INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[funnyfarmmom]

Snowing here, everyone is hunkered down in the coops. No piglets yet, I hope she waits til the weekend when its a tad warmer.
When does everyone start their tomatoes and peppers? I am wandering all over looking at seed websites lol. I will plant a lot more corn
this year. Our new food saver has me so pleased. Cant wait till I put it to some real use.

Ive already started peppers and tomatoes . I ordered seeds from Annie's Heirloom seeds. Ordered on a Tuesday and had them by Saturday with just standard shipping.

 

[Hholly]

Snowing here, everyone is hunkered down in the coops. No piglets yet, I hope she waits til the weekend when its a tad warmer.
When does everyone start their tomatoes and peppers? I am wandering all over looking at seed websites lol. I will plant a lot more corn this year. Our new food saver has me so pleased. Cant wait till I put it to some real use.

I have usually started tomatoes and peppers by now. But am a few weeks behind this year. However, for tomatoes, I always have had volunteer plants in the garden that grow as big as the ones I start in February. So, I'm thinking of direct seeding for tomatoes from now on.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Originally Posted by ChickCrazed I was like, "Whaa—free necropsy?!" I couldn't find anything about it, so either they no longer provide the service or I overlooked the info.

In searching, I ran across this from the www.inpoultry.com website:
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Bird Health Awareness Week is February 21-27
Click here info about Photo Contest, Videos, and Webinar.

This is happening tomorrow:
Webinar & Twitter Chat
Register online for a free webinar on Thursday, February 25 from 2-3 PM EST. The webinar will feature poultry experts, including an APHIS veterinarian, a CDC veterinarian and the Chicken Whisperer. Learn about biosecurity, health and safety, and tips on choosing and raising backyard birds.
Register Here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the information you need to join the webinar.
We are also running a concurrent Twitter chat using #chickenchat2016. If you have questions for our experts, you can submit them in advance on Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag - or ask them live on Twitter during the chat!
@pginsber ~ Your flock is beautiful — love your photo. Is that a Bielefelder on the bottom right?
Posted by iamfivewire
went to get chicken feed today, & this little rascal jumped into my car while i wasnt looking :


@iamfivewire ~ How sweet! Just one? What breed?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Today went well. The goats and our single chicken have bonded.

I'm currently looking for a part time babysitter to come to my place. It would be an evening / night time gig. If anyone here is interested or knows someone, please message me. I was looking on the care website but it charges money just to send potential sittters a message.

I am glad to hear that! My poultry love the goats, they catch any wasted grain. Its so hard finding a dependable sitter. Hoping the right person turns up soon.

Quote:
I am drooling over Bakers and a few other heirloom sites. I love the bicolor sweet corn from RK, It grows no matter what. Am sure its not a non GMO, I still hope to get there soon with all our food. I have a lot to learn for gardening, am really researching it this winter. After our entire plot failed last year I plan to learn a lot more before I plant.

Quote: Our plot is still "too new" I guess, we have only planted 3 years. Have still a lot of weed issues, even though I was weeding daily. i really prefer to sow directly but weeds overtake the plot.We may need to decrease it until I can master the most important crops. I do not want to use roundup etc, too many beekeepers locally. I hope more experienced gardeners will post, its a very good way to also feed your flock healthy natural foods. My hogs and goats love the cornstalks and fresh cobs once we have stripped the corn off. Myself I will eat a tomato, pepper or onion whole if its fresh, love veggies. How does everyone deal with weed control in a large garden plot?

 

[Mother2Hens]

Thank you all who have provided support and advice throughout my flock health crisis!
I can relate so much to how @Acornewell feels right now (top of pg. 4640). I can't imagine going through this confusing experience without the support of our exceptional Indiana Thread members!!

Originally Posted by ellymayRans
That is all so confusing. Ive read this and all of your other posts about little Screech and i don't understand. So is there really no answer to "was there Mereks" understand not necessarily the cause of death but what do you really know as for Biosecurity, your new girl Lacy. ..?? Etc? I have never sent in a bird, granted most all of mine have been predator losses or cocci when younger but I would rather have not had any info than to be in your position right now.

