Consolidated Kansas

[JosieChick]

Hi all
Thanks for the comments -- it just seems like you all know so much that I had assumed you have had chicks for years and years! I agree with you KarenS that the chickens are very relaxing for me too! I love to go out and see my ladies and what they are doing!

My little Cornish, that I am hoping goes broody, has made herself a little nest and has 3 eggs in it already. I have had her for about 3 weeks now so I am sure she is not laying fertile eggs but I will swap her eggs for guinea eggs.

Hope to meet lots of you on Saturday! P.S. should I take our dog carrier with me????????????? or should I assume that I have enough birds and won't be buying any????????
Kare

Prairie- Always bring your carrier!!! You will always find something you didn't know you needed!!

We are all learning about chickens all the time. It never ends and everyone goes in different directions. I really enjoying breeding and color genetics etc but I used to just love having one of every kind of chicken! (which I am still a far cry from!) Just do what you enjoy and learn as you go. They are so enjoyable no matter what you do with them.


What time is everyone going to the swap on Saturday?? I would love to plan to go when everyone else is going. Maybe we could all meet at Ivy and draw in the crowd to her birds!!!

Hawkeye- SO glad your little sticky is doing good! I bet it will be ok! Isn't it bizarre how they act when you soak the food? It is like you just put in a plate of gold crumbled candy or something. Everyone goes bananas. I do it with all my hatches now because they all eat like it is their first time...wait, it is there first time.

But then I don't have to worry about if they are eating, how much have they eaten, is everyone eating, are they getting it....my silkie chicks always seem really confused by the world their first few days of life. I usually try to hatch them with large fowl chicks so they learn from their big siblings!!

 

[Hawkeye95]

So, today hasn't been much better...
I went out to check on everybody this morning, and one of my BR roos was dead. Sarge was laying there with it, plucking feathers, so I assumed he had gotten a bit too rough "playing" with it and had broke his back or something. He got scolded big time! I watched them off and on for awhile, and everything was okay, so I figured, just a fluke. I thought, "well, dummy, what was I to expect after putting in so many "new toys" for him to take care of?"
Around 9am, I had to go into town to get my sister and niece. Sis was helping me get some projects finished so I could worry less when we leave Friday. Well, when we got to the house, ANOTHER chicken was dead! Or so I thought. This time it was one of my EE's that I was going to give my sister, since she was the friendliest. I grabbed that dog and hollered "NO! BAD DOG! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" and smacked him in the schnoz with the bird. My sister yells, "She's not dead!" poor bird was just barely hanging on. The skin around her neck had been torn open and she was just limp as could be. I did the only humane thing I could think of and put her down. Now I had 2 dead birds and I was LIVID! Sarge's feelings were so hurt he just slinked around and went to pout in the corner in the shade the rest of the time we were out there.
Now comes the interesting part...sis and I got a cage finished built and the whole time we had been working, I was watching that dog like a hawk. I hear one of the birds making a fuss, so I go over to see which bird is squawking and about what. She was fine, but there was another hen laid out in the dirt, half dead! At this point, I'm like, WHAT THE HELL???!!! So I go in to see how bad she is and she has the feathers on her back pulled out and neck skin ripped open. While I'm looking her over, I notice another BR roo's neck is the same way. It dawns on me...THE BIG ROOSTER is doing this! He has never hurt another bird in his life, even the newbies!
Well there's my lesson for the day folks. I had no choice but to throw them all together yesterday (trying to save their lives from the wind) and here I've killed them. I'm so mad at myself right now and I feel so bad for scolding Sarge. I just feel miserable and sorry for myself right now. I was just sick with those 2 left alive being so torn up, but I didn't know what to do. I rounded up the 2 big roos just to be safe, then de-spurred the major culprit, then put them both in seperate cages. I made a run into town and got some Vetericin (sp) and blue spray to treat the spurs and the 2 remaining half-dead chickens. I also got some electrolyte powder. I treated the birds and put them in a carrier with the electrolyte water, but I don't know that they're drinking. I've been checking on them every so often and helping them drink. I have no hope that they will make it, but I had to try. If anyone has experienced a similar scenario, please share with me. All new comers, now you know what NOT to do; let my big stupid mistake be an example to you.

