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

[Fizzybelle]

Good morning folks

Fizzybelle sorry I do not have any recommendations for an automatic door but I sympathise with you totally.

I was up and racing out with breakfast at 05:20AM this morning to hush Crystal. While the coop does not have a door and they can get to the run first thing in the morning, this does not stop Crystal sitting in the run demanding attention. There is food available before I take out breakfast so she is not hungry, just wants to make sure that the hired held is up also

My day starts off with “I want” and with my line of work, continues that way pretty much all day; no wonder I am stressed

Yes, I'm sure they're all thinking "the sun's been up for five minutes already! Why on earth aren't those silly people up as well to fuss over us??" They love to make noise simply because they can, and often they set each other off. Funnily enough my largest and smallest (Ada and Beatrice) are the biggest culprits lately. Doesn't matter that they have plenty of room to scratch and food to eat, they want to complain about how hard done by they are. I'm dreading when the sun starts getting up at 4:30. It's just more quiet here than at my old house which was closer to a main road, and there was another flock of six a house away to blame noise on Well, at least they're all laying well and I can bribe neighbours with apology eggs.


Oh, I also gave roasting some pumpkin a try after the discussion a while ago about it, and it was successful! I brought a small quarter to test out and they loved it, so that's good to have another healthy treat option for them. You never know as tastes vary from bird to bird, flock to flock, but they liked it.

 

[MullyAly]

Thanks Teila and sorry about Wombles Fancy. I got the antibiotics today so will start administering. I did put garlic flakes in the water yesterday morning since I didn't yet have the AB's and when I got home last night her swelling was gone and the eye was normal. Her nose did still have wetness so I will proceed with the AB's as there is obviously something there in her system. Now I am just hoping she was quarantined in time to minimise any impact on everyone else. I am so glad this group exists - everyone is always so friendly and willing to help each other with advice and kind words and I enjoy quietly reading in the background what everyone is up to (I should probably have my work internet access disconnected though as this forum is very distracting).

 

[Fizzybelle]

MullyAly, if there's been no improvement in a few days, she may need stronger or different medication, in which I'd advise taking her to a vet. I can suggest a couple if need be in Brisbane (that won't break the bank). Hopefully she'll respond and continue to improve

 

[Ezekielette]

G'day all, brand new member here!

My name's Katie; I live in the Dandenongs, Victoria with my furry baby Allie cat, four hens:
Korra - Isa Brown - head of the pack, came with our house
Red - Rhode Island Red
HonkyDumbDumb - RIR
Zoom - Bantam Australorp

Over the weekend we bought four day old bantam Australorps home to join our flock. (I am having issues with one of them, which I have posted here > https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1137282/little-runt-wont-cant-eat-or-drink#post_17626015

Look forward to joining the community!

Katie

 

[Fancychooklady]

G'day all, brand new member here!

My name's Katie; I live in the Dandenongs, Victoria with my furry baby Allie cat, four hens:
Korra - Isa Brown - head of the pack, came with our house
Red - Rhode Island Red
HonkyDumbDumb - RIR
Zoom - Bantam Australorp

Over the weekend we bought four day old bantam Australorps home to join our flock. (I am having issues with one of them, which I have posted here > https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1137282/little-runt-wont-cant-eat-or-drink#post_17626015

Look forward to joining the community!

Katie

Hi welcome. Sounds like an interesting mix of critters. With your sick chick I would get some poly aid plus . It's made especially for sick birds , contains all the vitamins and minerals and probiotics .
You make it up into a runny paste , be very careful when feeding as it is very easy to aspirate a chicken. If using a 5ml syringe (no needle ) it is best to administer just a drop at a time and always into the side of the beak . The poly aid usually gives them back their appetite . Cooked rice with soft boiled egg through it is usually tempting. What does it's poop look like?

 

[Ezekielette]

I've just bought 'Solvita vitamin mix' after reading about it in another thread.

Her poop this morning was kind of sticky, mid afternoon just watery and by this evening it was white with a little black in it.

Will try egg and rice tomorrow.

 

[Anniebee]

Fancy .... so very sorry to hear about Wombles -- and the reason she departed this earth. RIP to a dear girl.

Have you ever though of the snake deterrents - inserted into the ground and run by electricity. Have a friend in NSW who obtained the top of the range system ( not cheap ) - and swears by it. A 'WIRES' carer, she can now happily allow her 5+ kg joeys to bound around without problems from snakes.

Admittedly, where your goats graze is most likely a very large area - but for areas closer to the house - perhaps the deterrents would be useful ?