As for wormer, the safeguard they recommended is what i use on all of my flock due to its broad range of worms it treats. All around great wormer and i rotate it with Ivomec as needed. I have wazine, i have never opened it. Lol..

I'm really sorry about all you've been going through...its good you have the communication via email with them and if i were you i would keep asking questions until you feel comfortable with the answers.

@ellymayRans ~ For my own sanity, I made this list below. (and yes, I still have questions, and I'm glad they're doing what they can to answer them).

This is my summary of what I've learned:
1. Pathogenic microorganisms are everywhere—just waiting to attack vulnerable chickens! Or maybe they have already!
2. Although combating these evil agents seems impossible, practicing biosecurity is better than nothing.
3. Some diseases can't be diagnosed, so educated guesses are offered.
4. Have fecal tests performed before worming to prevent drug-resistant parasites.
5. Raising chickens is gambling with uncertainty, but they're worth it!


@pipdzipdnreadytogo posted:
PHEW, it's enough to make your head spin!! I read all of your posts, and I'm still not sure what the diagnosis is here!

Join the club! Haha There is no official diagnosis! Just comments like "most suggestive of."
So... does this mean that they agree with worming first with Wazine to prevent an intestinal blockage from dead worms? Or was this in regards to your vet's recommendation of Wazine? (I did look it up, and according to what I read, Safeguard (Fenbendazole) should be fine to use without a pre-emptive wormer for the same reason that Valbazen (Albendazole) is, so I'm just wondering on this.)
No, my vet had said to use Wazine, and when I asked Dr. Lossie/Purdue about it (since you astutely questioned my vet's recommendation), think that Dr. Lossie assumed my vet meant using Wazine first to "prevent worm die off and impaction."
Dr. Lossie said: In terms of de-worming we usually recommend using Goat safeguard (liquid) and dosing 1 milliliter per 4lbs of bird. You will need to medicate once every 5 days for three total treatments. In terms of deworming first with Wazine to prevent worm die off and impaction, I will check with my advisors.
(I don't know why he said that unless using Wazine first is sometimes done).
Anyway, I can get this locally at TSC, but now I'm wondering if Dr. Lossie meant that I should have fecal tests done on the other chickens first—or is it a given that if Screech had threadworms, the others will, too?

It's never easy to lose animals, i'm sorry for that. Sadly, whether it's chickens, horses, swine, or dogs, if you were to perform a necropsy on every animal you ever lose you would be amazed at all that is going on inside that doesn't materialize outside. Cancers, legions, abscesses, they are there in every animal you, or I, or any other member here has.

I know it doesn't really help, but it's the sad truth. Bottom line is you shouldn't feel bad about any of it. Your birds are comfortable and happy, the fact that there weren't external signals is probably evidence that your birds were incredibly happy.

Animal health is complicated, and when they can't tell you that they are in pain or discomfort it's worse. All we can do is care for them the best we know how and provide for them. You do that as well as anyone. Don't let yourself get down on yourself.

I appreciate your thoughtful post. It's true that we don't know what's going on inside our beloved animals' bodies. It's sad and frustrating when I feel like I'm taking good care of them, but bad things happen. I'm sure all of us have felt that we've let our creatures down. I've questioned whether my daily field trips with my flock, digging worms, yard work , etc. have overexposed them to disease causing microorganisms—but they absolutely love our excursions. I know that the benefits outweigh the risks. Better a good life than living in fear.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@Mother2Hens I sure am following your roller coaster and its such a confusing nightmare. Hugs to you

and those who know me, am not a hugging type lol. Dr. Lossie has been an awesome support with AI. He has offered to attend our next Chickenfest for a Q&A. I am just so amazed the reports can't tell you what the real reasons are...aside from capillary worms, hard to imagine thats the only reason.
I am still chasing off the canadian geese and wild mallards. Sparrows are also invading when they can, and I released 5 cardinal boys from a coop last weekend that squeezed in. I am resigned to the fact if i allow free range my birds could be exposed to several things. If they are confined, just as much so! I just cannot accept penning any bird without a free range option. Just does not feel right for me. So hard to make choices, ensuring our birds can have a normal healthy life.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I am researching another forum regarding bumblefoot in waterfowl for a newer forum member. So far, this has been very informative...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1066081/duck-with-bumblefoot-warning-viewer-discretion-is-advised
Please understand the duck did have surgery via a vet, and some pictures are graphic.
Waterfowl are extremely hardy but still need us to be sure they are in good health.

