California - Northern

[CackleJoy]

Well moving day is going ok. The buffs are liking being outside except for the big meanies. Not really that mean but definitely showing the little ones who's boss. We had them all supervised in the run for an hour or so. For the most part the biggies would bluster and peck a bit but once the little one ran off or cowered they would leave them alone. Till the little one would begin to venture around where the biggies were.

However the dels are confused by the switch. They dont know they have a new house yet. They did take to the new feeder and water container though. The dels got a bit confused when the little ones went into their old house to check things out of their own accord.

We cleaned out the coop fairly well. If they are going to pass stuff they are going to have to deal with it. They all came as chicks from the same hatchery so Im not too worried. But they are separated now. THe old coop doors are closed up and the buffs are now inside. The Dels have use of the big run and the new coop even though I may have to lock them in it tonight.

Pet rocks drain pipe feeder works great and even the short one I made holds a lot of feed. I need to add another one but they seemed to do just fine with just the one.

New nipple water bucket is a quite a bit higher off the ground than their old one but they took to it well. The buffs knew exactly what to do with the one in the little coop after having the bottles this last week.

I figure we will give it a few more days separated then supervise some more run times. Then maybe in 2 weeks we can open up the little coop and let them self combine. This should get the Dels settled into the new house and we can lock off the little coop again. Im going to add some toys and roosts and hiding places in the run as well. I think the dels are mostly bluster at this point one of the buffs challenged back one time and the del stopped in its tracks looking perplexed.

Im really beginning to wonder about Penny/Pete I got a better look at her comb and face and he/she is very different than the two everyone thinks are pullets. Lurk is also quite red but slightly behind Penny. Though on Jules younger ones some had combs almost as pronounced as Pennys is at 13 weeks.

Being in the run with them for an extended period they are beginning to be more social with me and will let me pick them up and hold them fairly easily. (Still not their favorite thing but eh)

The buffs on the other hand one of them likes to be held and is a really sweet lap chicken. The other can take it or leave it.

Now to just get the fosters out in 2 weeks.

busy, busy!

I love broody hens, especially when I've specialty eggs to hatch. They do all the work. I usually move them to a large dog crate or one of my Rabbit type hutches and give them fake eggs to sit on to make sure they will settle. I had two hens recently go "unbroody" after I moved them. Once they settle, I still let them sit on the fake eggs anther day, before putting the real deal under them.
I just had all 3 of my English Medium Chocolate Orps go broody at once. Two were in one nest and one in the other, they kept rolling the eggs (stealing them) and putting them under each other.
I ended up getting one of those IKEA toy boxes that you assemble, but they are only like 14 bucks - cheap compared to the nest boxes at the feedstore. Turned it on it's side. Gave them 10 Eggs I bought from ebay and they hatched 7 chicks, now their co-parenting the chicks--they all sleep huddled together with the chicks under them. I'm actually surprised that many hatched, the way they were rolling the eggs back and forth, too cute! lol Now Rowdy my Rooster is helping out too.

We've an Orpington trying to go broody. I've taken the eggs for a week. I think Monday I will move her and if it stick, I'm going to give her some SFH egg. Maybe your idea of giving a broody some specialty eggs will pay out for us too

 

[BCollie]

Just had my graduation party, and my best friend is here visiting from Texas. It was so nice to get my mind off of my chickens for a couple hours, I've been so worried and constantly in tears over the thought of them possibly having mg. I take Splash in to be tested on Monday. I'm not treating her until then. The vet quoted me at $80 for shipping the blood sample overnight to the lab, but FedEx quoted me at around $30 for a 3 pound package. On one hand, if I ship the blood sample myself I save $50...but I could possibly mess up shipping it and then I've wasted all that time and money for the office visit/exam at the vet & shipping costs. Or I could have the vet do ship it, someone who's very experienced shipping blood samples, esp. ones that need to be kept cold, but that's also an extra $50. I don't like to waste money but with the first option there is definite room for error and I'm not sure that I want to risk that. Not sure what I'll do at this point. This has all been so stressful, I swear I'm nearly in tears every time I think about it. I want to thank everyone for helping me with this, and putting up with all my questions. Having people that I trust there to help&support me makes it so much easier.

