Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Morning all. I can't drive so my sister is taking my Mom to church this morning. I was feeling so much better yesterday but had some family show up for a couple hours yesterday and my throat swelled from talking and my shoulders are killing me today. I sat without support which I haven't been attempting to do. Just makes me realize how fragile things can be.
DH brought in one of the silkie babies I hatched last night and he didn't make it. I feel like I am loosing control over my babies these days. I am so ready to get out and take care of them myself. Too bad my body isn't wanting to cooperate yet.
If it isn't too miserable tomorrow I think I may try to go out and at least attempt to feed the birds. I may have to do it one pen at a time and then come in and rest for a couple hours.
I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving weekend.
Hawkeye I so hope you don't have to move. It's so hard starting over in a new community and making someplace else your home. After all you've done to that chicken house I would certainly find a way to cut her off and take it with me if it comes to that. I'll pray for you that things work out for you and you can stay. My son is an engineer for the U.S. Government. They told him a while back that they may transfer him to Washington state. They just built a house a little over a year ago in Manhattan. It worries me so much. My oldest son is the supervisor over IT for a huge corporation which is located in Canada. He has the best of both worlds. He can work from anywhere so he works from home in Olathe. His wife however is a research chemist for Bayer. They were talking a while back about transferring her to the Carolinas. I guess it's the shape of things these days. As big business gets restructured if you want a job you have to be able to uproot your life. I never dealt well with change so I guess it is a good thing I am retired.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Ivy-- oh no! So sorry about your rooster. Aren't those dogs, like... really small?! How the heck can he tear through chain link? And then wouldn't the rooster be bigger than him? Wow, still, I'm really sorry about that. Makes it tough because it's your own dog. I'm pretty sure my Pom would run the other way if she say a chicken, but I'm also just as sure that my little Shih Tzu would run after them and probably try to take them down. Our internet acts up in the weather too. I sure wish we had cable out here, SO annoying! I'm sick of broad band. Which is supposed to be better than satelite- because it's radio waves and doesn't mess up in the weather. BUT-- the weather always messes it up anyway, because the towers get to moving and what not, and they loose connectivity. Frustrating. (they need to be line of sight)

Danz, I sure as heck don't want to move. We really wanted to live in this house forever. We love our land, love our house and love our location.. on and on. Sigh. We'll see what happens. I have done a lot of moving as a kid and I'm sick of it. I went to 11 different schools growing up! We moved every 6 months to every year. My dad was military and got shifted so often. Been all over the US though.. from east coast (Maryland) to west (California) to Gulf (Louisana). And then just everywhere in between. When we landed back in Kansas where my parents grew up, my mom put her foot down and we bought a house here and she decided we'd go to High School in ONE spot and that was it. So dad continued to move around and we stayed put. After a year, he was able to come back permanently. So, I'm used to moving and I know I could do it again, but I sure dont' want to. I love our church, our Dr's office.. my vets, I mean, it would totally suck to find all new. And of course, I have a set of about 10 girlfriends that are all my best friends. We all meet up once a month without fail, been doing it a long time now, and that would be depressing for me to leave them.

I'm sorry about your chicks, and what a bummer to be losing them. I wonder what is going on with them. Sometimes, I swear we can do things so much better than someone else. I know I would NOT trust my DH to do the precise kind of caring of my animals I give them. He would over look signs or miss something... or see it too late. He just doesn't have that intuition to check for things I would. So I get it. But PLEASE don't over do it! I'm worried about you and I think you need to take it easy. You'll just set yourself back if you jump right in there. Maybe you could direct while your DH 'does'? That way you aren't lifting a bunch of stuff and and at least you are getting to see them and check them over real quick.

We got home really late last night- about 2am I think. It was my DH's 40th birthday and we had a big party for him at Loft 150. The band was awesome, the food was good.. had a great turn out, maybe around 40 people, I don't know for sure. People left and more would come, so it was a constant flux of people celebrating with him. Had so much fun, danced until I dropped.

Our babysitter is a cousin of ours in college- so she was perfect for the job.

I think my silkies are doing better, but I know they were still sneezing yesterday. I already fed and watered them this morning, but didn't sit out there long enough to see if they were still sneezing this morning. They were active and seemed happy to get fresh water and food. I'm not sure how many days to give these antibiotics, but I think they still need it. Started them late Thursday, so it's been about 3 days. I'm thinking they need a couple more days worth???? For me not having hand raised these guys, they are so friendly and happy to be held. Just soooo sweet, I'm in love.

 

[chicken danz]

I'm going stir crazy. I've laid around long enough; but if I get up and do even simple things it wears me down instantly. I need to be out working on something! My house is filthy after a week and it needs cleaned but I can't do that either. I've been laying with the laptop in my lap e-shopping but not buying anything. If only the weather was nice I might go prop myself in a lounge chair and at least watch my chickens.
I moved here and there in my early twenties but of no consequence. Plus I had nothing.
Then I moved from Oklahoma City back to Kansas early 1986. Then I moved from Council Grove to here in 2009, 10, and 11. Yeah it took me that long to get all my stuff moved. I don't plan to move again unless somehow I'd end up with a huge amount of money. Then I'd build a new home and barns toward the back of my property where I could have a wonderful view of wildlife and total privacy.
I'd rather live in a mild climate but I have family and friends here.

