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

[Chook Newby]

If you have to trim a beak, what do you use? Nail clippers?

We trimmed her beak last night. I put a towel around her to make her feel secure and covered her eyes with it. I held her and my son very carefully clipped little by little away. She didnt even pull away or get upset. Good little Sybil! I hope this helps her eat a little better now We just used large toes nail clippers.

 

[Fizzybelle]

Teila, glad LuLu is better and her mystery illness seems to have passed, and Myhaven, glad you're flocks health has improved too. I hope it's good news for everyone for a while.

Chooknewby- I've never had to clip a beak before, but good to know it's fairly easy. Glad it went well for you both, and your girl is happy again

Fancychooklady, you advised about the calcium carbonate a while back in the thread. I put out a small dish of egg shells I'd collected and blitzed up finely in my little blender, and sure enough they helped themselves. I didn't think they would, but they seem to know what it is and what it'll do. Saves time mixing it into their food, and those who don't need the calcium yet don't need to eat it. So thanks, your reassurance made me feel it was worth giving it a go.

I just purchased from the Dine-a-Chook website, two 4 litre double drinkers (they have the lubing cup attachments my girls seem to prefer over the nipples) and a 3.5 litre feeder. See how the feeder goes, if I like it I'll order more. My last feeder just was too messy, I just went back to bowls, so I'll try this style. My only concern is it may need a cover for night time to stop mice climbing up and in. I'll let you all know how they fare though. I think they're worth the money, the drinkers especially I'm sure will be really good.

 

[Chook Newby]

I noticed a lot of chatter about beak trimming today

Just an update for you all. Last night I managed to pick Sybil up after she went to bed and bought her inside to inspect her beak.

I wrapped her in a towel to allow her to feel safe and covered her eyes with it too. She was calm and chattered away to herself under the towel. I held her and my son ever so carefully clipped the over hang of her beak. We used large human toe nail clippers. She didnt even flinch or pull away. It was just like cutting a finger nail... very easy to cut through. I wish I had taken a video or an after photo but I was more concerned with getting her back to her sisters afterwards. I think she will smooth out her beak now when she rubs on the concrete. She was a very good girl through the whole thing

No change with Miss Harriet's eye, but will continue to monitor and I will give a light flush with some saline tonight. Although I think it is her that is laying, so she musent be in too much pain.

Thanks for all the advise. I felt terrible most of Saturday after I realised two of my girls has these little problems. Have a great day All!

 

[User395221]

I just purchased from the Dine-a-Chook website, two 4 litre double drinkers (they have the lubing cup attachments my girls seem to prefer over the nipples) and a 3.5 litre feeder.

I have a drinker and feeder. The best thing about them is being mounted on the wall they are up and out of the way and not taking up floorspace. I have my other bigger waterer as well, and that takes up some floorspace, so do my bucket feeders.

 

[Anniebee]

Good morning folks

Update on LuLu .. she appears just fine; no head jerking or shaking yesterday, no sneezing, back to normal. I still have no idea what was going on but truly grateful that she is OK.

potato chip Ah yes, those evil black *&%$#’s

As you might know, I have had an ongoing battle with them for a couple of years now and yep, if they can pick it up and it looks interesting they will steal it. I have found heaps of stuff that was on our outdoor table, under the gazebo ending up scattered around the garden.

They would steal bones from the neighbours' dogs and leave them in our driveway or garden.

They have not been as bad the last couple of months and this may have something to do with me making their life h#ll and Dusty bashing them up. I can hear them in the neighbourhood trees as I type but they appear to no longer be brave enough to land in our garden.

One trick I do think works is to not let them roost in your trees overnight. I built a long, thin, rod out of plastic tubing and a balsa rod on the end which would reach up into the trees. Each evening, I would go out and gently convince them that our trees were not a good spot to sleep.

Teila .... great news about Lulu .... hope you solve the mystery one day.

I believe ( apart from your endless efforts to get rid of the crows - good onya ) it was Dusty and her punch-up that might have mostly cured them, or at least delivered the final blow. I think birds remember more than we know. And they are not about to be anywhere near her again .... Good girl, Dusty.

potato chip -

I put the remains of Rubys' marrow bones out on a table on the patio - for the magpies. Have never seen a crow anywhere near them. ( I don't think magpies tolerate crows too much ), and are territorial, over everything. Crows congregate mainly in the Main Street of our village, where they pick up scraps, and some tucker from behind the supermarket.
But they also roost in trees near us - have never had a problem. Rubys' attendance might be a deterrent as well, as she is very protective of her chooks behind the fence, chases visiting birds out of the garden.

