INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

I am so upset! I lifted my broody Bonbon out of her special coop this evening so she could go out to her favorite dust bath, and there was an egg stuck to her fluffy and a little messy rear end. The egg dropped and broke on the concrete. I didn't even notice until I brought her back to her coop. It was one of two Mille Fleur eggs! --and the chick was forming.

Last night I even trimmed her butt fluff a little because it was a little messy. I had read that it's good to take a (non-violent) broody hen out once a day if she doesn't go out on her own. Bonbon has been okay with me handling her and doing that routine.

jchny had given me hatching eggs for Bonbon (my first broody hen) -- 3 OEGB, 2 Mille Fleurs, and 1 Silkie. The Silkie egg was broken when one of the hens wanted in Bonbon's nesting box, so I moved her to the modified rabbit hutch, which she was unfamiliar with, so that's why I began opening the top and lifting her out every evening for a break, which she enjoys. I just feel sick about it although I've reminded myself that Bonbon is likely to go broody again, it's not like I need chicks, and some may be roosters. But still, I just feel really bad about it.

LonelyPageTurne~ Your purple coop looks really nice!

Well, it's official. I haz chickens!

I brought home two Black Orps, a very pretty Barnyard Mutt, two Golden Comets and two Easter Eggers. One of the EEs may or may not be a boy.

I think there's a good chance one or both of the BOs has vent gleet.

I didn't know or think to ask the seller about the poop stuck all over the chicken's butt feathers. (One was crusty, the other was not, so I think maybe only one is infected.) I did notice that they smelled positively awful, and there was a large quantity of nasty runny poop in the container they came home in. Granted the other chickens had pooped in their carrier too, but the others' poop didn't smell like hot death.

I'll give the bird a clean-up and inspection in the morning. It was getting dark when I got everyone home, and by the time I had them settled in the coop they were all falling asleep. If confirm illness, it wouldn't be unreasonable to take her straight back for a refund, right? I'm not messing around with trying to cure this thing; I'm too new to the game and I don't have an isolation place. I guess that's next on my build list. I read that VG isn't strictly contagious, but it can be caused by a variety of yeasts, fungi, and other nasty bugs I don't want passed around my new flock.

Honestly, I'm a little mad at the seller for sending me home with this bird, and not so much as saying, "Hey, this could be a problem; let's take a look."
I'm even more mad at myself for being in a hurry and not asking a question that I kind of thought I should ask.

hoosiercheetah ~ I'm glad you got some chickens, but that is terrible about the ones with Vent Gleet! It's natural in the excitement of the moment and being a newbie to feel uncertain about asking about an issue that you're not familiar with. There are many unscrupulous sellers who love to rid themselves of problems. Hopefully, you will be able to help the chickens so they won't have to return to the creep who sold them (and he might be difficult to locate by now). How old are the chickens? There's a lot of vent fleet info online, but this site has good, concise information. Backyard Chickens Vent Gleet: Prevention and Treatment
This experience will "break you in" on the sometimes gross care of chickens. You'll have to jump in sometime, so it might as well be now. Always have a box of latex or nitrile gloves and masks-- and a First Aid Kit ready. Chicken First Aid Kit

 

[Mother2Hens]

Hey guys! I just found this forum! I live in Evansville and I have two young buff orpington roosters to rehome. They are pretty boys, but I already have a rooster and these came from a bin marked "PULLETS" at Rural King. (UGH!) Anyone interested? I would trade for a lavender or chocolate orpington hen or pullet....OR...make me an offer. I would be happy to separate them. I just have to find them a good home before the rooster hormones get too much higher! They are about 8 -10 weeks old. I call them the BORBs...Buff Orpington Rooster Brothers!

Chrischick ~ Welcome to the Indiana Thread!

Please see information about our great thread on page 2629 post 26284.

Your RK story sounds familiar -- Our first 6 chickens came from an Eville RK two years ago in a bin marked, "RIR pullets" and 5 out of the 6 turned out to be boys! I posted an ad on craigslist about my cockerels and said that I was looking for a good home and they were not to be used for dinner purposes. There's usually a surplus of roosters, so it can be difficult to even give them away, but it's good to put a $10 price on them and not list as Free. I was able to trade a few of mine for pullets-- my Barred Rock, Silver Laced Wyandotte, and Black Jersey Giant, but Lavender Orps and bantam English Chocolate Orps are more expensive than Buffs. Btw, I love your creative acronym BORB! Is this your first flock? What other breeds do you have?
hoosiercheetah ~ Tip: This is a very helpful way to hold chickens to wash their behinds:

 

[hoosiercheetah]

How old are the chickens?


