My name is Nick. I really like chickens. So much so that I started this blog to update friends, family and customers about the happenings at Rup Nut Ranch ( the home of Nix Chix). I raise my chickens with care and treat them the way I would like to be treated if I were a chicken. That means fresh green grass to run, peck and scratch on, a clean coop, organic feed and fresh organic fruit and vegetables from behind the market (they just compost otherwise, so they let me take it to feed the girls). I really do think these chickens are the most happy chickens I have seen.
The eggs are for sale at Readers’ Books and at the Sonoma Garden Park (7th St. East in Sonoma) on Saturdays 9-1.
You can contact me- nickrup at yahoo dot com
Thanks
above photo by Paige Green
Hi Nick, I really, really want chickens but I live on the side of a mountain. Can a chicken run be uneven and slanted?
By: annella on August 1, 2009
at 7:31 pm
Sorry for the delayed response Anella.
Sure, They can live on the side of a mountain. Just make sure they are safe from predators.
By: nixchix on August 25, 2009
at 12:39 am
Hi Nick,
A friend of mine passed your information to me. I raise and have Japanese bantam chickens. They are part of the family and fair well with my pugs, cat and pigeons (my husbands) in Sebastopol. However, one of our hen has become ill. We think egg bound but not sure. We have given her extra calcium, hot baths & mineral oiled her. To date she is getting back to her spunky self but is still not eating or drinking on her own. She also is still a little swollen but not like she was last Friday.
Do you have any other recommendations?
Thanks, any suggestions would be appreciated.
By: Darlene on August 31, 2009
at 4:52 pm
hmmm. Egg bound, huh? I don’t have any experience with any of my hens being egg bound.
Here’s what I would do.
1. remove her from the rest of the hens/ animals into a nice quiet place. Maybe even put a heat lamp near her. (you should remove her if she’s sick no matter what). 2. give her some yogurt with some crumbles mixed in. You may have to force feed her by dipping her beak into the yogurt/ crumbles. If you have an eyedropper or tincture bottle with a little squirter that is clean, fill it with water and hyrdrate her by opening her beak straight up and dropping some water down her throat.
3. If by the end of the day today there is no sign of improvement and she still seems egg bound and not sick (if shes sick her eyes will be partly closed and glazed and very lethargic) give her another warm bath. If she seem sick and its a respiratory (sneezing, stuffed up nose) you may have to go get some medication at the feed store. -we can discuss this later.
4.If by the end of tomorrow (tues) there is no sign of improvement take her to a vet.
I had some sick chickens living in my house for about 6 weeks. They were attacked by a bobcat and got an infection from its claws (cat scratch fever) and were really, really sick. So sick they smelled bad. I thought for sure they were all gonna die.- I even dug their graves. But with some perseverance on both our parts they got better slowly and now all of them lay me beautiful eggs everyday. Why I mention this is because I believe that sometimes chickens can take a long time to get better, even when a vet on the first day says to chop their head off, and if you take care of them (which you are, obviously) they can suprise you. However, many times they may never recover….
But! I think you can do it!
Please let me know what happens and send a pic of the beautiful little hen.
Thanks for writing,
Nick
By: nixchix on August 31, 2009
at 6:06 pm
Hi Nick,
Thanks! we do do have her in house in our brooding box with a heat lamp and have been “force” feeding.
Thanks again.
By: Darlene on August 31, 2009
at 6:19 pm
Not sure how to attach a photo. Send me an email and I will send you photos. Again, thanks.
By: Darlene on August 31, 2009
at 6:23 pm