 

[Nana2KJS]

Danz I know just how you feel. I never cared for cold weather, and HATED it all the years I carried mail. But now I have our "lottery" house in my head, and the property I'd like to build it on ... still here in the cold. My little grandsons totally complete our circle of life, and we have gd on the way in March. No way I could ever be too far from them, or my mom or m-i-l. So ... here we sit.

 

[chicken danz]

I don't see things changing for me so I'll probably stay right here. Moving is something I really don't want to do again if i can help it. Not that I live in dream circumstances or even close to what I expected at this age. It's just what is.
I've been sleeping most of the time the last few days and today I am wide awake. I hope that means I am healing.

 

[Trish44]

Well it's been a very busy holiday week for us here, but it was good to see my son & my granddaughter. We had her birthday party today since her birthday is tomorrow, but her daddy had to go back to OKC tonight. DH had to drive him back this evening, there was no way I could get in the car yet again & ride another 6 hours, my knees are killing me from riding too much already. The puppies are settling in a little. I have not let them out of the dog run yet, I'm just letting them kind of relax & get used to everything first. Lily is starting to get a little more comfortable, but Jasmine is pretty shy still. Every time I go into the dog run Jasmine runs into the dog house to get away from me, I'm trying to win their trust. I took them some treats out this evening & thought maybe they would come out closer to get them, but they wouldn't. I guess it will take a little time for them to get used to me. I found out this morning that I can't feed them together in one bowl or they fight over the food, so I had to put it in two different bowls. These are big pups at 8 weeks, I'm not used to big dogs since our other two are tiny little things. I think Lily weighs about 10 pounds & Jasmine is the smaller one at about 7 pounds. Here are some pics I took of them this evening just in the dog run. Jasmine hates having her picture taken, every time anybody gets near her with a camera she runs into the dog house. When we came back from the birthday party there was a group of my chickens standing in front of the dog run & the puppies were standing there with them at the door. It looked like they were visiting, it was funny.

Lily

Jasmine

 

[Hawkeye95]

Trish, beautiful puppies! Can you hold them more to get them used to you? I hope they warm up to you.

I'm worried-- the silkies are about the same-- still sick. And now Zorro has a really poopy butt. I looked and it's not covering his vent, but I think he needs a bath for SURE tomorrow. His rear is a MESS. Do you think he needs to see the vet?? Should he get an amoxicilian shot or something?? They are still on the Doxy, but they aren't getting better. However.. they are no worse. He is still fiesty.. but I've read that chickens hide their illness? Could he be doing worse than he "looks"? He's still really active and showing who's boss. Sigh. His poopy butt really worries me.

What would you do? I'm thinking he needs to see the vet?? I'm fine with that, I just want to know what the vet should give him if we go?

 

[Trish44]

Hawkeye, could the poopy butt be from the antibiotics? Have you given them any yogurt? They really need it with the antibiotics I think.

The pups have not been handled much where they came from, they are working dogs & the breeder takes pretty much a hands off approach with them. She told me to do the same, but I still have to teach them their names & some basic commands in order to be able to get them to come when I need to & such. We put collars on them & tried to use a leash when bringing them home since we had to stop & let them out & they thought we were killing them. I will have to work with them some with that as we will have to take them to the Vet for shots & such, so they will have to be able to walk on a leash. These dogs came from a big ranch with goats, sheep, & chickens & they have been staying in the barn with the chickens recently. It may just take some time to get them used to me & the environment here, which is totally different than they're used to. We'll just take it one day at a time.

 

[Ivywoods]

Hawkeye-I'm not sure what to say on the sick ones. I would certainly try giving them so yogurt. Are you giving them oral antibiotics? If you do not have any baytril, I would try giving them LA200 1/4 cc into the breast meat every other day for 3 doses. It sounds like they will be fine if they are up and active and scratching around like normal chickens. If they get lethargic or go off food, then I would worry and consider a vet trip.

Trish-Just a few observations about GP's in general:

They HATE leashes of any kind. It is a lot of work to get them to accept them.
They are VERY food aggressive. You are right. They will need to be fed seapartely. Ours all lay down to eat with their food between their front paws.
It is normal for them to be shy around you for quite a while. They are very "wary" dogs, and I think that is a pretty good sign of their natural insticts. Just be very patient. They will realize you are their friend and the person with the FOOD!

BTW-They are BEAUTIFUL! I especially like the black markings Jasmine has on her face and ears. Makes me want another pup NOW!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Could they have Gape worm? I posted their symptoms on the Illness page. Shaking head, poopy butt, stretching necks with yawning neck-- not as much now, but still there from time to time and sneezing. Two people suggested gape worm? That's serious, right? But the breeder said that she wormed them before I got them. So... this is still probably respiratory... yes? I do have yogurt! I'll give them that this morning. I'm also going to pick up tick and flea spray, I'm thinking the shaking head MIGHT be mites?? I actually felt a bit itchy when I held Zorro. But I checked him all over for mites or bugs and never saw anything. My imagination??? I looked in his crest and around his vent. (but his vent area is so poopy... cant tell a thing)