Consolidated Kansas

[WichitaKidd]

Hello all! Haven't been on the forum for a really long time, but I'm still around & doing well. It will take me forever to get caught up on forum posts so I'm not even going to attempt it. Just going to pick up from the end & move forward. Hope everyone is doing well & that chick season isn't overwhelming you...at least not too much anyway. I'm intentionally staying away from them just so I'm not tempted.

Have a problem that I need your help/advice with. Pretty much all of my birds except for a couple have lost all the feathers on their bottoms & some on their back. The skin on a few of them is also really red/chapped; looks uncomfortable, but they don't seem to be bothered by it much. Can't figure out what is going on or more importantly how to treat it. Here are a few photos of what they look like. All of them seem healthy & are laying well. No signs of illness that I can tell. No signs of pests that I can tell. I've had a few birds go thru a molt during the winter, but nothing to this extent. Maybe they're just molting? I don't know. I've tried researching on BYC for answers, but as usual posts are all over the place. I do see them peck on each other occasionally, but not to the extent that I think would cause this much feather damage. Appreciate any ideas you may have on what to do. I'm still a rookie at this stuff.



Another positive note to share. Many of you may remember the dogs that took out my first flock back in September 2012? Just a quick update. The City of Wichita took the dog owner to court (twice) in the past couple of months. Found out that my incident was not the only one that these dogs or owners had been involved in. Long story short, they surrendered the dogs to animal control & the court made them pay restitution to me for my loss along with a few other folks. Got a check in the mail for $100. Good deal. Turned right around & spent it all on feed for my current flock.

That's all for now. Will try to do better keeping up with everyone. Spring is just a week or so away. I for one can't wait!

 

[CHIKENROOKIE]

Wanted to know who all is going out to Gardner this year? Suspect I will make it, but might not be able to purchase anything since we leave town a couple days later.

I stil think it will be a blast to go and watch the happenings, and meet some fellow chiken peeps as well.

 

[chicken danz]

I have used the spray-on leak seal "as seen on TV". I recently repaired a crack in my duck pond. I have used it in the past on metal water containers with good success. You can buy it at Walgreen's or Dollar General, but Wal*Mart has something similar in their paint section for a lower price of $9.99 and some Dollar Generals do, too.. It comes in clear or black. Years ago I used auto undercoat spray to make these repairs. As the saying goes, "poor people have poor ways".

What's it called? Does it have a brand name?
Quote:

Hello all! Haven't been on the forum for a really long time, but I'm still around & doing well. It will take me forever to get caught up on forum posts so I'm not even going to attempt it. Just going to pick up from the end & move forward. Hope everyone is doing well & that chick season isn't overwhelming you...at least not too much anyway. I'm intentionally staying away from them just so I'm not tempted.

Have a problem that I need your help/advice with. Pretty much all of my birds except for a couple have lost all the feathers on their bottoms & some on their back. The skin on a few of them is also really red/chapped; looks uncomfortable, but they don't seem to be bothered by it much. Can't figure out what is going on or more importantly how to treat it. Here are a few photos of what they look like. All of them seem healthy & are laying well. No signs of illness that I can tell. No signs of pests that I can tell. I've had a few birds go thru a molt during the winter, but nothing to this extent. Maybe they're just molting? I don't know. I've tried researching on BYC for answers, but as usual posts are all over the place. I do see them peck on each other occasionally, but not to the extent that I think would cause this much feather damage. Appreciate any ideas you may have on what to do. I'm still a rookie at this stuff.



Another positive note to share. Many of you may remember the dogs that took out my first flock back in September 2012? Just a quick update. The City of Wichita took the dog owner to court (twice) in the past couple of months. Found out that my incident was not the only one that these dogs or owners had been involved in. Long story short, they surrendered the dogs to animal control & the court made them pay restitution to me for my loss along with a few other folks. Got a check in the mail for $100. Good deal. Turned right around & spent it all on feed for my current flock.

