***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[TRUE5]

LOL! Chickens are like potato chips!!! Only my better half doesn't understand that just yet. I just blame it on my daughter... "But honey, she REALLY LOVES this chicken! She would be SO sad if she didn't have it!" That usually works.

Anyone ever experience an egg bound hen? I just posted a thread on it but one of my hens is sick. She isn't active, wont scratch when out, wont eat, wont lay eggs, empty crop, SMELLY

vent, kind of fluffed up. I have her in a dog crate in the garage and I can smell her when I walk in the door. I rubbed her crop thinking sour or impacted and there really isn't anything in it. A little squishy but not a lot. After rubbing it I could swear she farted or something because it smelled like rotten gut. Maybe it was a burp... whatever it was it just was FOUL.

She has been acting sluggish and not social for about 4 days now and I noticed she hadn't raised her voice at me for a few days like she normally does. I don't know if she has an egg stuck, worms (I use DE but cant get her to eat so I can't get it down her), or something worse. Crossing my fingers I get this solved without her dying on me.

 

[Grannychick55]

Hi I was wondering if anyone in OK. might have a Wheaton Ameracauna or Blue Wheaton roo I would like some more hens also but I need a rooster. I never thought I would be looking for a rooster but I have a couple of hens and no rooster I love the blue eggs they lay and would like to hatch some.If anyone does please pm me. Thanks

 

[hotcurltr]

I know I am just now catching up. Those are beautiful birds! MJ, if you ever have any extra let me know! I love the coloring!!!
So sorry for the loss I have been reading on. So many darn pesky animals that see our chickens as a meal or just something to kill. I can't stand it! I am such a worry wart about my own chickens that I can't imagine a raccoon or hawk getting any of them. We actually had one of our adult girls go missing. Let all four out then they wandered into next door chicken neighbor's yard. Two came back. Asked him the next day and he brought us one. The other we though was gone until my daughter and I went to shut his chickens up for the night for him when he was away. There she was. Just looking at me as if to say, hey, I know you. So we left her there. He said he didn't have her with his 40 plus chickens. I can totally tell it is her but I have to keep my mouth shut and I think I will put zip ties on the legs of my other three just incase. My daughter is still so upset but I will have to take a loss to not make another neighbor enemy since our other neighbor is a complete jerk.
We did lose power but only for maybe six hours. Everyone kept warm by huddling even though their heat lamps were out. I am SO glad that it is starting to warm up. Even with the temps getting a little warmer it still bothers me. My hubby let me know that it was time to put the almost 3 week olds in the shop building. I hate to because I know it gets really cold out there. Even with a heat lamp. I don't know. Maybe I just worry too much. I may try to keep them in a couple more weeks until they have some more feathers... we will see.

I'm just now getting back on since Christmas Eve and really don't have enough time to catch up right now. I just wanted to let you know how much u sound like me. Sorry, that's probably not a nice thing to say, but I am the worst worry wart about all my animals. Sometimes I feel like I need to just give them up, but they are all that keeps me going at the present time. My health seems to be going downhill even more since I started going to all the specialists.

I really think that I'm over medicated and that the meds make me feel crummy, so I'm weaning myself off a few and try to find out which ones are causing all the side effects. Don't know where that came from. I was just thinking, I guess, how I wish I felt better, so I could do more with my critters. Poor hubby, has always been the picture of health and had open heart surgery last month, but has been taking up a lot of my slack when I play out.

Anyway, TRUE5, I haven't read on, so I don't know the outcome of your missing hen at the neighbor's, but I hate to judge anyone and really try not too. If your neighbor has 40 some chickens and did bring one back, maybe he missed the other one. Personally, I would have told him you thought u saw your other hen when you locked up for him and asked if he could have possibly missed her since he has so many. Then I would ask if he minded, if you looked with him. Anyway, I don't know what your situation is with your neighbors, but it would be worth try, and help teach your daughter how to speak up for herself without stepping on any toes. Forgive me, if I'm being to forward. Sometimes I should think before I talk or give advice.

anyway this is not made to offend. Anything I ever say is always love for you and your animals.

Anyway, I need to get off and do some things and try to read and catch up later.

 

[artsyrobin]

LOL! Chickens are like potato chips!!! Only my better half doesn't understand that just yet. I just blame it on my daughter... "But honey, she REALLY LOVES this chicken! She would be SO sad if she didn't have it!" That usually works.

Anyone ever experience an egg bound hen?

What I do is give them a warm bath, massage them, blow dry, give them a tums in the drinking water for a calcium boost, helps them relax. Put them in a quiet crate and repeat in a couple hours. Also, put some vegi oil in the vent to help ease it out

 

[TRUE5]

I'm just now getting back on since Christmas Eve and really don't have enough time to catch up right now. I just wanted to let you know how much u sound like me. Sorry, that's probably not a nice thing to say, but I am the worst worry wart about all my animals. Sometimes I feel like I need to just give them up, but they are all that keeps me going at the present time. My health seems to be going downhill even more since I started going to all the specialists.

