California - Northern

[TheKeeper]

MANY SHOWGIRLS! Peaches and flame went wild!!! I got almost all showgirls this hatch! [/quote] Darling!

♡

 

[Audio51]

Well, today I had to put on my big girl pants and cull my first chick. I usually have DH do it for me but there was no way I could wait until Friday. The poor little thing hatched with its intestines outside. (It also had eye problems, a tiny body, and very long legs which are not typical for Pita Pinta chicks.) I tried to use a sterile q-tip to push the coils of intestines back in but then he pooped and there went the sterile part. I couldn't let him suffer through the infection that would cause so, I just spur of the moment dispatched him. I used Dyanne's method but I didn't expect him to move his legs and open his mouth after I broke his neck. I did it again because I thought he wasn't dead yet. Finally I pulled on his head like Cheryl used to do when she culled. That ended up with a piece of chick in each hand. Next time I have to do this, I'm going to use sharp pruning shears and do the deed in the garbage can. RIP little one!

Aww...that must have been so hard. I almost had to put down one if the quail. It was the last to hatch and 24 hours after the others, It was not making any progress after the initial pip and a zip of about 1/3 inch. I helped a bit and it finally got out, but I think it was either malpositioned or stayed in the shell too long. It was not able to stand at all and just wheel-barrowed itself around the incubator. I told myself it it was not improved any the next morning I was going to have to do the deed. Lucky for me it had already died, but I felt bad I didn;t do it sooner..

Disclaimer: I am a complete novice when it come to incubation and hatching, but thought some of you might fin this interesting, Pictured below is an egg I found somewhere that's been struggling for days to pip externally, so today I made a hole, waited 12 hours, moistened the membrane and I think this one is malpositioned with it's foot over it's head. Beak is under right wing, but that looks like a toe to me, lol.



-Kathy

Looks like a little horse head in there....

Quote: That's the way I like mine too...

Quote: I have to admit I had always assumed DH was OK with doing the dispatch when we processed years ago. After all, he was having such fun bringing the disembodied heads up to the kitchen window to freak the kids out. He was in his mid 40s then, but now he is in his mid 60s. After I had processed the 2 I just did, he was doing the kind if teasing where you tell people the other person is a "Chicken mudrerer". So I reminded him of the 20 or so he had dispatched himself and he told me, after all these years. that he never wanted to do it and never will do it again. He said he only did it for me and he had hated it.
I have a new-found appreciation for him....no only that he was willing to do that for me, but that it really bothered him and he still did it for me...

Quote: I found the perfect knife in our drawer, I don't know the brand but it is a filet knof and has a hard sheath that has a loop for putting thru a belt. Most likely meant for fishing. I also have a sharpener that came with my Furi knives. It works really well at sharpening and I even use it on the blade to my food proccessor. Two passes thru it and the knife cut a perfect slice thru paper. I had no problem betting deep enough to do the job.

Quote: That is very generous of you!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: Not yet. I need to check on them and see how much they have drawn out. It is a new super, so they have to draw out the comb first. They have to consume more to draw out the frames, that's why I won't be harvesting the comb - I'll leave that for them. Once the blackberries start blooming, I'm sure they will fill it up fast!

Very interesting thing happened yesterday. We had let the dels out and they were roaming the yard not paying much attention to us. We brought the watermelon out and they didnt really notice.
I kept calling them and waving the WM hoping they would see and come but nada. I couldnt remember the call I had used the other day when we had given them treats so they were taking no notice. Then all of a sudden I remembered the call I had used. "Bwawk Bwawk". And then the most enthusiastic WM eater came tearing around the plants and everything right up to the WM. It was like night and day. I called some more and they all came a running. They don't like being picked up but will tolerate being held fairly well once we do. I think the treat feedings are helping some too.
They also are pretty good about being herded back into the coop. (Probably because we bait them back in with treats)

Pretty soon you won't need to call them. I can't go outside without mine expecting something.

My chickens got feather lice, once. I tried the powder, I tried the spray. What worked best was a permethrin dip. They sell a 10% Permethrin at farm stores.

I mixed it with water according to label directions, put it in a 5 gallon bucket. Wearing rubber gloves, I dipped them into the bucket, moving them up & down so the dip gets all through their feathers. Then I wiped some all around their head. They had eggs under their beak, so I had to scrape those off.

If you have a really bad infestation, I agree, they can be tough to get rid of. The dusting has worked for me in one coop. But my Welsummer coop had it bad and I was dusting (and coop cleaning) every 10 days for MONTHS and could not get rid of them. I finally gave them Ivomec pour on, which worms them and killed the lice.

5 happy ducks from the crazy duck hatch too! everyone seems to be doing well now.


MANY SHOWGIRLS! Peaches and flame went wild!!! I got almost all showgirls this hatch!

Adorable!

Here's my latest, it's a chocolate Muscovy and I think it might be barred! Interestingly, all of the ducklings from this black/white mama were chocolate. Is there anyone here that knows about Muscovy genetics?



-Kathy

Oh geez, stop! I just got over my duckling envy from the Easter Hatch.

