Consolidated Kansas

[chickmama1662]

I am in Drexel. I am just south of louisburg if that helps

Yes, it does, my folks live in Princeton, KS and we go down 68 thru Louisburg to visit them. It's a much prettier drive than down I-35. We were thru there this weekend when we went to Danz to get some guineas and chicks.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Yes, it does, my folks live in Princeton, KS and we go down 68 thru Louisburg to visit them. It's a much prettier drive than down I-35. We were thru there this weekend when we went to Danz to get some guineas and chicks.

I agree, it is a better drive. Goodluck with you new birds. I cant wait to get some new ones myself..

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

I did it!!!! I have always wondered if I would know what to do if a bird was chocking.
Well, this time I did and saved a duckling. When the "swinging" routine did not work, I put it on my knee, head down, and gave it some quick firm pats on the back; It started breathing again, thankfully. Gave me a good excuse to hold it for a while while it settled down. It was talking up a storm when I put it back with the rest.

And, after signing out and then back in, I can post again. ????

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I did it!!!! I have always wondered if I would know what to do if a bird was chocking. Well, this time I did and saved a duckling. When the "swinging" routine did not work, I put it on my knee, head down, and gave it some quick firm pats on the back; It started breathing again, thankfully. Gave me a good excuse to hold it for a while while it settled down. It was talking up a storm when I put it back with the rest. And, after signing out and then back in, I can post again. ????

That is great, good job!!!

 

[HEChicken]

Hmmmm I'm bad!! Butter Pecan ice cream before 2 in the afternoon!! Sure is good!!!

Yowza - that DOES sound good. Its a good thing I have none in my freezer or I'd be off to have some too.

I did it!!!! I have always wondered if I would know what to do if a bird was chocking. Well, this time I did and saved a duckling. When the "swinging" routine did not work, I put it on my knee, head down, and gave it some quick firm pats on the back; It started breathing again, thankfully. Gave me a good excuse to hold it for a while while it settled down. It was talking up a storm when I put it back with the rest. And, after signing out and then back in, I can post again. ????

Wow - good for you. I'm afraid I wouldn't have known what to do at all. Glad you can post again.

Chickiesduckies, I have a question for you. My muscovies are 5 months old (hatched mid-May) and in the past week, one of the drakes has started to breed one of the ducks. I wasn't expecting this kind of activity until Spring, figuring they wouldn't start to lay until then. Do you know if the breeding means they're going to surprise me with eggs sooner than I thought? Or is the drake just feeling randy?

 

[checoukan]

I have a young muscovie drake out there, about the same age, and he is not doing those things, so yours must really have it bad!!! Even the big drakes are not doing those things!!!!
Thank goodness!!!

 

[mommahen10]

I'm with you all seeing the difference between city/country kids. Life is very different, we've only been in the country for 12 years so my older kids didn't get the benefit of this for all of their lives. But, we did have 6 lots in town with a creek running through and a huge garden even in town. They didn't have a hard time adjusting to the country anyway. I love it out here, I can't imagine going back to town and the more coops that go up the more anchored I feel. I don't even know who else would want this place with chicken coops everywhere and all. I think this is it, we're here to stay until we can't take care of it all.

Danz, how's your dh recovering from his root canal?

Speaking of the swap site, Trish can you just post the link to the site or PM me? I'd like to check it out.

Lizzy, I'm so happy that you will be getting your horses soon. I'm sure you'll enjoy them. It sounds like your vents are working out great, that has to be a relief.

You are all getting me really curious about the Oxine but I can't imagine that it can kill anything more than just bleach and it's so much more expensive.

Sorry it didn't work out Joe, maybe after they have time to heal up it won't be noticeable to them and you can try again. I bet they enjoy the bathtub anyway.

Dan, I'm the world's worst about guessing their gender. I find myself spending a ridiculous amount of time staring at my chickens trying to tell. But my best guess would be that both are roos.

checoukan, I've been wanting icecream all day and butter pecan is one of my favorites, sometimes I go for pralines & cream. I've seriously thought about going to town just to get ice cream, but then I think I have to add at leaast $6 in gas to the cost. That's some expensive ice cream. I'm envious.

Wow, Chickies-duckies! That sounds scary. I'm glad you were able to save your duck.

 

[HEChicken]

I have a young muscovie drake out there, about the same age, and he is not doing those things, so yours must really have it bad!!! Even the big drakes are not doing those things!!!!
Thank goodness!!!