OH wow!! What a horrific day you had today with all the dead and nearly dead birds! What a mean, mean rooster. If you aren't using him to breed, I'd be having him for dinner! That is a lot of birds he destroyed. I would have no qualms eating him. So sorry about your injured. I haven't dealt with rooster attacks, but I did deal with a turkey attack on my Polish to the head. She was scalped and lost the top part of her skin, too!! I kept triple antibiotic on it. I'm guessing the blue spray has antibiotics in it, right? If not, add that. If they aren't drinking well, get a syringe and suck up the water with sugar and electrolytes and put it down their beaks slowly... Don't worry about the food right now, concentrate on the water for the first day. Once they are feeling a bit better, they will start to eat on their own again. Second day if they aren't eating, then I'd give them yogurt, because you can suck that up into a syringe easily and put that down their beaks, too! I had to do that for TWO stinkin' days for my Polish because she tried to die on me a couple of times. But she pulled thru fine. She did sleep in the house for a few days. And you know, don't feel too badly about Sarge, because he was pulling feathers, and there was no way you could have known! I would have thought the same thing. Forgive yourself and learn from it.

That's what I had to tell myself about Seymore when she tried to kill my Polish.

Hawkeye- SO glad your little sticky is doing good! I bet it will be ok! Isn't it bizarre how they act when you soak the food? It is like you just put in a plate of gold crumbled candy or something. Everyone goes bananas. I do it with all my hatches now because they all eat like it is their first time...wait, it is there first time.

But then I don't have to worry about if they are eating, how much have they eaten, is everyone eating, are they getting it....my silkie chicks always seem really confused by the world their first few days of life. I usually try to hatch them with large fowl chicks so they learn from their big siblings!!

I'm having to change out the wet food every now and then, they tromp it down into a hard mash. But yeah, they go crazy over it. I'm really glad Sticky is eating on his own. I was ready to pull my hair out thinking I was going to have to syringe him egg yolk for the next few days until he got bigger! He is still sluggish and not as active as the others, so we'll see how he continues to fare.

 

[medawinks]

Sapphire, I am so sorry that you have had such bad luck with this wind! When I was growing up in southern NM, we always blamed everything crazy on the wind, because everything would always get crazy when the wind blew. I still dread windy days!

Hawkeye, I am glad little Sticky is sticking around . I do have to ask a dumb newbie question though. When you say egg yolk, do you mean cooked or uncooked? I tried doing what I thought I read on another thread and tried giving my 2 month plus chicks mashed cooked egg yolk as a treat. They tried it, but we're much happier with the dried meal worms and yogurt I tried. Would raw egg yolk be something to try with my tiny white Silkie? Having lost my sons Polish, I am bound and determined to keep this Silkie alive for him! It is eating and drinking, just not growing...

 

[prairie]

Sapphire, so sorry about all your problems! That would have been my first thought too that it was the dog. Sure hope the others make it!

I will prob be at the Swap meet by about 8:30 or maybe earlier if I can get around. Hubby needs to go the TSC to get baling twine but he can wait and we can do that last.

See you all Saturday by Ivy's and guess I will bring the dog carrier. I figure I can put an 'eggs for sale' sign at the end of our driveway if I get overrun!!
Kare

 

[chicken danz]

Well I will probably be there a little earlier but that is best laid plans. I am thinking of bringing a bunch of chicks (Mostly barnyard special) some guinea keets, and I would like to sell a ton of ducks but I just wanted to bring the car and that won't work with the ducks. Too messy. So I won't bring any ducks unless someone asks me to to buy some. I also might bring some eating eggs and see if those sell. That is something you sometimes see there.
It is wise to bring a couple of small cardboard boxes or a carrier or cage. You just never know what you might come home with.
Busy day today. I delivered eggs and fixed a plate to take to my Dad from the chinese restaurant. He can just warm it up for dinner tonight. I watered the plants and Mom's flowers for him and did his dishes.
Then after a visit I went to the Garden shop and bought 3 more tomato plants, 16 more hot pepper plants, and 18 green pepper plants. Then I went looking for Niacin for my geese. I finally found some at dollar general. I wanted brewers yeast but couldn't find it. Stupid small towns! I got the peppers and tomatoes planted and accidentally dug up something I had planted. I can't remember now what it was but I noticed there were some sprouts. Then I remembered I'd throw some seed there.i got the water going on the garden and I need to go out and move it shortly.
Sapphire I know you thought Sarge must have killed the chickens but he has been exposed to them since birth so it wouldn't have been likely. Maybe give him a treat and a good petting. He will know to leave the carcass alone next time.
I've had a few hens torn up from roosters. The first thing I do is separate them to keep the other chickens from picking on them. Then blue Kote, triple antibiotic ointment, or pine tar on the wounds. Some yogurt or probiotics might help keep it from becoming infected. I'd be ripping the head right off that darned rooster. There is no room for a mean rooster in my group. He'd make some nice stock you could freeze and use later if you didn't want to eat him now.
Better go move that water.
So as far as my talented cat goes. I tried to do the same thing she did. I can't do it. I either screw up the sequence or iust plain won't work to hold all the keys down at once.I end up with only one key writing.