 

[Mother2Hens]

@Mother2Hens I sure am following your roller coaster and its such a confusing nightmare. Hugs to you

and those who know me, am not a hugging type lol. Dr. Lossie has been an awesome support with AI. He has offered to attend our next Chickenfest for a Q&A. I am just so amazed the reports can't tell you what the real reasons are...aside from capillary worms, hard to imagine thats the only reason.
I am still chasing off the canadian geese and wild mallards. Sparrows are also invading when they can, and I released 5 cardinal boys from a coop last weekend that squeezed in. I am resigned to the fact if i allow free range my birds could be exposed to several things. If they are confined, just as much so! I just cannot accept penning any bird without a free range option. Just does not feel right for me. So hard to make choices, ensuring our birds can have a normal healthy life.

Coincidence! I was just googling Dr. Lossie, and the Chickenfest thread came up with Barb's posts about him coming to our last (cancelled due to AI) Chickenfest.
Thank you for your cyber-hug! lol

Re your comment: capillary worms, hard to imagine thats the only reason...
Necropsy Report — Page one says:

Histopathology comments are inconveniently on page two:

Capillary worms "not likely" related to the cause of death? Back to square one!

I had thought that the cause was mycoplasmosis, but it says "most suggestive of."

If they can't prove a cause, they can't list it as a cause. In the mind-boggling world of chicken diseases, some findings can't be proven.

And I agree with you — I want my flock to continue free ranging in the fenced-in backyard and going on my supervised trips to other parts of our yard. I know that wild birds are a problem here, too, but there are many things like that in nature that you can't control. Like I said on my earlier post, I do what preventative things that I can, but it's also important to me to let them enjoy foraging. I don't want to keep them in a bubble to protect them—they'd peck their way out, anyway!

Speaking of dangerous things like dirt filled with all kinds of microorganisms, here's my quarantined Lacy from @chick rookie enjoying a dust bath today. Since the weather was bad, I went across the street and dug out a piece of chickweed and grass to add to Lacy's indoor bath for entertainment. She loved it! I've been taking her over on nice days, but she has to play inside on cold days. She has really helped me cope with Screech's ordeal.

And she's been laying an egg every day!

My remaining five girls are doing well, and I spend time with them every day as usual. It's kind of sad to see only five of them, but I am happy for each day that they are enjoying.

Can't wait to see pics of your little piggies that will arrive soon!

 

[dennislambert79]

I was wondering if anyone sells their eggs? And for how much? My fiancé and I are trying to figure out a good selling price because we've had a lot of people ask us if we sell them and they want to buy them off us.
This is what I was thinking, when it comes to our family we would give them for free, only thing we ask if they save and return the egg cartons.
For other people I was thinking (and I know my price is a little high but good reason) for a dozen and a half $5.00. For a dozen $4.00. Then if they given us cartons back $2.00 off making a dozen and a half $3.00 and a dozen $2.00.

I sell mine for 3 dollars a dozen. I've gotten lucky where I was given a lot of egg cartons for free. I've only had a few random people stop for eggs so if I don't have those cartons coming back it's no big deal. Mainly I've got repeat customers so they give cartons back.

 

[Indyshent]

I've looked at it and for the life of me can't figure out how to bid or to see what the bids are. Thanks for the info!

Join the group to bid. Bidding is just messages under the pictures and description. If you don't see any comments, click on the picture. All bidding is in the comments, so you have to look through them to find the high bid.