California - Northern

[caychris]

Chris, did you find the parts you needed for this? We just got back last night from visiting family in Colorado. I'm slowly working through the posts from the past 6 days. In regards to the feeders, we used a Y piece instead of a 40 degree elbow. We bought ours at Lowe's because Home Depot never seemed to have the pieces we needed. I was going to shoot a video of the construction of one of them but we ended up having to put them together in a hurry before leaving on vacation. My daughter who doesn't like chickens did most of the chicken chores for us while we were away and I wanted to make it as easy as possible for her.

I was looking for an elbow to stick the pour spout outside the enclosure. Otherwise I found everything I needed. Im just going to use another Y stick and extension outside the coop and use a 3" - 4" converter to create more of a funnel effect for adding feed. Mine will be short but effective I could make 2 out of the single 10' pipe.

I also saw this really cool bucket feeder on FB.

 

[BCollie]

Okay, I have give Tylan injections to all my birds except for Splash, who is the sickest(but not too sick). I'm waiting for my vet to get back to me on if they can test for mycoplasma in chickens. If not, I think I will be taking her to UCD on Monday.
I have separated the 3 healthy birds from the sick ones. I put the healthy ones in a makeshift pen in the garage. My question now is, what do I feed them? It's 1 adult laying hen, and 2 chicks that are about 2.5-3? months old. Do I feed them layer feed, or do I feed medicated chick feed?

 

[sewandgrow]

Ok because I really want to talk about something other than sick chickens.

Im trying to decide about the size of my breeding flock.

I'm looking at possibly 6 pens 2 for Legbars 2 for trying to start Delawares (I'm more interested in utility birds at this point with them) and 2 more to expand with. I really like the look of the Pita Pintas. @PetRock has. And wouldnt mind raising my own Buff Orps. (Crosses with Delawares produce red sexlinks.)

What would be the issues around having a Bachelor pad for extra Roos. Im thinking I would breed 1 root to 5 hens and have a large mixed laying flock pen, and a meat grow out pen.

During the off season months I keep all my roosters together in the bachelor pad. I add them all at once to a pen that didn't belong to any of them so it is all new turf to them. With limited space you may not be able to do that but that way there is less bickering to start with for me. It is new territory for everyone. There is still some ruffled feathers & jumping around but no real harm done. Since I use cyclone panels the pens are pretty portable & an easy up & tear down. My son has it down to minutes to erect a temporary pen & we have duplicated the cyclone units with our own homemade size matching ones for a fraction of the cost & they can go together with big zip ties. A $70 6 foot by 6 foot panel can be duplicated with 2 by 3s & coated chicken wire for $20 & change.

 

[caychris]

Okay, I have give Tylan injections to all my birds except for Splash, who is the sickest(but not too sick). I'm waiting for my vet to get back to me on if they can test for mycoplasma in chickens. If not, I think I will be taking her to UCD on Monday.
I have separated the 3 healthy birds from the sick ones. I put the healthy ones in a makeshift pen in the garage. My question now is, what do I feed them? It's 1 adult laying hen, and 2 chicks that are about 2.5-3? months old. Do I feed them layer feed, or do I feed medicated chick feed?

If its for a short period I would think you can go either way. The more Ive been reading though Im thinking with different aged birds I would get a non medicated flock raiser feed with free choice oystershell. I have been using Purina Medicated starter feed and switching to Flock Raiser for the Delawares and will keep them on it once the buffs join them when the dels start laying (probably 2 months before the buffs and well before the CLB's) The oyster shell will add the calcium that a laying feed would have. been told that Flock raiser can be fed indefinitely to all ages but layers will need more calcium. Some protein treats and fermenting the feed will probably make it just fine.

 

[caychris]

During the off season months I keep all my roosters together in the bachelor pad. I add them all at once to a pen that didn't belong to any of them so it is all new turf to them. With limited space you may not be able to do that but that way there is less bickering to start with for me. It is new territory for everyone. There is still some ruffled feathers & jumping around but no real harm done. Since I use cyclone panels the pens are pretty portable & an easy up & tear down. My son has it down to minutes to erect a temporary pen & we have duplicated the cyclone units with our own homemade size matching ones for a fraction of the cost & they can go together with big zip ties. A $70 6 foot by 6 foot panel can be duplicated with 2 by 3s & coated chicken wire for $20 & change.

Ill have to see it when I come pick up the chicks.

 

[BCollie]

Well, the vet can test for mycoplasma but it will be $150, or I can spend $80 in gas to take her to UCD where they'll euthenize her and do a necropsy. I would much prefer just doing the test but the problem is I don't have $150. I'm also not sure how accurate the test is...so I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

 

[casportpony]

Well, the vet can test for mycoplasma but it will be $150, or I can spend $80 in gas to take her to UCD where they'll euthenize her and do a necropsy. I would much prefer just doing the test but the problem is I don't have $150. I'm also not sure how accurate the test is...so I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

Call UCD and ask them how much they would charge for the test, I'm sure it less than that. Then ask you vet how much it would be to draw the blood.

-Kathy

 

[Audio51]

Quote:
Your'e so smart........

 

[BCollie]

Quote:
Your'e so smart........

x2, very smart! Thank you. The California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab charges $1.60 for the test, and my vet will charge just for an office visit($45) but they need to know exactly what the lab needs for the test(what tubes and other stuff), which I can call back and find out. THANK YOU, I think this is doable. Will cost all my money, but it's worth it! Hopefully I can get this done.

 

[caychris]

Call UCD and ask them how much they would charge for the test, I'm sure it less than that. Then ask you vet how much it would be to draw the blood.

-Kathy

I would really like to know the answers tool.

I'm becoming more acutely aware of the need to have a real plan for dealing with these emergencies.