INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Candy442]

Last set of eggs in the incubator for the year. Anyone else getting ready to hatch a few more before the cold sets in?

We are. We have 17 in the incubator, and have a last minute broody that we set 6 eggs under

 

[racinchickins]

On the positive side, While I was trying to round up the birds to put them in their pens, I walked out to the back of the barn, and there was a hen with a brand new chick walking with her. I hadn't even noticed she was missing. I have several that look like her, so I'm not surprised I missed her, I'm just surprised she was out of the pen every night for 3 weeks and nothing got her or the chick.

 

[Faraday40]

Advice please:
My 1 yr old lav orp hen is lethargic this afternoon. I know b/c when I threw some scratch near her, she only pecked a little as the flock rushed the area. (She's a big, pushy treat monster, so very unusual for her.) I thought perhaps the heat was an issue, so I gave her a quick bath. Not much of a change since. She's just hanging out under her fav tree.

Her skin by the vent doesn't look irritated & the base of the feathers look normal. Her crop is not rock hard. Comb is a healthy red. Her last egg was Tuesday, so perhaps that has something to do with it. Anything else I should look for? I'm going to try some electrolyte mix in the waterer next.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Well, it finally happened. Something got into my birds before I got home after dark. I just shut the pens when I got home and didn't look to see who was in them.

This morning I woke up to 4 dead turkeys and a dead rooster in the yard, and feathers everywhere. I know at least two other turkeys are missing, and one is one of my big white toms, so whatever it was wasn't little. I'm thinking coyotes. Looks like everyone needs to go in lockdown for a week or so while I figure out what is going on. They are NOT going to be happy.

I don't know if it works for coyotes, but the soaking of tennis balls in ammonia and setting along the perimeter of the chicken area helps with raccoon and opossums. Human male urine is supposed to work as well. Then there is hunting and traps. And some people really like their Maremma dogs.

I'm thinking you know all of this already. Just sometimes the shock of losing multiple birds at once might cause emotional forgetfulness.

Myself I lost a group of young turkeys about 2.5 weeks back. I'm guessing they flew off with some other wild birds as I didn't find any feathers or injured birds. And the meat turkeys were still hanging around . Those slow poking turkeys would have been the first to go in an attack imo.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Only looking for Welsummers to complete my flock. Added these 2 Araucana and a Lavender O today. I Love the Rumpless babies and can't wait for blue eggs! I have two blue and 1 black Ameraucana along with the 5 Easter Eggers and 2 Olive Eggers it's quite a mix!

Lovely birds! And Blue Ameraucanas are so pretty! I have a soft spot for the Silvers, but they're so hard to find!

I have a chick that is one month old tomorrow and I have nine other chicks that are closer to two months old. The chick that is one month old is already starting to get waddles, is it safe to say that might be a rooster or should I not go off that? He's the only one that I don't know the breed. he was supposed to be a black copper Marans but he is clearly not. He has to be just a mix because he has back and white feathers all over.

Does it have a pea comb and feathered legs? Kind of looks like a young Brahma to me, maybe a Brahma mix? My first impression with that picture is male, based on the comb and how the feathers are growing in. :/

Congrats @pipdzipdnreadytogo   Picture of the week on byc!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/kristins-chickens-the-littles

Aw, thanks! And they spelled my username wrong again!

Well, it finally happened.  Something got into my birds before I got home after dark.  I just shut the pens when I got home and didn't look to see who was in them.

This morning I woke up to 4 dead turkeys and a dead rooster in the yard, and feathers everywhere.  I know at least two other turkeys are missing, and one is one of my big white toms, so whatever it was wasn't little.  I'm thinking coyotes.  Looks like everyone needs to go in lockdown for a week or so while I figure out what is going on.  They are NOT going to be happy.

So sorry for your losses! Hope you can figure out what's going on!

Advice please:
My 1 yr old lav orp hen is lethargic this afternoon.  I know b/c when I threw some scratch near her, she only pecked a little as the flock rushed the area. (She's a big, pushy treat monster, so very unusual for her.)  I thought perhaps the heat was an issue, so I gave her a quick bath.  Not much of a change since.  She's just hanging out under her fav tree.

Her skin by the vent doesn't look irritated & the base of the feathers look normal.  Her crop is not rock hard.  Comb is a healthy red. Her last egg was Tuesday, so perhaps that has something to do with it.   Anything else I should look for?  I'm going to try some electrolyte mix in the waterer next.

