Recent content by Jessicx

  1. Jessicx

    Ready to throw in the towel!

    I'm happy that someone who has had to make this choice replied....thank you! I was worried that my original post would come off as uncaring. I want to be clear that it is because I care that I can't stand to see my babies shredded to pieces every morning anymore. When I first got into this, I...
  2. Jessicx

    Ready to throw in the towel!

    I'm starting to think that I should start going the same direction as you. I don't want to rehome the flock...I really do love them. I guess I'm more worried about what to do between now and the time it takes to piece-meal a run together. I do think that this is the best solution, and I'm going...
  3. Jessicx

    Ready to throw in the towel!

    I learned the hard way that snakes are shifty little dudes! I covered all open areas with hardware cloth, but learned they were getting in that little spot between the coop walls and the pull-out EZ clean floor.
  4. Jessicx

    Ready to throw in the towel!

    Awesome! I like the advice. This is exactly what I needed. Please keep it coming! My babies refuse to roost in their coop because I couldn't keep the snakes out. I have learned to live with the rooster crows, but when combined with a list of other issues, that crowing is hard to ignore. I...
  5. Jessicx

    Ready to throw in the towel!

    They're all free range. I've considered building a larger coop and run, but I've already put so much money in that I don't think I could afford such a large endeavor. However, I'm really happy you mentioned this as it might be a far better alternative than rehoming the flock. Since we're on the...
  6. Jessicx

    Ready to throw in the towel!

    I have had to replace my flock three times due to disease or predation. I've had to say good-bye to more chickens than I care to ever in a lifetime; many times by my own hand. Despite thousands spent on coops, wire, feeders, feed, incubators, brooders, traps, decoys, and medicine, my flock...
  7. Jessicx

    Playing dead?!

    The owls are attacking in pairs, we know that much for sure. I put up mirrors surrounding both locations the owls hunt, and it didn't help. They came back two nights in a row, killed my beautiful Americauna last night. I'm down to one rooster and a budding cockerel, a pure white/buff Seabright...
  8. Jessicx

    Playing dead?!

    Done....thanks for the tip! I'm in Texas, just north of San Antonio. Now that it's getting colder, the snakes are for the most part gone. I'm going to try to manually walk them to the coop tonight, but I'm not holding my breath.
  9. Jessicx

    Pullet still sick ~duplicate... sorry~

    Have you tried LA-200 and vetrx? Both are available at tractor supply. I use vetrx in the coop to ease breathing issues, and I've read that LA-200 is highly effective for CRD/MG because it's longer acting. I've not used it with my chickens, but it's been a life-saver for our goats, deer, and...
  10. Jessicx

    Playing dead?!

    I've tried everything to get these babies into the coop, including transporting by hand every night for months. The issue is that I can't keep the snakes out, and the chickens have learned to equate the coop with danger. I have no choice but to predator proof the yard with decoys, mirrors...
  11. Jessicx

    Playing dead?!

    I think I read somewhere that a nerve pinch in the neck can cause temporary paralysis. Owls rip the heads off their prey, so I guess it makes sense.
  12. Jessicx

    Playing dead?!

    Hi again everyone! We've been having a major issue with late night predation. My chickens refuse to roost in the coop, so they move from place to place each time they are attacked. Our latest predator is an owl, and I caught him again early this morning going after one of only two...
  13. Jessicx

    CRD??

    I started aureomycin in addition to the Tylan today, but if it's fungal then neither of these will be effective. I suspect her blue comb was related to her respiratory distress. However, now that I think of it, her OE father had heart related blue comb. Maybe he passed it to her? Thanks so much...
  14. Jessicx

    CRD??

    Hi everyone! Three nights ago I had a rooster die suddenly. I heard him cackling like he was being attacked, but there were no predators around and no external wounds. He was sneezing a lot that night, so I started the flock on Tylosin powder. I just culled a hen who was sneezing and in...
  15. Jessicx

    4 broody hens in one small coop

    Just a quick update.... One of my four girls did not take very well to being re-homed, and stopped sitting on her eggs this morning. I have moved the nest to an incubator and am praying the babies are still alive. As for the other mamas, two new babies have hatched since I first posted this, and...
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