Michigan

[chicken grandma]

Opa, You have to admit, some BYC members are really good at naming chickens!

3963Jem! I was just on 131 near the Monsanto building. What do they do at that location?


Sounds like your sister made the right choice to just let the liver heal on it's own.
Most gall bladder surgeries are uneventful. Good to research the doctors before surgery.
I try to ask people at the hospital for recommendations.

 

[NovaAman]

Marcellus, MI. which is west of Three Rivers, MI between US-131 and M-40.

Got family down that way. Three Rivers, Sturgis, Burr Oak, White Pigeon...

 

[NovaAman]

Blast is it sticky!

 

[yorkchick]

Yeah, yeah, I am here. Just caught up on posts again. Ha, ha I do love the Michigan thread. But when I finish reading all the posts I'm perfectly satisfied, don't feel the need to add anything. Besides, I've already replied to all of you in my mind. I'm sure on some level you all get those replies... right? Right??? Oh, wait, I believe that only happens in YorkchickWorld (TM). Which is a quite lovely place where I spend much of my time. I'm much more caught up on everything there.

The gooser babies are huge. Like Baby Huey huge. They are finally taking dips in the wading pools and loving it. (I put cement blocks in the pools so they could get back out and they did figure that out). Pictures soon. They're already posted in YorkchickWorld, but that's kind of limited access.

The six chicks are doing well, moved with my broody Sebright, Edna, out to Single Mother Housing but have been free ranging part of the day the last few days. There are two yellow EE's, one yellow/gray EE that is developing pretty tan/black/white wing feathers, and three black Ameraucanas. The three black chicks were getting picked on by everyone--the yellow chicks, each other, and Edna--and had developed some bald spots and irritated skin, no bleeding. So I BluKoted them, Now I have black and purple chicks but the picking seems to have stopped.

One of the yellow chicks has had poopy butt since hatch--not actually pasted up but you can see it dripped down below its vent. I have kept it wiped off. This was a chick where the umbilical cord didn't detach correctly and its abdomen has always been a little soft/big. I thought it must be mushy chick disease, and it may well still be but it is now 3-1/2 weeks old, eating and growing normally, just as active as the other chicks. So I dunno.

And in non-avian news, two weeks ago, just after the chicks and the goslings hatched. I found a nest of feral kittens in our "barn." Well, to be strictly accurate, Farm Dog Marvin found them. He started barking at a pile of old linoleum scraps that were sitting on top of a roll of old insulation. Now Marvin needs very little to induce him to bark but (probably) does not just bark at nothing. So I lifted up the corner of the linoleum and there were at least five tiny kittens. We have a feral cat population that a neighbor feeds and I had talked to her about the Humane Society's Trap, Neuter, Release program last fall, well she didn't get to it in time (and I didn't follow up with her like I had intended to)... So more kittens. I briefly considered picking up all the kittens because they would be at a stage they could be domesticated... but I couldn't commit to bottle-raising five kittens, and I didn't want to pick them up before I knew if the Humane Society had foster homes available (I know they get overwhelmed this time of year). I set out some dry cat food, moistened with water (I'd had cat food on hand for the chickens, obviously). The next morning, the food was gone and mom cat was nursing the babies when I checked. I refilled the food. Then a few hours later.. no kittens, no mama--she had moved the litter elsewhere.

Not the end of the story, though. ( I know you all were hoping, but my fingers are continuing to type, so apparently I am not done yet). Two days after I'd last seen the litter, I went into the barn to do my last chicken/gooser chores of the night, and I heard a tiny but persistent mewing. I searched and searched (did not have Marvin to help out this time) and finally found one tiny kitten way back in a big empty cardboard box. No other kittens, and the cat food had not been touched in the two days since the other kittens were moved.

I felt like maybe I was in a cosmic negotiation. "Here are five kittens that need to be nursed." "No, I work 12+ hour days, can't do five!' "Oh, well, how about one?" "Done!"

So for the first time since 2003, we have a cat. No name yet. Just a list of names so far. I think she was about three weeks old when I took her in, so she's about six weeks now, not needing the bottle much finally. And stinking cute, and after her first two hours of terror, has become super cuddly and affectionate.

An added bonus is the DH was out of town (visiting family in Marquette) when all this went down. The DH is not a cat fan, although he has grumblingly said several times that I could get another cat if I really wanted one. He is developing a real crush on this one though.

Pictures, really. Sometime soon. I just have to finish up writing my Nobel-Prize winning works of literature... oh that would be in YorkchickWorld, not here, sorry.

My usual edits for typos and clarity. Never for brevity, sadly.

