Consolidated Kansas

[jhammett]

Jhammett congrats on the eggs. How old are your birds and what breeds are they?
Okay guys here is some more information on that. This article says you should and you shouldn't. I think if you put ACV in their water every day you should reduce it some. Makes me wonder if my fermented feed is helping or hurting in this weather. This actually came from a pigeon book but I am sure it would apply here as well. They have virtually the same systems.
[SIZE=12pt]What is less well-known is that apple cider vinegar can be life-saving. Many have found that in hot weather the rate of breathing can increase, dramatically if it is very hot, and birds breathe rapidly with their beaks open. On such occasions the increased exchange of air causes more carbon dioxide to leave the blood than normal. This leads to acid deficiency, and so the blood becomes increasingly alkaline (breathing alkalosis). Initially this process generates bad disposition, dizziness, then nausea, and, if it becomes more extreme, death. In hot weather we pine for soft drinks with lemon and carbon dioxide in order to compensate for the acid deficiency. If at such times we give our birds water with apple cider vinegar, we can save their lives.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]In prolonged heat we can achieve even more with a little apple cider vinegar than this. For in addition to the changing pH of the blood, potentially fatal processes are taking place in the digestive system.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Heat is a powerful stressor, but is bad for digestion in and of itself, as the vessels in the skin, lungs, etc. expand, while the vessels supplying the digestive system contract. Thus in hot weather consumption of food declines, meaning that good intestinal bacteria do not have adequate nutrition, and so the acid they produce also decreases. Meanwhile, as we have seen, the alkalinity of the blood grows, which is life-threatening. Simply put, the body attempts to compensate for this by taking acid away from the digestive system, further increasing its alkalinity. As the heat stress has already reduced the resistance of the digestive system, all these factors mean that conditions are ideal for the fast proliferation of bacteria  lurking in the intestines.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Thus in hot weather there is every chance that a illness epidemic will flare up. In most cases, all this can be prevented by a simple acidification of drinking water with apple cider vinegar.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Like anything else, apple cider vinegar can be overdosed. In too great a quantity it can even damage good intestinal bacteria. The high quantity of acid absorbs calcium (lime) and removes it from the system, which results in motor and reproductive problems. So overdoses of apple vinegar should be avoided. The dose for 5% apple cider vinegar is 4-8ml per litre of drinking water, 1-3 times a week. If we administer it more regularly, e.g. in prolonged hot weather, we should choose a lower level of concentration.[/SIZE]
If I were putting ACV in water I would probably reduce it. I am kind of wondering how much acidity my fermented food has. I put very little vinegar in accordingly to get it going but I am sure it produces some of it's own.  I'd sure hate to do something to make things worse for them. I had some young turkeys get sick the other day in the brooder throwing up when it was 105. I am assuming that was this situation described. The babies haven't been getting fermented feed. I was giving it to them for a while but it is hard to judge how much to mix and I had some go sour on me. So I've just been feeding it to birds that have graduated from there.

My birds were hatched on February 24th. they are Rhode Island Reds and Buff Orpingtons. I am not sure who layer the egg. ALSO NEW DEVELOPMENT... It appears I have at least one laying while sitting on the roost. I found 2 eggs this morning one busted open on the ground the other cracked open close by on some straw. both directly under the roost. Any ideas?

 

[Trish44]

My birds were hatched on February 24th. they are Rhode Island Reds and Buff Orpingtons. I am not sure who layer the egg. ALSO NEW DEVELOPMENT... It appears I have at least one laying while sitting on the roost. I found 2 eggs this morning one busted open on the ground the other cracked open close by on some straw. both directly under the roost. Any ideas?

Sometimes they will do that when they first start laying, you may even find a soft shelled one or two at first till they get the machinery going well.

Welcome Zigzag45, feel free to join in any time. We have had quite a few new people lately.

maidenwolf, it sounds like mites, maybe she didn't get rid of them all.

I just came in after working for the last two hours on the goat shelter. I got all the rest of the siding on & filled in some places with wood putty. Now we need to get the trim boards & put those on & it will be ready for paint. I need to paint my breeder coop still, so I'll probably just paint them to match. I'll be glad to have this project done so I can move on to the next one. It's always something it seems like.