This experience will "break you in" on the sometimes gross care of chickens. You'll have to jump in sometime, so it might as well be now.

According to the seller, about a year old. Thank you for the links. I've read a few of the "nasty chicken butt" threads here, which is how I figured out I may have a problem, but more information is always better. I know you're right about getting into the nuts and bolts of chicken maintenance. The more I've thought about it, the less I've wanted to send them back. So, I'll clean them up and take a look today, and I'll try to get them well if I can. I am definitely going to call the guy and tell him what I find, and prepare him for the possibility of having to issue a refund if I can't get them healthy. Valuable lesson learned.

hoosiercheetah ~ Tip: This is a very helpful way to hold chickens to wash their behinds:

Thanks for that! The seller was scooping up chickens that way, and he mentioned that it was the best way to hold them, but I didn't get a really good look at what he was doing.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@hoosiercheetah

I hate to say it but so far I have only heard of people having problems when they purchase "started birds" from sellers. There are a lot of unscrupulous people out there.

They apparently know there is a market of folks that don't have experience they can sell to.




If they really have vent gleet, it is a "yeast infection" - just like people get. There is a problem internally and you have to treat for the yeast.

These are a couple things that may be of help...what I would do if I had the situation myself.

-Probiotics.
Not the stuff you get off the shelf from a farm store. The only probiotics I personally recommend is Avi-Culture. It is specifically for birds and it is the only probiotics for avian that I could find on the market that is not grown on a GMO substrate...and I've spoken to the manufacturers of all of them. (Don't be fooled...they can say "non-gmo" legally because the bacteria themselves haven't been genetically modified even if they are fed gmo items.) Here is a link for the Avi-Culture. Their website is pretty bad looking but the product is good. http://www.avi-culture-2.com/shop.html The small container will last a long time. You can put it in their water and also sprinkle on feed. I have a direction sheet I could email you if you want to see what it says.

-Washing: Rather than washing the birds off:
-If the stuff on the bottom is dry, I'd first try to trim the feathers and get as much of the matted dry stuff off as possible that way. (Hopefully you are just dealing with poor feed which will sometimes cause dirty bottoms rather than vent gleet.)

- Then...I'd get a large bucket or container in which you have dissolved some epsom salts in nice warm water. Just deep enough to cover their bottom end. Let her soak in that for about 15 - 20 minutes. You will have to stay with her to keep her in of course. If I have to do that I put a towel over the top with just their head sticking out. Helps keep them more calm.




After soaking, it should have softened up most of the stuff stuck. You can trim back whatever is necessary.


-Nustock (topical anti-fungal)
This stuff has a very strong smell but if you apply it to the bottom, it is anti-fungal. People have great success with it healing the area around the vent. http://www.amazon.com/Durvet-001-0530-Nu-Stock-Ointment-12-Ounce/dp/B000HHSIYQ I've never been able to find it locally; had to order it. But....
There are some other topical things I would recommend as well. I only use Nustock when things are bad and it actually sounds like your situation may warrant it.



Then...while you have that bird....
Check them all over very carefully. Part feathers and look for any signs of lice or mites. Check the legs for raised or gnarly-looking leg scales. Check around the ears and head, etc. There is a whole check list to look for.

I hate to say it...but usually if a bird comes with gleet/stinks, has poor feather condition, etc., there is usually a good deal of remediation needed. But usually good food, clean water, lots of room to roam, runs that are deep littered rather than just impacted dirt will all help to bring them back to health.

You might want to take a look at the "healing story" here. Read it all. It will help give you some ideas. I don't necessarily agree with everything in it but most of it is very useful in taking a look at restoring birds to health. Lots of good info there.

 

[PeacefulWalls]

I am so upset! I lifted my broody Bonbon out of her special coop this evening so she could go out to her favorite dust bath, and there was an egg stuck to her fluffy and a little messy rear end. The egg dropped and broke on the concrete. I didn't even notice until I brought her back to her coop. It was one of two Mille Fleur eggs! --and the chick was forming.

Last night I even trimmed her butt fluff a little because it was a little messy. I had read that it's good to take a (non-violent) broody hen out once a day if she doesn't go out on her own. Bonbon has been okay with me handling her and doing that routine.

jchny had given me hatching eggs for Bonbon (my first broody hen) -- 3 OEGB, 2 Mille Fleurs, and 1 Silkie. The Silkie egg was broken when one of the hens wanted in Bonbon's nesting box, so I moved her to the modified rabbit hutch, which she was unfamiliar with, so that's why I began opening the top and lifting her out every evening for a break, which she enjoys. I just feel sick about it although I've reminded myself that Bonbon is likely to go broody again, it's not like I need chicks, and some may be roosters. But still, I just feel really bad about it.