 

[chicken grandma]

Yorkchick - HERNIA.
You know the chick with the soft belly and the pasty butt?

A vet in Hawaii Xrayed one of my chickens and it had a hernia. That was a very funny Xray. Whole town had a good laugh over it.
But the digestive/egg tract had a hernia and that hen always had a bit of trouble with the tummy because bacteria would pool in the herniated area.
So the best thing for her was lots of grass and bugs and roughage, not grains.

Thanks for the update on your farm and congratulations on the kitten!

 

[yorkchick]

Yorkchick - HERNIA.
You know the chick with the soft belly and the pasty butt?

A vet in Hawaii Xrayed one of my chickens and it had a hernia.  That was a very funny Xray.  Whole town had a good laugh over it.
But the digestive/egg tract had a hernia and that hen always had a bit of trouble with the tummy because bacteria would pool in the herniated area.
So the best thing for her was lots of grass and bugs and roughage, not grains.

Thanks for the update on your farm and congratulations on the kitten!

Nancy--hey, thanks, that makes sense, This was a chick where the umbilical cord did not detach from the egg for quite a bit, it dragged the egg shell around by the cord for a while, and then the "belly button' was red/bloody for a few days after hatch.

How did you restrict your chicken for excess grains/feed? These chickens get a lot of free ranging time four days a week, but usually not the three days a week I work, They do get greens (kale/collard/cabbage/etc.) every day, but they have free-choice starter/grower now, and as an adult/ he/she will have free-choice layer... Did you separate your chicken with the hernia?

 

[Totalcolour]

Here is how I spent my day. I mean how BFM spent her day.

This is 12 YO Majick. His body is now half the size without fur but his head looks too big for his body.

Maggie on the left and Bella on the right.
All 3 dogs got a summer shave haircut.

And this is my new "PUPPY" Scruffin



And some ducks - A young Welsh Harlequin and a young Muscovy (swimming)


And a couple of Mallard visitors with the other duckings


and a big pile o Ducks - the brown on the left is A Khaki Campbell, a few Welshies and the rest are Muscovies



And another big pile



my babies, and another 100 or so in the incubator!

Good night Michigan peeps!

 

[Olive Hill]

Scruffin is adorable.

 

[Mom 2em All]

(trying to resist... not working)

Ooooh.... Yeah. I want.

Not that I'm trying to be an "enabler" or anything...
But I'll be at MBG on Tuesday.
In case y'all need a chicken transport.

OK!
Now- RaZ what is MBG? And sure! Im up for you chicken transporting if youd like..if it works for Nigellas..

 

[NovaAman]

No kidding right. And I love the ducks! I am so glad I don't have them here though. LOL. Thats a lot of duck crap to change out of the pool every day! LOL Have a good night TC.

I had to up the meaties to 2-quarts of food a day today. They actually finished the first chick feed trough about 3 hours before close up time.... I didn't fill it all the way full though.

They are escape artists as it turns out. Really funny to see their little fuzz-less butts running about. I am glad they are to big now to go through the dogs fence. I am going to reposition a section of the old duck pen for them.

Skatter has completely moved back into the big coop. She quit trying to roost though. Her babies put up to much of a ruckus. She does however take over the nest box all night. In the morning when I let them out, Her and Skeeter will fight over whose babies are whose. Its kinda funny actually.

I had to herd the silkie crew back to their coop tonight. Seems that tonight is the night that none wanted to go in. Even the meaties had to be shown the way. Normally they are in on their own. I guess the heat has them not wanting too. Oh well. Not a secure pen for the meaties to be out at night. But sheesh. It was a bit after 9, and I had to use a huge fan rake to keep them all going the same direction from the front yard, back to their coop... The silkies that is... Maybe I should have just picked up Leila and dumped her off to her coop and her babies would have made it there. Roger... Good ole Roger would have eventually gotten them there. BUT as long as he sees me out, he will stay out too. Funny guy.

It was very odd to not have to take care of the girls today. I would get to thinking that they needed a new sled of water, or better go and change their bowls, and duh! They've went to live elsewhere. The little Pekins will be getting the sled tomorrow. They are getting a little to big for the one gallon bowl that they have to swim in now. They still spaz every time I get them to bring them in and out. I am moving there little pen down the yard a bit tomorrow. Since there will be no duck poop in the area yet, I may sit in there with some peas and try and get them to chillax. HA. I know. They aint cats. They aint dogs. They aint pet chickens. BUT, I sure would like if they'd stop freaking the heck out when ever I have to take them in and out!

Well anyway. I am going to go and worship the waterfall in my bathroom for a spell. Then maybe I will worship the cushiony platform god for a few hours. Have a nice night all.