Dominique Thread!

[Faraday40]

Even when we're prepared for chickens there always winds up a need to go to the feed store for something else we need - never fails! I always use Poultry Protector on my chickens after a vent shampoo - we got the chicken wet and ready to blowdry her when we saw the Protector bottle was practically empty. DH had to finish blowdrying the chicken while I went to the feed store to pick up another TWO bottles this time!

What is poultry protector used for?

I have never purchased chicks - only hatched them - so I do not know the proper things to do to help them after a long voyage. I am thinking about buying a speckled sussex from a feed store, but I have never brought in chicks from other sources. (Only hatching eggs & by the time they're old enough for the coop, they're past the quarantine period.) I guess I'm lucky not to have chicks die on me. I've had some die while hatching, but once out, they're usually fine. Is it common for not all the chicks to live?

 

[Alaskan]

@blueclip

Sorry, I am no help.

If it isn't a parasite or animal wound... My chickens get better on their own, or are culled.

 

[hellbender]

True - that sending chicks out on the improper date is inconvenient but most breeders say they are at the mercy of hens and Mother Nature re: egg-laying and hatching and have no control over when the hens will lay. I agree that as inconvenient as it is I'd be inclined to give the hatchery/breeder a little slack - at least they notified the customer the chicks were on the way - they filled an order while the chick breed was available! Sometimes Mother Nature doesn't cooperate with the dates we have in mind. I like to have juveniles in the 2 to 3-month age from private breeders but sometimes I have to settle for older or younger ones as they become available.

I'd give breeders a pass but the hatcheries often send 'extras' out to folks who have delivery dates set beyond of the NEW delivery time, in order to eliminate problems caused by their mis-calculations.

The chicks might even be a day or two older and that can cause loss, due to the fact that more than 72 hours have passed before they are delivered and the chicks are seriously weakened or dead upon arrival and the ones that seem to have arrived healthy will have scavenged their shipping mates.

Please trust me on this one...I know what I'm talking abolut. I'd refuse their shipment and demand your original schedule.

RON

 

[Zone3Dakota]

Well, all alive this morning. The small weak ones got face cleanings and hand watered, but they sure are not active, like the bigger ones. But they do seem a bit stronger, can stand up and not just get trampled by the others. I'm still not holding out much hope, but will keep them toasty and watered. I suppose there isn't much that a hatchery can do with the 'just hatched'. In a way, i'm glad that they came during nice weather. Things might have been much worse.

 

[Alaskan]

Well, it sounds good so far, keep us posted.

 

[Sylvester017]

What is poultry protector used for?

I have never purchased chicks - only hatched them - so I do not know the proper things to do to help them after a long voyage. I am thinking about buying a speckled sussex from a feed store, but I have never brought in chicks from other sources. (Only hatching eggs & by the time they're old enough for the coop, they're past the quarantine period.) I guess I'm lucky not to have chicks die on me. I've had some die while hatching, but once out, they're usually fine. Is it common for not all the chicks to live?

Poultry Protector is fully called "Manna Pro Poultry Protector" which is an organic enzyme spray for chicks to adult chickens to use against lice/mites. The full instructions how to use it are on the label and can be used as often as needed because it is organic. I use it once a month as a health maintenance on our 4 hens and in their coop per instructions on the label. I didn't want to use poison dusts or powdery products on my chicken's feathers to avoid respiratory issues so when I discovered Poultry Protector I never used anything else. Manna Pro also makes other sprays for just mites and some other products but Poultry Protector is all I ever needed. I had ants crawling over a broken soft-shell egg in a nestbox and a couple sprays of Poultry Protector immobilized the ants so they didn't crawl up my hand as I cleaned up the mess in the box. Being an enzyme and an organic is what turned me onto this product and most importantly because it works so well for me. I've used it on a chick that came to us with lice and it was immediate results to kill the lice.

As for chicks, they are delicate and, yes, you have to expect some loses even after they hatch and seem active. I lost a seemingly healthy active Dom chick to a sudden seizure at only 21 days old. It happens and there's no way knowing why without necropsies and sometimes even then it's not always certain what caused death. I've heard shipped chicks can all come in healthy and alive while I've heard others say they lost a few or many in a shipment. It can all depend on the handling of chicks by mail carriers USPS, temperatures, airline flight pressure cabins, etc, as to how the chicks will arrive.

 

[Sylvester017]

I'd give breeders a pass but the hatcheries often send 'extras' out to folks who have delivery dates set beyond of the NEW delivery time, in order to eliminate problems caused by their mis-calculations.

The chicks might even be a day or two older and that can cause loss, due to the fact that more than 72 hours have passed before they are delivered and the chicks are seriously weakened or dead upon arrival and the ones that seem to have arrived healthy will have scavenged their shipping mates.

Please trust me on this one...I know what I'm talking abolut. I'd refuse their shipment and demand your original schedule.

RON

I understand your point of view. You have good input for people to consider as an option but I think most who receive an off-schedule shipment won't have the heart to refuse chicks in need of attention as they would die during a return travel back to the hatchery. But you have good food for thought.

 

[Sylvester017]

This hen is walking very slowly. Notice how her butt is in the ready position for pooping or egg laying. Do you think she's got an egg stuck up there? If so, what do I do? And is this fatal?

Have you been monitoring whether she's been laying lately? There's no way to ID the problem if she is a hen that hasn't been monitored closely to know if she's been laying regularly. If the vent is dirty a warm soak of her vent may relax her enough and get the vent area clean enough with baby shampoo so you can maybe see if there are external problems? Maybe she needs a break from that roo's mating? Whatever you do don't pick her up by her reproductive sides and pick her up slipping your hand under her breast and between her legs and with the other hand hold her wings down so she doesn't flap and carry her that way. I assume you've been worming and treating for lice regularly and adding either probiotics or vitamin supplements to their diet? I always bring a hen inside to monitor her to see if she doesn't pick up after a warm vent soak and blowdry and watch her indoors to see whether I need to make a vet appt or have him test for cocci. I'm more jittery watching my flock's health than my own! Such sweet girls - I hope yours will get better soon.

 

[hellbender]

I say this reluctantly but it does sound like one of the first symptoms of Vent Gleet, especially if there is a constant clear weeping and the vent is constantly puckering. I hope I'm wrong but if not, you are upon it early and can take immediate action.

 

[Zone3Dakota]

26 little piggies.second day here,i think. All doing well,now.