 

[Ivywoods]

My internet on my computer is down so I'm not going to write much. It's a pain to type this on my phone. I just wanted to let folks know I will NOT be driving the red jeep. Too many birds! Instead I will be driving my OLD brown and white Dodge pickup. I plan to get there around 7am or soon after. I will look for Danz so we might be close together if possible. I have another friend from this area and she will be bringing a lot of birds too so bring several carriers!

 

[Ivywoods]

Well, whaddayaknow. My computer internet just started working after I made that last post. My email is still not working, though.

Someone asked what I would be bringing. I am bringing some half grown lakenvelders in sets of 3, 4, and 5. One rooster per set. One of the sets is 1 and 2 year olds, great layers of a med. egg. They lay as may eggs as my leghorns, just not as big.

One pair of slate blue turkeys. Hen is currently laying and has been a good layer.

MANY chicks-lavender, silver and wheaten ameraucana, black copper marans (limited number) bantams in black breasted red old english, black tailed white japanese, partridge wyandottes.

Turkey poults in royal palm, blue slate and mixes of the two.

A few guinea keets... one less than expected because my little lavender keet broke his leg today. I hope it heals, but it's not looking good.

I am also bringing along some extra roosters that I need to get rid of. One mean old booger I hope someone puts him in the freezer. I will only sell him for that purpose. I've got a couple nice, breeder quality ameraucana roosters and several pet quality.

I am debating selling my breeder trio of wheaten ameraucanas. They are one of my favorites, but I need to cut down some. I just found out today I will be getting 5 of my sister's (Checoukan) brown/red old english. These are champion bloodlines and she has done very well with them. I'm going to need more room for them, so the wheatens may be the ones to go. Whoever buys the trio (I won't sell them separate) will be getting a nice set of purebred wheaten ameraucanas.

 

[chicken danz]

I forgot to mention I might bring a bunch of the bantam polish roos. No females. These guys are from grand champion lines. I might have some more babies later and could possibly sell some females at a later date. I'll be selling these really cheap. Ivy you can get $2 -$3 for roos for the pot up there. Not great but it's a way to move them.
I'll try to get there as early as I can. It will be at least 7:30 I am sure. I will need to get things done and get back home because I have a man coming for many birds on Saturday afternoon. I can introduce you to a few other bird people if they are there as well.
Medawinks tell Sera I can't wait to see her again.
I really wish they had these things later in the day. I hate to cage up birds the night before. I think it is stressful to them. And there is never enough time or daylight to do it in the morning.
I might have to get DH to put the topper on the truck again so I can use it.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Hawkeye, I am glad little Sticky is sticking around . I do have to ask a dumb newbie question though. When you say egg yolk, do you mean cooked or uncooked? I tried doing what I thought I read on another thread and tried giving my 2 month plus chicks mashed cooked egg yolk as a treat. They tried it, but we're much happier with the dried meal worms and yogurt I tried. Would raw egg yolk be something to try with my tiny white Silkie? Having lost my sons Polish, I am bound and determined to keep this Silkie alive for him! It is eating and drinking, just not growing...

I broke an egg open, let the white run out and then took a fork to mix up the yellow and pulled it up raw into my syringe. My Sticky wasn't eating at all! So I had to do something to get food in his belly. The first time I tried it, I mixed up the white with the yolk and then nearly killed him because the white doesn't break down well and it came out in a long string and nearly choked him to death. But i'm guessing a bigger bird would be fine. But really, all the protein is in the yolk anyway.

and fixed a plate to take to my Dad from the chinese restaurant. He can just warm it up for dinner tonight. I watered the plants and Mom's flowers for him and did his dishes.
Then after a visit I went to the Garden shop and bought 3 more tomato plants, 16 more hot pepper plants, and 18 green pepper plants

WOW- you were busy! I was doing a bunch of running around and still didn't get done the two things I need done here. First thing in the morning, I need to get my butt out to the barn and scrape out the breeze way with the tractor and cut the lattice and weed wack around the garden and then I can call it quits for outside. Then I need to finish laundry. Sigh.

Well, sticky is hanging in there, but he worries me. He is still not acting like the others. I hope he shows some improvement tomorrow! More wet mash tomorrow will help, I'm sure.

 

[Ivywoods]

http://www.fitsugar.com/Egg-White-Vs-Egg-Yolk-Which-Better-364527

Here is a link with a breakdown on nutritional value of egg white vs. egg yolk. There is more protien in the egg white. The yolk has more fat, cholesterol, etc. but more of many of the other nutrients are found in the yolk.

In the case of a sick chick, I think syringing in the raw yolk is fine. If you are going to scramble some up to give to your chicks, scramble the whole egg.