ALABAMA!!

[Hennyhandler]

Silkie chicks for sale if anyone is interested.

 

[Jotaylor]

Hey Jo, how old is your hen?

This next question is not meant to upset you, but. . .do you know for sure it's a hen? Roos will often blanch, then go red/purple when the hormones kick in. . .and they want to do business.

Just trying to cover as much possible.

Well ventilated? Well hydrated? Have you been able to look at the poo? Check for worms? Is the poo green? Can you look around the vent to see if their is any yellow/yolk like drainage?

Can you keep the coop door open or move her (might want to isolate her just the same) so she can have free/moving air? Could be a respiratory issue. Can you here any wheezing?

Has she been foraging, free range and/or have you seen her eat wiggle/red worms/earth worms?
Don't want to scare you, but might be a good time to read up on Gape Worm. They get it from the earthworms. Has she been or do you worm them, if so how often? Might be a bit early for that question, but would help to know.

Have you posted on the Emergency forum? Lots of good folks around their too, who seem always available. These are some of the questions that you may want to have a reply ready, should I miss your reply.

I know it's a lot of questions, but the additional info is most helpful.
Let us know.

Thank you for asking the questions because I just don't know about this stuff. And yes we get eggs from her regularly I have isolated her and she seems to be acting fine now but I still have her separated. Her poop looks normal to me. We have never wormed her (didn't know we needed to). No wheezing. She used to free range until we put in our garden, we have a small run that we can put in the yard for them, and let them get around some. I thought worms were good for them. My kids have given her worms before. I will read up on that. Her butt is getting kinda yucky and the feathers has gross stuff in them.

 

[chickadoodles]

Today my DH and I added a heavy rubber tarp for shade for our chicks and turkey's. Then we made and put in an automatic feeder! I saw one here on BYC that someone had made and put pic's on with their coop and thought it was so awesome that I told my DH we were going to make them for each of our runs and pens! The automatic waterers go in this weekend!

 

[Tomtommom]

Hey there, I'm a new member from Centreville in Bibb County. I have 3 Buff Orpingtons and 2 EEs, all coming up on 6 weeks old. So far I'm loving being a new chicken mom.....several of you were talking about having trouble sleeping. I'm currently couching it at 2 am so as to not wake the hubby. Again. Bummer.

Belated

from Shelby county.

Question... does anyone here use open air coops. As in no solid walls...just a wire fencing sort of pen with roosts and nest boxes with a roof of some sort. I ask because I saw a pic of one on another forum and I think my birds would like it in the summer.

I have a sort of open air coop type thing *laugh*





They also have a free-range area during the day, aside from the coop/run thing. My coop is under a HUGE tree, so they're fully shaded in the summer, but get sun in the winter.

Hi I am in Birmingham alabama and I am really considering getting chickens but I am not sure if chickens are allowed. I talk to a few people and half say they are and half say no. I live in a residental area and I do have a huge backyard. Plenty of room. Can we have chickens in Birmingham city? I read the thing here that said we can but some others are telling me no LOL it is confusing.

Anonymously ask the city? Or just guerilla chicken-keep... although I really don't recommend it. It would be horrible to have to rehome your birdies if someone raises a stink.

Does anyone near Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair counties have meal worms for sale? Has anyone raised them for your chicks? Thanks!

I plan to start raising them soon. Doesn't help you now though. I will buy mine off Ebay when I get ready to raise them. You can get a pound of them for $10-15 I think.

 

[chirpingcricket]

I appreciate your help chirpingcricket! I don't have any neighbors. We are so far out that we only have cows and catfish ponds around us. But that is good no one to complain about our chickens! lol
Please tell me how often and what to use to worm my chickens. They are just now coming out of their brooders and will need it. But I am not sure what to use or how much or how often to use it.

Hey Lady, sorry for the delay. I needed time to review my notes, and verify my approach, then compile it so it makes some kind of sense.

This protocol is for worming if no worms have been discovered.

Some folks wait until 5 or 6 months to worm, down south, that's pushing it a little to me.

I'm not sure if the following will be the same for turkeys, I will need to verify, but your chickies have already been on the ground, for at least 4 weeks and are in the 8 to 12 week zone, I would do (and will be doing this tomorrow am) the following:


1. Draw up 1/4 cc Valbazen in small syringe.
(bantam or small/young bird dose) I would wear gloves if possible.
(use small syringe, get it at TSC etc. You will need these from now on for worming, etc.)
Put the 1/4 cc on small piece of bread to soak/wet the bread.
Give each bird a piece of bread soaked with the Valbazen.

