FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[HenKeepers]

This is the 95% shade coop. It sits under the canopy of 2 amazing trees. The sun hits the coop from 8:30-9:15am. No direct sunlight after that. The nesting boxes never get any sun.

 

[vallieo]

Question hopefully some of you Floridians can help with. I hatched Ancona duck eggs very successfully, so when It came time to try my first batch of chicken eggs I was very dissapointed when only 3 made it. I had 3 hatch, 2 hatch and die one right away and one that night. I had several fully form and never hatch, or pip the shell and never make it out. I am trying again and really worried about my humidity. I don't remember exactly what I had it on the first hatch. I have found so many conflicting temps. I purchased Storey's book and found many resources online only to make me more confused. Please help. I am in south Florida and would love to get advice from those in this area about humidity and what has worked for them. I have a Hova Bator still air. Thanks Valorie

 

[poppycock1974]

Okay so while we were gone for the weekend, a nasty raccoon tried to get my girls. I know this because they tried to dig under the coop all the way around and when I finished replacing the dirt, I saw it's nasty, muddy paw prints on the cleaning door. My husband laughed at me saying I built Fort Knox a couple months ago and now it's paying off! It gave up digging (I buried the hardware cloth 12" down) then tried the cleaning door that has locks on it. I hope it doesn't come back. My girls only came out to greet me then went back in when they usually stay out til around 6 pm. I'm thinking carpet tack strips to put on the ground around the coop too.

 

[Wyandotte Blue]

Go to any feedstore or TSC. They have Wazine. TSC is open on Sunday.

Palm Beach County NO Tractor Supply Store.

Feed stores all closed on Sunday.

I would cancel the Wazine order, if it's not too late. Panting can simply be from being active in this heat, which is normal, or it could indicate something more serious. First things first. Pick up the hen that you think is in "deep trouble". Is there a bad odor coming from her mouth as she's breathing? Can you hear a rattle to her breathing? Feel her crop. Is it simply full, or is it hard as a rock? As you are holding her, slide your hand down towards the breast area. Is the bone protruding a little more than it should be? Slide your hand just a little further down the breast area, not fully under her, but between the bottom of the breast bone, and her legs. You should be able to feel her breathing. Can you feel a rattle as she breathes? Are her eyes clear? Any bubbles in her eyes? Is there any swelling around her face? Is there a discharge from her nostrils? Look at her comb. Are there any sores? Now turn her around, and at an angle so you can examine her vent area. Don't hold her upside down. If you need to, push the feathers away, and look at her vent. Any bad odor? Anything protruding? Is the vent red, inflamed, or swollen? Now set her down, and examine the rest of your birds, and let us know.

Depending on the answers to these questions after you examine your flock, I suspect it's more likely a respiratory issue, and you will need to go to your local feed store, and get an antibiotic. Tylan water soluble powder, or Tetroxy HCA soluble are usually available. Either one is fine, since they're both the same thing. Yes, it comes in injectable form too, but I personally would start with the water soluble form. Instead of individually dosing them, I prefer to mix it in their waterers, or in a gallon water jug, and pour it into their water buckets. I use the small measuring spoon, and add a little at a time to the water, stirring it with another spoon, or swirling it as I add the powder, until it just starts to change color. It will be pale yellow. Mix fresh solution every day for at least 7 days. I don't go over 10 days with it. I don't eat the eggs for at least 2 weeks after their treatment has ended. Some people prefer to go 3 full weeks.

