Chickenstock fiesta yardsale August 21

[MassBackyarder]

Poor Tippy...we noticed with the heavy snow our "cage" (preditor proof 6x8 area) are showing stress cracks at the joints...must to some reinforcing.

 

[keesmom]

Sorry to hear about Tippy. Were the others okay?

You may want to clear off the rest of the coops after today's storm. It's still many days away but there is the potential for a very large storm next Wednesday. Of course it may not happen but it's something to watch.

 

[darbella]

Quote:
Oh no, not another storm! I am heading out to put that 250 watt bulb in the fixture. I am just afraid of a fire with that bulb, we are always hearing about such tragedies and I would be devastated if that happened to mine or anyone I know.

 

[vnsseed]

The other thing you can do is pile snow along the walls outside of the coop, it will insulate... this is what we do (Jen and I just camped out in this weather last weekend(pics on my facebook page), so I undertand insulation). Also if you have a crack between the door and the door frame, Home Depot sells an insulating tape for door jam's, it is cheap and works surprisingly well. Hope this helps.

 

[snowhorse]

Hey all been awhile since I have been on....busy busy...life as usual. I come back with some not so great news....

I just lost my absolute FAVORITE rooster to a predator. My Gold laced Polish Roo, Tiki. He was also by far the best Roo I have ever owned. Very protective of his girls, signaling when a hawk, never aggressive towards people or the girls..... I can tell you I am devastated.

The only problem with him, is he was hard to keep. He did not like to sleep in the coop. I have a run with 8 foot tall fencing, and he would still manage to get out and stay on the roof of the coop at night. This winter he would get out and stay in the attic of the coop ( its an old doll house, he would hop on the rabbit hutch and stay up in the attic above the girls) Or he would occasionally stay in a small building that my ducks get into to eat during the day. The ducks don't stay in there at night they fly back to the river and stay on the shore. So I leave the door open to this shed. I threw my back out shoveling and was not able to get to the house to close them up. Dad is good about letting them in, but Tiki for some reason instead of staying in the attic stayed in the shed, mind you this shed is surround by round pen(horse fencing) with some chain link fence as we used to keep a goat in there and is located in the middle of the horse corral. We usually never have critter issues because critters have a tendency to stay out of the horse corral....Well lucky me the brave deperate critter got in and nabbed my poor Roo. I followed the feather trail into the woods were I lost the trail. I never found any remnants of him, just feathers along the way. Makes me think either Coyote or Fox. We have both....

So with that long depressing story out of the way. I am looking to replace him and would like get another Gold Laced Polish Rooster. I am going to be ordering chicks this spring and didn't know if anybody had a good place with some quality Polish they knew of. I was looking at ordering some chicks from Sand Hill Preservation, as I was going to order some seeds from them too. Anybody had any luck with them?

Hopefully I can be on here a little more. Hope everybody's holidays were good, and everyone had a happy new year!

 

[muffi]

So sorry to hear about your roo.

I'll PM you with some contact info for some local Polish breeders.

 

[darbella]

Quote:
I have the wall insulated really good, but the roof is just shingled. The door is my concern because it is the kind that is a bunch of plank wood running vertically with the "Z" strips of wood to hold them all together, so there are spaces of varying widhts between the boards, not to mention that it is not the snuggest fit. I did go out and put the 250 watt bulb in the holder, and now I am trying to remember if the base for it is approved for a 250watt bulb! I will be awake all night watching for a fire now because that is how paranoid I get myself. I will check the specs when I go out to lock the coop door shut for the night. Is there such a thing of it getting too hot in there? I wish I could get the 150 watt heat lamp. I have only seen them on white and I like the red for at night.

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

i was thinking of ordering some lf faverolles since i seem to be having poor luck with hatching eggs with a young broody this past couple of months.

i am thinking after talking with the lady at the Dept of Agri that what my chickens have been going through it sinusitis after all. 2 of the birds i lost had stinky breath and one of those has been looking a little depressed the past couple of weeks. she's been roughed up by the roos.

the other 2 only seemed to have been breathing hard but no other signs of issues. i'll be getting my flock re-tested for NPIP in a couple of weeks to be sure they are clean of everything. everyone else in my coop have been doing ok and anyone that has been sneezing or looking like they are stuffy get a shot of the tylan for a couple days till it has cleared up, and a little terramycin in any bubbly or closed eyes.

they have been enjoying the heater i have for the garage. took it a couple of days to take the edge off and it should keep them cozy throughout the weekend. i think the extra warmth has helped the rest get over their 'colds'.

 

[darbella]

Chickie'sMoma :

i was thinking of ordering some lf faverolles since i seem to be having poor luck with hatching eggs with a young broody this past couple of months.

i am thinking after talking with the lady at the Dept of Agri that what my chickens have been going through it sinusitis after all. 2 of the birds i lost had stinky breath and one of those has been looking a little depressed the past couple of weeks. she's been roughed up by the roos.

the other 2 only seemed to have been breathing hard but no other signs of issues. i'll be getting my flock re-tested for NPIP in a couple of weeks to be sure they are clean of everything. everyone else in my coop have been doing ok and anyone that has been sneezing or looking like they are stuffy get a shot of the tylan for a couple days till it has cleared up, and a little terramycin in any bubbly or closed eyes.

they have been enjoying the heater i have for the garage. took it a couple of days to take the edge off and it should keep them cozy throughout the weekend. i think the extra warmth has helped the rest get over their 'colds'.

I am glad to hear that. If I were you, I would still contact Dr. Brown at first state vet supply, he should answer you fairly quickly. The thing that was puzzling me between my birds symptoms and yours was that you said yours were not eating and there was a bad smell. Mine did not have either of those and it was sinusitis. He is a poultry specialist, not just a vet. It doesnt cost anything and chances are you will have on have already whatever he may recommend for treatment. Also, I used neosporin in their eyes. I was told by an eye doctor and also read it on here that is is safe in the eyes and it did work! I cant believe the amount of posts in the illnesses thread that all seem to be having the same problems. Oh, I also got the water soluble tylan on Amazon.com for 12 bucks. Shay told me she has used it in the past and it worked great.​

 

[shay20]

thanks guys i think tippy could not handle the cold i wish i had kept him in when i brought him in last time the roof that cavf in was the egglayers Snow horse so sorry u lost him he was a handsom boy i am hatching out polish althoug mind r mixed colors at the moment