I really think that I'm over medicated and that the meds make me feel crummy, so I'm weaning myself off a few and try to find out which ones are causing all the side effects. Don't know where that came from. I was just thinking, I guess, how I wish I felt better, so I could do more with my critters. Poor hubby, has always been the picture of health and had open heart surgery last month, but has been taking up a lot of my slack when I play out.

Anyway, TRUE5, I haven't read on, so I don't know the outcome of your missing hen at the neighbor's, but I hate to judge anyone and really try not too. If your neighbor has 40 some chickens and did bring one back, maybe he missed the other one. Personally, I would have told him you thought u saw your other hen when you locked up for him and asked if he could have possibly missed her since he has so many. Then I would ask if he minded, if you looked with him. Anyway, I don't know what your situation is with your neighbors, but it would be worth try, and help teach your daughter how to speak up for herself without stepping on any toes. Forgive me, if I'm being to forward. Sometimes I should think before I talk or give advice.

anyway this is not made to offend. Anything I ever say is always love for you and your animals.

Anyway, I need to get off and do some things and try to read and catch up later.

No offence taken! It is great advice! He is a very good neighbor kid and offered to give me another hen since he is trying to down size his flock (it's getting a little hard for him to feed ALL of them he is finding. Especially since he is saving for a horse.). I am not downsizing but trying to watch my numbers. In all I have too many and I decided I needed to give a few away. So he can keep her and I ended up giving him one of my orpingtons for a Christmas gift. I know. Dumb that I give him a pullet when he is trying to get rid of some adults but he has been eyeballing her for some time now. If he sells her or keeps her is up to him. I have way too many right now! I will soon be getting some of my splash marans on their merry way to another home. Already my favorite of the 7 is a cockerel. Go figure. My luck. But he will make someone else a very beautiful roo! My kids wont let go of the orpington cockerel or I would keep him. **sigh**

And yes, I am too much of a worry wart. I think I check on my chickens several times before I go to bed. If I'm not looking out the window at their coop I am walking out there and checking on them. My husband thinks I over do it. So does the neighbor kid but I would rather be safe than sorry! Love those silly feathered kids!

 

[TheBarnSwallow]

Long time no post, just thought to see how everyone is doing.. Life is so funny, Just when I think I will post more to the BYC I dont...lol Anyhow for those of you that remember me(old crew) hello for the newbies.. hello to you.. Wishing everyone a blessed 2014

 

[Kassaundra]

Hi, how are you doing way up there? Snowed in?

 

[TheBarnSwallow]

We are iced in for sure, and snow comes nearly every other day it seems.. Was with out power week and half ago due to an ice storm, which made it reminiscent of Oklahoma Winters.. LOL. Kids been having an enjoyable school break and been sledding on the ice.. with 15 acres that is nothing but a giant ice rink, they sure could become Winter Olympic champions in no time. ha ha ha.. Current temp is 8 and a low of -3 is expected by tonight.

Chickens on the other hand get released from the coop for just a few hours, the temps are so frigid we dont wanna run the risk of them getting frost bite, especially the NN. Even when we let the coop doors open, just a couple venture out..lol. Already looking forward to laying season.. ha ha ha our girls layed well over 4500 eggs for 2013 and just today we ate the last of the 8 dozens we kept frigerated from when they stopped laying in the mid fall.

 

[Kassaundra]

We are iced in for sure, and snow comes nearly every other day it seems.. Was with out power week and half ago due to an ice storm, which made it reminiscent of Oklahoma Winters.. LOL. Kids been having an enjoyable school break and been sledding on the ice.. with 15 acres that is nothing but a giant ice rink, they sure could become Winter Olympic champions in no time. ha ha ha.. Current temp is 8 and a low of -3 is expected by tonight.

Chickens on the other hand get released from the coop for just a few hours, the temps are so frigid we dont wanna run the risk of them getting frost bite, especially the NN. Even when we let the coop doors open, just a couple venture out..lol. Already looking forward to laying season.. ha ha ha our girls layed well over 4500 eggs for 2013 and just today we ate the last of the 8 dozens we kept frigerated from when they stopped laying in the mid fall.

We had a big ice storm, but no snow. We lost power for 10 hours others lost it longer. My NN stayed in for a little bit, but they really like it outside, but we didn't get that cold either, they may object to that.






a few shots of them in the ice.

 

[mjgigax]

I've been told 1/7 is best for optimum fertilization. I have 3/24 right now and all of my eggs are fertile and the roos get along fine. My alpha roo will usually stop mating attempts by the younger roos but not much aggrestion. I think it all depends on the amount of space they have and on the breeds. My flock seems happy and content!

That has been my experience too - If they have a lot of space they can get along well.