INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I also had a great time at chickenfest and appreciate all the hard work you ladies out into it for us!

I stopped at our county fair today and wow was it pathetic! I sold birds to several people (all of which were way to young and not developed enough, IMO) and found out they were classing them by meat birds, white egg layers and exotics. Nothing about their true classes (asiatic, feather foot bantam, etc). Majority of the hens had all thei back feathers missing from being bred, sickly chickens (silkies eye matted shut), and no variety. I honestly have a larger variety at my house than I saw there. Barred rocks being shown as exotics! Not one bird appeared to be conditioned or cleaned for showing. Majority were meat birds (Cornish crosses). It was a serious let down. I was hoping to find some nice birds locally to get new breeders from. Definitely not going to happen!

A LOT of county fairs are like that. Ours is too. Very few birds I would even consider buying. I would go to a show like Lebanon and there you will see some real chickens and lotta of nice people. Lots of breeds to meet and NICE chickens to buy. I buy a lot of chickens from there and only not been happy with a. Purchase twice.

 

[Thriftymom6]

I know it's late but I wanted to post my first hatch with a broody hen. I think the temp drop may have affected the hatch rate. But I must say brad that they are so adorable

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Trying to upload a pic from my phone DD sent. My OEGB hen had a stash of eggs, so I moved her and them to a broody cage.
They started hatching tonight.. and they have feathered feet, whaaaaaat? somebody was hiding in the woodpile?!?
She was in with a blue bantam cochin roo in the Bantam pen... so am expecting thats the dad! She did not like the silkie roo I have, and was way too fast for him.
Really had not planned to hatch any more bantam but couldnt make myself take the eggs. They were already developing well.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

This is a Bantam Old English game, (red pyle) hen. She isn't fully matured yet, and her comb is very small.
They are AWESOME moms.

 

[kabhyper1]

Here's a puzzle for someone to solve. Sneezing , loss of depth perception, occasional runny eyes, lethargy. Im leaning toward inner ear issues, and am giving tylan. If anyone else has an idea , Id love to hear it. Thanks.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Here's a puzzle for someone to solve. Sneezing , loss of depth perception, occasional runny eyes, lethargy. Im leaning toward inner ear issues, and am giving tylan. If anyone else has an idea , Id love to hear it. Thanks.

Is she eating? The lethargy is the biggest concern. I am so sorry, its terribly painful to see any of them miserable

Depth perception, Same symptom with my poor turkey hen. If we have a lot of rain, she gets a sinus infection. eyes get drippy and itchy, and I use the terramycin ointment for her eyes. Dusty dry and windy days also bother her. She does not see well close up, pecks towards her food, water but needs guided to find it. I do not move or change locations of food and water dishes for them, ever. Her one eyed tom helps her. My hen eats very well, has good body mass. She will plunge her head and neck into a water bucket! I can't give her a regular waterer, she would dehydrate. I feel like I may have to face it and have her necropsy'd. She isn't lethargic tho, very lively, active and HATES roosters! I had a young mutt roo wander all the way over to their pen, I thought she would rip the fence down wanting to attack him

She is such a sweet girl towards people, if I see she is suffering that will be the time I do it. She still sits on my lap and trills like a poult. She can fly up onto the roost.. just can't see things well close up, like she is farsighted! I keep them quarantined from my other birds, but they still get to come outside the pen to eat clover and socialize with mom.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I know it's late but I wanted to post my first hatch with a broody hen. I think the temp drop may have affected the hatch rate. But I must say brad that they are so adorable

So tiny and precious! what are they? I see some bantams, mom looks like a BA?

 

[kabhyper1]

Is she eating? The lethargy is the biggest concern. I am so sorry, its terribly painful to see any of them miserable
Depth perception, Same symptom with my poor turkey hen. If we have a lot of rain, she gets a sinus infection. eyes get drippy and itchy, and I use the terramycin ointment for her eyes. Dusty dry and windy days also bother her. She does not see well close up, pecks towards her food, water but needs guided to find it. I do not move or change locations of food and water dishes for them, ever. Her one eyed tom helps her. My hen eats very well, has good body mass. She will plunge her head and neck into a water bucket! I can't give her a regular waterer, she would dehydrate. I feel like I may have to face it and have her necropsy'd.  She isn't lethargic tho, very lively, active and HATES roosters! I had a young mutt roo wander all the way over to their pen, I thought she would rip the fence down wanting to attack him She is such a sweet girl towards people, if I see she is suffering that will be the time I do it. She still sits on my lap and trills like a poult. She can fly up onto the roost.. just can't see things well close up, like she is farsighted! I keep them quarantined from my other birds, but they still get to come outside the pen to eat clover and socialize with mom.

Just checked on her, full crop. Shes not really lethargic i guess, just lays around. Probably because she doesnt see well. Shes in my bathroom with lily.I did notice something else, her pupils are dilated and dont react to light. Not irregular though, so i dont think occular merecks. The vet i talked to said probably not marecks. Shes eating and drinking, jst cant find the food very well. So weird that this happened so fast.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Its so hard to decide what to do. I will not cull an alert active bird that is eating, drinking and thriving.! Please don't assume Merrick's or even mention it until a vet tells you. That's become such a catch all for illnesses, its just sad and has cost so many birds their lives without confirmation. Nerve damage, paralysis is a more common indication. There are several respiratory diseases I would look at before the "Merrick's" scare.
I am so sorry you are going thru this, its scary.

 

[raisinemright]

I also had a great time at chickenfest and appreciate all the hard work you ladies out into it for us!

I stopped at our county fair today and wow was it pathetic! I sold birds to several people (all of which were way to young and not developed enough, IMO) and found out they were classing them by meat birds, white egg layers and exotics. Nothing about their true classes (asiatic, feather foot bantam, etc). Majority of the hens had all thei back feathers missing from being bred, sickly chickens (silkies eye matted shut), and no variety. I honestly have a larger variety at my house than I saw there. Barred rocks being shown as exotics! Not one bird appeared to be conditioned or cleaned for showing. Majority were meat birds (Cornish crosses). It was a serious let down. I was hoping to find some nice birds locally to get new breeders from. Definitely not going to happen!

You should have come up to whitley's fair. Not huge but it had a good amount of birds. And the Cochins we got from you were there. Just pullets not full yet but they showed nice. I think whitley's poultry's club is a good one for the county size.