ALABAMA!!

[Hennyhandler]

I still have the silkie cockerel and chocolate orpington bantam cockerels for sale as well.

By the way, anyone's chickens not laying super well right now, specially silkies? I know silkies don't lay super well with all the broodiness of course but it seems pretty low right now.

 

[chirpingcricket]

...

I still have the silkie cockerel and chocolate orpington bantam cockerels for sale as well.

By the way, anyone's chickens not laying super well right now, specially silkies? I know silkies don't lay super well with all the broodiness of course but it seems pretty low right now.




Don't know about the silkies, but most of our mature hens are in molt, sooo, few to no eggs. Still have some of our faithful EE's dropping a few eggs here and there. Good time to worm, treat for mites, etc. if your birds free range a good bit...Chirp

 

[Wisher1000]

I started losing birds at the beginning of August. I began tossing eggs, since I didn't know why they were dying and kept tossing through medication for cocci and antibiotics (neither of which stopped it) and then through worming first with Wazine and then two rounds of Valbazen. I am SOOOOOO ready for some fresh eggs. I even broke down and bought eggs from the store.

After sending birds off to the state lab and all the treating, I STILL don't know for sure what was killing them. I haven't lost a bird in over three weeks and they look much better after the thorough worming, even though I, too, have several near nekkid from moulting. I hope it is behind me, especially since the breeder Silver Campines will arrive in mid November.

 

[chirpingcricket]

I started losing birds at the beginning of August.  I began tossing eggs, since I didn't know why they were dying and kept tossing through medication for cocci and antibiotics (neither of which stopped it) and then through worming first with Wazine and then two rounds of Valbazen.  I am SOOOOOO ready for some fresh eggs.  I even broke down and bought eggs from the store.     After sending birds off to the state lab and all the treating, I STILL don't know for sure what was killing them.  I haven't lost a bird in over three weeks and they look much better after the thorough worming, even though I, too, have several near nekkid from moulting.  I hope it is behind me, especially since the breeder Silver Campines will arrive in mid November.

Wow, Wisher, that IS scary. It's so hard to know what to do sometimes...?

I hesitated and was coming back to this site, was thinking about erasing my thoughts about worming during molt...
I guess what I should have stated is that a molt is stressful for the birds (me too)...they should be monitored closely if they are being wormed. OR try to worm them early or later in their molt...depends on their health and environmental conditions. Provide good nutrition during the molt and probiotics post worming...

I'm so glad your losses have stopped. Sounds like you have a lot of nice birds (reading on various threads). Congrats on getting the Silver Campines!! Chirp

 

[Wisher1000]

Thanks, Chirp.

I went from nearly fifty birds to only twenty five in six weeks. Almost half my flock, and curiously, most of the ones that died, were male. It was crazy and like nothing I have ever experienced. It changed my plans, as well. I was ready to give just about all my birds away (keeping only a handful of pets) and just have the Campines. Now, I will keep the twenty or so hens that I have because I would not give them away knowing that I have had a problem and didn't know for sure what it was. My only other option is to cull the whole flock but there are some nice birds there that seem fine, now. So, for now, I plan to keep the ones I have as a layer flock and keep them separate from the SCs. If I don't have anymore issues, and the SCs remain healthy, I will likely thin the layer flock down in a year. By then, I will be able to add some of my (cull) SC pullets to the layer flock and be able to maintain my young layers from the breeding stock.

Right now, the only males I have are an EE, a Golden Seabright Bantam, and my Production Red "crowing hen" (if he/she even counts as a male!) I do have two chicks that are too young to sex but all the rest are hens or pullets. I should be swimming in eggs. My son and I tossed at least nine dozen eggs this afternoon. We take them down the street to where a creek runs under the road and toss them in the creek on the down stream side. I imagine a raccoon finding them all in the creek and thinking he has won the lottery! LOL! It makes me giggle to think about it.

