Consolidated Kansas

[Dani4Hedgies]

Thanks Sharol me too im hoping that as the rest of my girls start laying I will get green as well

 

[Gleimranch]

Is anybody in the wichita area having issues 1 year old rhode island red stop laying and looks like panting and diarrhea no blood. And she just sits around. We just started treatment for cocci

 

[chicken danz]

Poultry Math Its a thing...I started with 16 hatchery birds on Nov 18 then had 1 death and adopted out 2 so dropped to the 13 thought we had 5 roosters. So went shopping at Danz hoping for 6 hens ended up with 5 hens and the 1 and only rooster (that I know of) then went to Danz today for 4 Midget White Turkeys and wouldn't you know it I came home with 11 peeping babies 4 pouts 2 Black Mottled Orps, 3 Jubilee, 2 Suxxex to ADD to the 6 ( 1 Mottled, 4 Brahmas,and yes a Partridge in a tree (well ok Brooder but close enough THANKS Danz your the BEST!!!!! I'm Dani4Hedgies and I am not ashamed to say I'm a Poultry Addict....

LOL

I'm hoping today will be reasonably quiet. I have some feeding and stuff to catch up on today. I have several boxes to get ready to ship for tomorrow as well. I am shipping some older geese this time and it's going to mean sexing and cleaning up the little stinkers. I hope to get all the boxes and paper work ready and then get the goslings ready to go in the morning. It's going to be a job for sure. It is so time consuming and has to be timed perfectly to get them there right before the truck arrives to pick up the boxes.
Next year when I ship it's going to be day olds only. Time makes me smarter.
Thanks Dani... it's always a pleasure.
Also got to meet @dwink2 yesterday. Thanks so much for being patient with me.

Poultry Math Its a thing...I started with 16 hatchery birds on Nov 18 then had 1 death and adopted out 2 so dropped to the 13 thought we had 5 roosters. So went shopping at Danz hoping for 6 hens ended up with 5 hens and the 1 and only rooster (that I know of) then went to Danz today for 4 Midget White Turkeys and wouldn't you know it I came home with 11 peeping babies 4 pouts 2 Black Mottled Orps, 3 Jubilee, 2 Suxxex to ADD to the 6 ( 1 Mottled, 4 Brahmas,and yes a Partridge in a tree (well ok Brooder but close enough THANKS Danz your the BEST!!!!! I'm Dani4Hedgies and I am not ashamed to say I'm a Poultry Addict....

Is anybody in the wichita area having issues 1 year old rhode island red stop laying and looks like panting and diarrhea no blood. And she just sits around. We just started treatment for cocci

That won't be Cocci on an older bird like that. I am afraid she is egg bound. Bring her in and set her in a sink of warm water and let her sit and relax for about 30 minutes. She will fight at fisrt but then will calm down and enjoy it. If you have any lubricant, then gently message her lower abdomen. You should be able to fill the egg if she is egg bound. You can also squirt some lubricant up her vent to assist. If you have none you can even use veggie oil as a last resort. The other case would be if she had an egg break inside and that would cause Egg peritonitis. Her chances aren't good if that is the case. The only thing that will cure it is Baytril which is by prescription only. If you have a good vet you would need to contact him and explain the situation.

 

[Trish44]

Shoot, may have gotten you confused with @chicken danz , as far as that visit. I'm not wanting to buy chicks from TSC anymore. Lol

I'm south of you in Winfield, not that far to drive. It depends on what you're looking for as to whether I would have it or not. I'm still hatching & still filling orders at the moment but may have a few extras here or there or could hatch some for you if you aren't opposed to waiting.

How do you train them to do that? this is my first year with chickens, and I'm learning LOTS in the process. I've tried to teach them to come when I call, but so far it's only a so-so response.

I think the best way to train your chickens to come is to give them treats often. Mine come running from wherever they are in the yard if they see me come out the door & put something out for them. I also call them when I go out to feed them as well.

Needing some input.

Its been a Happy and sad day here both.
The happy side of things is the eggs are starting to hatch today....

Now to the sad bad...

Something hit main group of birds today, however the only thing we can find are spots where feathers are. No blood, bodies, bones or any other signs of the birds.
Haven't taken a full count yet but appears we have lost at least 8 birds.
Sea bright roo, cochin bantam roo, barred rock, 2 buffs, 3 americanas.

Any input on what my predator is? this was a daytime attack, probably early this morning around 8ish.

Thanks everyone in advance.

Andy

I'm sorry for your loss. I think it could have been a fox, usually coyotes don't come out during the day unless they're really hungry or have little ones to feed. I would say it was one or the other though rather than any other predator since they took them with them & you only found feathers.

Ohhh and here are the eggs my current 4 ladies are laying for me

Congrats on the eggs & your new chicks, it sounds like you have gotten the addiction the rest of us have, lol. Of course you know we're all enablers too.

I still have a hatch ongoing today, I wish the little critters would hurry up & hatch so I could take inventory. This hatch seems to be going a lot slower than they usually do for some reason.

