dlhunicorn's email- [email protected]
DE = Diatomacious Earth
Methione- An amino acid (containing sulfur) required for feather growth. It's found in black oil sunflower seeds which also contain 30% protein.
Eggs are good when:
Fill a bowl with water deeper than an egg is long.
Place eggs in bowl.
If eggs settle to the bottom and lay on their side...they are as fresh as can be can be and yolks do not need to be thoroughly cooked.
If eggs, while still on the bottom of the bowl, start pivoting upward they are a little less fresh but can still be used for baking, scrambling, etc.
When completely upright but still on the bottom of the bowl...the egg is still ok but must be thoroughly cooked (scrambling, used in batter for frying, etc.)
Once the egg actually starts to float and is no longer in contact with the bottom of the bowl...toss it!

When things spoil, they oxidize; This might explain the whole floating egg method. -From Eggberta

Molasses Flush for chicken that has been poisened.-From Miss Prissy

Molasses flush is 1 pint molasses per 5 gallons water given over a period of 8 hours withhold all other food or water.
The break down is -
(1 PINT = 2 CUPS)
2 cups to 5 gallons water
1 cup to 2.5 gallons of water
1/2 cup to 1.25 gallons of water
1/4 cup to 2 quarts water
4 tablespoons to 1 quart water
The molasses acts as a laxative by pulling water into the intestines and flushing it out.
I would mix it by the quart.

The usual dosage recommended on BYC is 5 regular (325 mg) aspirin (NO SUBSTITUTES) crushed and mixed with ONE GALLON of water.
Baby aspirin that is truly just aspirin is fine. Just make sure it's not any kind of aspirin substitute. A baby aspirin is 81mg and crushed in a cup of water is about the same strength as five 325 mg regular aspirins in a gallon of water. Gave the smaller batch equivalent since it's one bird and gallon batches are more than what's needed. As you are already doing, wait till the bleeding problem subsides.........
JJthink

Info on problems with hatches: http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/trouble.htm#SD-from hinkjc

DH=Dear (most times) Husband
DD=Dear Daughter, Dear Dad
DS=Dear Son
DM=Dear Mother, Dear Mom
DF=Dear Father
DSD=Dear StepDaughter
DSS=Dear stepSon
DSM=Dear StepMother
DSF=Dear StepFather
BIL=Brother in Law
SIL=Sister in Law
MIL=Mother in Law
FIL=Father in Law
DC=Dear Children
DE=Diatomaceous Earth
BOSS=Black Oil Sunflower Seed
GF=Girl Friend
BF=Boy Friend
POL=Point Of Lay
NSQ=Non Show Quality
PQ=Pet Quality
CBOF=Cantankerous Bag Of Feathers
DUW=Dialup Warning
IMHO=In My Humble Opinion IMNSHO is In My Not So Humble Opinion
JBG - Jersey Black Giant
SLW - Silver Laced Wyandotte
BLRW - Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
CM - Cuckoo Marans
GPH - Gold Penciled Hamburg
OEG - Old English Gamebirds
OEGB-old english game bantam,
OEG-Old english game (ususally standards).
SLW-Silver laced Wyandotte.
RIR-rhode island red,
WCP-White crested polish.
BTB-Black tailed buff (usually Japanese bantams)
BTW-black tailed white (usually japanese bantams)
BR-Barred rock.
BO-buff orpington
EE-Easter eggers (Ameraucana Crosses)
BLRW- Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
BBR- Black Breasted Red
SDW- Silver Duck Wing
BA OR LORP = Black Australorp

SCOVY=Muscovy duck

MUTT= MIXED BREED CHICKEN
BCM - Black Copper Marans

Here is a link: http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/poultry/
click on species information and go to poultry.

Here is a link to the diagnostic lab (necropsy):
http://www.addl.purdue.edu/
Click on "Staff Page" and scroll down to Avian. I believe I worked with Donna Schrader (can't remember for sure). They are awesome to work with. You can click and email. They always answered me back...even will call if you leave a phone number.
" When your spring hens start to moult, and egg production goes down, heres what ya do. Get a 5 gallon bucket of whole corn. Put in ONE large can of Cayenne pepper...and add warm water...just to the top of the corn. Let it set over night..to "pop" the corn open. Feed this to your hens, and they will start laying in a few days. Its called " Burning the moult"
Link to Speckledhen's egg fertility thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008