Yeah, it doesn't look at all fun to be a duck. You know, with roosters its so fast, you blink and you miss it. With the duck, he grabs her - usually by the feathers right above the eye - and gets on top of her and her head is snaked down so its flat on the ground, sideways looking up because she is basically grabbed by the eyelashes, and it goes on for a long time. Periodically she'll try to get away from him and makes a break for it but he chases her down over and over until he's done for the time being. She doesn't seem overly distressed or I would step in and separate them but watching the performance...if I had to choose between being a chicken and a duck....chicken wins hands down.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Yeah, it doesn't look at all fun to be a duck. You know, with roosters its so fast, you blink and you miss it. With the duck, he grabs her - usually by the feathers right above the eye - and gets on top of her and her head is snaked down so its flat on the ground, sideways looking up because she is basically grabbed by the eyelashes, and it goes on for a long time. Periodically she'll try to get away from him and makes a break for it but he chases her down over and over until he's done for the time being. She doesn't seem overly distressed or I would step in and separate them but watching the performance...if I had to choose between being a chicken and a duck....chicken wins hands down.

 

[chicken danz]

Well, the ducklings started to show signs of being picked on. The crested one especially. I brought them inside from the chicken run and put them back in the brooder but then the chicks started immediately picking on them where the two Orpingtons had already done a little damage. In the bathtub they go! haha Going to spend the rest of the day trying to figure out what in the world I'm going to do with these two ducklings. Think I may integrate the Orpingtons into the coop tonight when everyone else is asleep and put the ducklings back into the run with a brooder light for warmth in an enclosure. I dunno, we'll see.

Wish me luck!

Poor ducks. Mine run together all the time and I've never had a chicken pick on a duck. One day the ducks will be bigger than the chickens and the tables will turn!!!

We took one more try with the furnace, I know it has to be something ridiculously simple at this point but we just can't figure it out. We blew the converter thingy trying this am, I told my ds to just go ahead and undo every wire we did so the repairman can come put them back together right. It's sooooo annoying, it just seems like any intelligent person who can read should be able to figure this out. So, the repairman comes tonight and I'm sure we will catch heat for messing with it but I'm anxious too to hear what he has to say. Last night when I did a chick check in the middle of the night, there was one chick who was really struggling to walk. It's legs looked spasdically contracted, super straight and stiff. It's wings and feet were also all tight. It would try to walk all straight legged and then fall over and end up on it's back, and struggle and thrash around for a bit then give up and lay there and let the others walk on him without responding. Then he would sort of come to and start scratching it's head quite violently to the point it's little ears are looking raw. I've never seen this before. This morning, it's legs still look a bit stiff but it's walking and eating and drinking more coordinately. I've seen it scratch it's head again but not so hard. I'm not sure there is anything to do but wait and see I just can't really tell what's up.

Sigh, I need to get back to the dishes.

Sure hope that furnace is running by now and it will get you all comfy warm tomorrow when the heat wave moves in.
I would agree they both look like roosters because they both have saddle feathers. But that second one confuses me because it looks like red star or sex link and in that case it would have to be female.
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Danz you are not worthless!! STOP talking like that. Ok, now you have me curious, where did you get the ozine? Guess I am going to have to get some. The polish are settled in, trying to figure out the hen/pullet with the crooked beak, why the ends of her toes are black. They almost look like they have been frozen, but It has not been that cold. Ivy looked at them and she thought the same thing. Gotta keep digging.
I'm not sure what the black toes are. I didn't notice them. Are you sure it isn't just pigmentation? I got the oxine from Revival Animal Health on line this time. If you buy 4 gallons it reduces the price and the shipping isn't any higher than paying for one gallon elsewhere for the most part. Since I use it for everything I decided I might as well stock up. The first time I got it from Lambert pet supply but that shipping hurts. I had a 10% off coupon from them but it just expired. I figure a gallon would normally last me a good 6 months or longer cause normally I mix it with the activator a gallon at a time. But I've been using it unactivated in the vaporizer about a cup at a time for several days now.
I do think if I would start showing someday I will definitely have a spray bottle with me ready to spray down everything around my birds. This stuff even killls skunk smell on your pets. I've used most of mine for washing eggs, cleaning incubators, washing chick waterers, etc. But I am always finding something new. This week I even cleaned a toilet with some.
Hawkeye, take it easy, don't push, or you may not be able oupto make your show!! Hope the "TRUCK DRIVER" see's the light, and tells the truth, surly your BIL seen him pulling off the road to the right before he started to make the U turn in front of you?