That's all for now. Will try to do better keeping up with everyone. Spring is just a week or so away. I for one can't wait!

David, that's either a case of mites or lice. They will pick on themselves and then often other chickens will pick on them. I'd treat them with a good dusting of sevin if you don't have ivermectin or permethrim. You should probably dust their coop and nests as well. Then do it again in about 7 days. Even if you can't see them they are there. Look near the vent and see if there is some stuff that looks dry and crusty. If there isn't any it's probably mites which you rarely ever see.
I'm glad you got some justice. I know it didn't reduce the trauma but at least they had to compensate some for your loss.
posted by CHIKENROOKIE
I will be there and OkieQueenBee, ZigZag will be there weather cooperating. I would also expect that FrizzledPink and 22Qzoo might make an appearance.
I spent my time today and wormed every bird on the place again except the ducks. It's not been long since I last did it. I just wanted to make sure they all got treated again. Maybe this time they'll actually drink the water. It sure takes a while when you have to measure out and syringe out what you need for 36 water containers.
I sorted and counted cockerels and ducks that will be going on Thursday if all goes as planned. Sure hope nothing changes. That's several mouths I wouldn't have to feed.
Then I put a new storm door on the greenhouse. Of course after actually reading directions I couldn't follow them simply because they were designed to be used on a wood framed house doorway not a metal frame. So it took me a lot longer than I thought it would. It was also really heavy and I had to brace it up with scrap wood in order to keep it in place. I got the latch installed but not the safety chain or the hydraulic closer. When I got to that point the weather had switched and I was dealing with a strong north wind. I still had eggs to gather.
One of my coronation sussex isn't feeling well. I thought she might be egg bound but I think it is something more. I brought her in and let her fall asleep in a sink of warm water with lavender oil in it. Gave her some metronidazole and have her wrapped in a towel on a heat pad right now. I'll keep her in tonight and see if she is eating or drinking. I only have two hens so I'd sure hate to loose her. I have several eggs in the incubator but that would be like starting over again.
It seems like every day there is someone who has something wrong out here.
Maybe I should just downsize to a small flock and hope for the best.
Well DH finally said today he thought it would be better to have a poultry building then to have to run all these heated bowls in winter. I've been trying to convince him that is the way to go. With our utilities this winter we could have about paid for one.

 

[Trish44]

WichitaKidd, I agree, you probably have mites, they hide in the cracks & can come back out even after you treat. Poor birds, I would also spray some blue kote on them if you have some in case they do pick at each other. Just don't get it on your clothes, it won't come off.

It must have been the day for worming Danz, I wormed all of mine today too. I had been wanting to do it, but wanted to wait till it got a bit warmer. I got the Rooster Booster again, this time the TSC had it in Augusta so I got it there instead of having to order it. They changed the formula now from pellets to granules, I guess maybe they thought it would mix in better I don't know. I mix mine in with the FF right before feeding it anyway, so it doesn't much matter to me what form it's in.

I got the pen outside of the empty stall in the breeder coop raked out today so now that's all cleaned out. I didn't get the inside sprayed down yet with tektrol, but I'll get that done next time. I want to do it early enough that the birds will be outside for awhile till it dries, it does stink. I was working in my guinea hoop coop & 3 of my male guineas got out so I guess they'll be sleeping in the trees tonight, I'm just too tired now to mess with them & they weren't too excited to go back in either. When they get hungry enough they'll want back in there. There isn't much for them to eat outside right now, so they'll figure out they're better off in there, but it's hard to get those darned birds to go where you want them to, they're so wild.

Danz that would be great if you could get a poultry building built & have some help getting it done. I wouldn't dare ask for another building to be built here, I was told not to ask again. I am however going to build another hoop coop before too long. I just like those so much better than the other kind of pens.

