My neighbors chickens are up at her house, I have a acre horse pasture seperating the chickens. If they fly over I'll just attach more fencing to the 4 ft fence that's up now. Hopefully the 3 legbar pullets I'm keeping won't fly over. If they do I'll just hatch the fertile eggs to get more


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ummm, I was on 20 acres when the neighbor's (couldn't see their house) chickens decided to come visit my birds. The Guineas took care of the problem and ran them all the way back home.

And I have no clue how I ended up posting that link here, it was supposed to be on another post. Just shoot me, I think my brain is fading.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Oh nooo. I don't want the new ones to go next door. I'm keeping 3 of them. Maybe the rooster will keep them here?

Lol I was wondering why you put that link on this thread hahaha


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Everyone is settling in really good. I named the roosters Stanley and Seymour. . Haven't named the new pullets yet still working on them, they are more skittish
still.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm waiting to see what happens when the neighbors get theirs. I will be very surprised if there isn't some cross fencing happening.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

I wish I had room for ranging. My birds get so excited when I dump the mower bag in the run.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Careful doing that PM. That could end up with impacted crops. I did some reading on that some years back. The gist of it was, gizzards grind hard foods, it can't grind grass because it's fibrous and it just ends up being a wadded mess that can't pass through the gizzard. 

I can't free range here either, what I did is buy some welded wire fencing that I put up to allow them on a fresh area to graze. When that areas gets bare I move the fencing a bit so they have fresh. The temp fence is always in contact with their pen so they can come in and out.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

I'll keep an eye on things, Robin. Thank you. The way I had understood it was different. I understood that when you pull weeds or grass and give it to the birds, they slurp it like spaghetti and since its a big long strand, it's hard to digest. I thought that since ours is a mulching mower, it cuts the grass and then kind of chops it up and the bags it, it should be safe. They scratch around in it for bugs, probably eat some grass and the rest dries and adds to the DL in the run. What do you think? I had built a grow frame with chicken wire over it to grow grass but not allow them to get roots and all but it didn't really work.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The idea is to allow them to snip the tops off the still attached grass so that they don't get those long pieces. But from some other things I've read that even birds that have just gone on their first free range can gorge on it and end up with impacted crops. 

You're right the long strands are a danger but so is the shorter stuff if they gobble it like mad. Take a small wad of it and close your fist on it, see how it wads up in to a ball? That's what happens in the crop. What I found my birds enjoy as a great deal is alfalfa. TSC sells it by the bale. They also enjoy flakes of straw to dig around in and find the seeds that are left. It also makes a good carpet for digging under to find tasty morsels after a while and makes one heck of a mulch when they're done with it.

I don't think anything really works when it comes to chickens killing every last bit of green. I've seen where folks have divided off pens, let them on one side while one recovers. Or growing very shallow flats of grass. Annual rye germinates quickly. Doesn't do well in the heat but after the chickens are done with it, it doesn't matter.


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## pinkmartin (Aug 11, 2015)

This is another reason why we need more land. My initial plan when I built the run was to divide it so one side could grow at a time. Once we started building, I realized they needed all the space I could give them. I'll look into finding alfalfa or 
hay or straw. I usually wait til late afternoon to give grass or treats. I like them to get the bulk of their nutrition from balanced feed. They get something daily, after dinner. Apple (cored), tomatoes, melon rinds... Whatever is available.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

pinkmartin said:


> I wish I had room for ranging. My birds get so excited when I dump the mower bag in the run.


Mine used to be afraid of the mower,now they wait at the fence for me to dump the bag in the run.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I hope there isnt, the yard where she keeps her chickens is over the hill, up by her barn, neither chickens can see either coop so hopefully none will fence jump...there is an acre seperating so hopefully it works.. I waited 7 months for these legbars so I won't be happy if mine fence hop over.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

There's more of a chance hers will come to you. That's the home they know now so they'll want to return home.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Really? I didn't think k of it that way. They are still here with me, she hasn't taken them yet.
I wouldn't think they would walk that far.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

So the longer they are with me the more possibility they will fly back here?


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Then I better hatch their eggs once they start laying so if they do I've got more. ..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Maryellen said:


> So the longer they are with me the more possibility they will fly back here?


Yep.

I saw the comment about walking an acre, remember my neighbor's walked about ten to get to where my birds were and they had to go over a fence.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Hmmm. The neighbor has a 10 ft high fence around her pen area, I don't think they can fly over that. She only let's them free roam when she is home as one of her dogs killed a few of her hens


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If she has a top on that pen then all should be good. Now I understand why you're more worried about yours going over there. I really don't have good suggestions on how to keep them home but being home might be enough.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Nope no top on the enclosure, it's a very large area they fenced in , but no top.
I'm hoping mine stay here. I hope to with the rooster they will stay. I will find out once she takes the hers lol


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

And one of the legbars has wry neck wtf


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I hope I caught it early enough. I feed nutrena Layer crumble and feather fixer since most of the hens are mokting, I have 3 water containers around, everyone free ranges and gets 24/7 access to all food containers and waters. I don't get it


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She is now in the infirmary coop priscilla was in. Grrrrr


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She is now in my house in my laundry basket in the bedroom till bill can get the pen set up. He ran out to get vit k1 as he thinks she might have eaten rat poop


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## zamora (May 26, 2015)

Oh no, I hope you can help her recover.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Maryellen said:


> And one of the legbars has wry neck wtf


I love the way you said that! You sounded like my sister, LOL I've had 3 in the past with poor results. I hope others can tell you about their success.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I can't say why it happens. Two of mine were under 8 weeks old and appeared to have it one morning (separate broods). One of mine just showed up with it at a year old. On two of them I kept them tube fed (thankyou Kathy), but then there was the question of how long. Sorry


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

This one was born mothers day. I bought her from a friend of mine. She is warm in the house now. My husband tried to feed her he got some liquid and meds in her.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I've been thru this before a year ago... just don't get it


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Gretchen sleeping in my laundry basket . I'm carrying her around as she only sleeps if she is in our arms or being carried in the basket


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She got her meds and scrambled eggs,oatmeal and layer crumble.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Feeling a bit better










She ate on her own


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Hmm someone ate half her food already... and doesn't want to be held that much .. all good signs


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She is back with the flock under supervision. Eating drinking and digging fine. Gonna watch her closely and continue to give her the meds


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

So glad your girl is better! You're a very diligent chickie doctor!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I try thank you. I went thru this before so I learned you have to act fast to make it work


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I've never seen it personally so I hope that I would be able to care for it.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Their neck twists, if you catch it right away when the neck just starts to twist and treat it immediately usually the chicken recovers. My last hen died as I didn't catch it in time.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Could it be possible that it's caused by electrolyte imbalance?


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

It's usually a b2 deficiency, hard peck to the skull, or getting their head stuck. 
Silkies are prone to get it more then other birds. I'm nj ot sure about an electrolyte imbalance but it's possible. I loaded her up with b2 riboflavin and rooster booster and after she slept for almost 24 hours her neck is not stretched anymore. 
No one really knows why wry neck hits or what causes it.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

My 2 remaining tetras , one has a b2 deficiency and one doesnt. Their sister i treated for almost 2 months but she still died., hers was Def b2 and genetic as her one sister has to have b2 every day .


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