Colorado

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

The not cheap part is why I only go if I am desperate. Last time was with Cher and her weird neurological/weight loss issue. I wanted to improve her chances and find out if I was about to need to doctor my whole flock for whatever it was. Luckily she was the only one to catch it, or at least to be badly affected because of it. I did end up loosing her though. :/

 

[samsr]

Well I'm not sure. I plan to make it my hatcher, if you couldn't tell by the 2 baskets. Im not an artist but i tried! Ill have about 4 sq ft of hatching space. I'm not sure how many eggs I can fit in that amount of room.

I candled a few of my eggs tonight, boy how they grow so fast!! Most eggs were so dark with growth I could only see the air cell. I could observe one guy moving around!! It's only day 9.. I rechecked my 2 suspect eggs. Confirming that one does have a blood ring and that one is infertile. From this point on I won't be removing any more. So 16 eggs will be marching on till the last day. I don't know if I can wait another 2 weeks...the suspense is killing me!

You will have to put a web cam on them when they are hatching. I know I would like to tune in.

 

[samsr]

Sure.. The top has a recessed fan with a heating element that zig zags across it. It has a wafer thermostat sitting up there as well. It's going to have 2 mesh drawers for hatching. The scribbled picture on the bottom is me dividing a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" plywood. Stuffs expensive had to make sure I had enough to build it in one sheet.

A heating might be found from a old toaster at good will. Where there is a will there is a way. You would need to put some serious insulation around that area though. Maybe a built in fire extinguisher????

 

[suncatcher]

Dublin Animal Hospital... not cheap but they get you in pretty quickly and call and check on you (okay on your chicken/pet)...

Good to know!

 

[suncatcher]

The not cheap part is why I only go if I am desperate. Last time was with Cher and her weird neurological/weight loss issue. I wanted to improve her chances and find out if I was about to need to doctor my whole flock for whatever it was. Luckily she was the only one to catch it, or at least to be badly affected because of it. I did end up loosing her though.

I am sorry to hear about Cher. Does the vet know what she had?

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I am sorry to hear about Cher. Does the vet know what she had?

They couldn't figure it out beyond that it was something likely brought in by the pigeons that had rampaged in my yard for a few weeks. No idea why but they decided my yard was a perfect rest stop for daily flight patterns.

First the vet said probably Meraks (Meraks diagnosis seems to be a standard catch-all) but it just didn't fit so I never did get an official diagnosis. Her only symptoms were sudden weight loss and a neurotic twitch that had her rubbing her face on the ground continuiously and walking backwards.

They did get her over the hump and observe her overnight (I do NOT want to see a bill like that again for a chicken) and we syringe fed her for about a week after that but in the end the neuro issues never went away. She'd be better one day and falling out of the coop and knocking the ladder in on herself the next. We put her down about a month after the initial visit.

The lesson here? Don't tolerate pigeons in your yard!!!

 

[jgurshtein]

love it ... corn muffins!

I love this group... you guys are awesome. I never feel like the "crazy chicken lady" when reading your posts...

Took my injured chicken into the vet. They xrayed her thinking she had dislocated her hip. No dislocation, no broken or fractured bones. She has feeling in her leg as she pushes on it when you hold it and the vet pinched her toe and she squawked at him and then glared at him the rest of the visit. He thinks maybe its just bruised so she is inside and on antibiotics and pain/anti inflammatory.

Any thoughts? We put her out with the others in the afternoon so she can socialize (except today... too cold for them) but she still hobbles pretty good for a few steps and then just sits down. I don't want her to become a permanent indoor chicken... suggestions?

Had a couple chicks wonder into the snow today but most stayed under the roof. Wish they would stay inside when its so cold but they just come out and huddle together... crazy chickens! Go in where its warm!

Thanks for the great information!
Tracie

I know exactly what you mean by 'crazy chicken lady.' I haven't yet 'outed' myself to my facebook people yet since I don't have any chicks. I'm thinking a cute pic of little peepers will deter some of the negative comments when I do make the announcement. In the mean time, my status updates have dwindled to almost nothing because all I'm thinking about are CHICKS!!! AND OMG IT'S ALMOST TIME!!! But only a handful of my people know this is happening... Almost... almost....

 

[dennarahl]

I know exactly what you mean by 'crazy chicken lady.'  I haven't yet 'outed' myself to my facebook people yet since I don't have any chicks.  I'm thinking a cute pic of little peepers will deter some of the negative comments when I do make the announcement.  In the mean time, my status updates have dwindled to almost nothing because all I'm thinking about are CHICKS!!! AND OMG IT'S ALMOST TIME!!!  But only a handful of my people know this is happening...   Almost... almost....

I never have gotten any negative comments from friends and family on facebook. Most of them don't understand because they're city folk (as were we up until 18 months ago), but they enjoy the tales of silly chickens and the pictures. The worst we've experienced is my in-laws treating us like we were dumb because we were jumping into something we didn't know anything about. Our opinion is that if you don't do things because you haven't done them before, how are you supposed to do anything new? Also, the way I research things... we didn't come into this surprised.

 

[Pozees]

Sure.. The top has a recessed fan with a heating element that zig zags across it. It has a wafer thermostat sitting up there as well. It's going to have 2 mesh drawers for hatching. The scribbled picture on the bottom is me dividing a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" plywood. Stuffs expensive had to make sure I had enough to build it in one sheet.

Aaah, okay, now I understand - and yes 3/4" plywood is expensive!

You may have just found your new "egg money" income stream. Once you get this down, we'll all be lining up to have you build us incubators, hatchers, and brooders

 

[Pozees]

Started out with 6 layers (3 buff Orpington and 3 barred rocks), added 8 chicks last August which turned out to be Welsummer and black Cornish. They are just beginning to lay now. I officially have the bug, so I'm building a second coop for 45 chicks (9 different breeds) that are coming in March. They give me great joy.

Welcome! You are among many who share your obsession, so here you are completely normal!