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

[CorrieW]

Sorry I have been MIA. Apart from goats, ducks, dogs, kids, and a cat keeping me busy (not necessarily on that order), I am doing a PhD and I'm visually impaired so life is nuts

. The goats went on an adventure yesterday and spent the night at the river but are home safe now. The ducks are getting so big! Sadly we lost two chooks last week. No idea to what one just looked sick. We got her out of the pen and found her friend dead less than 2 mins later. They were sisters and getting on in years. They have been laying like crazy and my daughter has taken a shine to our rescue girl who's owner was senile and chopped her wing too short. She called her misty and I had to stop her putting her in her bed last night lol.

 

[CorrieW]

Well, here goes. My first time using an incubator.
I went to pick up a dozen fertile eggs this morning and was given 3 dozen! A dozen from Black Leghorn show birds and two dozen mixed bantam eggs. Hopefully I have some chicks in 3 weeks time. I'm raising them to sell at a fete at the beginning of May.

Good luck! Can't wait to see them.

 

[Sparky74]

Good luck! Can't wait to see them.

I can't wait either. 3 weeks is never so long as when you're a child waiting for Christmas or you've got eggs under a hen or in an incubator.

 

[Anniebee]

Saw this on facebook. Had to share

Though of @Teila and her girls.

Oh my goodness - had a great laugh from that link. ....

And yes - figure it just might apply to you Teila and your beautiful chookies, who give you so much joy - - - - - and such bother at times !!

 

[Anniebee]

Hey Susan

I try and steer clear of yogurt and only give it to them as a treat or if someone is unwell. There has been and will probably continue to be debate on giving chickens yogurt and dairy products but I err on the side of caution.

Sorry, I have never looked into Chia seed at all.

I ensure my gals are getting plenty of protein during a moult:
Mealworms
Fish
Meat
Chicken
Eggs and
Sprouts are some good sources of protein.

To Susan Hampshire ..

Totally agree with everything here from Teila.

Rather think your girls are going into - or are already into, moulting. Yoghurt is good as an occasional treat ( fortnightly maybe - a couple of teaspoons ) when laying, but not while they are moulting.

Definitely extra protein during moulting. i.e. Cooked non-preservative mince steak, mashed up with a bit of cooked rice - they love it - maybe 3 times a week ?
Eggs are excellent too - scrambled, not raw. ( my girls do not go for brown rice at all ?? ).

There are lotsa feathers in my big girls run and coop - and no eggs. Mindy Araucanas' comb has lightened off, and a few feathers floating around from her. She has also backed off from being a total gutz of her food ( boy can she eat when laying ) .... and I suspect we have had the last egg from her for a while, too. She usually moults like a maniac, and returns to laying far more quickly than the other two ( who I think may be past laying anyway ). But - they still moult.

All are getting Anitone vitamin / mineral supplement, on multi-grain crumbled bread at the moment as a little snack - 5 out of 7 days. Dosed according to the weight of each bird ( if one has only a few chickens ). This to keep their stamina and health up to par. Will re-introduce this coming week - fish, scrambled eggs ( bought !! ) .... and cooked mince. Cheese is off the menu now. Occasional melon and greens ok.

From what I have just googled, chia seeds are excellent - fibre, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and micro-nutrients. Just a little for them though, prepared as per the packet. Protein ingredients, not all at once ... different protein here and there, during the week.

I figure caution is the best way to go on whatever is good for them, according to seasons and hormonal changes.
Special menus' for chookies .......

ya have to make up your own recipe book ...

Good luck .......

 

[Anniebee]

Hi everyone. On Saturday I took my son for a 1/2 hour driving lesson. All was fine before I left, all the chooks were out on the lawn going in and out of each others runs. When I got back my little Mille Fleur was dead. Just lying on the pavement, my other son was home and it was found not far from his room he said there wasn't any noise. When we picked it up is head flopped so we assumed a broken neck. As she was quite feisty and willing to take on a bigger chook. I thought perhaps she had pecked Bear (German shepherd) and he had picked her up and accidently broken her neck. The girls share the shade with him when its hot he's never hurt them. Occasionally he might nip their tails if the granddaughters are trying to catch them.
Today my son went out to feed and water them at lunch time and found my Araucana dead in the fenced and netted run. She was next to the undercover perchimg area in the run, he picked her up and he said she was stiff but her head flopped. Is it possible it is unrelated or do some chooks have floppy heads when they die. We had quite a lot of rain, thunder and lightening last night, could she have broken her neck falling of the perch in fright. Or is there some condition that does this. Thanks for any help.

So sad to hear of your loss LuckysMum ....

all chickens flop at the neck when they have passed away. There is a small amount of time that rigor sets in, but that passes fairly quickly.

Heart- breakers .... they can simply die because it is their time. Satays' advice re checking beaks, butts etc. is excellent - and check their bodies for wounds, or anything else unusual. Not a pleasant task, but might give answers - if there are any to be had.

RIP to your little ones who have gone.

...........

 

[Sparky74]

I work as a chaplain at a residential aged care centre and the chicks I'm hatching (hopefully) will be for sale at our annual fete on the first Saturday in May.

Anyway we have 4 chooks at the centre, 2 ISA Brown and 2 Light Sussex. Or rather we had 4 chooks. Last week one of the Light Sussex died and this afternoon the resident who collects the eggs informed me that one of the ISA Browns had died. Sure enough when I checked the chook yard, rigor had set in and the ants had discovered the body.

