Colorado

[dennarahl]

This morning....
at 6:18 the chicken alarm went off. I have never had this happen before and I have no idea what exactly happened.
But I was sleeping in my bed when all of my chickens started screaching and bwoking as loud as possible. I jumped out of bed, and ran to the window.
It was fairly light outside and I could see nothing wrong, I grabbed my coat and shoes and ran down to our sliding glass door, turned on the flood lights, and sprinted out side to the coop. I could find nothing wrong. 6 of the 7 girls were perched on the roosting bar looking out the window. I checked inside and didn't see any predators, mice, snakes, ect.. I scanned the whole yard and didn't see anything, but something was upsetting my girls. I have had chickens for 8 months now and never had anything like this happen. Once they saw me they all quieted down, I came back inside and all was quiet.
I have a fantastic coop with a web cam inside, automatic door, heater lamp. All of the windows are covered with hardware cloth and removable plexiglass (which is not up against the coop, there is a good inch gap for ventilation). I have complete confidence in the coops ability to keep out a raccoon or large predator.
Any ideas from those more experienced what happened?
My coop is withing 15 feet of our new house. We still haven't made a secure run (still discussing all of the plans) but the coop is within a large chain link fence next to the house.
I am scratching my head wondering what upset the girls.

If they could see out a window, they probably just saw something unfamiliar walk by the run.

It's kinda funny, right now we're meshing two flocks and the older ones don't alert at much anymore, and the newer ones alert at EVERYTHING that moves outside of the run. Once the new ones alert everyone, starts in even though they didn't see anything.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I love it when they do that. When they get big enough, mom pecks them in the head to get them to move away. 

Oh, believe me, they are 'big enough'. They are 15 weeks old! They are about as big as she is! She didn't stop blatently mothering them until a few weeks ago. She's a good mommy. She still calls them to treats though.

 

[dennarahl]

Oh, believe me, they are 'big enough'. They are 15 weeks old! They are about as big as she is! She didn't stop blatently mothering them until a few weeks ago. She's a good mommy.

She still calls them to treats though.

Thats amazing! My first mama stopped mothering them at about 6 weeks (they're 12 weeks now), she'll still come running when they alert but that's it. My 2nd mama sleeps with her babies (8 weeks) and will come running when they alert, but otherwise leaves them alone.

 

[coloradogal]

Bumblefoot Duck: Day 3

I filled the bathtub and let her clean and soak for about a half hour this morning. This was followed by an epsom salt soak in the sink for 10 minutes. She still isn't thrilled about having to sit in one place for too long. I did not do an Oxide rinse this morning. I followed with gobbing on Povidone Iodine Ointment cream form Priority Care, put the socks back on and brought her out to the coop. I went out just now and she is walking and out of the coop, drinking and eating. She still has her socks on but her limp is much better. She looks good considering how ragged she looked just 3 days ago. She's even preening herself.

This morning, the small and medium bumbles on the one foot are healing nicely. The small one is barely noticeable right now. The medium one is still indented but the swelling is down tremendously. I suspect that is why she is walking.

The other bigger, uglier bumble is still swollen and even though I am fairly sure I know what is bumble and what is not bumble, I am still going the route of allowing it to work itself out. I have not been able to locate icthamol at the two feed places and 3 pharmacies in town I went to today. I still have to call Falcon feed and check there as well as Big R. With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I'm just trying to get other things going.

The big guns are coming shortly with the tricide-neo, which should be here by Monday and the booties. I can't stress how helpful it is to just get an ankle adult sock, feed the foot in and hold it up with a loose band or twisty. It has allowed her feet to stay dry and dirt free.

edit: I went out to put them to bed and my duck's sock had come off. So now i have to do the whole shabang. That just really sucks. she's soaking and I just ran her epson sink bath. I'll also oxine her foot tonight too but perhaps just soak some cotton and tape it on her little foot before I put her outside for the night.

I am going to let her foot rest tonight. I've been in there quite a bit the last couple of days and have read that sometimes it can exacerbate things if I constantly pick at it. Tomorrow before everyone gets over here and before I let them out for the day, I'll grab her and put her back in the bath and do the routine again.