Instead of Wazine, get Safeguard liquid goat wormer, and a dosage syringe. Safeguard treats more types of worms, including gape worm, whereas Wazine only treats roundworms. Weigh your bird, tilt it's head back, gently pry it's mouth open, and squirt a little at a time it it's mouth, let it swallow as needed, until it's gotten the whole dose. (You will probably end up wearing a lot of it the first time around, but don't worry, both you and the birds will get the hang of it quickly. The first time, don't worry about making up for any they've lost.) The correct dosage for Safeguard liquid goat wormer is .23 ml/cc per pound of bird, but rounding it up to .25 ml per bird is fine, and easier to calculate. 1 ml/cc per 4 pounds of bird. 1.5 ml/cc for 6 lbs. of bird. 5 consecutive days of worming will get rid of almost all types of worms, including gape worm. Don't eat the eggs for 3 weeks (21 days). Do NOT do the 3 ml/cc per gallon of water that is suggested by some. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-and-wormer-misinformations-graphic-pictures

The good news - I now know who one of my layers is - the beak open chicken! Before church I fed and inspected everyone and none of the chickens had their beaks open. It was cool and sun was just coming up. After church I spent over an hour in the coop performing your inspection and observing all chickens. Hence I now know who lays, at 11:00 in the morning, 1. No bad odor from mouth; 2. No rattle to breathing; 3. Crop is not rock hard; 4. breast bone not over-protruding; 5. no rattle as she breathes; 6. Eyes very clear; 7. No bubbles in her eyes; 8. no swelling around face; vent is clean and no bad odor no inflammation and not swollen. All of the rest of the birds in the same condition. This is AWESOME ADVICE and I have printed it out for future use and to supply to any friends who may get chickens. I never had any trouble before, previous chickens died of old age. Very old age. I never wormed them, either. But . . . I want to do the right thing.

I read the Wazine was good to start so you do not unload the chicken too quickly. And then go to another wormer, they recommended Ivermectrin which I use on the horses and I know that is pretty serious stuff. I read this when I typed in "hen beak open" on backyardchicken.com search engine. I will get the Safeguard liquid goat wormer tomorrow at feed store.

You say .23 ml/cc per pound of bird. Not cc but ml, correct? I use cc syringes on my horses.

Thank you for your help!!!

 

[Wyandotte Blue]

Okay so while we were gone for the weekend, a nasty raccoon tried to get my girls. I know this because they tried to dig under the coop all the way around and when I finished replacing the dirt, I saw it's nasty, muddy paw prints on the cleaning door. My husband laughed at me saying I built Fort Knox a couple months ago and now it's paying off! It gave up digging (I buried the hardware cloth 12" down) then tried the cleaning door that has locks on it. I hope it doesn't come back. My girls only came out to greet me then went back in when they usually stay out til around 6 pm. I'm thinking carpet tack strips to put on the ground around the coop too.

My coop is stationary and around the outside bottom portion I have run horse hot wire. Keep it clear so it does not short out. It has a nasty kick. Nothing will try to dig under your coop unless it knows enough to start digging several inches away and then angle inward. My chickens never leave their chicken area so they are safe, I just have to remember to step over it when I open the door to go in.

 

[poppycock1974]

My coop is stationary and around the outside bottom portion I have run horse hot wire.  Keep it clear so it does not short out.  It has a nasty kick.  Nothing will try to dig under your coop unless it knows enough to start digging several inches away and then angle inward.  My chickens never leave their chicken area so they are safe, I just have to remember to step over it when I open the door to go in.  

I feel like putting something out with a kick but I have two small children and two smaller dogs that are around the coop all the time so I have to be careful what I do

 

[Wyandotte Blue]

All of my dogs, little and large, hit it - one time. Children, yes, definite concern. I have to remember to tell anyone walking up to my chicken coop to pay attention to the wire.

 

[sewinangel]

Hi! New to this site here in Melbourne, FL!

 

[AlHawk]

Welcome SewinAngel.

I have to tell everybody that we started getting our first eggs last weekend. We have 7 hens all 19 weeks old (4EE, 3RIR). I have only matched one chicken to egg and unfortunately it's an EE with a NON-Blue egg. It's the one in the middle. The Green one (happy we got a colored egg) has not been matched to an EE yet. I know we have 2 RIR laying too.

The eggs are mostly small but they taste good. The pic on the right is what we got all week minus 2 or 3 for taste tests

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I have electric around my coops and pens. I have heard critters come in contact with it. I guarantee that they won't come back and test it again. I do put roundup under the wire to keep the grass and weeds from growing under it. and onto it.