“Share Helpful Backyard Poultry TIPS” a Random Posting CONTEST Thread ~ Hosts, Mike & Sally

[IHeartPoultry]

If I were to win (

) would i be allowed to trade prizes with other winners?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

 

[Sally Sunshine]

 

[IHeartPoultry]

I originally posted this on the Easter HAL, but some people found it helpful for others in the same situation. I figured I'd share it here too

" The amazing story about the tough hatch one of my chicks had:
One chick that had to be assisted was a breach chick that could not even pip. She wasn't peeping when we tapped. We pipped the air cell and saw movement! There was no beak. I checked how to assist a malposition on BYC and attempted to distinguish which malposition she was. We weren't sure but we started slowly picking away the shell and leaving the membrane. This was extremely stressful! Lets just say... blood stop was our friend. We worked through the night, off and on so the veins could recede as we worked. Half way through the tiring night I noticed something. There was a bubble. A bubble under the membrane. Why does a bubble matter? Because the chick is breathing out. She wasn't getting air in through her nose. She was getting air through the shell and trying to start breathing when there was no air. We think we were chipping off so many pieces of shell she could no longer breath through the shell. We quickly popped the bubble and opened up the membrane so she could breath. Did I mention this is STRESSFUL?! After a long night we had made some progress and were able to pull her head out of the egg so she could breath easily. We noticed that she was in one of the most fatal malpositions! Her head was also misshapen. Once her head was out, and she was breathing steadily we let her rest like that for a while. By morning we started working to get her body out of the shell. It wasn't too long before she was out. But once she was out, that wasn't the end of the whole ordeal. She had a very, very think umbilical cord with many major veins running through it. It was about the size around as a pencil, possibly bigger. Again, I searched on BYC, however, nothing promising came up. We were once again afraid for her life. We let her sit for about 14 hours. We noticed that it was going down in size and the veins weren't so scary-looking! We waited patiently until 9pm when we cut the umbilical cord (that was now about as big around as three hairs) so she could start doing normal-chickie-activities. There was no blood when we cut it. Oh and to add the cherry on top of all of her problems- she was sticky too. Her wing was glued down to her head and the other was glued to her body. We wet her and got most of the stickiness off. She started drinking about an hour later. We made her a chick food, water, and sugar mixture, which she liked quite a bit! All through last night we would get up every three hours to feed her. This morning she was able to sit upright all by herself so we decided to put food and water in her ICU incubator. She has been drinking and eating by herself sense. She had her first poo and was getting very fluffy by noon. She has gotten much, much better sense even this morning! By afternoon she was walking pretty well and was almost 100% fluffy. As I'm writing this she is a very healthy little chick that can run, eat, drink, sleep, and (her favorite) poo! We are extremely optimistic about her future! She's not completely out of the woods yet, but she sure is close!

I just wanted to share that story with you all to inspire you to help out your chicks, even the ones that you swear will never survive! Life is really an amazing thing! "

 

[weegarden]

My biggest lesson learned, gold or silver leakage in blue silkies is NOT a good thing!

(Raised a batch all winter, because I was told that silver leakage is acceptable by judges.)

But, there is a very happy ending. The 8 silkie roosters that I had are now living in the country with one very happy
little boy, who gets to go outside and feed them and watch them run around every day.

 

[mlm Mike]

 

[Pensmaster]

Using a tarp as a sled will carry quite a load, more than a five gallon bucket will with much less effort. Folded in half and use the fold as handles to pull the load. Works really well especially if the wheelbarrow can't reach the area or you don't have a wheelbarrow.

 

[chicken19]

Using a tarp as a sled will carry quite a load, more than a five gallon bucket will with much less effort. Folded in half and use the fold as handles to pull the load. Works really well especially if the wheelbarrow can't reach the area or you don't have a wheelbarrow.

That is such a great idea!

 

[chicken19]

I originally posted this on the Easter HAL, but some people found it helpful for others in the same situation. I figured I'd share it here too

" The amazing story about the tough hatch one of my chicks had:
One chick that had to be assisted was a breach chick that could not even pip. She wasn't peeping when we tapped. We pipped the air cell and saw movement! There was no beak. I checked how to assist a malposition on BYC and attempted to distinguish which malposition she was. We weren't sure but we started slowly picking away the shell and leaving the membrane. This was extremely stressful! Lets just say... blood stop was our friend. We worked through the night, off and on so the veins could recede as we worked. Half way through the tiring night I noticed something. There was a bubble. A bubble under the membrane. Why does a bubble matter? Because the chick is breathing out. She wasn't getting air in through her nose. She was getting air through the shell and trying to start breathing when there was no air. We think we were chipping off so many pieces of shell she could no longer breath through the shell. We quickly popped the bubble and opened up the membrane so she could breath. Did I mention this is STRESSFUL?! After a long night we had made some progress and were able to pull her head out of the egg so she could breath easily. We noticed that she was in one of the most fatal malpositions! Her head was also misshapen. Once her head was out, and she was breathing steadily we let her rest like that for a while. By morning we started working to get her body out of the shell. It wasn't too long before she was out. But once she was out, that wasn't the end of the whole ordeal. She had a very, very think umbilical cord with many major veins running through it. It was about the size around as a pencil, possibly bigger. Again, I searched on BYC, however, nothing promising came up. We were once again afraid for her life. We let her sit for about 14 hours. We noticed that it was going down in size and the veins weren't so scary-looking! We waited patiently until 9pm when we cut the umbilical cord (that was now about as big around as three hairs) so she could start doing normal-chickie-activities. There was no blood when we cut it. Oh and to add the cherry on top of all of her problems- she was sticky too. Her wing was glued down to her head and the other was glued to her body. We wet her and got most of the stickiness off. She started drinking about an hour later. We made her a chick food, water, and sugar mixture, which she liked quite a bit! All through last night we would get up every three hours to feed her. This morning she was able to sit upright all by herself so we decided to put food and water in her ICU incubator. She has been drinking and eating by herself sense. She had her first poo and was getting very fluffy by noon. She has gotten much, much better sense even this morning! By afternoon she was walking pretty well and was almost 100% fluffy. As I'm writing this she is a very healthy little chick that can run, eat, drink, sleep, and (her favorite) poo! We are extremely optimistic about her future! She's not completely out of the woods yet, but she sure is close!

I just wanted to share that story with you all to inspire you to help out your chicks, even the ones that you swear will never survive! Life is really an amazing thing! "

I had a chick I had to save as well. You can read about her here: Owlet's Blog

 

[lindalouly]

I finally figured out why cowboy boots are worn.... Went out to do my out door chores with my stompers on and the roo came after me and I didnt feel a thing and kicked him to the curb.