.........

 

[Anniebee]

More questions : !!! Sorry

Mandy Welsummer, who is on anti-inflammatories atm from the Avian Vet, is better but not near 100%. She stands and walks reasonably well in slightly longer bursts, but still prefers to retire to her night time bed, for parts of the day. And she still sits outside ( when outside ) - but not as often as before. So that's an improvement.

Thing is, the weather has been utterly horrendous here this past weekend and onwards - - and before. Very very cold, loads of rain and huge continuous winds that blacked us out for 20 hours early Sunday arvo into late Monday morning - and prior to that winds that caused big explosions at the front of our house when severely bent tall trees rose up again and hit the wires .... fireworks and fire. And everything went out then for 6 hours. .... so the girls have been largely locked up for their own protection from rain and cold.

Being locked up here and there, I don't believe is the problem - never has been before. Although the return of freezing cold winter type conditions may well be.

Mandy and Molly RIR, both are squatting and both have beautiful healthy red combs. Both should be laying and were, but very spasmodically. Neither of them are now .... they haven't laid an egg between them, for over 2 weeks. .. And Molly has taken to sitting next to Mandy ( but only when outside ) ... on the ground, with heads in the same direction. For all the world, it looks like she is copying Mandy.

Q : So - bottom line is - do hens imitate one another - for any reason. And can one stop laying if the other one does. Bearing in mind these two are inseparable and live together.

...........

As for Mindy Araucana ?? .... She has laid 3 soft formed shells ( and eaten the yolk of them ) in the past 10 days - other eggs have a little hollow in the top, which does not break the actual membrane around the egg. She continues to lay daily, and has laid 3 perfectly formed good eggs as well. She has free take oyster shell grit which she has eaten a little of only .. ... and tomorrow I am giving her some finely ground up chicken egg shells mixed in with some rice, and other goodies including some Anitone.

They are all getting ACV in their water.

Short of poking some oyster shell grit down Mindys' throat, I don't know what else I can possibly do. I would imagine that would not be a good idea though !!

When I have finished or tapered off the anti-inflammatories for Mandy, those two will also be getting anitone squirted onto small amounts of Mum's mash, twice a week. Anything Mandy might lay ( big doubt ) ... cannot be eaten ( again ) for 3 weeks after finishing the anti-inflammatories, which is 1/4 of a tiny tablet twice a day. She is still eating and drinking extremely well, and all else is normal. Stands to eat her layer pellets - sits ( on ) the mash to eat that. At least that way she makes sure she gets her fair share, as Molly will push her out of the way to eat the lot, if possible.

Would be grateful for some ideas on all this. .... It is all so very strange.

Cheers ........

 

[Anniebee]

G'day all, brand new member here!

My name's Katie; I live in the Dandenongs, Victoria with my furry baby Allie cat, four hens:
Korra - Isa Brown - head of the pack, came with our house
Red - Rhode Island Red
HonkyDumbDumb - RIR
Zoom - Bantam Australorp

Over the weekend we bought four day old bantam Australorps home to join our flock. (I am having issues with one of them, which I have posted here > https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1137282/little-runt-wont-cant-eat-or-drink#post_17626015

Look forward to joining the community!

Katie

Welcome Ezekielette ( Katie ) to a great thread, where much information and friendliness can be found ....

I had a look at the thread you started, but not ever having had chickens so young, I have no idea what I could say to help.

No doubt someone here will know much more, and will be able to assist.

Notice you are in the Dandenongs - as am I ( Upwey ) .... and am presuming you were impacted much the same - with a 20 hour outage of electricity from those horridly high winds.
Then again maybe not - it certainly was all over the place with outages - and so many trees down. Two streets away from us - they all still had electricity right throughout !! It was frightening and very strange, not to mention cold again today !! ( Tuesday ).

Hope your little chicken can get past whatever is troubling it ... and that someone can make a few good suggestions.

Cheers ..........

 

[appps]

Nice area but it would not work for my girls. If they can get a piece of ground then they just pancake there as a nest. I have an old shopping trolley I put them in overnight and just leave top off during the day so they can free range.

I've got silkies, frizzles, faverolles and australorps and it works for them all. They pace up and down trying to find a gap in the fence and forget to try and nest.

Sounds like you are basically doing the same thing though if they are free ranging during the day rather than being locked in the trolley during the day. I used to do that when I had more than one and they were too cranky to be penned together. I'd lock them in the yard to free range where they couldn't get to the nest box. Not game now though since the Hawks found us.