INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[ellymayRans]

Need some help please. Can Mareks be seen in a chick of 4 weeks old that is indoors? From what I've read, it say usually between 12-20 weeks old. I have a chick that was flopping around yesterday morning in her cage, seems to have lost the use of her legs and was using her wings to stay upright. But when I picked her up and set her legs into my hand, she stood up. I thought maybe vitamin deficiency, and gave her some poly vi sol, but she has stayed the same, legs spread and wings holding her upright. She had splayed legs when she hatched but it was corrected within that first week and was walking fine until now.

Mareks from research I've done all say no. On occasion some will have issues from hatch following death even after a week. I have seen flipping as if convulsions at a very young age due to mites/lice after being hatched by a broody. Even in older chicks displaying what appeared to be paralysis due to mites from lumber used to build brooder that was stored outdoors. Over the years seeing these symptoms even by a peachick broody raised..falling over off balance I quickly treated with Ivomec eprinex drench and see immediate results. It takes no time at all for external parasites that manage to find their way to the chicks and their tiny bodies can't handle the toll they take on them. Lice you can see if you have pretty good vision. Mites you will not typically. It wasn't until I culled an entire brooder batch that I hatched from shipped eggs I panicked then once the birds were gone the brooder was crawling with what looked like thousands of mites!! Just sayin'.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Newbie here. 1st season with birds. I have a small flock of hens in Greene county.
Nice to see there is great place for info and advice.

Thanks

Newbie myself. It's been a big help and great resource for me. Welcome.

Welcome! I was lucky to find this thread a few months after @jchny2000 started it. I was a newbie then. I've been more or less "a regular" on our Indiana thread for over 2.5 years! We have friendly, helpful, and supportive members. We're glad you found us!

Need some help please. Can Mareks be seen in a chick of 4 weeks old that is indoors? From what I've read, it say usually between 12-20 weeks old. I have a chick that was flopping around yesterday morning in her cage, seems to have lost the use of her legs and was using her wings to stay upright. But when I picked her up and set her legs into my hand, she stood up. I thought maybe vitamin deficiency, and gave her some poly vi sol, but she has stayed the same, legs spread and wings holding her upright. She had splayed legs when she hatched but it was corrected within that first week and was walking fine until now.

I consulted my "Chicken Health for Dummies" book which says that the age that Marek's disease affects chickens is older than 6 weeks. I just found the info online: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-recognize-problems-of-growing-chickens.html

 

[Mother2Hens]

I just discovered that one of my lav orp pullets has a cracked beak. Otherwise, she looks OK.

I'm trying to debate if I should try to clip the beak, superglue, or just leave it alone.

I offered a bite of bread which she ate. Do I need to separate her for feeding?








Thanks in advance for any help.

This article may be helpful: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/01/repairing-chickens-broken-beak.html

 

[CharlemagneRoost]

@SallyinIndiana - thanks for the info. I decided to process them myself, as I can find the time. Butchered two cockerels this evening and got them in the pressure cooker in short order to make some soup. Turned out pretty good.

I hatched an over abundance of boys this year, so I have some more I will be putting in the freezer.

Still have more culling decisions to make before winter sets in. Hard choices - especially when they are rare breeds like the ones I am raising.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@SallyinIndiana - thanks for the info. I decided to process them myself, as I can find the time. Butchered two cockerels this evening and got them in the pressure cooker in short order to make some soup. Turned out pretty good.

I hatched an over abundance of boys this year, so I have some more I will be putting in the freezer.

Still have more culling decisions to make before winter sets in. Hard choices - especially when they are rare breeds like the ones I am raising.

Its certainly a hard choice. I cut my prices down if it comes to it, but I won't just "give away" an expensive bird either! I do a lot of trades also, but I have become a lot more particular what I take in. For me its always case by case. Is this bird worth keeping, do I have room etc. Many of my free range flock are birds that would be a total waste to just put in a pot. We also do process a handful at least once a month, mean birds go first!

 

[daskhan]

@SallyinIndiana - thanks for the info. I decided to process them myself, as I can find the time. Butchered two cockerels this evening and got them in the pressure cooker in short order to make some soup. Turned out pretty good.

I hatched an over abundance of boys this year, so I have some more I will be putting in the freezer.