We were out working on the goat shelter the other day & saw one of the momma outside cats taking a snake she had caught to her kittens. She took it out under a tree & then called the kittens over. We watched as one of the bolder kittens grabbed the whole thing & ran off with it. It's fun to watch them bring their catch to their kittens. We have a lot of snakes here because there are a lot of mice & rats that live down on the front 5 acres that we don't mow. When I used to try to mow it I saw them slithering or running all over as I went. I don't even try to mow it any more, it's just too much with what I have to mow around the house & too hard on the mower.

 

[chicken danz]

jhammett I'd guess your reds are the ones laying. Orpingtons usually start at about 23-25 weeks but with hot weather that might not be on schedule.
Maidenwolf, Yeah it's most likely mites or head congestion. Ask her if they ever sneeze and have her check their nostrils to see if they are clear. If she has treated for mites she mite try some VetRx or even some plain camphor oil in their nostrils.
I moved my larger peachicks out to a pen outside. They are afraid to move. SIlly things. And the ones left in here seem confused. Silly birds.
I was supposed to have someone here for guineas but I haven't heard from them. Just as well. I still need to get them moved to the brooder house.
Today has been one of those days I worked all day and haven't gotten anything done. I still have feeding and stuff to do.

 

[Frizzled Pink]

I came in here after watering to get a drink and found some poo on my computer table. I didn't see any bird. Then all of a sudden I had a peachick sitting on my head. I guess it decided to fly out of it's bin and research it's surroundings.
Time to get the cage set up for the larger ones outside!! I've been planning it anyway but it had been so hot I was afraid to move them. It is much nicer out there today.

Oh cute!--new generation house pea?

Hi Guys,
I've been lurking for quite some and enjoying learning from you'all. I'm on my first attempt at back yard chickens and loving it so far. I have five brahamas (from Cackle) and three buffs (purchased when they were 12-14 weeks old).

I look forward to becoming more knowledgeable and being able to contribute.

My question for today is about bugs. My 5 year old girl loves carrying the chickies around, but she's getting eaten alive. My two year, who roams all the same areas of the yard, isn't getting bitten. That makes me think there is something on the chickens. Based on where she's getting bit (panty lines...), I'm thinking chiggars.

My birds roam my back yard most of the day right now, there is an unkept area behind the shed they might pick something up.

My mother-in-law is a big diatomaceous earth fan. I need to get a tub of sand for them. Should I try powdering them in D/E? Is there something stronger I should use?

Thanks!

Welcome to BYC--growing up we always had one of dads old tube socks that was filled with sevin and then tied at the top and whenever going out into pasture we would use it like a powder puff at sock line, waist line etc , sounds like the 5 year old loves her chickies

@maidenwolf--love your white frizzle-lost the pic somehow in multi's
my puffball is growing up

 

[sunflowerparrot]

Once or twice, we have found a snake in the pen with my birds (I have 4 ducks and 3 geese). I have personally never had a problem with it and wouldn't really worry about it unless you have a problem with poisonous snakes. Just recently, my birds discovered a large bull snake in the area and, out of curiosity, had it surrounded. I panicked because the bull snake looked like a rattlesnake from my vantage point. When my husband came around the corner of the house, the birds ran off. The snake and the birds all lived happily ever after.

Good to know lizzy... I just won't worry about it. But I will rake out any eggs that are in the coop before locking them up for the night... that will at least discourage the snake from hanging out in there all night. Just because the ducks and geese don't mind, doesn't mean I don't mind lol.. I didn't like opening the door to that this morning; it really took me by surprise.

 

[chicken danz]

Frizzled that is a beautiful bird!
Too bad you never see those in large fowl. Now that would be awesome! Maybe that could be a breeding project for the future.
I have a gander with a really badly infected foot and leg. Thanks to Josie and her DH I got it treated and I hope he will be okay. He wasn't impressed with having to soak in epsom salts. And he is very upset to be in a kennel by himself. He won't eat or drink right now. I hope he does when he realizes he is safe in there.
I had to treat my brooder house today. I didn't notice any mites on the birds but picked up a temperature controller and found a couple on it. So the sevin was getting used. Then I walked out to my garden to find I had squash bugs on my butternut squash. So the rest of the container went there. Now I have to buy more sevin so I have some on hand. No matter how prudent I try to be about spending money there's always something!

 

[tweetybaby2005]

Argh, I thought my birds were safe, especially the temp today was mild compares to yesterday and the day before. Not so! I fount my 16 week old RIR laying next to the coop, unable to move much. He did get up and try to move away when I tried to catch him.

