First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[Morrigan]

DK -- That's a shame. We had to send two this year off to freezer camp early. One with a hurt leg and another today who was just not eating, not walking, and generally doing poorly. She was 5+ weeks and only dressed out at 1 lb 5 oz (for comparison the rest of the flock is between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 lbs live weight. Sometimes certain birds just aren't as hale as others.

My chicken life continues on a downward spiral. Last night the weasel struck again and killed two more CX chickens -- that's 3 so far. Their whole run in fenced with no-climb fending, has a net on top, and is surrounded by two rows of electric fencing placed 2 inches and 6 inches off the ground. The only part that's not fenced is the gate and I put boards over that after the last attack. I don't know how that rotten thing is getting inside. We checked the fence, it's live and it would take a lot of luck to manage to slither under the wires so as not to get shocked. We're pulling out our hair.

We are going to round up the meaties tonight and put them back in the shed, with a locked door, for the night. It's a little more cramped, but more secure. I'm going to look for some small gaged screening to run around the entire fence perimeter so as to eliminate any chance that it is somehow crawling under the 2 inch electric wire and slipping through a hole. I would think stupid luck would get the thing shocked a couple of times and scared off. None of my dogs will go near the fence after one shock. Maybe weasels have a higher tolerance for pain?

 

[duluthralphie]

BERT UPDATE:

Bert was brought into the house tonight. I never thought we would be the type of people to have a chicken in the house.

I soaked his foot for about 15 minutes in warm water and disinfecting soap. We lanced (by "WE" I mean my DW) she is use to this stuff from her job.

We then expressed the bloody mess. Then applied antibiotic. and bandaged his foot.

We gave him an oral antibiotic.

Then feed him some yogurt and yogurt water mixed.

He is now spending the night in the bathtub. I wanted to let him run loose in the bathtub, my DW insisted on the box. BUT do not let her cruel demeanor fool you. She was nearly crying when she was talking to Bert and comforting him. I think she actually likes Bert. BUT everyone that knows Bert likes him.

He did not fight or squirm a lot. He took it like a trooper.

Here are a few pictures of Bert's medical treatment and a selfie he took:

 

[holm25]

Morrigan weasels can fit in a hole the size of a penny so they're probably coming right in the fence!!

 

[Morrigan]

Go Bert! I'm rooting for you.

holm -- I know weasels can squeeze through small spaces. But you're right, they can be really, really small. I was hoping that they would be brushing up against the electric fence and that would convince them to leave the place alone. I really didn't think they would get shocked, and then look for weaknesses in the fence.

We going to look at everything tomorrow and see how we can make it more weasel proof. Last Fall's success, I think, left me with a false sense of confidence.

 

[Turkeytruff]

What an exciting day!!!!! I go out feeding a while ago and notice the black nest box was moved over. I straighten it out and under is a 6 ft snake. I quickly put it back and go looking for Clint. We opened the cage and let out the chickens and he went in an shot him. Mad because it took two bullets. Also mad because I banged on the house and woke up Aimee. She sleeps so seldom and blew it for her. Panic will do that for you. Sorry I feel no guilt for this. The shots would have woken her anyways.

Yesterday I got my 16 Black Australorp eggs and today I got the incubator. I'll set it up and fill it up with those and my white rocks. Hope for a great hatch.

yikes! I like finding little garter snakes here but I would be freaked out by a 6 foot long copperhead

We are rattlesnake country too.. luckily none have shown up! A couple huge rat snakes, but I like them.

Ralph- yes, you do have mosquitoes bigger. I have been eaten alive by them.

Holm- glad Ralph was able to set you straight. Shirley Temple is sprite with grenadine (maraschino cherry juice). Waste of time for the rest of us B&G folks, like he said. Unless it is the morning after a couple of cocktails.

LOOKIE WHAT I HAVE


Inside for the night, tomorrow they will go to the outside brooder. I am just selfish and don't want to check on them in the snow/rain business we have happening.

MM they are gorgeous!!! Hope they enjoy their new home! And yes (hangs head in shame) it was the second batch of eggs that that $%*&££! incubator cooked! Grrrr! I thought I had fixed it. I only use it as a hatcher for lockdown, my Brinsea 40 does the first part brilliantly. So now I have dug out the old Brower metal tub and have hatched out 2 sweeties today and have another 12 in for tomorrow. As an incubation addict, (No I haven't made it to any meetings yet - I'm too busy hatching

) I have a continuous throughput. Last year I had my incubators on from Jan 1 to Sept 5th.

BERT UPDATE:

Bert was brought into the house tonight. I never thought we would be the type of people to have a chicken in the house.

I soaked his foot for about 15 minutes in warm water and disinfecting soap. We lanced (by "WE" I mean my DW) she is use to this stuff from her job.

