Checking-In On Peeps - Post Here To Say Hello!

[ronott1]

Moving further than I want to take my girls, so looking for some better plans for the next coop.

I hope the move goes well!

There are a lot of good coop plans in the learning center.

 

[amccann]

We have such a vibrant community here at BYC... tons of active friendly members. Of course, life gets busy, so I was thinking it would be fun to start a thread welcoming some of our peeps we haven't heard from in a while.

If that's you, come say hello and let us know what you've been up to.

(if that's not you, feel free to invite peeps you haven't seen in a while and say hi to those that post here)

Life is crazy and wonderful! Polo season is in full swing, 300 gallons worth of fish tanks and fish, a new puppy, kindergarten starts next week…phew! I lost most of my flock last summer to eagles, but I have a duck, two chicken hens and 4 turkeys!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Life is crazy and wonderful! Polo season is in full swing, 300 gallons worth of fish tanks and fish, a new puppy, kindergarten starts next week…phew! I lost most of my flock last summer to eagles, but I have a duck, two chicken hens and 4 turkeys!

You sound very busy. Nothing better than a new puppy.

 

[Beckys Birds]

Hey all. I've lost my chicken spark, that's why I've stopped being active on here. I've had so many die and disappear over the last 6 months, my heart just can't take it. We have a fox or two and a hawk. My property is now COVERED in sparkly anti bird tape, it look like we had a birthday party and decided to leave the streamers. The hawk hasn't been around lately, thankfully! But the fox, that wiley bastard, keeps sniping my damn birds! They just... disappear. No feathers, nothing to show they even existed. Except one. My girl Fiona put up a hell of a fight and left a huge mass of feathers where she was taken.
Three of my four house chickens have died. My bantam girls. I lost Lady Soufflé to respiratory issues in February. She had them when I got her last September and I had treated her for them. She got squeaky again and before I could get her to the vet, who's staff I have to bully into seeing my house chickens (a long story where I win every time), she died. Then my Layla Lynn, a gorgeous OEGB, developed weird nervous system issues, developed a prolapsed cloaca, and dided in my arms because I told her to just let go. She was a heartstrings pet. One that you know is the absolute best and you will NEVER find another just like her. Then, Mia Marie, my polish/bantam cochin frizzle died. I think she was lonely. I tried to be with her as much as possible, because no other bird I have would take to her. Not even my lavender cocins who raised her. And I didn't want to get another chick and her reject it. She just... laid down and died.
Then there is the chicken mite issue I've been fighting for MONTHS. In my house. Which I am allergic to. The house birds get sprayed every 7 days with Poultry protector. Their houses painted with a white wash of First Saturday Lime. I sprinkle lime in the bedding. I was using DE, but it made my house so gross and I was dusting 3x a day. It was awful. So now I just have one house chicken, Coco. She's alone by choice. She HATES other birds. All of them. She's happy inside. HATES being outside, and will climb the steps and knock on the door to be let in like the dogs do. She's hilarious. However, these mites are baffling me. The outside birds don't have them, even though I've done forced outside time with Coco in the same yard. I can't use permethrin because I have a cat, and the stuff is SO toxic! I don't know what to do. My heart is so broken. December of last year I had 43 chickens, including my house birds. Now I only have 24 birds. I've raised chickens for 5 years, and it's never been like this. All my chickens are between 2-5 years old. 2024 has been a crap year. The year of death. I've even lost my 9 year old dog! He died suddenly and badly because he swallowed a tiny splinter of a stick he was ripping up. The vet couldn't even find the splinter and barely found the hole in his intestines during the autopsy. It's been terrible! And that's just the animal issues. There are personal issues that have happened this year that have been absolute cow patties.

