South Carolina

[Joycats]

Thanks! Seriously when it rains it pours..I haven't been able to update on here in a while..but I lost my d'Anver roo last weekend..and had to make the tough decision to put my last pullet down due to her coming down with whatever the others had. Obviously it was contagious. I tried treating it. Nothing helped..not even antibiotics. I loved them so much. Now I'm having problems with my chicks. Just makes me feel like giving up sometimes..

I have to believe it'll get better!!

Just wondering what antibiotics you've tried? I have always had great success with Tylan. I have seen it save birds that I didn't think would survive the night. You can get the powder from Cutlers and just add it to the water. Just a thought.

 

[Joycats]

wow Joy. Glad you spoted the critter before the dogs. I would have bet the dogs would have found it quickly and then the rest of the story would be different.

Well something found our guineas outside nest. Ate teh inside of the eggs, left the shell. Glad most of them have been laying in the hen house. Of course, I expect tehy will find another nest for outside. I hate that only because I worry we will loose a hen to sitting on the eggs.

Yes, it really scared me when I saw it because I'd already let my one dog out earlier. I think the raccoon had been on my back deck which isn't in the dog yard. It must've just come down when I let my big fierce 7 lb. dog out there. It sounds like you either have a raccoon or a oppossum. In my experience, the oppossums usually take the whole egg with them and the raccoons make a terrible mess with the shells everywhere. They can't wait to eat the egg, I've even found trails of shells into the woods.

 

[Joycats]

Good job, joycats. You are always on your own; expect nothing less.
Occasionally, the agents of the government we pay for are useful - but in the main they expect you'll not bother them. If they do come to your call, they will be compelled to be government agents, and do the bidding of their masters. That's a paranoid conspiracy lunatics way of saying handle your own problems and be quiet thereafter!
When an animal behaves in an odd way like that, take no chances. Dispatch it.
In fact, it is a best choice to simply rid the area of predators, altogether. To heck with all that "'kumbaya', "all Nature's children together," stuff. We can go there when God returns.
In the meantime, it is them against your chickens and by default, against YOU. They must go elsewhere... or else.

I agree with you 100%. It was only my thinking that the dogs and cats may have been exposed to this sick animal that got me thinking I should have it tested. I won't bother with DHEC next time. We have been trying really hard to eliminate some predators. The raccoons no longer come up on the porch to eat the cat food. We've managed to catch a few of them but I can see on my game camera that we have a LOT on our property. We take care of any oppossums that we see, my dogs take care of a few of those too. When it comes to my birds, and my property, I do what I have to do. I'm a rebel, a true OUTLAW!!

It is sad that there aren't a lot of places for the wildlife to go now though. Too many neighborhoods/subdivisions popping up everywhere. We still have several hundred acres of woodland around us so I guess we're smack in the middle of predator country.

 

[Elleoz]

Jasper/Emmet: are their names what I think they are? lol

Oh FYI...I still have the MilleFleur d'Uccle eggs that my chicks laid...Not sure if fertile, but Jasper/Emmett do the deed(wink wink) So if anybody wants to incubate, just holla and hopefully soon we can meet and I 'll drop them off. I really don't want to waste them but I reallly CAN'T hatch anymore! But I would for others to have them if they want some precious babies. Again not sure if fertile but free to a great home!!!! They are from the teddiliza line(Congo). I have to say the parents are AWESOME!!!!


<-----Dad is right there(or atleast one of the dads)

 

[Southern Bee Lady]

Lauren,
Sorry you are have so many chicken problems.
Get some Oxine (dilute in water) and spray everything with it. You can even spray/mist the chicks/chickens. I buy it from Revival Animal Health. Cheaper by the box of 4 gallons. No one local carries it. You will have to order. You may be able to get it thru where you work.
I spray my brooder area anytime I am adding new chicks to the ones already in there.
I have lost almost no chicks since I started doing this. I have hatched over a hundred so far and only lost 3 or 4. 2 or 3 of those were not right at hatch (deformed or did not absorb yolk) I think I have only lost 1 after going into brooder. There are some good articles on Oxine online.

