Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Danz that's great your pups are doing so well. I started 3 days ago training my LGD pup Zander to leave the chickens & other birds alone & not chase. I'm using a shock collar on him because with him yelling or telling him no didn't phase him a bit. The first day he got zapped several times & he of course didn't like it. It did however really get his attention so by the 2nd day he didn't go near any birds or cats at all. Today I took him with me to let the chickens out of their run & he sat beside me watching them come out but not moving. Then I took him with me to let the ducks out & he sat & let them go by & the same at the goose pen. I gave him lots of praise for being such a good boy. He went & watched at the fence as I let the sheep & goats out to the field. I can't let him in with them yet because my oldest ewe has tiny twin lambs right now & she doesn't trust him yet. He was outside the fence a couple days ago & she thought he was getting too close & stomped her feet & looked like she was going to try to butt him through the fence. She is a very good mama & protective of her lambs.

 

[Extravwhoganza]

Well, it's officially happened... I went on a week long vacation and came home to one less chicken. It was Buttercup (the chicken in my icon), which is hard. Who knew chickens could get their way into your heart so much!

On a brighter note, our Jersey Giants are doing great! The originals still aren't big fans of them, but they are out free ranging with one another all day now. We are still housing them separately at night, but it doesn't fail that every night they try to sneak in with the originals. I'm hoping they'll get along soon, but there is one fairly aggressive hen that I worry about...

 

[Trish44]

Well, it's officially happened... I went on a week long vacation and came home to one less chicken. It was Buttercup (the chicken in my icon), which is hard. Who knew chickens could get their way into your heart so much!

On a brighter note, our Jersey Giants are doing great! The originals still aren't big fans of them, but they are out free ranging with one another all day now. We are still housing them separately at night, but it doesn't fail that every night they try to sneak in with the originals. I'm hoping they'll get along soon, but there is one fairly aggressive hen that I worry about...

Yeah it seems like it's always the favorites you lose, I'm sorry. I always come home from vacation missing one or two chickens it seems like. You just can't get people to take care of your birds & animals like you do, they're just not as invested in them.

I have ducklings hatching now, they're so darned cute when they're that little. I have a bunch of ducks sitting on nests so I have to go out every day & look for babies to bring in. If they get out of the pen they're gone in minutes. Once the cats figure out there are ducklings they will be watching the pen too. I went out & used all the rest of my hardware cloth on the front of my pen but only had chicken wire for the rest so hopefully they will come out of their modified hoop coop out front & I can catch them before they get too far & squeeze through the chicken wire on the other sides.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Howdy all, I've been sick for the past number of months. Being prego sure isn't any fun! Especially in the summer when I want to be out working with the animals and in my garden! I've managed to sell several batches of BLRW hatching eggs on the 24 hr auction thread but the Golden Cuckoo eggs I listed didn't sell. Don't know if I'll set them myself or just eat them. Haven't even felt up to watching the gator this year. Mostly spending my days curled up miserably on the chair.
Danz I REALLY wish you weren't so terribly far away!! I'd love one of your puppies and some of your Blue/Gold Partridge Brahmas!!! Oh well guess it's just not the time now. Cripes this sounds frightfully whiny! Sorry guys! On the up side I finally managed to get all my wether/buck kids sold and my mini Lamancha doe and her doe kid as well. Been really glad to to cut down on my feed bill!
I sold my Appy to one of my cousins and my quarter horse gelding went off to 30 days at the feed yard on Saturday. So it's feeling a little sparse around here, but in a good way!

 

[lizzyGSR]

I'm somewhat sad.... I sent my ducks to their new home today. I'm downsizing prior to my jaw surgery. I think I'll leave my little chicks in the chicken cooop and put the big birds in the duck pen so I know that all of the chickens have access to shade (and not in the coop) all day long. HOpefully, everyone will stay cooler that way. I'm sad to see my ducks go, but chickens are easier to leave with minimal care as I can give them an auto-waterer and auto-feeder and expect them to do fairly well fending for themselves. The ducks make too much of a mess with their water and never figured out how to use the auto-feeder I tried giving them.