I have been kinda slow too, but I lay the blame on the lazy days of fall. Its been beautiful here, but now this crazy wind has just about taken all the fall leaves off the trees. Not ready for the rain and cold coming, but, on the other hand I am very excited about cooler temps, as I want to go hunting this weekend.
I'm not ready for cool weather either. Today was almost too hot though!
Ivy is on her way North, they are trying to get the house ready, they have someone REALLY interested in that house. They want to get it sold. When they do, they are going to go ahead and finish moving, and then she will try to get a job here then......

That is awesome someone is interested in the house. Hope they get it sold and she can get settled soon.

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Maidenwolf and Danz, I hear you on the lack of energy. I always have so many things going on and want to get way more done than I ever do. Yesterday I did finally get some more of my painting done so I am almost ready to put together my raised beds and start filling them for planting in the spring.
Sounds to me like you've got tons of energy!
I am still concerned about Ned Kelly. His beak turned out not to be an issue but he is still acting "off". I wish there were more definite symptoms. He seems to spend way too much time lying down and sleeping. Other than that though, his eyes are clear, he is vocalizing and has no congestion or discharge. I saw him poop yesterday and it looked pretty watery but one watery poop isn't going to send me into a panic. On the other hand, I didn't see him eat anything all day yesterday and that did have me concerned. He may have eaten when I wasn't there but he sure didn't when I was. And, when he did walk around he seemed to be stepping carefully and seemed a little weak. So last night I grabbed him and put him in a separate pen with probiotics in his water, and some of his gamebird feed. I worried that he was weak because all he's been eating lately is the 18% All Flock. His gamebird feed is 28% so a huge difference. This morning I did observe him eating, and he was pacing, looking for a way out. I waited until after lunch to let him out and he immediately found a place to lie down (after a getting a drink out of the regular waterer without all those nasty probiotics in it - ugh). Anyway, until he shows other symptoms, I don't know what else to do other than continue to make sure he has access to the higher protein food and good water. And hope.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed roundworms on the poop of a hen. I mean, active, moving, roundworms - quite a few of them. Ugh. And, if there are enough to be expelled, I figure there must be quite an infestation going on inside. I dosed the whole flock with Wazine, even though I know its not the greatest wormer - but its what I had on hand. They are due for their second dose of Wazine but the time in between doses gave me the chance to research to figure out a better solution. As a result of that research, I've just treated with Ivermectin so I'm really hoping this will get rid of the remaining roundworms as well as any others they might have. Valbazen came up as the best wormer overall, but I would have to order that and was able to get the Ivermectin at Atwoods without waiting for it to be shipped so I decided to go ahead and do that.

So did Ned get a thorough worming as well? I usually worm my turkeys about once a month. I notice about that time that they get thin poo. I worm them and it firms back up. I've never found a worm in any of my birds but I am sure they get them. I just try to stay pretty proactive worming them. The hens only get wormed about twice a year but the rest get wormed more often. I haven't used a wormer on the ducks or geese yet. I am scared of hurting them. I've been meaning to get some horse paste ivermectin for that.

Hmmmm I'm bad!! Butter Pecan ice cream before 2 in the afternoon!! Sure is good!!!

Yes you are bad because you made me terribly jealous!!!

I did it!!!! I have always wondered if I would know what to do if a bird was chocking. Well, this time I did and saved a duckling. When the "swinging" routine did not work, I put it on my knee, head down, and gave it some quick firm pats on the back; It started breathing again, thankfully. Gave me a good excuse to hold it for a while while it settled down. It was talking up a storm when I put it back with the rest. And, after signing out and then back in, I can post again. ????

Good move! Did you read that someone was looking for muscovies recently?

Chickiesduckies, I have a question for you. My muscovies are 5 months old (hatched mid-May) and in the past week, one of the drakes has started to breed one of the ducks. I wasn't expecting this kind of activity until Spring, figuring they wouldn't start to lay until then. Do you know if the breeding means they're going to surprise me with eggs sooner than I thought? Or is the drake just feeling randy?

Most ducks start laying at about the same age as chickens. Around 5 to 6 months. I'll be the girl will be laying soon.
Your mating description is funny! Personally I am glad I am neither a duck nor a chicken. I guarantee if someone grabbed hold of the back of my head and started flapping there would be one angry woman to reckon with!