There seems to be a bit of it going around at the moment but as the old farmers used to say, "if you have livestock you'll also have dead stock."

 

[Anniebee]

The weather patterns have them all confused. Mine are heading into another moult. Laying usually ceases while they are moulting and that can be a soft moult or a full moult.
In warmer weather it is best to cease ACV and just provide clean fresh water. ACV also has an effect on the absorption of calcium in birds.
Chia seeds are quite high in calcium , protein and phosphorus so be careful to keep it as a treat.
High protein and or calcium diets can lead to visceral gout and is a very disabilitating disease.
Glad to hear that pigeon is on the mend.

I had read from you before Fancy ... about ACV, so stopped giving that to Mindy Araucana who was occasionally dropping ( from a great height ) 'fragile' eggs which broke on landing on her preferred hard surfaces ( kicks away straw and wood shavings to lay ).

Had continued giving ACV to the big girls - even on warmish days, but removed it when it became very hot - replacing with normal cold water.

I do not believe for one moment that resident continual gutz Mandy Welsummer - who has difficulty walking .. has visceral gout, but am now wondering if the ACV has interfered with calcium in her ? Calcium is needed for more than eggs. It is the lack of calcium ( during and after calving ) that can bring a cow down. Her body takes all to give to the calf in colostrum and milk - and she cannot sustain her own weight. Usually a bad situation.

Am wondering about lack of calcium for Mandy ? .... although she eats hugely, and sits and hops into her laying pellets, which would have proper amounts of calcium in it.

Am thinking to back off the ACV at this time - see if that improves her ability to sustain her own weight ( although she still has her moments of good mobility - but not as often as I would like to see ). She is still one happy chookie - and weighs precisely what she should. Is healthy except for her ability to get around as a normal chicken does ( she has large feet and is pigeon toed, falls over her feet ). She still ventures out to sun-bathe in the garden, and is an avid ground feeder and picker of insects - moves around to search for goodies off the ground ( and wire, and fences, and anywhere ).

Agree about the weather patterns - all up the creek, for chooks .... and us. !!

Cheers .......



.

 

[Teila]

Good morning folks

Good luck with the hatch Sparky! So sorry to hear of your losses

Nice to see you again Corrie. I am pleased your goats are safe but so sorry to hear about your chicken loss also

LOL Dances with Wolves has competition .. Sleeps With Chickens!

Anniebee my understanding is the ACV interferes with the calcium absorption in the hotter weather which is why it is recommended to withhold on really hot days. As you may know, I put ACV in the water on every change [daily] but I do withhold it on the really hot days. No dramas with soft shelled eggs except when Dusty is moulting.

Good to hear that Mandy is still a happy chookie and coping with her issues.

Well, we do appear to be dealing with a case of GCD!

Remember the morning we thought we were going to lose Dusty because she could not breathe? She was attempting to crow that morning.

Then, as mentioned, she woke us up at 5AM the other morning, attempting to crow.

The other day I saw her call Crystal over for some treats and she promptly grabbed a beak full of Crystal’s neck feathers and mounted her! Crystal fluffed up afterwards and shook herself off. It looked like an actual rooster to hen mating.

This morning, Dusty woke us at 05:30AM attempting to crow.

My diagnosis is Gender Confused Dusty

 

[Fizzybelle]

Well, we do appear to be dealing with a case of GCD!

Remember the morning we thought we were going to lose Dusty because she could not breathe? She was attempting to crow that morning.

Then, as mentioned, she woke us up at 5AM the other morning, attempting to crow.

The other day I saw her call Crystal over for some treats and she promptly grabbed a beak full of Crystal’s neck feathers and mounted her! Crystal fluffed up afterwards and shook herself off. It looked like an actual rooster to hen mating.

This morning, Dusty woke us at 05:30AM attempting to crow.

My diagnosis is Gender Confused Dusty

Omg, I have one of those in my flock! Annabelle has been mounting Mabel mostly, in an act of dominance, but yes it looked like she thought she was a rooster. Also her behaviour has gotten a little more aggressive. I let them out in the morning, and first thing Annabelle does is enforce the pecking order. Lately she's been lowering her wings, sidestepping and doing a little charge to intimidate the others before pecking. It looked like something a rooster would do. If she keeps it up she's getting a weeks vacation away from everyone to drop her ranking. No crowing from her though, Mabel however...

Also I've got two moulters! Hooray! Beatrice my D'Uccle has been dropping feathers everywhere. She's got no tail feathers at the moment, just a short, scruffy backside. And there are little gold and black feathers everywhere in her coop and under the palms. Ada confirmed it this morning that she's joining the craze, with black feathers all over the coop floor. No one moulted last year, as most were too young still, so I'm hoping Annabelle joins suit soon as she REALLY needs to lose those very, very tatty feathers of hers. She was old enough last year, no idea why she didn't. Funnily enough Beatrice laid an egg yesterday, I thought that was meant to stop, but I guess chickens do what they want.

I've been giving them quinoa. It's a bit pricey but good protein for them (my mealworms need replenishing). About a tablespoon or so for each, to help with the moulting - They love it! It's gobbled up super fast and arguments brake out when it comes to the remaining bits in the bowl. It stinks a bit whilst cooking, but I cook up a decent amount and keep it in a tupperware in the fridge so it lasts, and is nice and refreshing treat for them during the day.