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

[appps]

Thanks guys. She definatly put up a heck of a fight poor thing.

And still it continues. I had Carl and winry locked in Alcatraz because hubby brought home some turf and stuck in their run and I didn't trust either crops with it. Well picked up winry to put to bed and her crop felt like a balloon full of water and I'd noticed this morning she wasn't really eating. Arghhh. I guess I start treating her for sour crop? I gave her a dose of the baby oral thrush drops then popped her to bed and will have to start it all again in the morning. in her favour is she hasn't lost all the weight colonel had as well.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Day 4 of medicated water and my silkie chick "Felicity" is finally looking a lot more lively. She hasn't stopped eating today in fact. Fingers crossed we are over the worst of it, I really wasn't sure she would make it!! Not all the way through it yet I hope she keeps improving.

Meanwhile the girls in the quarantine yard are loving life.

@appps I am so sorry about the colonel

Are you using amprolium ?

 

[SilkieChickStar]

Are you using amprolium ?

Yes I am, the breeder provided some to me with instructions

 

[Fancychooklady]

Yes I am, the breeder provided some to me with instructions

Assuming the breeder knows his or her suff, be sure to wean the drug back over a period of 3 weeks .

 

[Henriettasmum]

Hi everyone. I live at Ravenshoe in Far North Queensland, on the Atherton Tablelands 150 kms from Cairns. It's been beautiful weather here lately, although it's already winter. Today, however, began with some grey skies but later the normal bright blue sky appeared again.

I have over 50 birds, including chickens of course, Indian Runner ducks and Guinea Fowl. I love them all and fall in love with every single one. That's why I have so many. Started with 2 hens and 13 ducklings. Gradually thinned the ducks down to 5, bred a few which I sold, then incubated another 2 for sale but my severely depressed 28 year old granddaughter came to stay with us and those two hatched the same day she arrived. They were wonderful therapy for her. Of course, she named them and, of course, that was the end of any idea of selling them. They are beautiful birds that are very special to us, even though my granddaughter has returned to W.A. Shortly afterwards I decided to allow a broody hen hatch two more Indian Runner eggs. The first one hatched successfully and was looked after well by 'mum'. The following day the second egg hatched. All seemed well so we went shopping - 75 kms away - and when we returned 5 hours later we found the poor little bub was a bloody mess. The broody hen had attacked it viciously and there were shards of skull sticking up in the air. The eye sockets were full of blood so we thought it would be blind. But we brought it in and turned on the incubator. Checking on the older duckling, the broody took one look at me, looked at the duckling and pecked it on the head, injuring it too, but not as badly. After bathing the poor little mite's eyes, out they popped and so we realised she could see. We didn't expect her to survive but after weeks of love and attention she improved in leaps and bounds and now, 12 months later, those two injured ducklings have turned into two beautiful ducks. And, of course, they will never be sold either.

After I bought the first two Australorp hens I also bought a pair of white silkies. Henry, the boy silkie was smitten with his wife, Henrietta and his mistresses, Gabby and Gertie, the two Australorps. We ended up with goodness knows how many cross silkie Australorps. I have sold a few as chicks but once they are named, and I have named the majority, it is impossible to let them go. And so my feathered family grows. I also bought three lavendar Araucanas but sadly, a scrub python found a way into the pen and ate one of the girls. Luckily, I still had a boy and a girl and they are beautiful but no babies as yet. With the purchase of more silkies to get some new blood, I have bred quite a few, many of which I have sold - I still have four boys and six girls with 8 bubs recently hatched. Also in my menagerie are a trio of beautiful silver-laced wyandottes and fourteen pekins which I adore. I have incubated quite a few pekins, sold a lot as children's pets and given quite a few to an aged persons home in Cairns for their dementia patients.

Four guinea fowl originally came to live with us and were still under light for a while. Sadly, when they were about 6 weeks old, on their first day out of the pen, one was taken by a hawk. We were left with one boy and two girls, one later had 16 keets with only 6 surviving, after natural attrition - snakes and goannas live here too. We also lost a few young chickens and our beautiful original silkie hen to hawks but after building a scarecrow we haven't seen any more hanging around. It seems that the old ways are sometimes the best ways.