Still have more culling decisions to make before winter sets in. Hard choices - especially when they are rare breeds like the ones I am raising.

Wish I could have a chance to buy before the culling began

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: PM's to other folks is the best route. BYC wants actual pricing and selling to be posted on BST (Buy Sell Trade) or by PM (personal messages)

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hang on for some rain tomorrow and Wednesday! We really need it. Getting our posts set for the new pastures has been a real headache. Our friends, local farmers are breaking the plow blades and rippers in less than 90 acres! We need to turn over our garden plot and our lil JD790 is struggling to do it. My chickens love when we turn the garden over, lots of awesome bugs. They follow the tractor scratching and gobbling them up.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

RIP My Precious Blue Splash Silkie, Ditzy

1 year and 10 months old


My DS and is GF were just visiting the chickens and said they hadn't seen Ditzy. Since she's a loner, I didn't think much of it but went out to look for her (1:00pm). I jokingly told them, "I think Ditzy has a death wish because I always find her standing out in the open by herself." While looking for her I noticed two small piles of her feathers near each other. I had about feeling about a hawk since I recently witnessed a failed hawk attack. Then I found her body decapitated, and hard as though she'd been dead for a while It was probably 20 yards away down in a totally different section of the backyard, somewhat hidden or at least not noticeable at first. I'm really confused about what did this. According to my Predator Chart, a decapitation is from a raccoon, mink, weasel, or bobcat. I have seen raccoons before, but not lately. I let the chickens out this morning at 7:00am CST, and it was cloudy and more dusk-like than normal. Ditzy was the last one in the coop when I let them out, so I actually picked her up and set her outside the coop and went back to bed.
Has anyone found their chickens decapitated/de-cropped? I just can't believe it. She was a funny, sweet creature. I laid her body by the other chickens so they could get the idea that she's no longer with us.

Raccoon or possum is my gut feeling on this horrible event. I had cooper/sharp shinned hawk go after the silkie trio I had last year, and my frizzle rooster was left in a similar condition. Another possible predator. There was a pair that my guineas attacked and killed but was too late for my frizzle. I had my trio in a mastiff sized wire crate in the shed. They actually squeezed between the bars and got my roo, had to grab the 2 hens out, and it attacked me! Let the hawk out, came right back. My guinea got it. Not 20 minutes later the other hawk was back, and the guineas nailed it as soon as it flew into the shed. All that was left of my poor fells was his head, feathers and skin.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

I think I would retape the legs in case she is having muscle or nerve trauma. Where did the chick originate from?

I bought eggs from Mermaid's Cottage Farms in Virginia. The 2 cockerels seem to be fine. I might try and retape her legs.


Quote:

Welcome! I was lucky to find this thread a few months after @jchny2000 started it. I was a newbie then. I've been more or less "a regular" on our Indiana thread for over 2.5 years! We have friendly, helpful, and supportive members. We're glad you found us!
I consulted my "Chicken Health for Dummies" book which says that the age that Marek's disease affects chickens is older than 6 weeks. I just found the info online: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-recognize-problems-of-growing-chickens.html

Thank You will definitely read.

Mareks from research I've done all say no. On occasion some will have issues from hatch following death even after a week. I have seen flipping as if convulsions at a very young age due to mites/lice after being hatched by a broody. Even in older chicks displaying what appeared to be paralysis due to mites from lumber used to build brooder that was stored outdoors. Over the years seeing these symptoms even by a peachick broody raised..falling over off balance I quickly treated with Ivomec eprinex drench and see immediate results. It takes no time at all for external parasites that manage to find their way to the chicks and their tiny bodies can't handle the toll they take on them. Lice you can see if you have pretty good vision. Mites you will not typically. It wasn't until I culled an entire brooder batch that I hatched from shipped eggs I panicked then once the birds were gone the brooder was crawling with what looked like thousands of mites!! Just sayin'.

Thank you, I will check for lice or mites, even though my eye sight is not that great anymore. The brooder is a large plastic rabbit cage (like a bird cage) in my basement, but I do use pine shavings. So will check for little creepers. In case I do find something, I have Ivermectin pour on for cattle, can I use that on chicks? I have been working on stocking my first aid kit.