I went out to finish feeding & went into the lavender Ameraucana pen & I had moved the two 4 month old pullets in there a bit earlier. When I bent down to put the feed in the trough that rooster came after me & flogged me good, he really scratched up my right arm all the way from my wrist to my elbow. He got a couple of swift kicks for it too. This is the first time he's ever even come near me so I have to think he was trying to protect those two pullets, that's all I could figure. I'll have to be on my guard from now on, I just wasn't expecting it from him. The wheaten Ameraucana rooster is such a gentleman both with his hens & with me, so it surprised me that thie lavender one was so nasty all of the sudden. He's a pretty rooster, but he had better watch it or he will end up in the freezer.

Boy the wind came up here before I got my feeding completely done & it's really cool out there now & the wind is just gusting. I had one little BR pullet that has to be stubborn sometimes & she was still out running around when I wanted to shut the run door so I had to go chase her in. I don't know what got into her, she & her sister used to go in together & now she is the one acting up.

 

[22qZoo]

Witchitakidd - what Danz and Trish said

. They have a wealth of information, I'm still kind of a newbie(3 yrs) with chickens so I only have about 2 cents worth. One of my girls was a little "thread bare" from a roo and it took a long time for the feathers to grow back it was actually late this fall after her molt she finally grew them back. She did get sun burned a little so we would go out at night about every week or two and spray her with Bluekote. Not sure it protected her from the sun but at least it wasn't the angry red that looked so painful.

 

[22qZoo]

Danz- that would be so cool if you could get a building for your birds! It would make your winters so much better (I would think anyway ). Fingers crossed.
The BO in my avatar died Sunday , not sure what it was. I'm almost thinking it was heart failure or some thing (she was really fat). Seemed like she was having trouble walking and would kind of lumber along very slow, and then eventually couldn't walk at all ,tried vit E ,castor oil,and some egg but I think she was already a goner . Everybody else seems to be in great shape, maybe it was just bad genetics . Oh well.

 

[Trish44]

Danz- that would be so cool if you could get a building for your birds! It would make your winters so much better (I would think anyway ). Fingers crossed.
The BO in my avatar died Sunday , not sure what it was. I'm almost thinking it was heart failure or some thing (she was really fat). Seemed like she was having trouble walking and would kind of lumber along very slow, and then eventually couldn't walk at all ,tried vit E ,castor oil,and some egg but I think she was already a goner . Everybody else seems to be in great shape, maybe it was just bad genetics . Oh well.

I'm sorry for your loss, it seems like the heavier birds do tend to have heart problems. I lost a BCM hen to that a couple of years ago, she was a big heavy hen.

 

[KsKingBee]

I have a friend I have known for over thirty years that has kept birds longer than that. When he has his 'special' feed made up at the co-op they put fifty pounds of DE in a ton of feed before they make it into pellets. He has never wormed his birds ever, as a matter of fact his dogs either. The dogs also eat the chicken feed the same as his swans, peafowl, pigeons, and chickens. When he takes the dogs to the vet they never have worms.

Is he just lucky or is there really something to DE?

 

[cherwill]

I didn't realize that we are getting cooler temp tonight let alone snow! Yikes! I should pay attention to the weather.

I didn't either, until the wind came up and it got cold. Then I looked at the Weather Bug and saw "wintry mix" for tonight. Where did that come from? It wasn't there this morning!

Work is getting busy due to the 3/15 deadline. But I find time to post here because I love to see how everyone is doing. I have started the seeds for my veggie garden so hopefully by the time they are ready to go out that the weather will be much nicer.

I've started my Roma tomatoes. It's sad how excited I am about that.

One of my dogs is missing. Been missing for days. Don't know where she went. The others are fine. They have gone off before but always came back. I was kinda upset about losing a dog and not know if she was dognapped, ran off to a better home or what. DH said we can't locked them up day in and day out to make sure they stay put. Plus they have been living with us on the property for months and never had any issues before. I just hope that she will come back unharmed. Or if someone took her that they treat her well.

I hope she's back already, or comes back very soon.

