Consolidated Kansas

[Hawkeye95]

ChickenDanz, I'm so sorry about your rooster.

I've never heard of anything like you described! I find that really bizarre, but I don't know much! Anyway, very sorry. Okay, so the higher up the vent- the more heat it lets out. What about winter? Should I have lower vents that can stay open so the heat doesn't' escape- or do you still want that air to escape up high?

 

[callducklover20]

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Yeah Ive seen stuff like this esp on cats and dogs in hot weather. Usually starts with fly strike then they lay in the open wounds-it can happen in between 8-24hrs and is just crazy. Dead maggots release a deadly toxin so you have to make sure you flush them all off or out-we used saline solution at the vet with a big syringe (No needle) and kept squirting it til all were removed. One of the last animals I helped treat was a female cat that had just given birth-flies laid right into here and the maggots went clear up into her uterus-we flushed and flushed until everything was gone, luckly some nice people had found her and brought her in for treatment and we were able to save her. Ive seen large dogs taken down by the poison and it is a very quick thing that happens. Sorry for your loss, hope this helps a little if you have anyone else get a problem

 

[callducklover20]

other thing to be watching for right now is cuterabra larva-usually found on rabbits but Ive seen it on cats and dogs. It will be a hole in the back of the neck with something large moving around inside-so scary looking lol

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

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I found one of those on my rabbit 10+ years ago, it was very weird.

 

[Hawkeye95]

YIKES!! now I'm second guessing having chickens! I keep reading all the Baby chick threads and am reading horrible stuff.. and now maggots? I worked for my equine vet on the weekends for a couple of years (to give his regular assistant time off) and I never saw much like that. Plenty of bood and gore... but don't recall seeing a maggot infestation. The most gross thing I ever saw was a guy who ran over the tail of his hunting dog- the dog took off and left his tail skin in tact under the tire. The owner backed up, brought in the dog and tail skin and asked us to re-attach it! The dog had a perfectly bloodly skinless tail that he kept wagging and throwing blood all over the walls in the waiting room! (there were several bleeders and the dog didn't even seem to notice!) The vet had to break the sad news that the tail was a goner. The owner actually argued with him and told us it was his show dog and we HAD to put the skin back on! We took the dog back immediately to cut the tail off since he was losing blood so fast. After that, I had the joy of cleaning blood puddles off the walls and floor. Geez. Even the mouth abcesses (horrid smell and all) in horses and the tumor removals didn't get me like that tail episode did.

I'm not in the mood to sweat my arse off this morning and finish that wall. I'm tired!! I guess I'll do it tonight. I want to go to the library and get some more good books and relax instead. Sigh.

 

[callducklover20]

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oh Ive seen plenty of bloody stumps-one cat was trying to escape outside and got his cut off from the garage door, poor kitty. I had to clean the waiting area many of times-only ones I ever hated was HBC (hit by car) kids and people crying, blood every where-too sad.

 

[callducklover20]

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I found one of those on my rabbit 10+ years ago, it was very weird.

lol the only cuterabra that ever freaked us out were the ones that made it out while the patient was waiting in their cage and then we couldnt find it any where

 

[chicken danz]

Loralee don't worry about the chickens. Things happen to all animals. Yeah at some point you might loose one but they are easy to replace once you get over grieving. The rewards are so much nicer than the downfalls. This heat is a killer. I am sure that we are loosing plenty of wild life from it as well. If you care for your birds and provide for their general needs it will be fine.
I agree you probably need a break from building. You have been going full guns.
Duck, I used to help out in the vets office on Saturday afternoons when he did surgeries. I loved it. I also learned tons from it so I can do a lot of my own treatment. My favorite was delivering puppies by C section. It's kind of like hatching chicks. You love helping bring those babies into the world!

:

 

[callducklover20]

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yep puppy and kitten c sections are the best once you get them breathing from the anesthesia and they start to cry

just gotta make sure you hold them well while you are swinging them backwards to clear there lungs and revive them
yep Loralee, its just part of it-in a few weeks we will be cooled off and things will be fine, you will love them and the wonderful eggs they give you

 

[Ivywoods]

Cuterabra... is that what people used to call a "screw worm?" I remember my sister's rabbit having one when we were kids.

Didn't get to bed till almost 5:00a.m. so I just got up. Holy cow! It's got to be 115 degrees already! I've got to mow the grass today, but it's still wet. It's going to be one hot job, that's for sure. All the rain we had this past week has really brought on the grass and weeds.

Hawkeye, I wish I could give you a little better idea about what to do for vents. I'm still trying to figure that one out myself. We are up on a hill, and sometimes the wind blows so hard that the snow and the rain can blow into anything from the side. I think whatever you put in just be sure it can seal off well from the rain or blowing snow. One of the last things you want is moisture in the coop. They do need ventilation for sure. Maybe it would be a good time to go browse the salvage places and second had building materials to see just what is available.

I think for myself, I'm going to try to find a big fan and vent unit, almost like what a greenhouse would use. I want to be able to close it off well for the winter, so we will see what I can find. I'm thinking a large vent on one end and a fan/vent on the other end of the building would work pretty good, almost like a "whole house fan."