I think most of who start with just a couple of hens, just for a few eggs!! eventually turn into manic mother hens and let our flock grow. I certainly have.

I would love to hear from anyone else up my way, or anywhere in Oz for that matter.

Cheers to all.

Rosemary

 

[appps]

Are you using amprolium ?

No. Isn't that for coccidiosis?

I do have some here somewhere though. I bought it few years ago but never ended needing it (new chook owner and intestinal shedding

 

[Anniebee]

Hi everyone. I live at Ravenshoe in Far North Queensland, on the Atherton Tablelands 150 kms from Cairns. It's been beautiful weather here lately, although it's already winter. Today, however, began with some grey skies but later the normal bright blue sky appeared again.

I have over 50 birds, including chickens of course, Indian Runner ducks and Guinea Fowl. I love them all and fall in love with every single one. That's why I have so many. Started with 2 hens and 13 ducklings. Gradually thinned the ducks down to 5, bred a few which I sold, then incubated another 2 for sale but my severely depressed 28 year old granddaughter came to stay with us and those two hatched the same day she arrived. They were wonderful therapy for her. Of course, she named them and, of course, that was the end of any idea of selling them. They are beautiful birds that are very special to us, even though my granddaughter has returned to W.A. Shortly afterwards I decided to allow a broody hen hatch two more Indian Runner eggs. The first one hatched successfully and was looked after well by 'mum'. The following day the second egg hatched. All seemed well so we went shopping - 75 kms away - and when we returned 5 hours later we found the poor little bub was a bloody mess. The broody hen had attacked it viciously and there were shards of skull sticking up in the air. The eye sockets were full of blood so we thought it would be blind. But we brought it in and turned on the incubator. Checking on the older duckling, the broody took one look at me, looked at the duckling and pecked it on the head, injuring it too, but not as badly. After bathing the poor little mite's eyes, out they popped and so we realised she could see. We didn't expect her to survive but after weeks of love and attention she improved in leaps and bounds and now, 12 months later, those two injured ducklings have turned into two beautiful ducks. And, of course, they will never be sold either.

After I bought the first two Australorp hens I also bought a pair of white silkies. Henry, the boy silkie was smitten with his wife, Henrietta and his mistresses, Gabby and Gertie, the two Australorps. We ended up with goodness knows how many cross silkie Australorps. I have sold a few as chicks but once they are named, and I have named the majority, it is impossible to let them go. And so my feathered family grows. I also bought three lavendar Araucanas but sadly, a scrub python found a way into the pen and ate one of the girls. Luckily, I still had a boy and a girl and they are beautiful but no babies as yet. With the purchase of more silkies to get some new blood, I have bred quite a few, many of which I have sold - I still have four boys and six girls with 8 bubs recently hatched. Also in my menagerie are a trio of beautiful silver-laced wyandottes and fourteen pekins which I adore. I have incubated quite a few pekins, sold a lot as children's pets and given quite a few to an aged persons home in Cairns for their dementia patients.

Four guinea fowl originally came to live with us and were still under light for a while. Sadly, when they were about 6 weeks old, on their first day out of the pen, one was taken by a hawk. We were left with one boy and two girls, one later had 16 keets with only 6 surviving, after natural attrition - snakes and goannas live here too. We also lost a few young chickens and our beautiful original silkie hen to hawks but after building a scarecrow we haven't seen any more hanging around. It seems that the old ways are sometimes the best ways.

I think most of who start with just a couple of hens, just for a few eggs!! eventually turn into manic mother hens and let our flock grow. I certainly have.

I would love to hear from anyone else up my way, or anywhere in Oz for that matter.

Cheers to all.

Rosemary

Welcome back Rosemary - ( Henriettasmum ). You sure have a checkered history with your poultry, and very sad to know of your losses. I am a '3 chook' person, so naming them is ok - but must say that if I had hatchlings and a large variety of young, with visions of selling them, I couldn't bear to name them. Once they are named, it becomes very personal, as you would know. Thanks for all the info from your poultry farm ( and it seems it is a farm ) ....

I do hope your grand-daughter is doing well, and is dealing with her depression, with all the right help. It is a horrid thing - my own daughter is diagnosed as clinically depressed.