Well, today I had to put on my big girl pants and cull my first chick. I usually have DH do it for me but there was no way I could wait until Friday. The poor little thing hatched with its intestines outside. (It also had eye problems, a tiny body, and very long legs which are not typical for Pita Pinta chicks.) I tried to use a sterile q-tip to push the coils of intestines back in but then he pooped and there went the sterile part. I couldn't let him suffer through the infection that would cause so, I just spur of the moment dispatched him. I used Dyanne's method but I didn't expect him to move his legs and open his mouth after I broke his neck. I did it again because I thought he wasn't dead yet. Finally I pulled on his head like Cheryl used to do when she culled. That ended up with a piece of chick in each hand. Next time I have to do this, I'm going to use sharp pruning shears and do the deed in the garbage can. RIP little one!

I'm sorry. Pruning shears works well. Dig the hole first, so you can cut and drop.

Quote: Meaties flop around A LOT more. And they are heavy to hold down too.

So what is the best way to euthanize a mature bird if you're a sensitive person like me?

-Kathy

We've been using the hatchet method, but I'm not comfortable using that myself. I'm a bad swing. I did one, and didn't get a clean whack. I recently watched someone that slits their throat while they are in a cone, and I think that would work better for me. Plus, it's a lot less messy.

Quote: Off to google Havalon knives.

Speaking of killing things... I'm a vegan and hate that my parents buy the poor abused store birds, and wish we could raise our own chickens for meat - for them to eat, not me. They're not opposed to it, and actually would like to try it, but nobody here has the guts to kill the birds.

There may be processors in your area that will come and do it for you. We have one in our area that is a mobile processor, he's steep on price though - $7 per bird and that doesn't include packaging. For cattle and hogs, it's a lot easier to have a processor do it. A friend raised our hog with his, and the man that came to process them had both of them done, skinned and off to the butcher in 30 minutes. Well worth the $70.

I understand what u mean kathy. I suppose that does make sense i figured heavy metal because my dad welds and we had to weld one of the feeders. i coulve missed the worms though. Ive never had these issues so thats why im relying on u guys tye mor experienced people. once i have enough money ill have to buy some safeguard. how much is it and where could i get it?

Metal can perforate the intestines, causing death, but that doesn't explain your multiple deaths.

 

[tommysgirl]

Mother's Day Hatch!



Not sure who the daddy is on all of the yellow guys but I think it is Ozzie on all but 1. That one has a slightly red tint to his head you can see his back is to us at 5 o'clock in the above pic.




All the other yellow chicks are just yellow


So happy I got at least 1 pullet.

 

[sewandgrow]

A small bottle is about $20 at TSC, but if that's too much I could mail you enough Safeguard to get you started. I bought a liter, so sending you a small amount is fine.

-Kathy

So nice of you Kathy to share...................

 

[BCollie]

Speaking of killing things... I'm a vegan and hate that my parents buy the poor abused store birds, and wish we could raise our own chickens for meat - for them to eat, not me. They're not opposed to it, and actually would like to try it, but nobody here has the guts to kill the birds.

There may be processors in your area that will come and do it for you. We have one in our area that is a mobile processor, he's steep on price though - $7 per bird and that doesn't include packaging. For cattle and hogs, it's a lot easier to have a processor do it. A friend raised our hog with his, and the man that came to process them had both of them done, skinned and off to the butcher in 30 minutes. Well worth the $70.

That's a good idea, thanks. I would have no issue plucking feathers myself and I'm sure my parents wouldn't, either...it's just the actual killing part that none of us have the guts to do, especially me.

 

[PetRock]

That's a good idea, thanks. I would have no issue plucking feathers myself and I'm sure my parents wouldn't, either...it's just the actual killing part that none of us have the guts to do, especially me.

There is the killing part and also the eviscerating part. Both are hard when you are first learning. I have yet to do the killing part but the eviscerating part seems to fall to the women on the farm because our hands are smaller.

 

[ronott1]

Is everyone ready for the heat this weak? The Bay area will be in the mid 90s today and we will be at or over 100 for the next two days..

I hope the chickens will be OK!

 

[capayvalleychick]

The poor little thing hatched with its intestines outside. (It also had eye problems, a tiny body, and very long legs which are not typical for Pita Pinta chicks.) I tried to use a sterile q-tip to push the coils of intestines back in but then he pooped and there went the sterile part. I couldn't let him suffer through the infection that would cause so, I just spur of the moment dispatched him. I used Dyanne's method but I didn't expect him to move his legs and open his mouth after I broke his neck. I did it again because I thought he wasn't dead yet. Finally I pulled on his head like Cheryl used to do when she culled. That ended up with a piece of chick in each hand. Next time I have to do this, I'm going to use sharp pruning shears and do the deed in the garbage can.

/hugs im proud of you and sad.

X2!

Pictured below is an egg I found somewhere that's been struggling for days to pip externally, so today I made a hole, waited 12 hours, moistened the membrane and I think this one is malpositioned with it's foot over it's head.

again!

 

[casportpony]

 
A small bottle is about $20 at TSC, but if that's too much I could mail you enough Safeguard to get you started. I bought a liter, so sending you a small amount is fine.

-Kathy

So nice of you Kathy to share...................

Lots of supplies, wormers, antibiotics, antifungals, etc. here (my vet actually teases me about it, lol) and I'd be happy to help anyone if I can. Many will expire before I use them, but I do sleep better knowing I have them to use if I have to.

-Kathy