California - Northern

[Magnolia7330]

My chicks keep taking the cover off the feeder, burying it, and then eating out of the top

 

[Sylvester017]

My chicks keep taking the cover off the feeder, burying it, and then eating out of the top

Chickens are so creative. They get bored and explore all kinds of new things to do to entertain themselves!

 

[Magnolia7330]

Chickens are so creative. They get bored and explore all kinds of new things to do to entertain themselves!

I thought maybe that was why. Now, that they have quite a few feathers in I have been taking them outside each day for up to an hour. That way they can get out of their brooder box. I'm hoping to get them out to the coop permanently in the next week or two (after the next rain).

 

[InWrongCentury]

Hey folks - it's been some time since I've posted in here, but I'm glad to see many of the same folks are active and helping out! I have a bit of a conundrum, and I could use some advice from some of you more experienced chicken keepers. Either my luck sucks, or there is something I doing that is causing my hens to go downhill.

I have lost 2 hens in since last August. The first one was a 2.5 yo EE that had been off and on lethargic since her molt, and then the 3 week long heat wave was just too much. The CAHFS necropsy came back with fatty liver disease and respiratory failure. The other was my 2.5+ yo Australorp who suddenly had severe sour crop and died in February - the necropsy came back with ovarian cancer with tumors blocking her intestines. Now I have a third ailing hen, a Speckled Sussex.

I got her at the same time as the two that died. She had tapeworms 6 weeks ago, and I gave the whole flock the full dewormer treatment (using Z-Gold). I haven't seen any indication of worms since, but then I noticed she had a good sized lice infestation 3 weeks ago, so I treated the whole flock with coconut oil and premise spray. I also cleaned out the coop/run and sprayed down with premise spray. I noticed in the last couple days, the SS has really slowed down. I have put her in a hospital cage for observation, with probiotic/alfalfa nettle tea water and mashed hard boiled egg. Here are her stats now:

- Lethargic
- Skinnier than normal, but has kind of a full belly behind her keel.
- Not consistently eating or drinking
- Pale comb and wattles
- Watery, yellow poop
- Crop is inconsistently draining, but not hard or overly squishy
- She laid sporadically since her molt, but hasn't since the lice infestation

My other three hens, two of which are the same "clutch" as the prior hens mentioned, are all fine and normal. I feed soy-free Modesto Mills layer pellets, since my Barred Rock lays fishy smelling eggs when she eats soy.

Any thoughts on what could be ailing the Sussex? Any trends that I'm not seeing in regards to the flock's health overall? Thank you for any help, folks.

 

[Sylvester017]

I thought maybe that was why. Now, that they have quite a few feathers in I have been taking them outside each day for up to an hour. That way they can get out of their brooder box. I'm hoping to get them out to the coop permanently in the next week or two (after the next rain).

Yep, what's with the rain? We have 90 F all this week and rain expected next week - - crazy!

Chickens get really accustomed to free-ranging a certain sized area and complain when confined again. I had the flock in the front yard when I was weeding out the big stuff but when I had to poison the tough weeds I couldn't let them out there again. They stand at the gate and squawk to be let out for several days in a row until they realize I'm not letting them go there again. They miss doing bug patrol!

 

[Sylvester017]

Hey folks - it's been some time since I've posted in here, but I'm glad to see many of the same folks are active and helping out! I have a bit of a conundrum, and I could use some advice from some of you more experienced chicken keepers. Either my luck sucks, or there is something I doing that is causing my hens to go downhill.

I have lost 2 hens in since last August. The first one was a 2.5 yo EE that had been off and on lethargic since her molt, and then the 3 week long heat wave was just too much. The CAHFS necropsy came back with fatty liver disease and respiratory failure. The other was my 2.5+ yo Australorp who suddenly had severe sour crop and died in February - the necropsy came back with ovarian cancer with tumors blocking her intestines. Now I have a third ailing hen, a Speckled Sussex.

I got her at the same time as the two that died. She had tapeworms 6 weeks ago, and I gave the whole flock the full dewormer treatment (using Z-Gold). I haven't seen any indication of worms since, but then I noticed she had a good sized lice infestation 3 weeks ago, so I treated the whole flock with coconut oil and premise spray. I also cleaned out the coop/run and sprayed down with premise spray. I noticed in the last couple days, the SS has really slowed down. I have put her in a hospital cage for observation, with probiotic/alfalfa nettle tea water and mashed hard boiled egg. Here are her stats now:

- Lethargic
- Skinnier than normal, but has kind of a full belly behind her keel.
- Not consistently eating or drinking
- Pale comb and wattles
- Watery, yellow poop
- Crop is inconsistently draining, but not hard or overly squishy
- She laid sporadically since her molt, but hasn't since the lice infestation

My other three hens, two of which are the same "clutch" as the prior hens mentioned, are all fine and normal. I feed soy-free Modesto Mills layer pellets, since my Barred Rock lays fishy smelling eggs when she eats soy.

Any thoughts on what could be ailing the Sussex? Any trends that I'm not seeing in regards to the flock's health overall? Thank you for any help, folks.

I lost a 3-yr-old Blue Wheaten Ameraucana and a 11/2 yr-old Blue Breda during our brutal August and September heatwaves. The heat stress compromised their immune systems and the Amer came down with Marek's and we put her down. The Breda was doing fine jumping around but she too got compromised from heat stress. Her last two eggs were soft shell and then next morning after eating and drinking with the flock she took a snooze and died (hopefully peacefully) in her sleep. Any way I look at it, the heatwaves stink!

 

[Mayzee16]

Hi, I am new to BYC. My 7 year old daughter wants to experience the fun of hatching eggs and raising the chics. Can anyone advise me where I can buy the fertile eggs in south bay? I am in south bay Sunnyvale area. Thanks!

 

[caychris]

Hi, I am new to BYC. My 7 year old daughter wants to experience the fun of hatching eggs and raising the chics. Can anyone advise me where I can buy the fertile eggs in south bay? I am in south bay Sunnyvale area. Thanks!

What kind of chickens do you want in the end.

You can always buy a dozen fertile eggs from Trader Joes and incubate them. You want to get the newest date possible (look up hatching trader Joes fertile eggs for instructions on how to read the dates on the cartons) Its pretty hit and miss but some should hatch.

Im in the east bay but could sell Delaware of Pita Pinta fertile eggs and meet you somewhere to deliver. Its really about what chickens you want in the end.

 

[Honora]

Hi, I am new to BYC. My 7 year old daughter wants to experience the fun of hatching eggs and raising the chics. Can anyone advise me where I can buy the fertile eggs in south bay? I am in south bay Sunnyvale area. Thanks!

Hi! I am in Santa Clara so very close by. Hatching eggs is so much fun! I have ordered eggs in the mail before and I have also hatched mixed breed eggs that I got from @h2oratt . I am hoping to keep one of my cockerels this year and hatch my own chicks for the first time this Fall. Fingers crossed that he will be a quiet boy and not crow when he is in the garage.

 

[h2oratt]

Hi, I am new to BYC.  My 7 year old daughter wants to experience the fun of hatching eggs and raising the chics.  Can anyone advise me where I can buy the fertile eggs in south bay?  I am in south bay Sunnyvale area.  Thanks!

I can get you fertile eggs if you want to drive to Stockton.