Cheers .......

*******

p.s. My girls couldn't give a tuppeny whatsits about puppy Sonya either. I try to keep her away from them, as Molly and Mandy would peck her through the fence, given half the chance.

 

[User395221]

chases visiting birds out of the garden.

My dog tries to chase them out, but they just sit up high and laugh at her....

 

[MyHaven]

Thanks. Adding back labour costs to have someone else build something similar brings it back up to (at least) a grand..... The company that makes my small house makes cubbies and houses. They do an aviary/chook house for about $900/$1000 which is reasonable for the quality of them, but they don't have any "enclosed room" which I'd want. They can build it however you want, but the minute you start wanting, that price goes up. And up. And up. My problem is that I don't really want to compromise..... sigh I could source secondhand materials but I've got no means of transport, paying "a guy" to transport then makes them not free/cheap any more. And I really want it up and usable ASAP, I'm sick of those bloody crows, they can EDIT: I finally got around to attaching the roof to the other little house I've got, I might try attaching that to the other little house and see how that goes. Trouble is, they won't necessarily use the other house/space they've got.

You could try looking on gumtree or classifieds for avairies, cubbies and coops. Sometimes they are cheap or free - sometimes not. If you look close to you you can be lucky. Also sometimes the seller will deliver. I have been lucky lately and had two hutches for chicks and quails and an 1800 high aviary delivered by the different sellers. A cubby would make a great coop. And even old A frame swing sets can be converted easily and they can look good. Thanks for asking about my chickens in an earlier post - they are all very good comparatively. Only a couple more days on antibiotics but a couple more weeks before I get pathology back. Teila I'm so happy Lulu is improved. Just remember any eggs for the next month are not to eaten by you or fed back to the chickens. Or check what you used in case it is different. I mention that incase you get some. Also love the .48 cents. You gave have an admirable attention to detail.

 

[Teila]

Good morning folks

Chook Newby good to read that the beak trim went well

potato chip as MyHaven has suggested, there is always Gumtree but then if you are like us, there is still the issue of moving the thing and lots of people want you to dismantle as well as move which is tricky if you do not have help and something to move it in. But you may also strike it lucky like MyHaven and they will deliver, sometimes for a small fee.

My only concern about second hand coops and aviaries is what else might be coming with it, mites and nasties etc, so I would definitely be giving it a thorough clean.

Anniebee you are probably right that Dusty was the reason the Crows stopped visiting because it was pretty much straight after the bashings

MyHaven great news that your flock are comparatively good. Thank you for the tip of the egg withholding for a month; I knew I would need to do that but was not sure for how long. No eggs being laid at the moment, so no loss there

Tee hee .. I wondered if anyone would notice the exact pricing

 

[Fancychooklady]

Good morning folks Chook Newby good to read that the beak trim went well potato chip as MyHaven has suggested, there is always Gumtree but then if you are like us, there is still the issue of moving the thing and lots of people want you to dismantle as well as move which is tricky if you do not have help and something to move it in. But you may also strike it lucky like MyHaven and they will deliver, sometimes for a small fee. My only concern about second hand coops and aviaries is what else might be coming with it, mites and nasties etc, so I would definitely be giving it a thorough clean. Anniebee you are probably right that Dusty was the reason the Crows stopped visiting because it was pretty much straight after the bashings MyHaven great news that your flock are comparatively good. Thank you for the tip of the egg withholding for a month; I knew I would need to do that but was not sure for how long. No eggs being laid at the moment, so no loss there Tee hee .. I wondered if anyone would notice the exact pricing

Absolutely ! The danger of introducing disease is great when buying second hand. The entire coop would need to be drenched with Virkon. Morning Teila. Hope you had a nice Mother's Day .

 

[Teila]

Absolutely ! The danger of introducing disease is great when buying second hand. The entire coop would need to be drenched with Virkon.

Morning Teila. Hope you had a nice Mother's Day .

Good morning to you also Fancy, I hope all is well with you and the critters.

Yeah, Mothers' Day is a bit of a non-event in this house but I did buy myself a new vacuum cleaner on Saturday

I am not going to tell you how much I spent but lets just say, after the sales spiel and my asking "how much?" the salesman came back with "Actually, it has been reduced by $500" !!

Anyways, hubby was with me and as the salesman mentioned "you will never need to buy another vacuum cleaner" and "thorough testing has revealed that with one hours' use a week, it will last 196 years", hubby said to buy it so I did

196 years! It could be a family heirloom