Info on Eprinex: http://shilala.homestead.com/ivomec.html -
From Speckledhen: I'll answer it for you with what I do recommended by a reputable breeder. I use a needleless syringe and on a standard size chicken of say 5-7 lb, I'll put 1/4 cc on the skin of the back of the neck. For my much larger birds, say the huge roosters, one of which is over 11 lb, I use 1/2 cc. dosage. Then I reapply at 2 weeks to get the eggs that may hatch later.
Polyvisol (according to dhlunicorn)-" four drops of POLYVISOL in the beak once a day for a week then taper off the next."
From dlhunicorn-A recent study at the university of Wageningen in Holland (Poultry Science) has also found that tryptophan content (high) will reduce agressivity if this is the underlying cause and not nutritional (sunflower seeds are high in tryptophan for instance...do a google search on it )..
Info on Apple Cider Vinager (ACV):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=41321&p=1
I read an article in Backyard Poultry about adding ACV to your chickens water.
The Advantages
* Improved fertility
* General health and condition
* Cleanliness in drinkers by slowing down algae growth
* Helps clean plumage
* Show birds look amazing when bathed in ACV/water solution
* Clearing respiratory system

Damaged bleeding birds can be treated by a diluted mixture of ACV. Ratio needs to be 10 to 1.

It provides a number of important minerals such as potassium,sulphur,chlorine, phosphorous, iron, and silicon. The vitamins contained in ACV are P, A, C, E, B1, B2 and B6.

It helps prevent internal infestation, controls disease and problem causing organisms, helps prevent sour crop,provides a source of potassium that will help combat certain bacterial problems. It helps keep the blood vessels free and prevents calcium from forming on the walls.
There is definite proof that it can help prevent cocidiosis, a serious killer of young birds. There is also a good chance that it can prevent canker.

Usage: Mix 1 teaspoon per quart of water. Watch birds reaction and make sure it is not too strong for them. As they need to drink water! Give as young as two weeks. A light spray over feed is also possible. DO NOT use in metal waterers the acid in ACV will cause corrosion.

Last edited by werblessd1s (Yesterday 10:33 am)
From Speckledhen-incubating-Circulated air is good at 99.5-100. Still air better at 101-102 or so.
The Family Poultry Flock Edited by Lee Schwanz A Farmer's Digest Publication
Quick guide to productive hens
Layers and nonlayers
Character Layer Nonlayer
Comb..........................Large, smooth, bright red, glossy..........Dull, dry, shriveled, scaly.
Face...........................Bright red.........................................Yellowish tint.
Vent...........................Large, smooth, moist..........................Shrunken, puckered, dry
Pubic bones.................Thin, pliable, spread apart....................Blunt, rigid, close together.
Abdomen.....................Full, soft, pliable.................................Contracted, hard, fleshy
Skin...........................Soft, loose.........................................Thick, underlaid with fat.
High and low producers
Character High producer Low producer
(continuous laying) (brief laying)
Vent..............Bluish white..........................Yellow or flesh color.
Eye ring..........White..................................Yellow.
Ear lobe..........White..................................Yellow.
Beak...............White.................................Yellow.
Shanks............White, flattened...................Yellow, round.
Plumage..........Worn, soiled.........................Not much worn.
Moting............Late, rapid...........................Early, slow

A Guide To Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow
Culling Checklist
Body Part Good Layer Poor Layer
Carriage........................active and alert.......................lazy and listless
Eyes.............................bright and Sparkling.................dull and sunken
Comb and wattles...........large and bright......................small and pale
Shanks.........................thin and flat...........................round and full
Back.............................wide.....................................narrow or tapered
Abdomen.......................deep and soft.........................shallow and hard
Pubic bones*.................wide apart and flexible.............tight and stiff
Vent*...........................large and moist......................puckered and dry
Plumage........................warn, dry, and dirty................smooth, shiny, clean
Molt.............................late......................................early
Skin.............................bleached................................yellow
* Most reliable indicators.


---"In full molt, feathers are renewed in sequence, starting with the head and gradually working toward the tail, with some areas molting simultaneously."
Info on power outages during Incubation.
From- A Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow
The more valuable your hatching eggs are, the more likely it is that the electricity will go out during incubation. If you have an uninterruptable power source (UPS) for your computer or other electronic equipment, consider disconnecting the usual equipment and using the UPS to power your incubator. If the outage comtinues beyond its capacity to keep your incubator running, or you don't have an UPS, open the incubator and let the eggs cool until the power goes back on.
Trying to keep the eggs warm is likely to cause abnormal embryo development. Furthermore, if you close the vents or wrap the incubator with blankets in your attempt to keep eggs warm, a greater danger than temperature loss is oxygen deprivation. Developing embryos use up oxygen rather rapidly, and the oxygen level may soon fall below that necessary to keep them alive.
As soon as the power goes back on, close the incubator and continue operating it as usual. The effect of the outage on your hatch will depend on how long the power was out and on how long the eggs had been incubated before the outage. A power failure of up to 12 hours may not significally affect the hatch (except to delay it somewhat), especially if the outage occurred during the early incubation, when cooled embryos naturally tend to go dormant. Embryos that are close to term generate enough heat to carry them through a short-term outage.

