Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[User395221]

I never found one that worked as effectively as the store bought ones.

Neither did I. My flies seemed more clever than they are supposed to be and could get back out of the "funnel". Also the baits they sell for the retail ones is the bees knees for attracting them in.

 

[Anniebee]

It's taken quite a while for my little girls to "get a clue" and they started older than yours and are now quite grown up and big. If you think of it like you've got a crawling baby on your hands and just have to wait for it to stand up and toddle and then to walk unaided, etc etc you can be more patient. The trouble is that they come out of the egg looking like chooks, it's harder to realise that they aren't the same as the big, grown-up chooks.

Having said that, I don't think chickens can see very well, or have any sense of direction (or something). They always seem to have trouble with the aviary mesh, and can't seem to figure out how to go around things that "appear" in front of them (that could have something to do with the complete mess my backyard is at the moment.)

My little little chooks (2 of the 3) got out of their yard today and were free-ranging the backyard. sigh. They need the covered yard and the other girls are in there. sigh. I can swap them over, but they can't stay swapped over because the sleeping quarters aren't enough for the big girls in the yard, I'd have to move them back for bedtime. sigh. And this is where you end up building more houses and more runs. sigh.

potato chip .... your analogy of a baby learning to crawl, stand and walk, is excellent - and is applicable to chickens and all young.

The darling wee bubs ( human, animal or avian ) need to learn at their own pace. Some are quick, some are slower, but they all get there eventually.

As for chickens seeing well - ( and someone correct me on this please ) .... some animal species ( the horse i.e. that can see approx. 300 degrees around him/her ), but chickens don't have that eye mobiity - so I am presuming they see everything side on - always. .... To move their head to see, takes time and learning by the chicken ( if ever ).

From my own observation, a chickens breast is far forward than the head, and I would imagine ( like a cats whiskers act for the cat ) that a chicken learns to 'feel' obstructions around them by bumping into things, breast first. If they figure to use their heads and eyes to help with the situation - well and good.

Can't say I have ever seen a chicken run into anything and from that, hurt themselves ........ has anyone ?

Cheers .......

 

[User395221]

Can't say I have ever seen a chicken run into anything and from that, hurt themselves ........ has anyone ?

They don't walk into obstacles, they just seem "clueless" about how to get from A to B if there is stuff in the way. They keep turning back, they don't go around the obstacle. At least mine tend to. Maybe mine are just thick. LOL

 

[Anniebee]

Well the rain has finally arrived!!! If it keeps up like this we will be on flood watch .

Same here in Victoria Fancy ...... dunno about flood watch - some people were carrying on about tornadoes. No flooding to date ( which is surprising actually ).

I am guessing many are too young to know about what is 'just a high wind' - - and nothing else. High winds can tear the heellll out of property and down trees in a blink.

But 'tornadoes' seem to be all the rage - for the news these days anyway.

Heaps of rain here .... and I suspect more to come ( hoping ).

But thank heaven for it - it was becoming ultra nasty here, humidity wise this past week +++ .... 99% humidity on one day - and close to that every other day.

Queenslanders here would understand all about that - eh ?

Cheers .........

 

[Anniebee]

She is a pain, I had that too from once before you suggested it and she won't eat it either. I ended up even putting the paste on the underside of some watermelon to try and trick her but she would eat around the edges and leave the middle with it on it. Arghhh lol. Thus why I was so excited to find a water soluble one lol

You know the other thing I've forgotten to mention is she is still regurgitating water. I just pulled the base out of the cage and hosed it so she had a wander and I noticed she straight away went for some dirt but as she bent over she dribbled water out her beak. She was doing that straight after the surgery but I hadn't realised it was still going on

Each time I hose the cage base there is a puddle of water in the corner which I couldn't quite explain but though must be a combination of water left from hosing and the diareah. Now wondering if it's the water she is drinking coming back up. Probably a good 100-150 ml I guess. I wonder if there is still a blockage in the asophagus. Think I'll make a trip to the vet tomorrow.

Am rather thinking a trip to the vet is priority no. 1 at this stage. Others would know more than I do, but dribbling water is not too much of a good sign.

I do hope you and your vet, can find a way to help her recover completely ........

AB .......

 

[Anniebee]

They don't walk into obstacles, they just seem "clueless" about how to get from A to B if there is stuff in the way. They keep turning back, they don't go around the obstacle. At least mine tend to. Maybe mine are just thick. LOL

No they aren't thick - they are just chooks .... from limited experience all chooks are a tad strange. !!

