California - Northern

[ronott1]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flowers of Abba

Lemon cuckoo orphs - chocolate English bantam orphs...I can't look at the auction page. Can't even peek!

Sadly I just found the auction you were talking about. Now I will have Subscribe to that thread. @Chickengirl1304 has some very nice Silver Laced Wyendottes....

 

[Ali707]

I have not used pellets.

I'm using Valbazen this year for worming.  I used Ivomec last year because I had a heck of a time ridding my flock of poultry lice.  So the Ivomec took care of both problems at once.

Yep, alfalfa.  The chickens will scratch through it and get the small green parts.  They don't eat the stalks.  This time of year at our place, greens are not around.  My garden is done, weeds are done, so until it starts raining and the clover comes in, we don't have any greens.  Alfalfa is a good source of greens to keep the yolks nice and dark.  Kale, chard, clover, etc are as well.

I do it at night with a headlamp on.  I pull them off the roost one at a time.  Put the medicine in a medicine syringe (like you use for human babies).  Then pull on their wattles and their mouth will open.  I squirt it on their right side of their mouth and immediately release their wattles so they can swallow it.  I have found that I can hold them against my body and pull on their wattles with one hand and squirt with the other. 

I did the bread one year and it was a pain in the butt.  The darn rooster kept trying to feed it to everyone else.  It is so much easier to do it at night when they are settled, and it's easier to keep track of who has been done.  I put them back in the same spot they were in, then grab the next one and work my way down the roost.

I use a 1cc syringe, regular size chickens get .5cc. It is easier than you think. I just get out a chair, have the wormer drawn up already and sit with the chickens back to you and wrap a towel around it so it doesnt flog you. Pull on their wattles , if they dont have any just skin in same place. Wait for them to calm down if they get excited and just inject it in. I did my 21 in no time. And yes, alfalfa hay is the green bales for horses/cattle.

Thanks for the details. I can't reach them well at night. The roost is too far back from the opening. I may try day time with the towel but I see a lot or work catching those 13 fast birds!!!! Well actually the 3 Polish are super easy. Poor birds. Maybe while I have them I will trim their crest.

Quote:

Lemon cuckoo orphs - chocolate English bantam orphs...I can't look at the auction page. Can't even peek!

Sadly I just found the auction you were talking about. Now I will have Subscribe to that thread. @Chickengirl1304
has some very nice Silver Laced Wyendottes....

I love the Silver Laced pattern. So striking..... Bird envy is not pleasant.

 

[chrissyr]

Alfalfa takes the place of green pasture grass. It has fiber and nutrients that is good for the chickens.

Has anyone tried timothy Hay?

mine never liked alfalfa pellets. Even the bigger ones from Elk Grove milling, I soaked and they turned up their nose. They love the baled alfalfa, but we're by alfalfa fields and I see how much they get crop sprayed.
Ron: do you know of organic bales? There must be some around.
I'm thinking timothy or grass hay would be too long. I don't think they could break off pieces, just eat strands whole. Curious if there was too much for crop impaction.Whereas on a lawn they would pluck off pieces.Curious about other's using it.

 

[chrissyr]

Yay, someone just came and picked up 8 HUGE turkeys, only about 40 more to get rid of.

I would love a couple, but I haven't processed any myself in a few years. Looks like they're all ready for Thanksgiving

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Yay, someone just came and picked up 8 HUGE turkeys, only about 40 more to get rid of.

I miss my turkey wish I could get another.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote:
It's just like riding a bicycle

Quote:
Jason, you could certainly have one in the freezer!

I've got someone else coming today for four!

 

[PetRock]

Thanks for the details. I can't reach them well at night. The roost is too far back from the opening. I may try day time with the towel but I see a lot or work catching those 13 fast birds!!!! Well actually the 3 Polish are super easy. Poor birds. Maybe while I have them I will trim their crest.

We catch ours for worming, etc. by getting them one by one as they come out of the coop in the morning. We open the little door, catch the bird as it comes out, shut the door, treat the bird, then do it again. It takes a while and the last few have to be chased out of the coop but it works well for us. Our coop opens into a run that can be closed so sometimes we let the last few come down the ramp, close the coop door, and catch them in the run. All treated birds get shut out of the run and coop as soon as they are treated. It is better to have 2 people but I have done it by myself.

 

[PetRock]

Yay, someone just came and picked up 8 HUGE turkeys, only about 40 more to get rid of.

Beautiful turkeys! My farm friend is processing turkeys in a few weeks and we will also be processing Bresse that day. Jenny told me that we can have one of the turkeys and I'm so excited!

Talking about processing, do any of you use a lung scraper when you process? Removing the lungs was one of the hardest part of processing our older roos. All of the connective tissue inside them was so strong. I've seen them for sale but the lowest price I have found is around $20.

 

[ronott1]

Beautiful turkeys! My farm friend is processing turkeys in a few weeks and we will also be processing Bresse that day. Jenny told me that we can have one of the turkeys and I'm so excited!

Talking about processing, do any of you use a lung scraper when you process? Removing the lungs was one of the hardest part of processing our older roos. All of the connective tissue inside them was so strong. I've seen them for sale but the lowest price I have found is around $20.

No, I manage to get the lungs out with my finger. You can try some of those little spoons or maybe a small melon baller.

 

[PetRock]

No, I manage to get the lungs out with my finger. You can try some of those little spoons or maybe a small melon baller.

We used our fingers, too. I had to wear neoprine gloves since my hands were broken out from PMLE but it still hurt my fingers digging out the lungs when we processed the 39 older birds. My friend actually bruised her hands and fingers that day. I would love to get her one of the scrapers or find a melon baller that would make the work a little easier.