Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Does that make him an "un" chicken???

He was an unchicken before he got whomped.

 

[jajeanpierre]

The next day the larger of the two was lying around..not doing much. I went to pick him up and he got up and tried to walk, but seemed to be having some trouble with coordination and he was trembling. I knew he was in trouble but just decided to let him be and see if he could shake it off...maybe had a slightly impacted crop or some such. Later on in the day I saw him lying down again, so I picked him up...he stank like he was long dead and rotten and the blue bottle flies were all over him. I felt of his crop and it was mushy...I took him over by the woods and suspended him and milked his crop, causing him to vomit. He vomited up brown liquid and a long piece of trachea and some another long tissue..possibly the craw of one of the dead birds. He was hot to touch and he smelled horribly bad, he couldn't walk straight and could only take a few steps. I guessed botulism and so culled him. End of cheap meat roo small fry #1.

A dear friend of mine is an avian vet in the Middle East, specializing in falcons. He told me that a falcon could get toxic shock 24 hours after simply gorging itself and over eating. The crop won't empty quickly enough, and the meat would start to decompose. It is a medical emergency with a poor prognosis. It sounds like your chicken had a blocked or partially blocked crop and the meat parts of chicken he had eaten had started to decompose.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I'll ramble a bit too....two of the cheap meats birds were too small for processing and so I thought I'd let them free range and get some size on them with my flock. The first day they were let out to free range was on processing day. I could tell they had never really foraged before...they just wandered around slowly, pecking a bit at the ground, but without any real purpose. Later I saw them scavenging on the gut pile over in the woods but didn't think much about it...my own birds had caged several pieces of liver, testes, and fat from me during the process as well.

The next day the larger of the two was lying around..not doing much. I went to pick him up and he got up and tried to walk, but seemed to be having some trouble with coordination and he was trembling. I knew he was in trouble but just decided to let him be and see if he could shake it off...maybe had a slightly impacted crop or some such. Later on in the day I saw him lying down again, so I picked him up...he stank like he was long dead and rotten and the blue bottle flies were all over him. I felt of his crop and it was mushy...I took him over by the woods and suspended him and milked his crop, causing him to vomit. He vomited up brown liquid and a long piece of trachea and some another long tissue..possibly the craw of one of the dead birds. He was hot to touch and he smelled horribly bad, he couldn't walk straight and could only take a few steps. I guessed botulism and so culled him. End of cheap meat roo small fry #1.

The remaining roo was an ugly mixed breed, something between a barred rock and maybe a New Hampshire. Possibly 2-3 mo. old with long, gangly legs and not much tail to speak of. Very ugly guy but seemed to be doing okay in his solitary little life. He only ran into trouble at feeding time, being the lowest in the pecking order..but he was scrappy and was even running the 5 mo. old pullets off the feed now and again. One day I was feeding and then left the coop to go around to the back and collect eggs...when all the sudden I felt something bite the back of my leg!!! I turned quickly and saw little Mr. Ugly Butt running in the opposite direction. Oh, no he didn't!!!! A big, ugly baby rooster just BIT me!! First time in my life a rooster has made contact with my body. Wrong move, brainless.

So, I grabbed my walking stick that was next to the coop~in my haste, not remembering that a rooster stick needs to be lightweight and limber...more like a switch than a staff~and gave him a whomp across the back...not even a hard one. Down he went like he'd had a stroke!!! His left wing was over his back and he couldn't seem to stand up, his eyes kept closing and he went limp in a few seconds time. I killed the little sucker! It wasn't even a hard hit but it must have hit just right...so another one down. I tossed him over in the woods also and was feeling pretty badly over it. Never accidentally killed a chicken in a fit of rage before, so I was asking God's forgiveness for my hasty act of rage. Felt pretty badly about it all evening long.

The next day I am choring around and who do I see walking up the yard? Yes. Big, ugly and dumb rooster...he's a little hunched over and moving slow, but he's alive and well. Could have knocked me over with a feather! That night I checked to see where he was roosting and couldn't find him. The next day he's still a little hunkered up and moving slow, but he's getting along alright and trying to forage. I go up at dusk and found where he was sleeping..behind a trash can. Put him on the roost. The next day he's walking better, standing taller, battling for food at the feeder. He's still not too scared of me but will move away when I approach, which is the desired result...but I have a feeling we will go 'round again one day soon.

At first we were going to call him Lazarus, but I think we will now call him B.U.D.~aka Big, Ugly, and Dumb. The miracle rooster..survived a whomp from the staff of Bee and lived to tell about it. He was ranging with the Honeysuckle Gang today, so there is hope for him yet and he may learn to forage. He's still a little slow on his feet but I'm confident that will change because his inbred vigor seems to stand him in good stead.

So, there you have the story of BUD.

oh noooo you had me going there for a minute and then you said he lived I was like oh my gosh! Yeah since I whacked mine the other day he jumped on my arm he is staying back now and I'm reminding him every other day or so. I like the Lazarus name! hee hee Well I sure hope you don't have any more run ins with that one!!!

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

WBF, post a few good broad side pics of your questionable birds and let us have some fun trying to guess for you!  Love that stuff!   

Hi Bee... Wasn't able to get any real good pics of the girls because they just won't sit still... But here are a few of the ones I did take. Let me know if you think you see a rooster amongst the crowd....

 

[RoseMarie1]

Hi Bee... Wasn't able to get any real good pics of the girls because they just won't sit still... But here are a few of the ones I did take. Let me know if you think you see a rooster amongst the crowd....

VERY pretty chickens!!!

 

[RoseMarie1]

He's pretty ugly...I'll try to get a pic of him soon. He's got great camouflage, though, for the fall season...sometimes I cannot spot him amongst the leaves. I felt pretty badly about whomping him so very hard, guess I don't know my own strength. I was sure he was dead, poor guy.

I'm hoping it took the bite out of him, though....I'll whomp him all over again if he bites me again.

Just..with a switch instead of a staff...

LOL Bee you got me rolling in laughter! LOL I can just see you!

 

[Triple Willow]

@Windy Bay Farm... I am no expert but I don't see any that look like a roo. They look really good and it looks like if they aren't laying they will be soon! Perdy perdy!!!

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

VERY pretty chickens!!!

Thanks, Rose !

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

@Windy Bay Farm... I am no expert but I don't see any that look like a roo. They look really good and it looks like if they aren't laying they will be soon! Perdy perdy!!!

Thanks, TW ! I'm starting to think the same thing ! I was hoping I would have at least one roo outta the bunch, dang it ! Lol

 

[OHhappychicks]

Hi Windy Bay Farm! I just noticed your avatar. In the background, is that your watering system?