Arizona Chickens

[itsredcandy]

I got a partridge silkie the other day, and she seemed to do nothing but sleep! Now I am afraid she is dying. I think she is sleeping so much, that she is not eating or drinking enough. I force fed and forced her to drink. She perked up a bit, and is now back to sleeping. What gives?? Will she always be like this? Will she never snap out of it?

Hope she turns out to just be a lazy chick.

 

[itsredcandy]

Thanks so much for the welcome everyone.

 

[itsredcandy]

Almost lost one of my girls last night. Well she did get lost but not to heaven. One of my 10 week old pullets was in the kids wagon and the seat must have been shut by the wind. Nine of my ten chickens were in the coop at dusk and my 6 year old daughter found this one in the wagon. I asked her how she found her and she said she could here her in there. Good thing. Now we know to keep the wagon seat shut. That was some crazy wind yesterday. For the most part the girls stayed hidden in the bushes. They are much happier today

~Selina

 

[Mikey D]

Just found this thread. We are in Pinetop, AZ. Hi everyone.

Welcome Motherof7!

Remember - post picts!

 

[Arizonachicken]

I learned so much about weeds and what chickens like to eat with this forum! My chickens thank you all also!Please tell me is this broad leaf weed that is every where, is the one that produces those awful one thorned seeds that get into the dogs feet and our shoes? When we moved hear last Aug we battled those nasty things! Those poor dogs and now it seems we just got ahead of them and no more in feet. We do have these weeds tho and I never thought it would be these weeds that had those thorny seeds. But now some of the weeds in the corner of the yard looks like they may be developing the seeds!
My husband is out now trying to get them all down just in case!

That's Mallow, sometimes called cheese weed. I believe it's edible, too. Anyway, it's very invasive and will take over, especially in a lawn. Your chickens will love it. It doesn't produce a thorn like the goat head you described...that's also called "puncture vine". Totally different weeds.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

We get these weeds too. The good news is they come out of the ground pretty easily and the chickens love to eat them. It's the Puncture Vine that produces the thrones in our yard. They are terrible and go straight through the bottom of flip flops and crocs.

http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/onlinebks/WEEDS/GRAPHICS/FIG95.GIF
http://www.sunset.com/garden/garden-basics/how-to-control-weeds-00400000043681/page13.html

That's Mallow, sometimes called cheese weed. I believe it's edible, too. Anyway, it's very invasive and will take over, especially in a lawn. Your chickens will love it. It doesn't produce a thorn like the goat head you described...that's also called "puncture vine". Totally different weeds.

I despise puncture vine. Been punctured one too many times. I've taken it on myself to eradicate them from my neighborhood. Every time I see one while walking the dog, I stub it with my toe to break it off. There are far fewer in the neighborhood now.

 

[Fuzzybird]

Thanks to all three of you! I am relieved!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: First things to check with lethargy are mites/lice and coccidiosis. I would treat with ivermectin and put on sulmet or corrid.

 

[notinoz2007]

welcome motherof7. sometimes i wish i lived up north. other times i'm glad to be right where i am.
thanks for the little mallow information. i had been feeding it to my hens, but then stopped cuz i wasnt sure if i should. there are a few patches of it up in my front yard tho that i think i might pull up for them in the next few days. i also have that puncture vine, its between my neighbors and my mailboxes. too big to pull out by hand, altho i think i was successful in cutting it way back. will have to work on that thing more later.

i lost a chick on saturday, not sure if it was due to the heat, or the larvae/mold issue from friday night. she was the only one out of the 3 chicks in that pen that didnt make it. the other two were looking bad also so i brought them all in the house to doctor. two were fine after 20 minutes but one just didnt recover any strength. couldnt even hold her head up. anyway... they're silver laced brahmas and my DH's favorites. then that night to console myself i went and bought 2 more chickens to replace the 1 i lost, lol.

 

[Novaleigh]

I checked for mites/lice..did not see anything anywhere on her tiny body. I got her ivermectin (they only had it for horses! So I used a teeny tiny dab, and I mean tiny) and put it in the Sulmet water. I hope I am not too late. She cannot even stand. She cannot walk. She can't hardly keep her tiny head up. Ugh!

First things to check with lethargy are mites/lice and coccidiosis. I would treat with ivermectin and put on sulmet or corrid.