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

[DylanL]

Also forgot to mention they are still with there mum and she wasn't really leading them to water, they do still follow her but she had them all huddled up in the corner of the shed :S

 

[Purpleseabreeze]

Hi everyone! I've just discovered your thread! I've been a member since last year and was always looking out for Australians! I'm in qld just outside of brisbane on the bay. I have 15 chickens , eight of them I incubated and hatched and just discovered last Monday four are Roos ! They are frizzle x pekins bantams they are just gorgeous but only four have the curly feathers but I love them all. I also have 15 ducks 5 of them I incubated as well , they are khaki campbells , I've heard they aren't very good parents so I decided to incubate to get more. I also have 2 indian runners and 3 Muscovies, my little girl muscovy is sitting on 1 egg which should be due around the 8th January so only got a couple of days to go! I also have 6 guinea fowl. I hatched a single pekin chick last October she was the only one that hatched out of 6 and she has deformed legs.

Does anyone else have special needs chickens ? She hobbles around in the brooder so she can get around in her own way, I just don't know what I'm going to do when she gets bigger, culling her is out of the question because she seems healthy enough she eats and drinks ok. She's very special. Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to any of there chickens and what they have done to give them a good life.

 

[krista74]

not happy

lost a couple of pullets in today's heat, thought I have done everything right as well, the roofs ventilated the outside coop area has shade cloth, I put ice in there water I poured water over the roof and shade cloth, what else can I do? I've just gone a bought a sprinkler to put on the roof but I can't be home all day to check on them, any ideas? I tried leaving a water tray in there for them to walk in but didn't really seem the use it

Oh, that's so sad. I'm very sorry for your loss. What breed and age were you pullets?

I have five 11 week old chicks at the moment and they live in a tin garden shed converted into a coop. On the really hot days (35+) I put them in a wire dog crate and then hide it away under a shady tree. That way, at least they have fresh, circulating air and if a breeze does happen to pass through they can get the benefit of it.

The ice in the water is a good idea. I also give them cold food to eat - frozen grapes, cold cucumber slices, a cold corn-on-the-cob. When it's really bad I even spritz them with iced water, which they hate - but it's for their own good!

Sorry once again, I hope the rest are ok for you.

- Krista

 

[krista74]

Hi everyone,

Today has been ONE OF THOSE DAYS. I feel like folding myself into a little ball on the floor and not getting up again. Amongst other things, today:


* I found Red Mites right through my isolation pen. I presume they must also be in the main coop - although the main coop is about 100 metres away. Maybe there is hope....?

* My RIR hen who has been treated with antibiotics was obviously feeling better, so escaped back into the main flock where there are SIX other identical RIR's. Who's egg is who's now?

* ANOTHER hen went broody on me. Fifth this season, with two doing it twice.

* I saw the brown snake in the coop. AGAIN. It hid itself before hubby got there. AGAIN. I swear, every time I see it I feel like vomiting.

Honestly, these chickens are so much work sometimes.....

- Krista

 

[satay]

Hi everyone! I've just discovered your thread! I've been a member since last year and was always looking out for Australians! I'm in qld just outside of brisbane on the bay. I have 15 chickens , eight of them I incubated and hatched and just discovered last Monday four are Roos ! They are frizzle x pekins bantams they are just gorgeous but only four have the curly feathers but I love them all. I also have 15 ducks 5 of them I incubated as well , they are khaki campbells , I've heard they aren't very good parents so I decided to incubate to get more. I also have 2 indian runners and 3 Muscovies, my little girl muscovy is sitting on 1 egg which should be due around the 8th January so only got a couple of days to go! I also have 6 guinea fowl. I hatched a single pekin chick last October she was the only one that hatched out of 6 and she has deformed legs.

Does anyone else have special needs chickens ? She hobbles around in the brooder so she can get around in her own way, I just don't know what I'm going to do when she gets bigger, culling her is out of the question because she seems healthy enough she eats and drinks ok. She's very special. Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to any of there chickens and what they have done to give them a good life.

Usually chickens born in incubator with deformed legs are caused by temperature spikes. Too hot is the main cause. It can also be genetic. I would personally cull anything with a deformity like that but yours sounds like she is doing ok. If she has survived that long then she is obviously meant to be. Good luck with her

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hi everyone,



Today has been ONE OF THOSE DAYS.  I feel like folding myself into a little ball on the floor and not getting up again.  Amongst other things, today:


*  I found Red Mites right through my isolation pen. I presume they must also be in the main coop - although the main coop is about 100 metres away.  Maybe there is hope....?

*  My RIR hen who has been treated with antibiotics was obviously feeling better, so escaped back into the main flock where there are SIX other identical RIR's.  Who's egg is who's now?

*  ANOTHER hen went broody on me.  Fifth this season, with two doing it twice.

*  I saw the brown snake in the coop.   AGAIN.   It hid itself before hubby got there.   AGAIN.  I swear, every time I see it I feel like vomiting.

Honestly, these chickens are so much work sometimes.....

- Krista

Mites are real pain in the butt. They can come in on sparrows, rats , mice and even water fowl. The northern red fowl mite has even been known to be transmitted on eggs, they are so minuscule that hide in the porous pits on the surface of the egg. They would blend in nicely on darker eggs.
The only way to rid your birds of them is to strip the coop out and fumigate every nook and cranny, then the birds themselves treated.
As for the snake, I'm of the ' only good snake is a dead snake ' fraternity. We brought in 550 bales of hay yesterday and I'm always relieved to see the hay paddock nice and low with horses grazing on it, rather than imagining that snakes are lurking around in the long grass. A few years ago we found a 4 foot tiger dead in one of the bales and the horses trampled a copperhead in the same paddock, so we know they around.
Chickens are a lot more work than most of us first realize , but there is something very satisfying about a healthy flock and feeding your loved ones beautiful fresh , free range eggs.