I may need a padded room, folks.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hey all. I've lost my chicken spark, that's why I've stopped being active on here. I've had so many die and disappear over the last 6 months, my heart just can't take it. We have a fox or two and a hawk. My property is now COVERED in sparkly anti bird tape, it look like we had a birthday party and decided to leave the streamers. The hawk hasn't been around lately, thankfully! But the fox, that wiley bastard, keeps sniping my damn birds! They just... disappear. No feathers, nothing to show they even existed. Except one. My girl Fiona put up a hell of a fight and left a huge mass of feathers where she was taken.
Three of my four house chickens have died. My bantam girls. I lost Lady Soufflé to respiratory issues in February. She had them when I got her last September and I had treated her for them. She got squeaky again and before I could get her to the vet, who's staff I have to bully into seeing my house chickens (a long story where I win every time), she died. Then my Layla Lynn, a gorgeous OEGB, developed weird nervous system issues, developed a prolapsed cloaca, and dided in my arms because I told her to just let go. She was a heartstrings pet. One that you know is the absolute best and you will NEVER find another just like her. Then, Mia Marie, my polish/bantam cochin frizzle died. I think she was lonely. I tried to be with her as much as possible, because no other bird I have would take to her. Not even my lavender cocins who raised her. And I didn't want to get another chick and her reject it. She just... laid down and died.
Then there is the chicken mite issue I've been fighting for MONTHS. In my house. Which I am allergic to. The house birds get sprayed every 7 days with Poultry protector. Their houses painted with a white wash of First Saturday Lime. I sprinkle lime in the bedding. I was using DE, but it made my house so gross and I was dusting 3x a day. It was awful. So now I just have one house chicken, Coco. She's alone by choice. She HATES other birds. All of them. She's happy inside. HATES being outside, and will climb the steps and knock on the door to be let in like the dogs do. She's hilarious. However, these mites are baffling me. The outside birds don't have them, even though I've done forced outside time with Coco in the same yard. I can't use permethrin because I have a cat, and the stuff is SO toxic! I don't know what to do. My heart is so broken. December of last year I had 43 chickens, including my house birds. Now I only have 24 birds. I've raised chickens for 5 years, and it's never been like this. All my chickens are between 2-5 years old. 2024 has been a crap year. The year of death. I've even lost my 9 year old dog! He died suddenly and badly because he swallowed a tiny splinter of a stick he was ripping up. The vet couldn't even find the splinter and barely found the hole in his intestines during the autopsy. It's been terrible! And that's just the animal issues. There are personal issues that have happened this year that have been absolute cow patties.

I may need a padded room, folks.

So very sorry. I too have had my flock nearly wiped by predators after many years of no troubles. Sometimes it seems stuff just keeps coming, and piling on until we cannot take it no more. I have also lost 2 very beloved dogs in 2 years and it sure does knock a person down. Hoping your luck turns around. Sounds like you are doing your best.

 

[muddy75]

Hey all. I've lost my chicken spark, that's why I've stopped being active on here. I've had so many die and disappear over the last 6 months, my heart just can't take it. We have a fox or two and a hawk. My property is now COVERED in sparkly anti bird tape, it look like we had a birthday party and decided to leave the streamers. The hawk hasn't been around lately, thankfully! But the fox, that wiley bastard, keeps sniping my damn birds! They just... disappear. No feathers, nothing to show they even existed. Except one. My girl Fiona put up a hell of a fight and left a huge mass of feathers where she was taken.
Three of my four house chickens have died. My bantam girls. I lost Lady Soufflé to respiratory issues in February. She had them when I got her last September and I had treated her for them. She got squeaky again and before I could get her to the vet, who's staff I have to bully into seeing my house chickens (a long story where I win every time), she died. Then my Layla Lynn, a gorgeous OEGB, developed weird nervous system issues, developed a prolapsed cloaca, and dided in my arms because I told her to just let go. She was a heartstrings pet. One that you know is the absolute best and you will NEVER find another just like her. Then, Mia Marie, my polish/bantam cochin frizzle died. I think she was lonely. I tried to be with her as much as possible, because no other bird I have would take to her. Not even my lavender cocins who raised her. And I didn't want to get another chick and her reject it. She just... laid down and died.
Then there is the chicken mite issue I've been fighting for MONTHS. In my house. Which I am allergic to. The house birds get sprayed every 7 days with Poultry protector. Their houses painted with a white wash of First Saturday Lime. I sprinkle lime in the bedding. I was using DE, but it made my house so gross and I was dusting 3x a day. It was awful. So now I just have one house chicken, Coco. She's alone by choice. She HATES other birds. All of them. She's happy inside. HATES being outside, and will climb the steps and knock on the door to be let in like the dogs do. She's hilarious. However, these mites are baffling me. The outside birds don't have them, even though I've done forced outside time with Coco in the same yard. I can't use permethrin because I have a cat, and the stuff is SO toxic! I don't know what to do. My heart is so broken. December of last year I had 43 chickens, including my house birds. Now I only have 24 birds. I've raised chickens for 5 years, and it's never been like this. All my chickens are between 2-5 years old. 2024 has been a crap year. The year of death. I've even lost my 9 year old dog! He died suddenly and badly because he swallowed a tiny splinter of a stick he was ripping up. The vet couldn't even find the splinter and barely found the hole in his intestines during the autopsy. It's been terrible! And that's just the animal issues. There are personal issues that have happened this year that have been absolute cow patties.