Calabrating hydrometer-from Speckledhen.
1. You can calibrate a hydrometer by mixing in a bowl 1/2 cup of salt in 1/4 cup water. Actually a couple TBSP of salt moistened with water is enough.
2.Place bowl inside a zip lock baggie with your hydrometer. After at least 8 hours, your hygrometer should read 75%.
3. If it says, for example 80% you know that it is reading 5% to high and then you can make adjustments in your readings.

Posting Pics: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=504
From newbiecaroline: "Bobbing for good or bad eggs when Candling does not work:
This procedure can be done after they are past their due time to hatch and you cannot determine if a chick is inside by candling them. Try and place the egg in a cup or small bowl of room temperature water as easy as possible to minimize its movement. Use a spoon to slowly place it in the water if you feel uneasy with placing it in slowly by hand. If the egg continues to move or bob, there is probably a chick inside. If the egg stops and stays still it is probably infertile or dead in the shell. You should allow each egg to sit for 10 to 20 seconds before you determine if they are good or not."

http://www3.sympatico.ca/davehansen/candling.html

To check thermometer accuracy:

Eggseronious wrote: Get a quart of ice and crush it or use a blender make an ice water mix put the thermometer down in about 2 inches and sit for 4-5 minutes should read 32* degrees make sure its a thick slush of ice water.

Twiggs thread on checking thermometer accuracy: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=130840
dlhunicorn on terramycin dosage for chickens:
per WES:
4 tsp per gallon for 4 days then cut to 2 tsp per gallon for 6 days.
On impacted crop from allen wrench:
I know we all try to avoid medicating our birds if at all possible, but I have used Metoclopramide (Reglan) injections successfully to treat impacted crop.

Confine and give only water for 24 hours plus 1/2 cc (1/4 for bantams) Metoclopramide morning & evening. Give another inj. next morning & evening and start on liquid diet (baby bird feed powder works well) until crop clears out. It may take another dose the next night.

Receipe Index:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=63116
Pics of embryos: http://lancaster.unl.edu/4H/embryology/EmbryoPhotos.shtml
ButtonQuailBoys diaper pattern:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=69806
From dlhunicorn:
here is an article on tylan 50 injectible (incl dosage and how to inject):

http://www.afn.org/~poultry/newsletr/1996/psep96.pdf
Chicken Medications
by Dr. James Barton and Clarence Gillihan

and here is info on disinfection basics for poultry:

http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.c … 1167243648
Plucking chicken using wax (Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain)-http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=73627
Miss Prissy's reciepe thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9738
Here is a recipe for homemade electrolite solution. stick to the formula exactly. from the Chicken Health Handbook by Gale Damerow:(nnbreeder posted)

1/2 teaspoon potassium chloride.....salt substitute
1/2 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate....baking soda
1 teaspoon sodium chloride..............table salt
1 quart water... only add 2 teaspoons to the water.. no more

Cocci...link, posted by hinkjc: http://compepid.tuskegee.edu/syllabi/pathobiology/pathology/avianmed/chapter7.html
How do you freeze your whole turkeys? (Silkiechicken)-http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=82588
From Envirogirl11:
Morph from 'New Egg' to 'Just Hatched': 25
from 'Just Hatched' to 'Out of The Brooder: 50
from 'Out of The Brooder' to 'Chillin' with my Peeps': 150
from 'Chillin' with my Peeps' to 'Overrun with Chickens': 500
from 'Overrun with Chickens' to 'Chicken Obsessed': 1000
from 'Chicken Obsessed' to 'True BYC Addict': 2460-2593
from 'True BYC Addict' to 'Flock Master': 4491-5395

Here's an excert from Storey's Guede to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow.
"Debraining helps loosen feathers for hand picking. After cutting the vein for bleeding, insert your knife into the mouth, its sharp edge toward the groove at the roof. Push the knife toward the back of the skull and give it a one-quarter twist. The trick is to avoid sticking the front of the brain, whick causes feathers to tighten instead of loosen. You can tell your knife hits home when reflex causes the bird to shudder and utter a characteristic squawk."
Quarentining and biosecurity: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=70782
August Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=81589&p=1
September Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=949034#p949034
October Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1026075#p1026075
November Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1172846#p1172846
December Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1279580#p1279580
January Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=120579

Feburary Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=128618
March Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=139491
April Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=157024
May Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=173673
June Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=191801
July Birthday thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=209018

November Anniversary thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=103444
December Anniversary thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=110441

February Anniversary thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=128619
March Anniversary thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=139492
April Anniversary thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1897352#p1897352
May Anniversary thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=173765
June Anniversary thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=191804
July Anniversary thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=209019
August Anniversary thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2633571#p2633571
Back to the forum