It can be terrible for her, and family can do nothing to help - all remains in a psychologists hands, plus medications. She seems to be ok at the moment, thank heaven. .

Cheers ........

 

[sjturner79]

Turned the incubator off today.
Last 2 were dis
13 bubbies to raise.

 

[Anniebee]

Colonel didn't make it :-(

I am so very sorry to hear that appps .... she is at peace now, and no longer suffering whatever it was that made her so weak and ill.

You did everything you possibly could for her. RIP Colonel .........

 

[Anniebee]

To all who made comment on the restrictions on 'swill' ....

In one sense, there are good reasons for keeping a tight restriction on the possible introduction of unwanted diseases here.

However - - - -

Would have thought that people with healthy eating habits and properly cooked foods, should not be subject to what seem to be draconian laws, when it comes to feeding treats to their home chickens in their own little backyards. ( as ashburnam suggested : a lot of laws that sensible people ignore ). sjturner79 made an interesting comment about poultry digestive systems, and the fact that the likes of Barastoc, and other poultry feed manufacturers, could be in big trouble if the law was strictly applied. But then those like Barastoc, do have a warning and disclaimer on their product, so maybe that is enough for the law making bods.

By the same token though, ( as MyHaven has shown ) as the law stands, and is applicable across the whole of Australia, perhaps we should be more careful for the sake of commercial meat stock.

Two sides to the coin.

.........

It has always been a 'pig' problem, mostly - although laws have embraced ( apparently ) now, all other meat produce and sources.

From what I have heard, pig farmers have to be extremely careful in the way they tend and feed their pigs, and how they allow visitors to view them. It seems they have to put on special 'laboratory' type clothing, shoe coverings, - the whole nine yards - to safely and cleanly, enter a properly run commercial pig-sty.

Seems reasonable in one sense, that since we are not always sure where our food comes from these days - e.g. ( on product - "made from local and imported products" ) can mean that a food source, while made in Australia, is not necessarily wholly Australian produce. Not everyone checks every package, can, bottle, or bag etc. of food they buy at supermarkets.

Maybe most of us here do, but I know for certain that members of my own family don't. The argument ??? " I won't give in to that - after all our food stuffs imported are rigidly controlled " .... well so it is claimed, but we cannot be at all certain of that, in the matter of big business in todays' world.

Case in point - .... In 2008 a large uproar occurred because of the deaths of 81 people in the U.S. who had been given heparin ( a blood thinner ) or a lower molecular weight heparin Enoxaparin ... ( known as Clexane here, Lovenox in the U.S. ) .... which is obtained from the intestinal mucosa of the pig. I have to use this every 2nd day of my life. Supplies began to run low, as a wide 'freeze' was put on the product in 11 countries.

-- the U.S. claimed that China had not properly overseen the clean and correct method of obtaining this mucosa ( little pig farmlets had sprung up with no rules or regulations as to proper care, in China - because the mucosa product was in demand ), and China said - it was the FDA's responsiblity to check everything that came into their country, before distributing it. .... I personally think both countries were correct in the blame stakes.

So this is my personal experience here ....

I would not use the Lovenox that was hurriedly brought into this country from the U.S. from previously held stocks, to help us with our shortfall, as France ( Sanofi Aventis pharma co. ) had to reorganise itself in a big hurry - to access more clean pig mucosa, and fill the voids made by the U.S. having to discard huge quantities of mucosa, and because a recall of specifically numbered batches ( about 6 of them ) from Frances' Sanofi Aventis was also activated here. I barely managed to get enough, before it began to be manufactured again - from France and come into Australia in a safe and proper condition, as per normal.

It is coincidental that pig innards was the problem here. All I am trying to show is that we do not know exactly what it is we might be buying or from where it comes. Therefore, it is possible ( but most likely not highly probable ) that we might cook up something, throw it out to whatever animal or bird as 'goodies or treats' which carries with it some nasty that might not affect us, per se, but might affect any number of animals or birds if given the product ( from a source unknown ).

Apologies for the rant. I sit on the fence on this subject. I can see both sides of the coin - kind of. .... but perhaps, after all, it is best to be sure than sorry.

Cheers .......