Hopefully, the big chickens will enjoy their new space!

 

[Extravwhoganza]

I'm somewhat sad.... I sent my ducks to their new home today. I'm downsizing prior to my jaw surgery. I think I'll leave my little chicks in the chicken cooop and put the big birds in the duck pen so I know that all of the chickens have access to shade (and not in the coop) all day long. HOpefully, everyone will stay cooler that way. I'm sad to see my ducks go, but chickens are easier to leave with minimal care as I can give them an auto-waterer and auto-feeder and expect them to do fairly well fending for themselves. The ducks make too much of a mess with their water and never figured out how to use the auto-feeder I tried giving them.

Hopefully, the big chickens will enjoy their new space!

I'm sure they will love their new space!

Good luck with your surgery. My twin sister had jaw surgery a little over three years ago. She was really down for a couple of weeks but was back to doing mostly everything (probably more than she should have been doing!) after awhile ...well, other than eating. I hope your surgery goes well!

I think I'm going to try and put the Jersey Giants to bed with the originals tonight. They are as big as the normal chickens now, but there is still one hen that gives them problems. I'm not worried about the other hens, but Rin just doesn't play nice yet.

 

[lizzyGSR]

I'm sure they will love their new space!

Good luck with your surgery. My twin sister had jaw surgery a little over three years ago. She was really down for a couple of weeks but was back to doing mostly everything (probably more than she should have been doing!) after awhile ...well, other than eating. I hope your surgery goes well!

I think I'm going to try and put the Jersey Giants to bed with the originals tonight. They are as big as the normal chickens now, but there is still one hen that gives them problems. I'm not worried about the other hens, but Rin just doesn't play nice yet.

I've had jaw surgery once before as well. It was 16 years ago, and it is getting at least partially blamed for why the surgeons are wanting to do the jaw joint replacement now. I'm really hesitant to agree to the joint replacement since it is such a major surgery and there are lots of stories online of failed surgeries. I haven't had anything but regular dental cleanings for almost 16 years, so this seems like a big jump. I know there are dental appliances that are supposed to helpl. I'd like to try those first, but the surgeon thinks I need the surgery ASAP. I'm still unsure what I want to do...

Either way, I have been told that I also need sinus surgery, and that is scheduled for next month. I'm not looking forward to the surgery itself, but I am looking forward to being able to breath again. Ugh. I just have so many doctor appointments between now and then. I am so ready to not be always running around to see doctors!

Update on the chickens: The chickens seem to be enjoying their new space so far. I don't think they've found the roost I hung for them, but that might be because the roost might be a bit too high for them. I'll have to go out and move it soon. This pen is bigger, but isn't as nicely set up for roosts (it was originally a duck pen after all), so I'm curious as to where the birds will decide to sleep.

The chicks are enjoying their extra space as well (I let them have full run of the chicken coop since the big chickens are now int he duck run). I noticed today that the second broody has one egg that looks like it has pipped. I'm excited to meet the new little babies! Hopefully, this will be the end of this broody being broody. She's been sitting now for probably 2 months solid. Poor girl.

 

[Plinky]

Hello folks, been offline for a while.
I have a problem with our Leghorn. She has had a more or less poopy bottom for some time, but in the last week it has become drammatically so with very soft diarrhea-y poop. She continues to lay an egg almost every day and doesn't seem down at all. Today since it was so warm, I bathed her bottom in warmish water and got the poop off. I had been reading about flystrike and was concerned that could happen. But, all there was was just some slightly reddened skin in one spot. Nonetheless I put a little antibiotic ointment where it was irritated and some blukote type stuff. Doing this I noticed she has a spot, almost a sore on the bottom of each of her feet. Could this be the beginning of bumblefoot? Her comb is pale underneath where it flops over and it seems she is missing feathers a bit around her comb and eyes. Also feathers around neck seem a bit scraggly. I scooped some of her poop in a plastic bag and looked it over well. No worms visible like can be seen in some pictures, though I realize there are many types and not all can be seen.
The only other strange thing has been that this bird when let out of the run will immediately go over to an old shed (1990's era) and start pecking around. I thought there was some plant or seed on the ground near it but I finally realized that this bird is going over and pecking at the bottom of the exterior wall of the shed where the particle board siding is deteriorated! I'm not sure if she is going after the paint or the wood or some minute insects in the wood. But pecking at particle boards can't be a good thing! I have fenced it off. I think the shed is post-lead paint, but...could this be causing her diarrhea? Obviously it could be worms. I don't want to just medicate without knowing since there are different worms and not all wormers get one or the other. Fecal tests expensive in Larryville. Have been giving probiotics and electrolytes to entire flock.
Another chicken, a barred rock has had a slightly poopy bottom, but not as bad as the leghorn. The other two are normal.
Ideas? I will try to catch and photograph feet and poop tomorrow.
Thanks all!