This will need to be done, one by one, to make sure each bird gets the dose, and not too many doses. A bit tedious, could wait closer to bed time when they are less active, if that will help.


2. Do this each day for 3 days. This is a safe wormer that takes 2 to 5 days to destroy the worms. This wormer will destroy all worms, including round, tape, cecal, gape, capillary and gizzard worms, the best I can remember.


3. After 3 days completing worming doseage above, give your birds some plain yogurt, buttermilk or canned cat food to restore intestinal flora/ph and up their protien. Do this for a few days. Continue to feed regular chicken food that you use. Can mix it together to make it less messy.


4. Repeat this in 10 days. All above steps. This will kill any eggs that are hanging around.


5. Waste eggs for 14 days if they should lay. (Note: I have successfully incubated those eggs rather than throw them away, hence why I now have 12 pullets (8 weeks old +) and 13 peepers (5 weeks old and surviving Cocci!!!! yoohoo!!!)


Once your birds are about 6 months old, and the standard size, (not bantams, silkies, etc.) up the dose to 1/2 cc Valbazen, same as above post doses instructions.


In the south, depending on how wet/humid your conditions, some folks do this every 3 months. I try to go somewhere in the middle. Best times to dose, late May, late August and/or November. Just avoid worming during molt, around here, usually late November/December.


You need to mark it on a calendar, which your next round would be sometime late August/September, depending on heat stress, etc. Ok to delay a week or so for cooler/moderate temps in needed.


As you continue worming, you will need to rotate between wormers. . . twice a year is about what I worm. Late fall, (late September/October) then, early spring (by late January). Just put at least 3 months in between. Unless I see something suspicious, I try not to worm during high egg production, late spring to early fall.


This is not a professional attempt to assist, just a fellow chicken lover who has learned a lot OJT.......let me know if I can further assist you, and good luck too, they should be just fine.


P.S. If you can't get them to eat the bread soaked dose of Valbazen, do the following:

First, mix the dose with 1/4 to 1/2 cc water. Slowly, carefully drip the dose onto their beak and let it dribble in. DO NOT force it in, they could aspirate and die immediately. Just go slow, and be careful. I've had to do it both ways with our adults flocks, some like it on bread, others, a wee bit more stubborn.


This is just the basics. There are additional things you will need to learn about as you go, and any specific infestation. . . signs/symptoms, products to use/purpose and dosage. A learning experience all the way around. But I like it, keeps it interesting to me.


Please PM me if you like and I'll see if I can further assist. Don't mind at all.


To other BYC posters/etc. . .Please respect the disclaimer, this is only an offer to assist as a lay person, not a professional vet or medical representative. There are many routes and products available with specific instructions, off labeled, not poultry specific as mentioned above. This is just what and how I do it. Thanks again,

Take good care of yourself!

 

[chirpingcricket]

Thank you for asking the questions because I just don't know about this stuff. And yes we get eggs from her regularly I have isolated her and she seems to be acting fine now but I still have her separated. Her poop looks normal to me. We have never wormed her (didn't know we needed to). No wheezing. She used to free range until we put in our garden, we have a small run that we can put in the yard for them, and let them get around some. I thought worms were good for them. My kids have given her worms before. I will read up on that. Her butt is getting kinda yucky and the feathers has gross stuff in them.

Hey Jo! I was wondering if I may have ran you off, so glad you posted!

I just sent a first time basic worming protocol to Chickadoodles a few minutes ago.
This is only, as I noticed above in your post, that you don't see any worms in poo. Sorry, you know what I mean.

I'm assuming your girls are standard size? If so, start with the 1/2 cc dosage protocol. Do everything the same way, just different dose. I'm not sure how old your birds are, but since they are laying, assuming around 5 months + or better.

I know it's exciting to get the eggs, but please, do the worming protocol now and waste (or incubate-heehee) those eggs. They have a long hot summer ahead of them and the soil will "introduce" itself to them sooner or later. And then you will really get an introduction to worming.

So much better to go ahead and worm ahead of time. Especially in the South. Valbazen has anti-protozoan properties against coccidosis and blackhead. Believe me, you don't even want to have to learn about that if you start raising peeps etc. Even adults chickens can get hit with it, if their is a soil overload, or they have a weekened immune system due to mites, lice, worms, etc.