Any change in her condition since this post? I'm not sure what else you could look for... If it were me, I would give her vitamins and electrolytes and keep her under observation for now. Sorry I can't help any more than that... :/

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I have a chick that is one month old tomorrow and I have nine other chicks that are closer to two months old. The chick that is one month old is already starting to get waddles, is it safe to say that might be a rooster or should I not go off that? He's the only one that I don't know the breed. he was supposed to be a black copper Marans but he is clearly not. He has to be just a mix because he has back and white feathers all over.

Looks like a Silver Laced Wyandotte to me.

Last set of eggs in the incubator for the year. Anyone else getting ready to hatch a few more before the cold sets in?

Yep, I have marans, turkeys still going! I think one round of guineas left too. And that's it am done!!! I swear!

2 broody scovys on eggs also.

Well, it finally happened. Something got into my birds before I got home after dark. I just shut the pens when I got home and didn't look to see who was in them.

This morning I woke up to 4 dead turkeys and a dead rooster in the yard, and feathers everywhere. I know at least two other turkeys are missing, and one is one of my big white toms, so whatever it was wasn't little. I'm thinking coyotes. Looks like everyone needs to go in lockdown for a week or so while I figure out what is going on. They are NOT going to be happy.

I am so sorry, its a terrible thing to find. If you need someone to sit with a rifle let us know. Now that they found your flock, its not over.
Coyotes or dogs. If there's any bodies left, its possibly dogs. Fox won't take on an adult tom, no way. Dogs often leave a few bodies and will kill for play or sport. Coyotes take them away to the den area. Unless you arrived and it scared them off, that is.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

On the positive side, While I was trying to round up the birds to put them in their pens, I walked out to the back of the barn, and there was a hen with a brand new chick walking with her. I hadn't even noticed she was missing. I have several that look like her, so I'm not surprised I missed her, I'm just surprised she was out of the pen every night for 3 weeks and nothing got her or the chick.

Wow thats pure luck!

Advice please:
My 1 yr old lav orp hen is lethargic this afternoon. I know b/c when I threw some scratch near her, she only pecked a little as the flock rushed the area. (She's a big, pushy treat monster, so very unusual for her.) I thought perhaps the heat was an issue, so I gave her a quick bath. Not much of a change since. She's just hanging out under her fav tree.

Her skin by the vent doesn't look irritated & the base of the feathers look normal. Her crop is not rock hard. Comb is a healthy red. Her last egg was Tuesday, so perhaps that has something to do with it. Anything else I should look for? I'm going to try some electrolyte mix in the waterer next.

I would be concerned about egg binding, I just lost a Lavender hen last week from it, totally caught me off guard. Soak her in a bath possibly tepid water worked for another hen I had earlier this year.

 

[Faraday40]

Advice please:
My 1 yr old lav orp hen is lethargic this afternoon. I know b/c when I threw some scratch near her, she only pecked a little as the flock rushed the area. (She's a big, pushy treat monster, so very unusual for her.) I thought perhaps the heat was an issue, so I gave her a quick bath. Not much of a change since. She's just hanging out under her fav tree.

Her skin by the vent doesn't look irritated & the base of the feathers look normal. Her crop is not rock hard. Comb is a healthy red. Her last egg was Tuesday, so perhaps that has something to do with it. Anything else I should look for? I'm going to try some electrolyte mix in the waterer next.

UPDATE:
No worse, but not better.
She's not running up to greet me, but she's not avoiding being picked up like a molt.. She's not drinking & eating with her usual gusto, nor begging me incessantly for treats, but she'll peck a little if offered a treat. I saw her drink once. Seems "off" but I don't know what to look for. I saw a runny (IMO) yellowish poop come out. I have her isolated tonight & am waiting to see if another unusual poop comes out. In the meantime, I'll be researching both sour crop & egg bound to see if any symptoms match hers. If anyone has any advice please let me know. Cuddles is one of those "special" chickens who regularly visits the house, appears in our Christmas photos, and is trained to do several unique party tricks.


Sorry about the unpleasant pic below, but I figured we've all seen nasty chicken poop before. If anyone has an idea for me to research, please let me know.

 

[Brat Flock]

Lovely birds! And Blue Ameraucanas are so pretty! love.gif I have a soft spot for the Silvers, but they're so hard to find!

Thank you!!! If you are looking for any Ameraucanas I found a lady in Columbus that breeds and shows 4-H she has black, blue and white.... PM me if you want her contact info

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: If they were small enough, it could be a fox. They leave very little traces of the birds they take and climb 6 foot fences like a cat. Usually though, the hens and toms would have stopped the attack. Then there is the 2 legged predators... I still suspect I have had some of that here. 2 of my best roosters went missing a day after I had work done on the satellite TV. We also had some teen kids on bicycles messing around the barn, until our friend from the PD started parking in the drive.