The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[jockeyeba]

Finally decided to cull Mrs. Black this weekend.  This is the first-ever bird I've had to cull for a health issue.

Seems to have had peritonitis with eggs backing up.  Weighed about as much as an empty box.  I didn't do a necropsy   The symptoms were obvious... and began passing what looked like hard-boiled egg yolk with her poohs.

Sorry

 

[jockeyeba]

Turkey eggs and silkie eggs are not a good combo to hatch together IMO. They have different needs. Since you have no choice you will need to keep everything centered. Humidity 40% and no more or less temp 99.6-100 no higher or lower reattaching may take place by letting the eggs sit with out turning the first 24 hours. You need to let the eggs adjust to your home humidity and temp..and rest for 12 hours after shipping before putting in the incubator.Than setting in the incubator with out turning for 24 hours. Reattachment simply does not happen in many cases. You can stll have a rewarding and fun experience hatching eggs if you are gentle and treat them like fragile eggs. Try not to handle them..try not to adjust the incubator..make sure it is working properly before setting. Silkies are not hard to hatch if you know how to hatch them..they are actually quite hardy. They have problems in the last few days..They can't be move until internal pip or they drowned. They hatch better in cartons or in the turner.

Thank you Delisha. I'm not sure about sitting them in egg cartons, since mine lay on their sides. The entire bottom tray slides to turn them, no rails that can be removed. I think I'll just have to let them take their chances. But I will candle the turkey eggs at 10 days and remove them if they aren't doing anything. My incubator doesn't give the humidity in percentages, it has a range to stay within. It kept rock steady near the middle both times before. It only went up once, still in the acceptable range, when we had a very rainy day. I got it right back down by removing the vent plug. The temp was also very steady with no drops or spikes. I have the eggs in a carton now, waiting for tomorrow to put in the incubator. Should I candle the silky eggs later or let them be?

Wait delisha, what no puppy report?

lol..she is cute and out with the chickens..I am trying to spend the least amout of time out in that coop as I can. it is hard at best to put a pup in a coop and leave it. It is a working dog and NOT a pet. I have not even taken the time to take picture. When the snow melts i will start spending more time with her and take pictures. She has two buddies that share her food and she seems to think it is funny. She does not charge them..yet. I am flying by the seat of my pants and hope she has a ton of natural instinct since I am pretty ignorant about that I am doing. These first few weeks I am trying to get her to bond with the chickens since she never had an opportunity to do much of that when it was critical..

RIP My American Game hen Silver 3/10/2011-3/17/2014

I apologize if I type anything that will cause you any more pain..I want to use this as an example for people and in no means is meant to cause hard feelings..please forgive Please understand where I am trying to come from. I want to go over a few things as a reminder and use this situation of why this particular forum was designed.... People ask for help and are desperate for help. They are usually willing to try anything to save a bird. We have a bird that is suffering and many want to help not only the bird, but the person who is desperate..I understand that..we should make suggestions and help. Natural suggestion and prevention ...so hopefully does not happen again. We need to go back to the roots of this forum..to suggest natural methods and prevention..not drugs. Giving drugs solves nothing. It does not help to understand the whys and the prevention. Penicillin and other drugs should never ever be suggested..for others to use....ever.... on this forum ..not even if you are a Vet... If the person wants to use drugs they can go to other forums to ask what drug to use, or ask in private...There is nothing wrong with going to other forums and asking for additional help. There is nothing wrong with each person making a choice to give your own birds drugs. This forum is for prevention and natural suggestions. If this bird was given drugs it no longer has a use anymore. If its death was done naturally before any type of infection set in with out drugs, it could be processed and given back to the birds/dogs/people so it death would have a purpose.

No offense taken I wish I could have caught her sooner, maybe the outcome would have been different. She was laying everyday until this happened.....

 

[jockeyeba]

RIP My American Game hen Silver
3/10/2011-3/17/2014

Sorry for your loss. Did you necropsy her for egg yolk peritonitis? Antibiotics are about the only treatment for this to extend their lives unfortunately. I don't think Nustock will work for that, but I suppose the people on this thread should not ever hear about antibiotics or wormers.