 

[CackleJoy]

Just had my graduation party, and my best friend is here visiting from Texas. It was so nice to get my mind off of my chickens for a couple hours, I've been so worried and constantly in tears over the thought of them possibly having mg. I take Splash in to be tested on Monday. I'm not treating her until then. The vet quoted me at $80 for shipping the blood sample overnight to the lab, but FedEx quoted me at around $30 for a 3 pound package. On one hand, if I ship the blood sample myself I save $50...but I could possibly mess up shipping it and then I've wasted all that time and money for the office visit/exam at the vet & shipping costs. Or I could have the vet do ship it, someone who's very experienced shipping blood samples, esp. ones that need to be kept cold, but that's also an extra $50. I don't like to waste money but with the first option there is definite room for error and I'm not sure that I want to risk that. Not sure what I'll do at this point. This has all been so stressful, I swear I'm nearly in tears every time I think about it. I want to thank everyone for helping me with this, and putting up with all my questions. Having people that I trust there to help&support me makes it so much easier.

What you are going through is very difficult! It is truly wonderful to lean on the experience of people on this thread, I know we have several times.

 

[casportpony]

Just had my graduation party, and my best friend is here visiting from Texas. It was so nice to get my mind off of my chickens for a couple hours, I've been so worried and constantly in tears over the thought of them possibly having mg. I take Splash in to be tested on Monday. I'm not treating her until then. The vet quoted me at $80 for shipping the blood sample overnight to the lab, but FedEx quoted me at around $30 for a 3 pound package. On one hand, if I ship the blood sample myself I save $50...but I could possibly mess up shipping it and then I've wasted all that time and money for the office visit/exam at the vet & shipping costs. Or I could have the vet do ship it, someone who's very experienced shipping blood samples, esp. ones that need to be kept cold, but that's also an extra $50. I don't like to waste money but with the first option there is definite room for error and I'm not sure that I want to risk that. Not sure what I'll do at this point. This has all been so stressful, I swear I'm nearly in tears every time I think about it. I want to thank everyone for helping me with this, and putting up with all my questions. Having people that I trust there to help&support me makes it so much easier.

You can ship overnight it to UC Davis on their FedEx account. Less than 5 pounds will be $10 and they'll send you a bill for it. This link will show you how to make a box to ship the blood sample in.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/799747/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures

Whatever you do, use the UC Davis account number. Ask the vet how much they would charge to box it up, see if that works in your budget, then you ship it. Make sense?

-Kathy

 

[caychris]

I am worried about having the buffs they are supposed to be an easily broody breed. I wont have a rooster but we do have a trader joes around.
Ill have to see if they have the fertile eggs. (Just planning ahead) I might have to give them some at some point. I have also heard that CLB do not go broody well so its one reason for difficulties in breeding them.

As I was putting the dels to bed tonight what just happend to fly over my back yard but a nice little hawk. Pretty low too. It was probably coincidence because it was one of those blue orange varieties that is more after seed birds than something like a chicken. But as I told my daughter tomorrow the bird netting goes over the run first thing in the morning. That should be the final touch (for a little while at least).

It took them quite a while to settle down for the night in the new house. They kept trying to leave to go back to the old coop. Once they all piled in the nest box they were ok though.

 

[BCollie]

Quote:
Oh, once again, you are so smart! I will definitely ask them to box it up for me and then ship it myself. I will see if my mom will help me find a box and get some foam tomorrow. How do I find the UCD Account number?

Quote:
Thank you so much. I could have asked all those questions in the diseases/illness section of the forum but I don't know/trust those people like I do with everyone on here.

 

[casportpony]

I just checked and the last package I sent was under 6 pounds and they billed me less than $9.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Quote:
Oh, once again, you are so smart! I will definitely ask them to box it up for me and then ship it myself. I will see if my mom will help me find a box and get some foam tomorrow. How do I find the UCD Account number?

Quote:
Thank you so much. I could have asked all those questions in the diseases/illness section of the forum but I don't know/trust those people like I do with everyone on here.
Just call the lab you'll be sending it to and ask for it.

-Kathy

 

[BCollie]

Thank you, Kathy.

 

[BCollie]

When I called the lab, the California Animal Health & Food Safety Lab(is this part of UC Davis? So I can still use the FedEx account number with them?) they said that on their website they have shipping instructions for sending in samples, however I have searched the website and have not found it. You wouldn't happen to know where that section of their website is, would you?