California - Northern

[caychris]

If anyone has helpful hints and recommendations on making sure everyone is happy and healthy, I'll take them.

Impersonating a pancake I see

 

[CackleJoy]

I have a Light Brahma that I got from Western Supply Feed Store. Probably hatchery stock. At 6 weeks now, she has well defined breasts and weighs at least a pound, but I don't have a scale. She is about 3 times the size of my same age EE, but some of that might be her fancy feathers. How does an 18" height x 24" deep x 12" wide on the nest box sound?

The don't need the height as much as the length because they like a darker spot. They also like to go in frontwards and turn around. You are on the right track, perhaps just overcompensating in size - the idea is just to make the nest box deep enough they feel safe going into it. That doesn't have to be huge either. We use 5 gal buckets with great results. We also have a couple of those square cat litter buckets from my mom. Those are a good size too. Neither is over 1' high or wide but both are longer. What is a 5 gal bucket? 16 - 18" high? Those work better for us than our shallow nest boxes in the Swede pen.

On a funny note, we have EO Basque and the hens are a nice size, bigger than Rocks but smaller than Brahma's or Sussex. Kind of like a hatchery RIR. The other day there were 2 in a square kitty litter bucket. I was cracking up watching the jostling inside that bucket! They'll go in an incredibly small space if they feel like it is safe.

 

[CackleJoy]

Maybe I could stake open the small coop door just big enough to let the little ones through. That way they would have access to their water and food and could hide from the "big meanies"

I might have to make it a slightly tight squeeze for them to ensure the dels dont follow.

Ill work on that tonight as well as a couple of other things.

Good news is everyone went to bed on their own last night. Only took 3 days for the dels to do it on their own. Apparently the ramp wasnt a factor last night.

It takes time but what a relief when you don't have to tuck them all in!

 

[caychris]

What I find funny is that the Buffs roost. The dels do not. Of course they were never really provided much in the way of roost space either.

They had a dowel when they were small and 3 of them would perch on it but When they got bigger I took it out after reading about how it wasn't good for their feet/legs.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Squirt the wormer onto a piece of Bread?

I did this once and it was a nightmare. Not only did some of the hens not want to eat the bread, but I could not worm the rooster. He kept trying to feed it to the hens. I gave up on that method and now I grab them one by one off the roost at night and squirt it in their mouth. If you pull on their wattles, their mouth will open. Just be sure to let go right away so they can swallow it. I can do it by myself now - holding the bird against my body with one arm and pulling on the wattles with the hand on the same arm and squirting with the other.

 

[ronott1]

I did this once and it was a nightmare. Not only did some of the hens not want to eat the bread, but I could not worm the rooster. He kept trying to feed it to the hens. I gave up on that method and now I grab them one by one off the roost at night and squirt it in their mouth. If you pull on their wattles, their mouth will open. Just be sure to let go right away so they can swallow it. I can do it by myself now - holding the bird against my body with one arm and pulling on the wattles with the hand on the same arm and squirting with the other.

Thanks!

I will have to try it that way. I need to send a sample in for a float test soon.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: One by one is how I do it, but many of mine don't have wattles, so I have to open their beaks with my fingers.

Pictures here:
Please note that I was the one holding the bird and taking the pictures, please use both hands!

• Hold bird - I like to sit with my thighs parallel to the ground, feet firmly on ground and the bird in my lap. I hold it gently, but firmly and grab the head.

• Open mouth and wait for bird to relax.

• Insert syringe - I like to insert from left to right, across the tongue, behind the trachea, into the oesophagus. Again, wait for the bird to relax.

• Give wormer

• Repeat in ten days.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

More worming pictures:

Perhaps these images might be useful here to be sure the syringe is being inserted properly:





(just to be clear, these pictures belong to Hopkins' Alternative Livestock http://www.hopkinslivestock.com/peafowl.htm)

-Kathy

 

[caychris]

More worming pictures:

Perhaps these images might be useful here to be sure the syringe is being inserted properly:





(just to be clear, these pictures belong to Hopkins' Alternative Livestock http://www.hopkinslivestock.com/peafowl.htm)

-Kathy

Look at all those "teeth" wonder if chickens look similar?

 

[casportpony]

Look at all those "teeth" wonder if chickens look similar?

-Kathy