 

[Trish44]

Hello folks, been offline for a while.
I have a problem with our Leghorn. She has had a more or less poopy bottom for some time, but in the last week it has become drammatically so with very soft diarrhea-y poop. She continues to lay an egg almost every day and doesn't seem down at all. Today since it was so warm, I bathed her bottom in warmish water and got the poop off. I had been reading about flystrike and was concerned that could happen. But, all there was was just some slightly reddened skin in one spot. Nonetheless I put a little antibiotic ointment where it was irritated and some blukote type stuff. Doing this I noticed she has a spot, almost a sore on the bottom of each of her feet. Could this be the beginning of bumblefoot? Her comb is pale underneath where it flops over and it seems she is missing feathers a bit around her comb and eyes. Also feathers around neck seem a bit scraggly. I scooped some of her poop in a plastic bag and looked it over well. No worms visible like can be seen in some pictures, though I realize there are many types and not all can be seen.
The only other strange thing has been that this bird when let out of the run will immediately go over to an old shed (1990's era) and start pecking around. I thought there was some plant or seed on the ground near it but I finally realized that this bird is going over and pecking at the bottom of the exterior wall of the shed where the particle board siding is deteriorated! I'm not sure if she is going after the paint or the wood or some minute insects in the wood. But pecking at particle boards can't be a good thing! I have fenced it off. I think the shed is post-lead paint, but...could this be causing her diarrhea? Obviously it could be worms. I don't want to just medicate without knowing since there are different worms and not all wormers get one or the other. Fecal tests expensive in Larryville. Have been giving probiotics and electrolytes to entire flock.
Another chicken, a barred rock has had a slightly poopy bottom, but not as bad as the leghorn. The other two are normal.
Ideas? I will try to catch and photograph feet and poop tomorrow.
Thanks all!

It does sound like the beginning of bumblefoot on the feet. If the hen is eating wood I would wonder about a deficiency in diet of some kind. I definitely would go ahead & worm them, it's not going to hurt them. I use Rooster Booster triple wormer that you put in with their feed, it's really easy to use. You can use the goat wormer as well in water or I think Danz uses ivermectin too but I have never used that. I have used the SafeGuard in the water (goat wormer) but you have to make sure that is the only water they're getting while you're treating.

@Prairie Fleur I don't envy you being pregnant in the summer. I went through that many, many years ago when I was pregnant with my son & it's not a fun thing in the heat at all.

@lizzyGSR if I were you I would try the non invasive option first before going through the major surgery. It seems like the sinus surgery is going to be enough at once & then get recovered from that & see what your options are on the jaw. Have you gotten a 2nd opinion? If not, I definitely would do that as well. I'm sorry you had to get rid of your ducks, I would sure miss mine if I had to give them up. At least you still have your chickens though. They are much less messy than ducks for sure.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Thanks @Trish44! It hasn't been any fun so far and with being so sick I'm hardly able to go out at all. I do try to step out a bit in the evenings to help maintain my sanity! Anyone here have any ideas on dealing with hypoglycemia during pregnancy? I've had it my whole life pretty much but it's been Bad since I started second trimester. Have to get up several times a night to bring it back up.