She was my favorite, I'm going to bury her, couldn't get to it today so she's in the freezer, I just don't know if I can cut on her but I may still try

 

[armorfirelady]

Sadly, I haven't paid the attention to them like I should have. Mom has been taking up so much of my time...thankfully, she is in remission but.... If I see him walking, he walks fine, I saw him with 2 of the girls taking care of business but I am noticing that not many eggs are fertile. He just wants to stay roosting. Last week end I saw him out roosting on the dead wood acting all huffed up. So I'd say yes, he's still acting droopy. Tomorrow I have a few hours off and I'll watch him. Every one else is acting fine, they've even been flying out of the chicken run into the yard. And so it begins....lol
Any ideas? No new chickens. Actually, nothing's changed in a very long time.

I would give him some yogurt with garlic and herbs like basil or oregano in it for a few days. And some raw meat (or cooked if thats what you have) for a week or two, Maybe he just needs a immunity boost with this crazy weather we have been having

Hmmm I thought maybe they would. Well at least we know now that it will grow back after frostbite. We are suppose to get the arctic temps back next week so I am going to enjoy the nice weather while it is here. Mother Nature has to give up sooner or later

 

[Leahs Mom]

Sorry that I came to the "natural" thread but I knew there were knowledgeable people that I've taken advice from before on here

By the time I was able to catch her it was getting too late for natural remedies. I'm a big believer in using as much natural stuff as possible. She was a total freeranger, roosted in the trees, laid an egg almost everyday (for 12-16 days) then as the game hens are famous for would go broody, she was my favorite

Don't be sorry! I hope you always feel you can come with your questions!

 

[Leahs Mom]

No offense taken

I wish I could have caught her sooner, maybe the outcome would have been different. She was laying everyday until this happened.....

@jockeyeba You know, sometimes it's just their time and things go downhill quickly. I know you are one of those folks that takes care of your birds well. These things just happen sometimes.

It's like my Mrs. Black. The whole rest of the flock is healthy and well but Mrs. Black was not thriving and going downhill. When the others are healthy and one isn't thriving under the same husbandry, then the assumption is that there was an issue with the single bird that may have been a genetic weakness, weak immune system, etc.

So now, for me, since I had the issue w/Mrs. Black I'm looking at the rest of the flock and realizing this was a long winter without a lot of the health-giving items they get while ranging in warmer times and thinking of the things that may help re-build and help prevent anyone else having issues. I have a few nutritional things I think I'm going to be doing toward prevention - like adding a few more fresh items like kale, cilantro and other greens and some dried herbs that they'd usually get to have fresh access to in the summer - until summer comes. I also have slacked on the items that AFL mentioned like having some raw garlic available to them, etc.

I also know that egg peritonitis/internal laying, etc. can sometime be a calcium issue so part of what I'm going to do is get hold of some of the herbs that are high in calcium (like nettles) and see if they'll take them "free choice" in addition to what is in the feed and the free-feed calcium carbonate/oyster shell that they already have available. Looking for lots of items that have a highly bio-available calcium source. (Wish I had some of @RedRidge 's BSFL but, alas I don't.)

Anyhow...spring is coming! But until then...trying to make some adjustments for the toll from the long, hard winter.

 

[RedRidge]

Wow Lala he looks great. Are the tips growing back as well? They look like they are just that they are not as big as before. I have watching Lucy's toes. Still white and a little swollen even with the 56 degrees today. Part of the problem is she still insists in standing in the food dish to eat even tho I moved it into smaller heated bowl :/

Red ridge. Did you drill holes into your heated dish? I saw the picture and it looks like it. I've been keeping my eyes posted for something to use to make a cover like the picture you showed. Just trying to figure out how it will work with the big dish since its so deep

Yep. Course I tend to drill holes in all kinds of things... even the stainless steel food bowls for the Maremma. Keeps them from wandering off with them if I don't pick them back up immediately. Lol

 

[loanwizard]

Hello Darlin, nice to see you. It's been a long time, you're just as lovely, as you used to be- Conway

 

[Leahs Mom]

Hello Darlin, nice to see you. It's been a long time, you're just as lovely, as you used to be- Conway

Yay!!!! Good to see you

You better fill us in on what's going on with you!

 

[loanwizard]

That would take a while..... I DO have 200-250 eggs due to hatch tomorrow.... the official first day of spring. Not going another winter where I have to buy eggs. 2 dozen eggs I had to buy this winter.... On the other hand, watching hogs chew frozen eggs.... like watching an 8 year old with a jaw breaker.

Didjall know I am no longer a car dealer? Don't know how long I have been gone....