I agree that one must be careful worming or medicating during moult, but if you wait, you will miss out on the eggs they will start back laying afterward! I will try to worm mine just before breeding season so I can at least hatch the eggs if I can't eat or sell them. That will give them that one dose in September and another in January, then once more in May. I'm hoping that will be enough.

 

[chirpingcricket]

...

Thanks, Chirp.

I went from nearly fifty birds to only twenty five in six weeks.  Almost half my flock, and curiously, most of the ones that died, were male.  It was crazy and like nothing I have ever experienced. Geez, so sorry to hear that, very scary.
It changed my plans, as well.  I was ready to give just about all my birds away (keeping only a handful of pets) and just have the Campines.  Now, I will keep the twenty or so hens that I have because I would not give them away knowing that I have had a problem and didn't know for sure what it was.  My only other option is to cull the whole flock but there are some nice birds there that seem fine, now.  So, for now, I plan to keep the ones I have as a layer flock and keep them separate from the SCs.  If I don't have anymore issues, and the SCs remain healthy, I will likely thin the layer flock down in a year.  By then, I will be able to add some of my (cull) SC pullets to the layer flock and be able to maintain my young layers from the breeding stock.

Right now, the only males I have are an EE, a Golden Seabright Bantam, and my Production Red "crowing hen" (if he/she even counts as a male!)  I do have two chicks that are too young to sex but all the rest are hens or pullets.  I should be swimming in eggs.  My son and I tossed at least nine dozen eggs this afternoon.  We take them down the street to where a creek runs under the road and toss them in the creek on the down stream side.  I imagine a raccoon finding them all in the creek and thinking he has won the lottery!  LOL!  It makes me giggle to think about it. Our coons just wish I was so generous!

I agree that one must be careful worming or medicating during moult, but if you wait, you will miss out on the eggs they will start back laying afterward!  I will try to worm mine just before breeding season so I can at least hatch the eggs if I can't eat or sell them.  That will give them that one dose in September and another in January, then once more in May.  I'm hoping that will be enough.


Yes, that's how I think too...I have 2 POL hens that a friend needs, since she has 2 old BO's that are just about finished. Since our birds free range, when I can watch them, I am worming all the birds, including the 2 she wants to add. She is unable to range her birds due to neighborhood dogs, but I didn't want to take the chance of introducing cocci/worms/mites/etc. to her flock.
Wanted to giver her and the birds the best opportunity from the get go. I let anyone know that gets our birds, eggs etc., that they are free to call me anytime regarding care, feeding, etc. It's nice to make a few dollars to go towards feed, etc. but I, like you, want to make sure everything/everyone is safe. Best of luck on your SC's too and can't wait for pics. Chirp

 

[Highcotton]

I believe I actually read some of that thread I find that Dutch/Belgian/German breeds tend to be a bit more self-sufficient (because frankly, those folks don't believe in pampering haha) and I appreciate that. I'm really hands-off with most my animals. I will patiently help them if they need help, but I am really not someone to brush/groom/pamper an animal on regular basis. Most of the Northwestern European breeds are MADE to deal with folks like me


Another fun fact. Grocery store eggs in the Netherlands are generally brown, with white eggs being more prized and more expensive. While in the US the opposite seems to be true, where folks generally consider brown eggs to be organic/free-range and therefore better. Funny stuff, isn't it? Also, eggs are not refrigerated in the store in Europe. Some folks put them in the fridge when they come home, others just keep them on the counter.

I was in Brussels a few years ago and they had boiled eggs on the continental breakfast. They were brown. I thought they were just being fancy.

 

[MunchiesChicks]

30 miles south of Birmingham, why??

 

[DeannaA]

30 miles south of Birmingham, why??

If you are getting them from Deb, her chickens are great. I have hatched eggs from her and I love them.

 

[tiffanyboothe]

The last 3 eggs - no good. So I got 2 babies and we love them. Wish i knew how to post pics on here so I can show them off.