 

[Joycats]

Lauren,
Sorry you are have so many chicken problems.
Get some Oxine (dilute in water) and spray everything with it. You can even spray/mist the chicks/chickens. I buy it from Revival Animal Health. Cheaper by the box of 4 gallons. No one local carries it. You will have to order. You may be able to get it thru where you work.
I spray my brooder area anytime I am adding new chicks to the ones already in there.
I have lost almost no chicks since I started doing this. I have hatched over a hundred so far and only lost 3 or 4. 2 or 3 of those were not right at hatch (deformed or did not absorb yolk) I think I have only lost 1 after going into brooder. There are some good articles on Oxine online.

I use Oxine also and love the stuff. It's wonderful and worth the cost. I had a hen having respiratory issues after raising a clutch of chicks in the summer heat. I misted/fogged her with Oxine and could see a big difference on the second day. The Oxine cured her respiratory problem with no other antibiotics used. I use it to spray down chicken coops too.

 

[KrisH]

Oh no Lauren, I am so Sorry yolu lost all the D'anvers, and all the other chicken problems you are having.

 

[Southern Bee Lady]

This link has a lot of good info on oxine.
I keep a spray bottle handy at all times. I use it to mist my hovabators that I use as hatchers.
I clean them good and after I finish, I mist them with oxine (diluted).
Some people that show chickens mist them with oxine in the show cages to protect them from the exposure to germs etc.

www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm

Wanted to add that when I moved all of my silkies to the largest run/coop area that had been used by my laying flock previously, I cleaned it and misted the walls, ground in the run, shavings after I spread them out, and even the silkies after they were put in there. I did not want to take any chance of the older laying flock exposing the silkies to something they were not used to.

 

[huckleberryfarm]

Lauren, So sorry!

How do you dilute the Oxine? What proportions? Do you use it in the poultry waterers? Trying to figure out how much to add for a one-gallon waterer, a 3-gallon and my automatic. The slime is getting bad already! I bought Oxine but haven't used it! For spraying, how much do you dilute?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Okay, had a very long day and thought I would share what I've learned from this new experience. We had a sick raccoon in the backyard this morning. It was actually inside the fence where I let my house dogs outside. It was turning in circles, not paying me or the dog any attention and obviously it was sick. So we killed it before it could affect any of the other animals and I called the Vet. The Vet told me to call DHEC. DHEC finally called me back several hours later. They no longer test sick animals for rabies unless they've been in contact with someone or a pet (budget cutbacks). So if you have a sick animal and you're lucky enough to catch it before it hurts or infects somebody, you're on your own. I asked about disposal of it, in case it was rabid I didn't want other wild animals eating it and getting sick too. I was told to double bag it and take it to the dump. Either that or bury it. He did tell me that there has been a recent outbreak of Dystemper in my area which can cause similar symptoms. Anyway, I shoveled the raccoon into a bag and then I shoveled the grass and dirt from under it into the bag also. Then I poured a gallon of bleach on the ground (and my shovel) just for good measure. Hopefully if the bleach doesn't kill the virus, it'll smell bad enough to keep my dogs away from. I've got to do some research on dystemper now. The rabies virus dies fairly quickly, not long after the animal dies. Just thought I'd share in case this could save someone else a few hours of phone calls. Apparently they don't care about sick wildlife unless they attack somebody.

Geez, cutbacks.
Now, if I was to not get the vaccinations required by the state for my pets because of cutbacks in our paycheck I would get a huge fine. So where does all this money go? Ah, I suppose that explains the nice cars, clothes and vacations our politicians can afford but yet an animal that could do serious harm to the average family is not considered important enough for them to dish precious money out on.
Sooooo, what about the likelihood of this animal having infected other animals close to your home that could come up and bite one of you? I guess you won't know because it isn't important enough to them. Things sure have changed in the few years I have been out of the clinic.
This is a scary outcome to a serious matter.
I am sorry you had to go through it, Joy. I hope you and your family remain safe.