I have used the spray-on leak seal "as seen on TV". I recently repaired a crack in my duck pond. I have used it in the past on metal water containers with good success. You can buy it at Walgreen's or Dollar General, but Wal*Mart has something similar in their paint section for a lower price of $9.99 and some Dollar Generals do, too.. It comes in clear or black. Years ago I used auto undercoat spray to make these repairs. As the saying goes, "poor people have poor ways".

That's good to know. I've seen the commercials and always wonder how well it works.

Another positive note to share. Many of you may remember the dogs that took out my first flock back in September 2012? Just a quick update. The City of Wichita took the dog owner to court (twice) in the past couple of months. Found out that my incident was not the only one that these dogs or owners had been involved in. Long story short, they surrendered the dogs to animal control & the court made them pay restitution to me for my loss along with a few other folks. Got a check in the mail for $100. Good deal. Turned right around & spent it all on feed for my current flock.

As someone said earlier, it doesn't take away the trauma, but at least no one else will have to go through it now.

One of my coronation sussex isn't feeling well. I thought she might be egg bound but I think it is something more. I brought her in and let her fall asleep in a sink of warm water with lavender oil in it. Gave her some metronidazole and have her wrapped in a towel on a heat pad right now. I'll keep her in tonight and see if she is eating or drinking. I only have two hens so I'd sure hate to loose her. I have several eggs in the incubator but that would be like starting over again.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for her.

Well DH finally said today he thought it would be better to have a poultry building then to have to run all these heated bowls in winter. I've been trying to convince him that is the way to go. With our utilities this winter we could have about paid for one.

Better late than never, I guess.

I went out to finish feeding & went into the lavender Ameraucana pen & I had moved the two 4 month old pullets in there a bit earlier. When I bent down to put the feed in the trough that rooster came after me & flogged me good, he really scratched up my right arm all the way from my wrist to my elbow. He got a couple of swift kicks for it too. This is the first time he's ever even come near me so I have to think he was trying to protect those two pullets, that's all I could figure. I'll have to be on my guard from now on, I just wasn't expecting it from him. The wheaten Ameraucana rooster is such a gentleman both with his hens & with me, so it surprised me that thie lavender one was so nasty all of the sudden. He's a pretty rooster, but he had better watch it or he will end up in the freezer.

Oh no! You don't need any more problems!

The BO in my avatar died Sunday , not sure what it was. I'm almost thinking it was heart failure or some thing (she was really fat). Seemed like she was having trouble walking and would kind of lumber along very slow, and then eventually couldn't walk at all ,tried vit E ,castor oil,and some egg but I think she was already a goner . Everybody else seems to be in great shape, maybe it was just bad genetics . Oh well.

I'm sorry about your BO. I have one that's quite heavy, too. Every summer, DH predicts she will die in the heat. How old was she?

 

[Trish44]

I have a friend I have known for over thirty years that has kept birds longer than that. When he has his 'special' feed made up at the co-op they put fifty pounds of DE in a ton of feed before they make it into pellets. He has never wormed his birds ever, as a matter of fact his dogs either. The dogs also eat the chicken feed the same as his swans, peafowl, pigeons, and chickens. When he takes the dogs to the vet they never have worms.

Is he just lucky or is there really something to DE?

You will get all kinds of opinions on DE if you read enough from one spectrum to the other. My take on it is it's a tool in prevention to some degree, but I wouldn't count on it to keep your birds from getting any worms at all & how would you know unless you had them all tested if they already had some. It wouldn't get rid of worms if you had them already in your birds. I use it more for when I clean out the coop completely every 6 months & before putting any shavings or other bedding in I cover everything, floor, roosts, nest boxes with sevin powder & DE. I use it more for other pests such as mites & such more than for worms. I just wouldn't take a chance on losing birds if it didn't work. Wormers aren't that expensive to administer to your flock & for myself I would rather go ahead & use the wormers than take a chance on losing birds when it could have been prevented. That's just my 2 cents.