I may need a padded room, folks.

Sorry about your losses. I had a pot belly pig that fought off a predator (either fox or coyote)

 

[Beckys Birds]

Sorry about your losses. I had a pot belly pig that fought off a predator (either fox or coyote)

Pigs are amazing protectors. I have two American Buff geese, but I think they are too docile to fight off the hawks. I'm not sure they care, as long as they aren't targeted. The fox gets the chickens and ducks, who I forgot to mention, when they are outside the fence, either free ranging or when the dummies hop the fence. I can't keep them from hopping the electric fence.

 

[Beckys Birds]

So very sorry. I too have had my flock nearly wiped by predators after many years of no troubles. Sometimes it seems stuff just keeps coming, and piling on until we cannot take it no more. I have also lost 2 very beloved dogs in 2 years and it sure does knock a person down. Hoping your luck turns around. Sounds like you are doing your best.

Thank you for reading all that venting. Nobody understands how I feel about the birds. I just get a sad face and a "I'm sorry, that's tough," and a subject change. I had four dogs. One died April 6th, and my other 11 year old boy went to live with my stepson because he wasn't doing well without his "brother". He started to be terrified of the chickens. I've had him for 10 of his 11.5 years, so he's been around the birds for 5 years. I have birds in the back yard, birds in the front yard, and birds in the house. There was nowhere for him to go that didn't have chickens. He started peeing on the floor, and a 70# dog pees a LOT. So, my stepson, who bonded closely with Gunny growing up, took him home with him. Gunny is doing much better and is happy. I'm just... missing the chaos that was my house. However, I'm not getting any more animals of any kind, for a long time.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you for reading all that venting. Nobody understands how I feel about the birds. I just get a sad face and a "I'm sorry, that's tough," and a subject change. I had four dogs. One died April 6th, and my other 11 year old boy went to live with my stepson because he wasn't doing well without his "brother". He started to be terrified of the chickens. I've had him for 10 of his 11.5 years, so he's been around the birds for 5 years. I have birds in the back yard, birds in the front yard, and birds in the house. There was nowhere for him to go that didn't have chickens. He started peeing on the floor, and a 70# dog pees a LOT. So, my stepson, who bonded closely with Gunny growing up, took him home with him. Gunny is doing much better and is happy. I'm just... missing the chaos that was my house. However, I'm not getting any more animals of any kind, for a long time.

So glad Gunny had somewhere, with someone familiar to go. Some dogs grieve a lot after losing a pack mate. It's so hard to watch.

I have birds everywhere too. My house birds are budgies and a parrot. Otherwise I have ducks, about 100 chickens, turkeys, and geese. I seem to enjoy chaos too. Keeps me going.

 

[nightwing1]

Whoa- that'll teach me to actually sign in instead of just doing a search!

It's definitely been a minute since I asked or posted anything, but I think since the last time I was here picking y'all's brains, my sweet leghorn is still doing great, we've lost a few girls, and gained a few rescues, and we also started a turkey adventure this spring. Athena and Apollo (I'm posting an older picture, we're *pretty* sure by now he's a boy...kidding- he's DEFINITELY a boy) are Bourbon Reds, and we love them to pieces. They've got their own coop and get along with chickens really well so far when they're in the same yard.

That said (and my intent was to PM a couple of folks), the information that I got here 1000% saved Athena's life last week. She started showing all the signs of Blackhead- drooping wings, no interest in eating or drinking, and yellow droppings. Our chicken vet basically reiterated everything I had read here and told us that *when* she perished, we should send her in for a necropsy. The Board of Animal health couldn't tell me whether or not there was Blackhead in our area ("We don't document that testing"), which was frustrating- that's the BAH's sole purpose for existing. I was able to pick up Metronidazole, Safeguard, Exact baby bird food, and Corid (just in case, but her stools were yellow and not bloody), and reasonably guess an appropriate dosage (she's 3 months and still lighter than my Brahma hen, especially due to the quick weight loss). We brought her in (MN temps were 92 degrees and ridiculous humidity), she stayed by me in her bin pretty much wherever I went in the house until outside temps were down and she wasn't as lethargic as the onset. After a long week, she's back outside and her normal self with normal poop, and I can't express my gratitude for the members here who put the time and effort into posting information that I'd never get anywhere else. I can't say with 100% certainty that it was indeed Blackhead, but it sure fit the descriptions here. This bird has a special place in my heart.

And we're definitely going to start deworming every 3 months!