Recent content by dtress

  1. dtress

    3 wk chick on her last leg - please help!

    Thanks. I had tried this a few times. Unfortunately she passed away. Awe - poor baby.
  2. dtress

    3 wk chick on her last leg - please help!

    My 3 wk chicks were without water for at the most 10 hours due to a faulty waterer. 2 of them seemed seriously affected with wobbly legs. I gave them water and the all drank, and drank, and drank, and ate, and drank. It wasn't until the next day that I realized letting them drink to the max...
  3. dtress

    Poop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures*

    I had wet sand too - and realized that it dries out very quickly if spread in a thin layer under the heat lamp. Dust bathe - Ha - we are all taking dust baths when we walk through the brooder room!
  4. dtress

    Maran Hen has Seizure, Throws up and dies HELP

    I'm so sorry! This happened to me last year with two of my hens from the same breeder. We have a great service near here at UC Davis where they will perform a necropsy on your bird free of charge - other than the shipping costs. Since I was new to raising chickens, I took advantage of this...
  5. dtress

    Poop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures*

    My experience has been good overall, and I would like to share the results for those considering PDZ/Sand combo and using PDZ for the brooder. So I am 2 weeks into having a mix of PDZ (75%) with pre-sifted Riversand(25%) in my brooder (2 cardboard boxes taped together). The brooder is in my...
  6. dtress

    Poop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures*

    Thanks for the encouragement. It worked - I locked them in and figured they would go upstairs. When I checked them they were up on the roosting bar with lots of bird prints all around the floor - funny really. It was so easy to clean the poop this morning - like a kitty litter box! Piece of...
  7. dtress

    Poop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures*

    Wow - after MANY late night hours reading through hundreds of posts in this amazingly helpful thread, I finally made a plan to make some much needed changes to my coop. I have a 3x4 foot coop for 6 hens (4 of which are in brooder). Living in CA, they only need to be up there at night and for...
  8. dtress

    Poop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures*

    Just to confirm, is the PDZ safe for chicks? I'd love to use it in the brooder now that my chicks are a week old - no more paper towels. I am so happy to have come across this thread. I've been struggling with keeping my coop clean with pine shavings or rice hulls in my 3x4 foot coop as the...
  9. dtress

    Poop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures*

    That's the size of my coop too! I find it hard to use all these great ideas when I'm so limited in space. How did you adapt yours? Did you put the magic powder on the entire floor of your coop? How's that working for you? I'd LOVE to see a photo as I'm upgrading my roosting bars this weekend...
  10. dtress

    Poop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures*

    I'm installing dropping boards in my very small coop, and I was worrying about my girls hanging out on the boards after hours. So, I'm wondering how far above your poop board your roosting bar is to prevent "lounging"? Is it still working for you? Thanks!
  11. dtress

    Help! Sick chicken - diarrhea, congestion, lethargy

    My chicken has had loose green stool with lots of green liquid for the last 5 days. Yesterday she exhibited extreme lethargy and fluffing up. I brought her indoors and she is eating and drinking but with extreme fatigue and making no noises or attempts to escape the box. I heard congestion in...
  12. dtress

    Broody hen being attacked by flock-mates

    Thanks for your reply. Is it best to let this subordination occur naturally, or should I separate her until the broodiness is over? I am going to try an elevated cage with wire floor that is suggested many times throughout this site. I have a rabbit cage where the wire holes are about 1"x3"...
  13. dtress

    Broody hen being attacked by flock-mates

    I have a hen who was on the top of the pecking order and went broody yesterday. I have had to pull her out of the next 4 times for food and water, and then she retreats right back to the nest. She ruffles her feathers like a turkey would, and has a strange squatting behavior with a desperate...
  14. dtress

    Safe from raccoons in daylight?

    There has been a raccoon trying hard but unsuccessfully to enter our coop. During the day I let my chickens out in an enclosed 10x10' space that is not predator safe. Should I worry about a raccoon trying to get them in daylight? We live in a suburban area but clearly this mamma is desperate for...
  15. dtress

    inconsistent open mouth breathing

    I've read many threads about this, but am unclear if I should be concerned. My 14 week old chicken is free of apparent respiratory issues, has a hearty appetite, normal energy levels and behaviors. The only symptoms are occasional mouth breathing (5-10 times and then stops for an hour) as well...
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