I looked him over, making sure he wasn't attacked by a predator. His comb turned grayish color and floppy. I soaked him in a shallow tub of water for a few minutes, try to spoon some water into his beak. He won't drink it on his own. I went to get a bottle of pedialyte and mix it 50/50 with water and put it in the dog cage along with a bowl of pellets for him.

He now resides in the plant room in the house and will be until he totally recovers. I sure hope I got to him in time. He is my only RIR cockerel. I was going to breed him with 3 of the girls for the eggs.

It is going to be a scorcher tomortow. Hopefully my other birds will be ok. Think I'll turn the fans on first thing in the morning before I go to work.

 

[lizzyGSR]

Good to know lizzy... I just won't worry about it. But I will rake out any eggs that are in the coop before locking them up for the night... that will at least discourage the snake from hanging out in there all night. Just because the ducks and geese don't mind, doesn't mean I don't mind lol.. I didn't like opening the door to that this morning; it really took me by surprise.

I wouldn't be so thrilled with a snake in the duck house with my birds, especially not overnight. I don't worry about the snakes and birds too much as long as they have room to move around each other.

Speaking of snakes... My DH and I went to town this evening. On the way home, my DH killed a rattlesnake with the car about 10 miles from home. Then, when we pulled in the driveway, there was a rattlesnake waiting for me, sitting right beside where I would be standing when I got out of the car. Thank goodness I saw it before then and made my DH back the car up and point the headlights at it. I refused to get out (pregnant lady wearing flip flops shouldn't have to kill rattlers) of the car and made my DH take care of it. I had a pair of boots in the car, so I changed shoes while he took care of the snake. Then, I made him walk around in the dark with me (with a flashlight) while I checked my animals before putting them all to bed. Nothing like a rattlesnake to welcome you home! Bleh! At least he didn't have a chance to sneak up on me this time around. It had been ALMOST two weeks since I last saw a rattlesnake in the yard. I was hoping to make it longer than that.

 

[Trish44]

I wouldn't be so thrilled with a snake in the duck house with my birds, especially not overnight. I don't worry about the snakes and birds too much as long as they have room to move around each other.

Speaking of snakes... My DH and I went to town this evening. On the way home, my DH killed a rattlesnake with the car about 10 miles from home. Then, when we pulled in the driveway, there was a rattlesnake waiting for me, sitting right beside where I would be standing when I got out of the car. Thank goodness I saw it before then and made my DH back the car up and point the headlights at it. I refused to get out (pregnant lady wearing flip flops shouldn't have to kill rattlers) of the car and made my DH take care of it. I had a pair of boots in the car, so I changed shoes while he took care of the snake. Then, I made him walk around in the dark with me (with a flashlight) while I checked my animals before putting them all to bed. Nothing like a rattlesnake to welcome you home! Bleh! At least he didn't have a chance to sneak up on me this time around. It had been ALMOST two weeks since I last saw a rattlesnake in the yard. I was hoping to make it longer than that.

Wow lizzy, that would just freak me out royally! I can't stand snakes anyway, but rattlesnakes yikes!

Well it seems like my guineas are dwindling in numbers all the time. I started out with 18 & they have just been disappearing a few at a time until now I had 9 here tonight. The last two wouldn't go in when I tried to get them to go into the hoop coop. Some nights they have all gone in & some nights there are 2 or 3 that roost in the tree above the coop. I have 4 young ones in the hoop coop with the chicks growing out & 4 little keets in the brooder that I may just have to keep now that I'm losing so many. There isn't much you can do when the darned birds split up into small groups & spread out all over the place. I hear them coming from every direction at time to feed all the birds. If they would stay together they might have a better chance, but they don't. The males fight, I see them chasing each other all over the yard. I don't know if some have gone down the hill & joined the group a neighbor has down there or something has gotten them. They're really not the smartest birds.

tweety, I'm sorry about your rooster, I hope he recovers completely. Those RIRs are usually pretty hardy birds. I know my birds have been suffering in this heat & like you say tomorrow is going to be another really hot one. I have been trying to get the hens to go out in the shade instead of hanging around in the coop. There were about 4 in there this afternoon when I went in to collect eggs. I don't even care if they lay a lot right now, I would rather they go out where they can get in the shade, it's just too hot in the coop. I have a fan in there, but all it does is blow hot air when it's so hot.

 

[RoosterLew]

Well I am down 3 chicks in the last week. Stupid me thought they were big enough to go in coop but bot SLW and one Australorp have come up missing. I'm 'bout yo kill some hounds!