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

[Fizzybelle]

Thank you Satay

Everyone's words have really helped, and I am feeling better today. And noooooo! no more broodies! Lol, I'm just hoping Mabel my Araucana doesn't get inspired. I wish you luck though trying to break all of your girls out of it, that's a lot of attitude to deal with!

Teila, beautiful looking chilli tree there, I hope yours recovers well. My last one was a cayenne chilli tree that I was about to harvest, until the possums got to it. My only consolation was that once all that hot chilli went through their system, they would be very sorry little possums indeed.


Jesbonnitcha and MyHaven, congrats on the new arrivals, always beautiful to see!

Silkiechickstar congrats on the new egg layer and very cute green cheek conures too.

 

[appps]

Yes there is.

Ta. Always makes me wonder when I see something advertised as rare lol

 

[Fancychooklady]

None of the links ever work for me.

Just google ' the private life of chickens ' and you will see the YouTube link there.

 

[Anniebee]

Now not so happy, my poor chook is still sick. She's no worse and still eating. Prefers plain rice and won't eat or drink anything with an additive such as vitamins or wormer. She doesn't even like the mackerel in the rice.

Here's my brahma egg from yesterday and day before. She's been laying for about a month.



It's hard to photograph but there is a bulge in a section of each egg, the old one having collapsed on itself. The bulge appears translucent. She has been laying very thin, barely any shell there eggs. I have been putting it down to first eggs and will improve. Now I wonder though if I need to give her some help. They are tiny eggs and her sisters are three times the size - although long bullet shaped as if they have small canals.

Oh and also, the egg from yesterday is also body checked (did I get that right Fancy thanks I never knew the name for that)

That collapsed shell is similar to what Mindy occasionally drops ... and I mean 'drops'. Stands as high as possible to lay her egg. Drops it on its' head, onto bare board, and the same thing as appears here, happens, although I must admit is a much smaller 'collapse' of shell and only occasionally. ... have mentioned before that Mindy 'does not do ( conventional ) nests' ... kicks the whole lot out to lay on the barest masonite board imaginable. ( masonite - that's how old the nesting 'cupboard' is !!! ).

My guess ( re Mindy ) is that the last of her egg laying push, is more fragile and therefore cracks more easily - however ... the remainder of those shells are like concrete to break, raw for the dog, or to scramble for the chickens. We don't eat the broken topped eggs, even though the interior membrane is not broken.

As for 'chicken from the train' ... I so hope you can find out what is wrong with her, and fix it accordingly. As for what she eats - that is strange that she prefers only rice, and not much else. !! I am presuming she drinks ordinary water ? Guess you have tried everything ? ... water melon - or rice with mixed in rolled oats, scissored anything green ( broccoli florets, or some such concoction ... yoghurt mixed in with the rice ? Anitone or other goodies mixed in the rice ? ....

Chickens can be

at times ... I am about to post more questions myself.

Good luck with your chicken - so wish I could help.

 

[Anniebee]

Um ....

1) ... is ACV with 'mother', given every day to chickens, by all here who use it - or are there a few days in a fortnight that normal water only is given. ? My girls are currently getting it every day, from now on. ( now that I have the proper ACV !! ). Is this correct ?

2) ... has anyone ever given Fish Oil capsules ( part of ) ... for Omega 3, to their chickens. I went off statins for cholesterol, and replaced the statins with 2000 mg capsules once a day for a while. I now still have a large container of 2000 mgs per capsule of Fish Oil ... which will take me forever to get through. Since chickens like mackerel, tuna and sardines which is good for them - would capsule Fish Oil be ok ? .... I am talking 5 > 10 drops of it only ( or whatever might be considered appropriate ) .... in their twice weekly rice and goodies mash. ? Can then share 1 capsule between the chickens, Ruby dog, and myself !! ... Any ideas on that please.

3) .. am offering Mandy yoghurt every other day ( post anti-biotics ) as a pro-biotic. She flatly refused the yokult - but loves picking into yoghurt. I have to separate the two big girls for that, as Molly would hog the lot and push Mandy out of the way. I feel I have to be careful with yoghurt for her though, as it is extra calcium, after all.

Should she be offered yoghurt every day or only a few times a week - as a probiotic ?

and another 'Um'

....about Mandy the conundrum !! .... continued next post.

 

[Anniebee]

I am about to write an entire history of my very very strange Mandy Welsummer, to give to an avian vet this coming week, or whenever I can get in to see him / her. It is necessary if only for opinion ... and perhaps pain medication, as I feel she might be arthritic ( not viral arthritis - just normal arthritis ) ???? Just one theory !!

She has returned ( without swelling in either leg ) to sitting a lot - particularly to eat her yoghurt, or to peck at scratch mix, or rice mash goodies. Swollen left leg has gone right down as it should have after the anti-biotics. She is eating well, drinking ACV water well, laying 2 to 3 eggs a week ... yet displays some of the oddest behaviour I could imagine for a chook. .... I know I have written about her symptoms before, but this latest sometimes good, sometimes walking difficulty, is off the charts.

I am wondering now, if she lowers her tail ( before sitting and raising her tail straight away - indicating comfort ) ... because she is squatting at anything whatsoever that comes near her. She squats for me continually, and her maniac mate, Molly RIR is always on the go - and never leaves her alone. ... Molly hovers continually. So down goes Mandy's tail - ( as in a squat ) .... and finally she sits. Added to that, she will come out of the coop in the a.m. - all gung ho - tail erect ... for about 5 minutes, then down goes the tail again ... she goes into 'old lady walk' ... and then sits, whereupon - the tail resumes that happy upright position. ....