Maybe ( ???? ) they are wise

with an " oh heck - an obstacle - let's turn around and hope it goes away sometime ". ????

Nothing would surprise me where chickens are concerned. .... They can be soooo odd.

Cheers .........

 

[appps]

Remember my baby pigeon? He's all growed up and cooing

Dad has decided to peck at him and chase him from the feed so he's inside till I come up with a plan b

Oh and on a positive with Carl we had a pretty good looking poop with solid enough to hold its form and white in it yesterday afternoon so at least the confinement is finally helping with that! She was eating like she was starving this morning so another good sign after weeks of no interest.

 

[Teila]

Good morning friends

Second hand coops: Yeah, I have to agree, any time I have looked at coops on Gumtree they are either in worse condition than the ones we are currently replacing and/or I have no chance of dismantling them and getting them home.

I know you can clean it etc, but I have this maybe irrational fear of what else I might be bringing back to our garden/girls within a second hand coop, diseases, germs, mites etc.

Flies: I tried the homemade fly trap with soft drink bottles and vegemite in the water; while it works, sadly it also trapped geckos, the smell was horrendous and even though we kept check on it, maggots managed to appear in the trap.

Deep Litter: I actually have the deep litter method in the run and not the coop in which the floor is bare timber. Each morning I simply scoop the poops out of the coop and give the floor a quick wipe over with a cloth dampened with Vanilla, Safe4U spray which not only cleans, but smells nice also. Once a week the floor comes out for a good wash in hot soapy water.

The only thing inside the coop is the oyster shell container; no food and water in the coop at all. However, my girls are not locked in the coop at night and can wander out into the run at whatever time they want in the morning to get food and water.

The only drawback to using the deep litter method in the run is the rain and as you all know, I battle constantly to keep it dry … covers on, covers off, covers on, covers off, repeat; but only for a couple more weeks until we have the fully covered run finished.

My reasons for using deep litter in the run are that it definitely keeps the fly population at a minimum, there are multiple opportunities to dust bath and I have read that the drier the litter, the lower the chances of lice who do not tolerate dust and dryness and prefer damper conditions.

Chicken sight: You probably already know this but the reason that chickens [doves etc] move their heads when walking is to enhance their depth perception and sharpen their vision. It apparently also helps with their balance. The theory is that they move their head forward, their eyes lock on and focus and then the body follows.

Anniebee that was interesting reading, thank you. It does make me wonder though how they know there is a Hawk overhead that even human eyes have trouble spotting?

appps your little baby is all growed up and so quick

Beautiful!

 

[Fancychooklady]

Totally agree with Fancys' advice.  .... ( but I am not familiar with this type of problem ).    Am wondering if wheat bran might be of some help ?    Offered slightly wet - with a few greens sprinkled to make it appetising and interesting to her.   A large teaspoonful every other day ????   ..... just a thought.  

I do so feel for you - and for poor little Carl.   She is hanging in there - but a vet could advise if it is a kidney or crop problem, or not.  .    

Chooks are not easily dealt with are they, when it comes to illness of some kind.    But then we all know that I guess ?  

Good luck to you and to Carl. 

........... AB

Annie wheat bran is rather high in phosphorous and would play havoc with the phosphorous / calcium ratio, resulting in problems with shell quality and ultimately leading to bone conditions such as Perosis. Rolled oats or cooked brown rice are better options for convalescing birds.

 

[User395221]

Maybe ( ???? ) they are wise

with an " oh heck - an obstacle - let's turn around and hope it goes away sometime ". ????

This sort of "wisdom" is strong in my chooks.

Remember my baby pigeon? He's all growed up and cooing

Flies: I tried the homemade fly trap with soft drink bottles and vegemite in the water; while it works, sadly it also trapped geckos, the smell was horrendous and even though we kept check on it, maggots managed to appear in the trap.

Yes, the homemade design not only seems to let the flies back out, but other things can get in. The store-bought are better, IMO. They DO smell, it's the rotting that gets the flies to come. The flies will drop maggots when they are trapped inside, as long as any adult flies can't get back out it's ok. If they can fly out all you are doing is supplying a breeding place. Luckily my pet pens are far away so the stinky doesn't bother me. I made the mistake of putting one out on the patio once. Poooh.

Quote:
Thanks for the info, it's interesting. I don't really know the details, I've got lots of animals and am always looking things up online. It goes in one ear (eye?) and out the other....I only "tune in" to the details when somebody's got something wrong and I really need to know (and when they're better, I forget again LOL).