Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Celtic Chick]

Jim, I think you need a pet door on your coop. Then the heat would stay in & keep the water from freezing.

As for the bun, I wish she was in heat. To answer TO, I don't usually take my rabbits to the vet unless there is an issue. Rabbits are generally pretty hardy animals if you care for them properly, as I am sure you already know. She looked like she was having trouble with her back legs/hips when I went to let the chickens out yesterday, so I brought her in. She wasn't hopping: it was more like walking, using one leg, then the other. Very odd. The vet took x-rays & it looks like she has spine damage, but he said it looked really old like she did it a long time ago, like years, but now she either must have reinjured it or arthritis is setting in. They gave her a shot to help reduce any possible inflammation that might be there & are hoping that she might improve some. She can move, albeit clumsily, but now I don't know what to do. I hope she will improve, even a little, but I'm not betting on it. I can't let her back outside, even if she is crabbier than sin being away from her mate & being able to do as she pleases. I have a cage that came with her when she was given to me, but it isn't big enough for 2 rabbits. And what if she is in pain? She doesn't appear to be, but rabbits are very good at masking weaknesses. I just don't know what to tell DH. He just loves her. I think she is the first pet he ever brought home. Usually he keeps telling me "no more animals". So who are you & what have you done with my husband????

TO, the pet door I have did have a single rubber flap you had to push to go through, but the chickens didn't want anything to do with it, so we removed it. It is now just a framed out hole in the door. The coop is inside a carport that is all walled off, so there isn't much of a threat of predators coming in through it. The chickens can enter & exit the coop any time they choose (since we leave the pet door open) and go out into the carport/covered run, which we keep locked overnight. Then they have an outdoor run also, but we have to let them out so they can get to that.
Mmmm, turkey wild rice soup sounds yummy. I think I'll make some tomorrow. That Chicken with Barley and Pecans recipe sounds good too. I love barley! Care to share that recipe, or have you tossed it already?

83 is closed for construction, so for Cind to get to 94 might be a long drive.

Quote:

Thanks for that, MLH! I needed a laugh right about now.

Thank you all for your well wishes for my bunny. It is so very much appreciated.

A nip off that flask right about now wouldn't hurt either, come to think of it....... Smoooth

Cat litter

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I thought I'd post this here also. I finished my greenhouse for the chickens. I think it will be a nice sunny, dry place for them to spend cold winter days. I wrapped my 6x8 cage in greenhouse poly. Its set up on gravel, pushed up against the pop door and I'll keep clean hay in there for them to play in. I wish I had 2 of these cages.

 

[Celtic Chick]

Wow! Now that is a nice winter run. Way to go, BBP!

 

[Terri O]

Hi all! The turkey soup smells delish! I havent had any yet...DD just got home and said that it has started sleeting a bit out there and I have feed on the back of my truck...of course! MLH--Horked up something!

That sounds like our house!!!
Well I better get off and put away feed...last time the game bird food got a bit wet! Later! Terri O

 

[bigzio]

Sure hope Bun

has a fast recovery CC! Yep, times like these can only be eased with a smoooth nip.

Nice job on the pen BBP. I use the cheap blue tarps on my one pen. I suppose that greenhouse poly is more pricey? Does it have any advantages over the tarps?

Picked up a couple pork steaks when I dropped off the venzun for sausage. I still had some of the gallon of sauerkraut to use and decided to slow roast the pork steaks and add the sauerkraut to the roast....it turned out delicious to the point of over eating once again

Oh well, it's winter weather in Wi, and time for nice big meals again!

bigz

 

[FrenchToast]

Quote:
X2 I like that idea.
We are trying thinking about putting a top on our run but it is alot bigger then that. And, being way up North we have to think about the snow load. Our snow hasn't melted and we are suppose to get more tonight !!

Well, didn't get any of the pens cleaned today !! Dang. I went down there and one of the pens doors was open. I had silkies running all over. They were having a great time !!! LOL
Then I heard chirpping. I haven't been collecting eggs to sell and any hens that have gone broody I just let set. Well, I have three second generation (F2) Silkie/bantam Cochin crosses.
Then I saw a half a shell in the lavender pen (Lavender Roo with 2 black hens and a buff hen) So I looked under all of the hens and nothing. Sifted thru the shavings and there was a little chick. Probably only a day old. Thought it was dead at first then saw it's mouth gasping !!! I haven't had luck with them brooding there babies. Anyway I brought it to the light and it was cold and weak. I had removed all of the waterers so instead of leaving things go and tend to the chick I put a towel in the dryer, got in nice and warm and wrapped the chick in it and started another towel in the dryer. So kept cleaning the waterers and changing towels. I really expected the chick to not make it BUT is now upstairs in a brooder and doing great !!!
Keeping fingers crossed that continues to do well. I think this babe came from the Buff hen.

Don't have the heart to take the silkie/cochin chicks away from Mama, she is doing a good job with them.

