From tragedy comes growth

[fifenashia]

Thank you drumstickdiva!

 

[fifenashia]

*Update*

Spring has sprung here in the bluegrass. Chicken math has once again taken over here on the mini farm.

Chicken coop has been ravaged by the goats, they even broke the door so we ended up ripping it off completely. I have the whole thing enclosed with plastic sheeting for now (4mm) but I DO plan on boarding it up as a barn/shed. The hen house wood floor is rotting and bowing, so the plan is to rip that out and putting in new floor, then stacking some milk crates up for nest boxes. It will be more of a shelf then an enclosed house.

Then I picked up 5 new hens and a new roo. The ladies have been moved to the transitory housing out in the yard. I took the goats old crate, and placed it on top of wood and straw (we had a ton of rain and it tried to flood). They are toasty dry and they also have a hide box in there to escape to. The crate has wood on 2 outside walls and the top of it. One wall is left open and pushed against the chicken coop wire so that the babies and hens can get to know each other safely.

My roo though, poor roo developed wry neck last week. I took him to southern states last Saturday in order to see if anyone had experience with it. All the old timers say the same thing; cull him. I refuse to! So they gave me another baby roo chick. Great, 2 roo's and 9 hens... This could be interesting.

So I posted here on BYC and no one helped, only one commented and it was to apologize for not having more information. Grrr I'm getting frustrated. So I did some research.

Then I bought a bunch of vitamins and started making an icky smelly paste that I hand feed him multiple times a day. No significant progress yet, although his appetite has increased which is great! I am going to track what I do from here on out in order to better provide answers for those looking later down the road.

Week1: Saturday through Thursday
2 Tbs hot water
200mg selenium
500mg B12
200mg Vitamin E
1/2 Egg
2 Tbs chick starter

*His appetite picked up and I started to need a double dose just because he was eating so much! His neck is still weird though and he can't hold it up on his own.

Week 2: Friday
I increased Vitamin E to 400mg, added 2 ml of poly-visol (without iron) and increased the egg to a whole one. Then I read that medicated chick starter can interfere with vitamin absorption so I started using the adult feed until I can get un-medicated chick starter.

Let's see how he does this week....

 

[fifenashia]

Almost a month in and the newest roo has moved outside with the girls. They are all adapting well. Rocky started recovering and we were taking him outside but the bigger birds, ducks and goats freaked him out and he would run in circles. So he started to backslide and the past 2 days have seen almost a complete 180 the wrong way. It may also have to do with the more his head straightened out, the less I was able to hand feed him. I think he wasn't getting them as needed which led to the relapse.

So this morning I crushed a selenium capsule and put a vit E tablet in the poly visor bottle and gave him one full dropper for breakfast and again for dinner. He hates it and it takes forever. He pretends to be asleep haha but I put it on the beak and lift his head a bit which triggers him to swallow.

I am a little worried tonight though as I was sitting on the back steps feeding him and he spazed out leaping from my arms and literally bouncing on the ground 2-3 steps below. He seemed okay but I gotta tell you, this bird is giving me serious grey hair.

The drakes are jerks and I thought some ladies might calm them down. Nope, they rejected the female Pekin and brutally "attacked" the sweet little mallard. So I took her back and have put one of the boys up on here for a new home. Crossing fingers!

Everyone else is settling in for the night and I am so relaxed after spending the evening with my babies. Now we are looking into bunnies! Won't that be a hoot 0_o

 

[fifenashia]

Good evening! Jerk duck found a new home today! He leaves tomorrow and I'm optimistic that the remaining male and the new female will be able to be calm and happy now.

Rocky looks better and we are developing a routine, not sure how long I need to do these vitamins but with jerk duck leaving tomorrow then rocky might be able to go out with the ladies soon.

Things are settling down and looking up.

Oh and new bunny comes home tomorrow, boys named him bunnicula already. Lol

 

[fifenashia]

What a peaceful night! Willy (the remaining male Cayuga) was forlorn this morning but since he has Miss Dolly to keep company with they have spent the rest of the day getting to know each other. Don't tell them, but I totally saw them snuggling together earlier. He has not bothered the hens at all today and his eye looks better already! He enjoyed the warm compress tonight and the antibiotic treatment was easy. Then I let him sit in the kitchen and binge on blueberries as a treat for being such a good patient. My suspicions appear accurate so far, Chilly was the instigator and troublemaker. He has a new home though and his owner is a great guy whom I know personally. I feel great knowing jerk face is as least being cared for.

As far as Rocky, another day with direct poly visol droppers and his neck is a little stronger. I took him down to hang out with his buddies and that helped too. He then came up, ate, got his medicine and is now tucked in with his girls. I don't know if he will ever be fully recovered but worst case scenario, i'll get rid of my comets who are picking on him. At least the babies accept him for now. His other rooster gets happy when I bring him out and will not leave his side. It's adorable to watch. Loyalty only goes so far cause when blueberries come out its every man for himself and poor rocky just doesn't have the muscle control to win that one!

All in all, a peaceful night on the farm. We are finishing the fence this weekend and tomorrow starts my newest project. A rabbit hutch!!! We are up in the air between the Flemish Giants and the double mane lion heads.

Never a dull moment!