We then expressed the bloody mess. Then applied antibiotic. and bandaged his foot.

We gave him an oral antibiotic.

Then feed him some yogurt and yogurt water mixed.

He is now spending the night in the bathtub. I wanted to let him run loose in the bathtub, my DW insisted on the box. BUT do not let her cruel demeanor fool you. She was nearly crying when she was talking to Bert and comforting him. I think she actually likes Bert. BUT everyone that knows Bert likes him.

He did not fight or squirm a lot. He took it like a trooper.

Here are a few pictures of Bert's medical treatment and a selfie he took:







Aw, he looks so despondent in this picture.





Poor dear Bert! And what a lovely job your DW made of that bandage. He is such a sweetie, I hope he gets well quickly and gets back to the toad making business

.

 

[JessicaThistle]

So, wow! I think I looked on here like two days ago and there wasn't much to read. I come on here today and had 6 pages to catch up on. Just wow! So I read it all and promptly forgot all specifics...so here I go:

For anyone that lost a chicken or has one not doing well, I am very sorry. I also had an instance this week where I found a dying hen. She was not going to make it under any circumstances, but I could not put her down. I am an absolutely inept chicken farmer. I set it all up and knelt beside her in tears wanting her to pass so I did not have to do it. I finally found a guy to do it for me. Yep, I pulled the damsel in distress card. I admit it. I suck. But in my defense, I have just spent the last 20 years as mother, wife, caregiver to the elderly. My job was to keep people alive, not take life. I am going to have to work on myself in this area. I know.

For anyone new to this thread. Welcome!!

For everyone with new baby CX: Woohooo! Post all those pics and your experience here. I want to live vicariously through you all right now.

For those with CX with issues (DK): I agree that recovering a cx is very hard. I have tried it on several with little success. I'd process her too and you have done NOTHING wrong!! Do not blame yourself. CX are fragile.

Morrigan: I'd be up all night sitting there waiting to get my hands on that weasel!!

Ralph: OMG get Bert better! I could not stand him not being okay!! That would break Sunny's heart! She has dreams of travelling to Minnesota some day.

So many eggs in incubators...so fun!

Oh and remember someone needed a gin and tonic and I need to make a Shirley Temple from Holm. Oh dear. I'm gonna post the egg business stuff in another post!

 

[JessicaThistle]

So here is my egg business update:

The chicks are 8 weeks old this week. My goodness they are half sized hens now! I lost 3 to piling from them getting a freak out because I caught my dogs jumping in their pen. Also, the adorable little roo left us. So I am down to 303. Still on the packing peanut side of things.

The 1st group from the farm that I brought home of 93 pullets, now has 70 layers! These girls are doing great, looking super healthy and happy.

My personal hens that caught bugs have been dusted and are fine now. My hen that was doing poorly from it has completely recovered back to her normal self. What a relief!! I am also getting eggs from all of them. So happy. My silkies are now broken from their broody and should start laying again anytime. Sunny hasn't been laying, but I don't worry about it. She enjoys parking herself next to the baby chick pen and visiting with them. It's very sweet! She does delights me.

So, on to the hens at the farm: The goal is to finish up this chicken tractor and move all 400(plus or minus) to the acreage that we have arranged within the week!

Here are pics from today:


This is the feeder. It will hold roughly 400 pounds of feed. On the left and right side are built in autofeeder sections for grit and oyster shell. A water barrel will go on either side of the feeder with one waterer serving the inside from one barrel and the other serving the outside.


This is the inside view of the nesting boxes. We will be adding curtains for privacy.


This is the back side of the nesting boxes before being enclosed. The floor of the nesting box is sloped so the eggs will roll out the back to this area for collection.

The floor of the nest will raise at night so the hens can't sleep in the nest and dirty them. They will lower early in the morning so the girls can go in and lay their eggs. The red boxes on the left in the pic are the control boxes with timers and such.

 

[Morrigan]

Wow, Jessica that is quite the operation you have there. Very nice!

 

[duluthralphie]

Jessica that whole contraption is just so cool...


Bert is still in the bath tub, I got up during the night and gave him a 1/2 cup of water, my DW claims she got up twice and fed him 2 cups of water and one pack of yogurt...

She always thinks she has to outdo me! She did say this morning "Bert, is so cool when I give him water, he is not afraid at al he just leans over and starts drinking"

She is now a chicken expert, she says his head feels warm and he has a fever.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Thank you! The pictures don't do it justice. It is absolutely awesome! When we get it all done, I am going to do a video. I promise!

Ralph: Your dw does know that chickens have a higher temp than us, especially CXs right? It is very sweet that she is helping with Bert. I think he will crack her and she's going to become a crazy chicken lady like the rest of us.