 

[kmatt87]

anyone else cooking a bunch today? So far i've made seven layer salad, pie crust, pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, mini cheesecakes and an orange sherbet jello salad. The chickens have been at the back door the entire time. lol

 

[Minchi]

This morning....
at 6:18 the chicken alarm went off. I have never had this happen before and I have no idea what exactly happened.
But I was sleeping in my bed when all of my chickens started screaching and bwoking as loud as possible. I jumped out of bed, and ran to the window.
It was fairly light outside and I could see nothing wrong, I grabbed my coat and shoes and ran down to our sliding glass door, turned on the flood lights, and sprinted out side to the coop. I could find nothing wrong. 6 of the 7 girls were perched on the roosting bar looking out the window. I checked inside and didn't see any predators, mice, snakes, ect.. I scanned the whole yard and didn't see anything, but something was upsetting my girls. I have had chickens for 8 months now and never had anything like this happen. Once they saw me they all quieted down, I came back inside and all was quiet.
I have a fantastic coop with a web cam inside, automatic door, heater lamp. All of the windows are covered with hardware cloth and removable plexiglass (which is not up against the coop, there is a good inch gap for ventilation). I have complete confidence in the coops ability to keep out a raccoon or large predator.
Any ideas from those more experienced what happened?
My coop is withing 15 feet of our new house. We still haven't made a secure run (still discussing all of the plans) but the coop is within a large chain link fence next to the house.
I am scratching my head wondering what upset the girls.

Any rabbits in site? that is what caused my Arry to go off the first time.

Side note...do squirrel eat eggs? I swear there is a squirrel stealing my eggs.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

anyone else cooking a bunch today?  So far i've made seven layer salad, pie crust, pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, mini cheesecakes and an orange sherbet jello salad.     The chickens have been at the back door the entire time. lol

Nope, I am a masakist. I will do all cooking tomorrow. Turkey, stuffing, and pie at a minumum. Not sure if DH is going to make special requests or if I will be able to eat the turkey. My stomach has been funny lately.

 

[Pozees]

Nope, I am a masakist. I will do all cooking tomorrow. Turkey, stuffing, and pie at a minumum. Not sure if DH is going to make special requests or if I will be able to eat the turkey. My stomach has been funny lately.

Hoo boy, let Firefox "upgrade" and now I can't do the normal quote thing. Anyway, Since it's just DH and me this year, I'm doing basics and all tomorrow too. DH plans to work on re-stringing electric polywire around the run, and more brainstorming on the chain link roof which still isn't on. At least they are in the new coop, and after the first night have been going in on their own, but so far they have elected not to use roosts, instead sleeping on floor or in nesting boxes. Guess I may have hung the roosts too close to the ceiling? Will take some measurements I guess - they looked fine when I put them up. I am not a chicken, and maybe to a chicken they look not fine. FYI, reserved 25 Speckled Sussex chicks from Tony Albritton for spring, told him March or April was fine, if anyone else is thinking of ordering from him we can combine, or if anyone wants a few SS chicks I don't really *need* 25. Still deciding about an order from Duane Urch - really want some Brown Leghorns, but can't swing 25 with the SS already reserved. Wendell I know you said you would be interested in a few Doms if I need to fill an order, Megshenhut, Suncatcher, and Pichuris, are you still interested or waiting to make decisions? Not in a hurry, just curious. Happy Thanksgiving to all

 

[marlo1968]

Any rabbits in site? that is what caused my Arry to go off the first time.

Side note...do squirrel eat eggs? I swear there is a squirrel stealing my eggs.

I think they might, I had a squirrel visiting my hen house and run until I ran hardware cloth under ground around the perimeter, actually saw him leaving. I'm not totally sure if he ate the eggs or if he was just getting grain and feed. Around that same time I found several sucked egg shells laying around outside the coop. I think that was the dog though....caught him taking eggs out of my egg basket one day and trying to carry it off. Didn't make a single hole in it.

 

[Ashdoes]

FYI, reserved 25 Speckled Sussex chicks from Tony Albritton for spring, told him March or April was fine, if anyone else is thinking of ordering from him we can combine, or if anyone wants a few SS chicks I don't really *need* 25. Still deciding about an order from Duane Urch - really want some Brown Leghorns, but can't swing 25 with the SS already reserved. Wendell I know you said you would be interested in a few Doms if I need to fill an order, Megshenhut, Suncatcher, and Pichuris, are you still interested or waiting to make decisions? Not in a hurry, just curious.

Happy Thanksgiving to all

What all does he have? I might be able to order a few.