This happens on and off all day. She can get around 'normally' for a while when free ranging ... and then ??? sits. She happily dust bathes and sun bathes ( we have actually had a little sunny dry weather last few days ??). A half hour later, I find her in a different part of the garden - so she has walked or waddled there.

Um

.... is this just a quirk of her nature ? Has anyone ever had a chicken that prefers to sit, than walk around. ?

I have thought 1000 things about her - including some muscular/skeletal problem - but the avian vet will ( hopefully ) be able to ascertain that.

She is not egg bound, she does not appear to have ascites ( no blown up squishies on the underbelly ) ... seems happy, and a crop can be felt now-a-days after she has made a pig of herself. But when in an 'off' time, she occasionally spreads out her wings a little, to steady herself, at which times her walk is ultra-slow. 5 minutes later she is ok again, for a short time.

....... Has anyone here ever had a chicken with arthritis ( not viral arthritis ) ? If so, how did that chicken walk, and act ?

I have not yet introduced vitamins, especially Vitamin D which apparently is advocated by many - - - mainly because she has been on anti-biotics until a week ago. .. I'd prefer to introduce new goodies, slowly.

Apologies for all the questions ... I don't know who else to ask, trust or listen to, except you all here at our Aussie thread. ... I have googled endlessly, with little result.

Cheers ....... and thanks for listening / reading.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I am about to write an entire history of my very very strange Mandy Welsummer, to give to an avian vet this coming week, or whenever I can get in to see him / her. It is necessary if only for opinion ... and perhaps pain medication, as I feel she might be arthritic ( not viral arthritis - just normal arthritis ) ???? Just one theory !!

She has returned ( without swelling in either leg ) to sitting a lot - particularly to eat her yoghurt, or to peck at scratch mix, or rice mash goodies. Swollen left leg has gone right down as it should have after the anti-biotics. She is eating well, drinking ACV water well, laying 2 to 3 eggs a week ... yet displays some of the oddest behaviour I could imagine for a chook. .... I know I have written about her symptoms before, but this latest sometimes good, sometimes walking difficulty, is off the charts.

I am wondering now, if she lowers her tail ( before sitting and raising her tail straight away - indicating comfort ) ... because she is squatting at anything whatsoever that comes near her. She squats for me continually, and her maniac mate, Molly RIR is always on the go - and never leaves her alone. ... Molly hovers continually. So down goes Mandy's tail - ( as in a squat ) .... and finally she sits. Added to that, she will come out of the coop in the a.m. - all gung ho - tail erect ... for about 5 minutes, then down goes the tail again ... she goes into 'old lady walk' ... and then sits, whereupon - the tail resumes that happy upright position. ....

This happens on and off all day. She can get around 'normally' for a while when free ranging ... and then ??? sits. She happily dust bathes and sun bathes ( we have actually had a little sunny dry weather last few days ??). A half hour later, I find her in a different part of the garden - so she has walked or waddled there.

Um

.... is this just a quirk of her nature ? Has anyone ever had a chicken that prefers to sit, than walk around. ?

I have thought 1000 things about her - including some muscular/skeletal problem - but the avian vet will ( hopefully ) be able to ascertain that.

She is not egg bound, she does not appear to have ascites ( no blown up squishies on the underbelly ) ... seems happy, and a crop can be felt now-a-days after she has made a pig of herself. But when in an 'off' time, she occasionally spreads out her wings a little, to steady herself, at which times her walk is ultra-slow. 5 minutes later she is ok again, for a short time.

....... Has anyone here ever had a chicken with arthritis ( not viral arthritis ) ? If so, how did that chicken walk, and act ?

I have not yet introduced vitamins, especially Vitamin D which apparently is advocated by many - - - mainly because she has been on anti-biotics until a week ago. .. I'd prefer to introduce new goodies, slowly.

Apologies for all the questions ... I don't know who else to ask, trust or listen to, except you all here at our Aussie thread. ... I have googled endlessly, with little result.

Cheers ....... and thanks for listening / reading.

Hi Annie. It might be worth you getting in some Anitone also. It's much easier to dose than juggling with pills and tablets. My thoughts would be visceral gout, but there are many contributing factors to lameness. Osteomyelitis can present with or without external lesions. For pain relief you can administer baby aspirin but I prefer arnica pillules. Mycoplasma , mareks and infectious laryngitis can all result in lameness, but of course lameness is only one of many symptoms with these diseases. I reserve yoghurt for only a week after antibiotic treatment and then just a once in awhile treat. Dairy products are not recommended on a regular basis because excessive calcium is stored in the organs and can be as detrimental to a birds health as a calcium deficiency. A few sprinkles of Epsom salts on the feed may also be beneficial as a flush. I hope that your avian vet can get to the bottom of this. http://www.darwinvets.com/poultry/common-chicken-problems-diseases

 

[Fancychooklady]

We saw our first tiger snake today today. Only 10 m from the chicken coops and 2 m from the goats.

 

[DavidD93]

Hi Everyone I from Victoria Australia, just signed up However I would like to do some outreaching, The Peafowl Enthusiasts Community in Australia would love to have access to new colour mutations in the Indian Blue Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) as we don't have much of variety like the rest of the world does please help us out and sign the petition as we would love to see more of variety and adding in New blood lines and gene pools to Australia so we can also celebrate these colours with everyone else but bringing in Diversity Safely

Thanks everyone

https://www.change.org/p/department...ents_action_panel_wrapper&utm_medium=copylink

 

[DavidD93]

We saw our first tiger snake today today. Only 10 m from the chicken coops and 2 m from the goats.

That is scary stuff