So sorry to hear about the egg! You do still have eggs left that she's sitting on? I remember some others talking about taking their hens off the nest for a break every day. With both of my broodies I left them alone and they were fine. I figured they were coming off to eat and drink, so they would take care of their other business at that time as well before returning to their nest. My buff orp broody left her nest to wander the barn so often I figured her eggs wouldn't even hatch, especially with the cold weather, but they did! I wasn't out in the barn often at the same time my australorp left her nest to eat & drink, so it made my wonder how often she left it. But I did see her enough to know she was taking care of herself.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@hoosiercheetah

Forgot to say that some of the tonics from Susan Burek may be helpful in restoration as well. These are put in the waterer. (Not together with the probiotic...in a separate waterer or just at separate times.)

The green root tonic or the mamma hen balm would both be good choices. Susan will also interact with you via email to recommend the best course. She will even make items specifically for a situation if needed. Her products are very good and made to "build health" rather than just treat symptoms.

http://www.moonlightmileherbs.com/poultryherbcart2014.html

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Well, it's official.  I haz chickens!

I brought home two Black Orps, a very pretty Barnyard Mutt, two Golden Comets and two Easter Eggers.  One of the EEs may or may not be a boy.

I think there's a good chance one or both of the BOs has vent gleet.  

I didn't know or think to ask the seller about the poop stuck all over the chicken's butt feathers. (One was crusty, the other was not, so I think maybe only one is infected.)  I did notice that they smelled positively awful, and there was a large quantity of nasty runny poop in the container they came home in.  Granted the other chickens had pooped in their carrier too, but the others' poop didn't smell like hot death.

I'll give the bird a clean-up and inspection in the morning.  It was getting dark when I got everyone home, and by the time I had them settled in the coop they were all falling asleep.  If confirm illness, it wouldn't be unreasonable to take her straight back for a refund, right?  I'm not messing around with trying to cure this thing; I'm too new to the game and I don't have an isolation place. I guess that's next on my build list.  I read that VG isn't strictly contagious, but it can be caused by a variety of yeasts, fungi, and other nasty bugs I don't want passed around my new flock.

Honestly, I'm a little mad at the seller for sending me home with this bird, and not so much as saying, "Hey, this could be a problem; let's take a look."
I'm even more mad at myself for being in a hurry and not asking a question that I kind of thought I should ask.

Oh no. I hope the other birds don't get sick. It might be too late :/

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

According to the seller, about a year old.  Thank you for the links.  I've read a few of the "nasty chicken butt" threads here, which is how I figured out I may have a problem, but more information is always better.  I know you're right about getting into the nuts and bolts of chicken maintenance.  The more I've thought about it, the less I've wanted to send them back.  So, I'll clean them up and take a look today, and I'll try to get them well if I can.  I am definitely going to call the guy and tell him what I find, and prepare him for the possibility of having to issue a refund if I can't get them healthy.  Valuable lesson learned.


Thanks for that!  The seller was scooping up chickens that way, and he mentioned that it was the best way to hold them, but I didn't get a really good look at what he was doing.

Also those chickens may be much much older than he says. It's hard to tell the difference between a year old chicken and a 6 year old chicken.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@hoosiercheetah
I totally missed that you wanted to take them back.

Again, just me.... but...
I WOULD take them ALL back and start with birds from a clean, healthy source. I agree - you shouldn't have to do remediation on birds.


I wish I lived closer. I'd accompany you and talk "technical" so he knew I was aware of what you were getting. That way I could be the "bad guy" and you could just go along for the ride.


ETA: And I wouldn't keep ANY birds from this guy...and I wouldn't take any birds at all from him. Not a swap...just a return. DON'T SETTLE FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S SICK BIRDS.

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

I totally missed that you wanted to take them back. 

Again, just me.... but...
[COLOR=FF0000]I WOULD take them ALL back and start with birds from a clean, healthy source.  I agree - you shouldn't have to do remediation on birds. [/COLOR]


I wish I lived closer.  I'd accompany you and talk "technical" so he knew I was aware of what you were getting.  That way I could be the "bad guy" and you could just go along for the ride. 

He got 5 from me and mine are clean and healthy.