 

[HEChicken]

Is anybody in the wichita area having issues 1 year old rhode island red stop laying and looks like panting and diarrhea no blood. And she just sits around. We just started treatment for cocci

I agree with Danz that she sounds egg bound. Unfortunately, after this happens once, it usually happens again and again. I am going to guess she is from a hatchery in which case she is not a true Rhode Island Red but rather, a Production Red egg layer. Hatcheries label them as Rhode Island Reds for marketing purposes but in reality they are genetically a long way from a true RIR. They have been bred for high egg production and egg binding is an unfortunate result of that quest for high egg production. It is issues like these that caused me to turn from hatchery birds and focus on heritage breeds instead. They may only lay 3-4 eggs a week instead of 6-7 but they do it for twice as long and, most importantly don't have the egg laying issues that the production egg layers do.

A warm bath and massage will ease her discomfort in the short-term and help her to pass the egg that is bound. However in the long-term you may need to prepare yourself to put her to sleep as this is likely to occur again before too long.

Lizzy, as others have said, getting them accustomed to coming for treats is a big part of the training. However yours are still so young they may not even consider most things treats. Raised in a brooder, chicks are often mistrustful of anything that isn't the crumbles they know are food. Sharol gave a good example of a treat young chicks will enjoy - scrambled egg. As they get older, they will start to enjoy more things, especially scratch. Once they have learned scratch is a treat it is a great tool for getting them to do what you want them to.

 

[chicken danz]

Quote: Trish I have to disagree. Before I had dogs to protect the flock all my coyote attacks were in broad daylight. Especially when that years pups were learning to hunt. I stood and watched them grab chickens and run with them. I couldn't get to the gun fast enough to stop it.
Let me further clarify. It may have bene because the birds were locked up at night and free ranging during the day. But coyotes do hunt both at night and during the day.

 

[Gleimranch]

I agree with Danz that she sounds egg bound.  Unfortunately, after this happens once, it usually happens again and again.  I am going to guess she is from a hatchery in which case she is not a true Rhode Island Red but rather, a Production Red egg layer.  Hatcheries label them as Rhode Island Reds for marketing purposes but in reality they are genetically a long way from a true RIR.  They have been bred for high egg production and egg binding is an unfortunate result of that quest for high egg production.  It is issues like these that caused me to turn from hatchery birds and focus on heritage breeds instead.  They may only lay 3-4 eggs a week instead of 6-7 but they do it for twice as long and, most importantly don't have the egg laying issues that the production egg layers do.

A warm bath and massage will ease her discomfort in the short-term and help her to pass the egg that is bound.  However in the long-term you may need to prepare yourself to put her to sleep as this is likely to occur again before too long.

Lizzy, as others have said, getting them accustomed to coming for treats is a big part of the training.  However yours are still so young they may not even consider most things treats.  Raised in a brooder, chicks are often mistrustful of anything that isn't the crumbles they know are food.  Sharol gave a good example of a treat young chicks will enjoy - scrambled egg.  As they get older, they will start to enjoy more things, especially scratch.  Once they have learned scratch is a treat it is a great tool for getting them to do what you want them to.

 

[Gleimranch]

Thanks on the info. What do you think it would cost to take to the vet as we don't have one? Don't true rir have black ticking in their back feathers?

I agree with Danz that she sounds egg bound.  Unfortunately, after this happens once, it usually happens again and again.  I am going to guess she is from a hatchery in which case she is not a true Rhode Island Red but rather, a Production Red egg layer.  Hatcheries label them as Rhode Island Reds for marketing purposes but in reality they are genetically a long way from a true RIR.  They have been bred for high egg production and egg binding is an unfortunate result of that quest for high egg production.  It is issues like these that caused me to turn from hatchery birds and focus on heritage breeds instead.  They may only lay 3-4 eggs a week instead of 6-7 but they do it for twice as long and, most importantly don't have the egg laying issues that the production egg layers do.

A warm bath and massage will ease her discomfort in the short-term and help her to pass the egg that is bound.  However in the long-term you may need to prepare yourself to put her to sleep as this is likely to occur again before too long.

Lizzy, as others have said, getting them accustomed to coming for treats is a big part of the training.  However yours are still so young they may not even consider most things treats.  Raised in a brooder, chicks are often mistrustful of anything that isn't the crumbles they know are food.  Sharol gave a good example of a treat young chicks will enjoy - scrambled egg.  As they get older, they will start to enjoy more things, especially scratch.  Once they have learned scratch is a treat it is a great tool for getting them to do what you want them to.

 

[sharol]

Thanks on the info. What do you think it would cost to take to the vet as we don't have one? Don't true rir have black ticking in their back feathers?

Probably the best bet if you want to take the bird to the vet is to call and ask about their office call price.

That said, if your bird isn't a special pet and she is egg bound, the kindest thing to do is euthanize her (nicer word than cull). I had the vet euthanize a pet hen once for egg peritonitis. It cost me $30 for the office call and he was very nice about it.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Sooo I'm idiot....see I kept thinking I had all barred plymoth rocks then tonight I turn around and there are 2 of my Barred rocks except each one has a different combs (facepalm) soo im attentive enough to know when someone is sick but not enough to realize I have 2 Barred Plymouth Rocks (3 prong comb) Aannddd 2 Dominique (bumpy wide comb) sooo yea I need a sign.