Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

There lies the problem. Atwoods had a mixed bin of straight runs. So I am clueless. Because I got a RiR from that same bin and an EE. Everyone keeps asking me the breed. Oh well. Like I've said before. This is a learning experience and next year I will have a better knowledge of where to get chicks. Thanks danz

It could be a black sex link, it doesn't look like a Welsummer, I have one of those. They don't have the black chest & have a lot more red coloring. It's not an Easter Egger because it doesn't have the beard. I would just say it's a black sex link & then people will really ask you what that is. The problem with hatchery birds is they often cross breeds to get better egg production, so the breeds aren't pure. You can get a bird that looks somewhat like the breed it's supposed to be, but doesn't meet the standards for the breed. Of course if you just want them for laying & not breeding it's not a problem & you can get some pretty birds.

I started moving cockerels out of the growout pen yesterday & counted 10 by the time I got done that I moved to the old peafowl hoop coop. I had to make a decision on which one I wanted to keep for my backup rooster for the Barnevelder pen. The shame is I have a bunch of really nice cockerels in there that probably will get eaten because people don't want them. These came from eggs from a breeder in California & I had a huge hatch from them but unfortunately 3/4s ended up being cockerels. I now have two bachelor pens of roosters I'm going to have to deal with some way. I'm hoping maybe to take them to auction.

I'm trying to wind down on hatching, I have one more coming the 20th & then I need a break from it, probably till spring. It's just time & labor intensive besides the little things start sucking down the feed if you don't get rid of them soon enough. I have my own chicks of various kinds I'm growing out & I would like to just buy feed for those & no others, that would be a relief.

 

[chicken danz]

I normally never quit hatching but this year I just had way too many birds to deal with. I just loaded the incubators again. I need to hatch out some light brahmas before I quit completely on the chickens. I want to get some more exhibition quality stock before I stop. I just loaded up a bunch more peafowl eggs.
The problems with peafowl is that I want to keep all of them to see how they turn out. They take so much space it isn't a real smart thing to do. I do plan to sell all the india blues I hatch. I have a nice quad of them and that is plenty.

 

[Trish44]

I have a hen with bumblefoot, which I have dealt with before, but this one is different. She has only a small black spot on the bottom of her foot but the infection caused an abcess to erupt on the top of her foot. I have never seen one do that before. I've been giving her Pen G injections & the ugly thing is draining cottage cheese looking stuff, gross. I ordinarily have a strong stomach, but that almost does me in draining that. I soaked her foot in epsom salts & hot water & I read that you can use Oxine on it, so I sprayed the open wound with that this evening. Poor thing, she hops all around the yard, but she's a big, heavy hen. She's a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte & one of my favorites of course.

I moved some of my chicks out of the brooder this evening to the pen where I have some other smaller chicks & some of them are jubilee Orpingtons. I was out there doing chores when I heard a chick in distress so I went to investigate & one had gotten out of the pen. I managed to catch that one fairly easily & got it back in. Then I heard a ruckus over by our trash barrels & one of the GPs was looking intently at something & there were about 4 or 5 cats all watching as well. By the time I got over there the chick had run over to the back door of the breeder coop & I caught it before it got eaten, thank goodness. I found their escape route & I hope I got it blocked so they can't get back out. I about had heart failure over that, those aren't cheap chicks!

 

[chicken danz]

I had one old hen with bumble foot and it ate right through her foot leaving a hole. But she did great and never acted sick at all. I actually think that might be more desirable to have it abcess and break through because it can get out of their system that way. A closed wound is a lot more dangerous wound. Can you pack that foot with triple antibiotic and wrap her foot in vet wrap? I am sure it would have to be changed in a couple days cause chickens sure don't keep their feet dry but that is what I did for her and she hobbled a little but it didn't seem to bother her. In fact I never changed it until I took it off. She was fast enough she was hard to catch.
My days are so busy right now. I was trying to clean some stuff up in the yard again yesterday. I need a big trailer to drag around and fill up with things. I actually have one but it's loaded down with flower pots.

 

[Trish44]

I had one old hen with bumble foot and it ate right through her foot leaving a hole. But she did great and never acted sick at all. I actually think that might be more desirable to have it abcess and break through because it can get out of their system that way. A closed wound is a lot more dangerous wound. Can you pack that foot with triple antibiotic and wrap her foot in vet wrap? I am sure it would have to be changed in a couple days cause chickens sure don't keep their feet dry but that is what I did for her and she hobbled a little but it didn't seem to bother her. In fact I never changed it until I took it off. She was fast enough she was hard to catch.
My days are so busy right now. I was trying to clean some stuff up in the yard again yesterday. I need a big trailer to drag around and fill up with things. I actually have one but it's loaded down with flower pots.

Yeah I think I need to keep draining it right now as long as it wants to come out, so I will soak it again tonight & then maybe put the antibiotic ointment in there. It really is a pretty big hole where it abcessed. I know it bothers her because she hops around & sits down quite a bit, but she doesn't seem to feel bad & is eating & drinking fine. I sure don't want to lose her because she's such a big pretty hen & she's young.

 

[Trish44]

It's been really quiet on here lately, I guess everyone is keeping busy this summer & not posting.

 

[tatinatimom]

You are right! Maybe everyone else hasn't been able to bring their boats ashore and get out of the rain to post. If the rain doesn't let up we all are going to be screaming for Wilson like a scene in Castaway.

 

[chicken danz]

Yeah it's more quiet than I ever remember before. I like checking in and seeing what everyone else is doing but there hasn't been hardly any posts. Kind of sad. When I stop to read that is usually my mini breaks in the day. You guys are killing me. If you don't post either I don't take a break or I end up shopping for something and spending money.

 

[Oatbucket]

Things have been crazy busy here. I did get a vid of my American Buffs enjoying their wading pool for the first time. They're about three weeks old now.

 

[chicken danz]

I love watching geese play in the water. They have so much fun!