The wheezing can be from so many things, to include high ammonia, big problem in the south, to foreign objects, to allergies. They usually resolve themselves. If you do end up with a respiratory problem, you will need a different approach. Doesn't sound like that right now. Glad you isolated her though!

The poo bum, well, again could be alot of things, to include diet, to intestinal ebbs and flows. The worming, then coming back with the yogurt, cat food, etc. should help balance all that out, especially if there are some egg wormy things going on.

Meanwhile, if the weather is warm and dry, you could give her a bath. Yes, a bath. Take a 5 gallon bucket, fill it up half way with tepid/warm water, put in a splash or two or Dawn liguid dish detergent, and I usually add 1 tablespoon of Adams Flea Dip/Shampoo.

Take the bird and let/calm it down. Holding it's back to you and securing it at the ankles, slowly lower it into the prepared 5 gallon bucket of water solution.

Let it's feet touch the bottom of the bucket. Then, as it relaxes a little, work the feathers slowly with the water/solution. With gloves if you're squeamish, gently move the water across the tail feathers to loosen debris.

After a few minutes, lift the bird slowly out of the water, let it drain some excess water off while you hold it in the air. Then slowly, place it on the ground. You will need to steady the bird initially, since water logged feathers will cause them to fall over to the ground. When it is ready to take a few steps, release. It will then promptly go roll around in the dirt like a dog and lay in the sun to dry.

Helps knock down a few biting critters/flies and loosen up soiled feathers. Makes them pretty and shiny too!


Another thought on worming. . .If you let them range, they will eat earthworms, crickets, slugs, etc. all the things they love! Protein....
And all those things carry worm eggs, especially Gape Worm. Definitely want to worm and keep that killer at bay! Horrible, horrible situation and hard to save a bird that has it, highly contagious, ranks right up their with Cocci!!! With our warm/humid/wet summers, it's fertile ground for worms....

Again, you will want to rotate wormer solutions season to season etc., but we can touch on that later. PM me if you like.

A little hint, on trying to feed them the bread soaked with Valbazen:

It's helpful to have 2 people.
1 person to let the bird in with you, then you administer the dose, could take a bit of time, then the first person lets that bird out and another one in.

Meanwhile, try to have all your pieces of soaked bread on a tray (best covered so birds don't get greedy). 1 piece for each bird. Have a few extra pieces ready on the side, just in case one gets dropped on the ground or one eats an extra piece, etc.

I just tear little pieces off, squirt the med onto it, separated enough so they don't get mushed together. How's that for a technical term.

Just trying to not let it be overwhelming or complicated. Besides, I like to laugh and try to get a giggle from other's from time to time.

Or if you see that they are just not going to go for it......then try to prefill enough syringes to get you through a group of birds at a time, doing 1 by 1, as above. Then, if needed, refill those syringes and get the next group dosed.

Hope this helps. Again, just a point of view from a layperson, not a vet or medical representative. Thanks and take good care of yourself.

 

[chirpingcricket]

Today my DH and I added a heavy rubber tarp for shade for our chicks and turkey's. Then we made and put in an automatic feeder! I saw one here on BYC that someone had made and put pic's on with their coop and thought it was so awesome that I told my DH we were going to make them for each of our runs and pens! The automatic waterers go in this weekend!

Yeah Chicka, way to go!!! So happy for you and your chickies!!!!

 

[chirpingcricket]

Belated

from Shelby county.


I have a sort of open air coop type thing *laugh*





They also have a free-range area during the day, aside from the coop/run thing. My coop is under a HUGE tree, so they're fully shaded in the summer, but get sun in the winter.



Anonymously ask the city? Or just guerilla chicken-keep... although I really don't recommend it. It would be horrible to have to rehome your birdies if someone raises a stink.


I plan to start raising them soon. Doesn't help you now though. I will buy mine off Ebay when I get ready to raise them. You can get a pound of them for $10-15 I think.

TomTom's Mom, I'm getting open air pen jealous of all ya'll! heehee

So happy for you really, nice job! Thanks for sharing your pictures, lots of neat ideas!!

 

[dan2]

Hi y'all, I'm looking for a few Dominique pullets and a young rooster. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[joychicks]

or use did color marers