Little chickie took an ATV ride tucked in my top undergarment !!!! -@@- cause took the ATV and went in the basement from outside. So I wanted to bring the ATV back up to the back door so she took a ride with me !!! (I think it is a girl since it has a nice vaulted skull, more common in hens)
Got a bit worried while I was cleaning waterers. I ran out of hot water !!! I was doing a load of wash at the same time but was suprised that the hot water ran out. I thought it was a replay of last time when I had to shower outside !!!! And it ain't raining !!!! It's snowing !!!

Luckily it was a false alarm !!! We have hot water again !!! TG cause I need a shower.

Speaking of showers when Butt Dog climbed on the ATV I could smell what I knew was Pasty Butt !!!! Dang, so she needed a shower. Tended to the chick first then gave her a bath !!!
The shower wand slipped out of my hand so I got a nice shower too !!!!

What a day. Now I have to get on some clean dry clothes so I can go tend to the animules outside. Then make supper !!!
Never a dull moment hey ????

Jim, You are an instigator (sp) you know !!!
Oh and CC, before I even read what the vet said I had suspected that it was a back injury. There are horror stories out their about Easter Bunnys (Jim, the kind kids get for Easter) that get stomped on etc by kids.
I'm wondering if maybe a chicken could have landed on it when if flew down off the perch. Hopefully if it is an old injury that it maybe just has a sprain or ????? Keeping myu fingers crossed for you.

Well, gotta get dressed and get outside before DH gets home.

 

[Terri O]

Yikes...what a night FT! (and I was eating my dinner reading about "Pasty Butt!"

) We had a dog when we were kids that always had to have his butt cleaned off...man I hated that job!
CC--we had a rabbit that had a stroke or something and ended up with legs that only "walked" She lasted another year after that; she was 12 or 13 I think when she died! We had her FOREVER! She was my daughter's pet and lived in the back room where the parrots are now. If she is so crabby in the house I guess I would just put her back out with her friend. Even if it does shorten her life a little at least she will be happy! As long as she keeps eating she must not be in too much pain I say!

I saw a little cat sleeping all curled up on my porch today. It ran when I went outside but has been back to eat some food. Probably another dump-off. I hate that! It looked scared but not wild...that is the worst. We'll have to see what happens...

BigZ--that sounds like a great dinner! I make it with pork neckbones...MMMMM--so good! Some potatoes, a little brown sugar...NO CARAWAY! Cant stand the stuff! And that juice with butter over the mashed up spuds...might just have to make us some of that this coming week!
Nice cover BBP! Your little calls look just like mine! Bet they will make a royal mess out of that area in no time!
FT that chick is adorable! No wonder people like silkies so much! Why dont you just slip the chick under the mama that has the other bunch? Then you wont have to run a brooder for just one.
Well--I guess I better get the dishes done...the dish fairy didnt show up again last night....
Sweet dreams all! Terri O

 

[the troll]

Hi all-
Look at that 1400 pages. I haven't been on here in a couple of weeks. We had a great Turkey day in the U.P. and a busy week when you get home from being gone. I have FBCMarrans and Americana mix that just started laying that olive egg color. Talk about weird color.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Quote:
I think I payed $34 including shipping for a 9' x 36' remnant. And I bought a roll of greenhouse tape for $10 and 2 U channel bars for 10 to told it tight. I used that instead of tarps because it let's in light. I'm up pretty far North but because it has a pitch to the top it should safely hold a snow load. This is a heavy duty run. I love it.

 

[Celtic Chick]

Quote:
Thank you for your well wishes! I wholeheartedly appreciate it!
I suspected neurological damage as soon as I saw her also. I doubt any stomping on happened, although she was owned by a child for a couple of years before I received her, but I am leaning more toward incorrect holding of her, or trying to hold her as she struggled to get away? It is rather common in rabbits, unfortunately, if you are not aware of how to correctly handle them. How anyone can want to possess an animal without first knowing the most basic things about them is beyond me. I think I researched chickens & their health problems for over a year & a half before getting any.

As for a chicken landing on her, I have had the rabbits separated in an area with just my 2 banties for a great majority of the time. Only once in a while do they "escape" on me & run around with the rest of the chickens, but that usually doesn't last long. They enjoy getting a little extra freedom once in a while, but I think they like their "neater" environment much better because I can leave their door open & they will not leave "their" area. They used to run around together, but that was up until early last spring, so I doubt her reinjury was from one of the chickens. Besides, those rabbits are way faster than any chicken, especially one trying to make a landing. But I greatly appreciate your thoughts & ideas. It makes my brain work harder to try to figure out what might have happened. As of the moment, I am at a loss as to how she could have injured herself, unless she did it while jumping out of one of the hutches? I do have one that is over a foot off the ground. I do not have much of a clue as to how old she might be, either. I've owned her for almost 4 years, and the child who owned her before me got her as a full grown rabbit at some flea market/rummage. I did own a rabbit previously that was given to me by someone who said he was 7, but it must have been 7 months because I had him 12 years.

And this ones mate is 8 years old (I know that one for sure because he came from a litter from my sis). But he is a bigger rabbit too, so his lifespan would be expected to be longer than hers. *Sigh* The joys.........

Thank you, everyone, for your continued support & well wishes. Without all of you, this would certainly have been a much darker day. I appreciate all of you greatly.

Sweet dreams!