 

[satay]

not happy lost a couple of pullets in today's heat, thought I have done everything right as well, the roofs ventilated the outside coop area has shade cloth, I put ice in there water I poured water over the roof and shade cloth, what else can I do? I've just gone a bought a sprinkler to put on the roof but I can't be home all day to check on them, any ideas? I tried leaving a water tray in there for them to walk in but didn't really seem the use it

Sorry for your loss

 

[satay]

Hi everyone,



Today has been ONE OF THOSE DAYS.  I feel like folding myself into a little ball on the floor and not getting up again.  Amongst other things, today:


*  I found Red Mites right through my isolation pen. I presume they must also be in the main coop - although the main coop is about 100 metres away.  Maybe there is hope....?

*  My RIR hen who has been treated with antibiotics was obviously feeling better, so escaped back into the main flock where there are SIX other identical RIR's.  Who's egg is who's now?

*  ANOTHER hen went broody on me.  Fifth this season, with two doing it twice.

*  I saw the brown snake in the coop.   AGAIN.   It hid itself before hubby got there.   AGAIN.  I swear, every time I see it I feel like vomiting.

Honestly, these chickens are so much work sometimes.....

- Krista

I wonder if your brown snake is looking for water and not just chickens or eggs. When it is really hot snakes need to drink lots. You would be surprised how much water our snakes goes through. I know it's not for everyone but I put low dishes around the place for the snakes when it is really hot .I don't put them near the chook pens though.

 

[ChristieB]

My hubby has 2 pet snakes and agree they are really going through water at the moment. They also need water when they shed skin otherwise it doesn't come off cleanly. At least you shouldn't have too many mice in there at the moment ! I think I'd be too scared to go in the coop if I knew there was a snake loose. When it comes to the venomous types I too am of the "a good snake is a dead snake". We always kept a long handled shovel by the door growing up, might be an idea so next time you see it you can grab the shovel and "off with it's head!" Before it disappears again


My new chickens have obviously not been handled much , just changing their water sends the young ones flying. I've had to separate Tonks as she was keeping the young ones trapped in a corner where they couldn't get to the food. She allowed them to roost with her though so I think she's just being a bully, I used my old play pen so she can see them but not touch. Put a nest box in there for her with a golf ball as she's starting to cluck in an eggy way, might be still a while but now she has somewhere to go.

Q. She was laying before I got her, how long can they go without laying before running into trouble? I gave her grower crumble the first day but she's on layer pellets now, but if she's not going to lay soon should I go back to grower till she does?

Also I'm thinking about trying a batch of fermented feed, does anyone here do it with riverina (red label) ?

 

[krista74]

Mites are real pain in the butt. They can come in on sparrows, rats , mice and even water fowl. The northern red fowl mite has even been known to be transmitted on eggs, they are so minuscule that hide in the porous pits on the surface of the egg. They would blend in nicely on darker eggs.
The only way to rid your birds of them is to strip the coop out and fumigate every nook and cranny, then the birds themselves treated.
As for the snake, I'm of the ' only good snake is a dead snake ' fraternity. We brought in 550 bales of hay yesterday and I'm always relieved to see the hay paddock nice and low with horses grazing on it, rather than imagining that snakes are lurking around in the long grass. A few years ago we found a 4 foot tiger dead in one of the bales and the horses trampled a copperhead in the same paddock, so we know they around.
Chickens are a lot more work than most of us first realize , but there is something very satisfying about a healthy flock and feeding your loved ones beautiful fresh , free range eggs.

We are doing a full strip of the coop and spray down of everything tomorrow morning. Sounds like a lot of fun, particularly since we have to dodge the snake while we do it!

I agree with you in your comments about snakes. We have 2 shovels by the coop 'just in case'. Not that I want to be running around after snakes, but it's some protection if I get caught in an awkward position with the snake between me and the doorway out of the coop.

It's getting to the stage now where I'm afraid to go out to the coop, which is sad. I used to spend an hour or two just sitting there with the chicks and enjoying the serenity. Now I'm afraid to even go in and change the waterers out, and wait until hubby comes home to do it for me. It's really taken a lot of the joy out of it for me.

I wonder if your brown snake is looking for water and not just chickens or eggs. When it is really hot snakes need to drink lots. You would be surprised how much water our snakes goes through. I know it's not for everyone but I put low dishes around the place for the snakes when it is really hot .I don't put them near the chook pens though.

It could be, but for the love of all that is holy, why didn't it just keep on cruising for another 20 metres and there is a whole creek full of water behind the coop! I suspect that it may have been seeking relief from the heat too. It's 38 here today, yesterday was 36, and the two days before were 41 and 40. We are all over the heat out here. The snake too, apparently!

My hubby has 2 pet snakes and agree they are really going through water at the moment. They also need water when they shed skin otherwise it doesn't come off cleanly. At least you shouldn't have too many mice in there at the moment ! I think I'd be too scared to go in the coop if I knew there was a snake loose. When it comes to the venomous types I too am of the "a good snake is a dead snake". We always kept a long handled shovel by the door growing up, might be an idea so next time you see it you can grab the shovel and "off with it's head!" Before it disappears again

That's probably half out problem. We have millions of mice out here. Actually, maybe we have less than we did though. I guess we are like Macca's for the snake - open 24/7!

- Krista