INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Oh kittydoc, I have always wanted lavender orps! So pretty, and I bet they are sweet like the buffs.

They are so sweet and gentle. Aside from gorgeous birds they are my number 1 choice breed.

Sudden death strikes again. I went out to feed today and my rescue peafowl pair were both dead, lying there cuddled together. Neither has appeared ill. I checked them for mites, signs of respiratory infection, weight loss--nothing. The only thing that I could think of is that they got hold of some bad feed, but seems that others would have gotten into that also, unless they found some that had spilled behind something and had spoiled.
I couldn't keep them for a necropsy; no way to get them to someone on a Saturday and I don't have refrigerator space for peafowl. Enjoyed them while I had them and will miss them, but I guess that's life on the mini-farm. I once had a peahen die while I was feeding--just fell off the roost.
I'm keeping an eye on everyone else, but all seem okay.

Oh no, I am so sorry to hear. They sure are not the easiest to keep. So far my pair are ok but I still have not let them free range. I may not ever release them, just give them a larger area to live in. Peas are a real challenge to keep.

 

[Mother2Hens]

@Crafty chick ~ Welcome back! It's great to hear from you! Congratulations on your human baby!

@kittydoc ~ I've been planning to check on you since we haven't heard from you for a while. You've been conveniently away during my necropsy ordeal—Haha. I can seriously understand why you've been busy— your fluffy breeding program is so exciting!
@pbirdhaven ~ That's so sad about your rescued peahen and peacock pair! What a terrible shock for you to find them. So Sorry!

@chick rookie ~ I was going to check on you, too! I knew you had your hands full with your baby goats not to mention all of your other animals. Hope your Pyranees, Buddy, is doing better and that Ransom the horse recovers from the critter sitter's big mistake. New Lacy is still in quarantine and is spoiled rotten! She loves days like today when I can take her across the street to play in the shrubs and dirt. I have to change clothes, wash up etc. and then take my flock of five out back for a while, then I repeat the process since it's been staying lighter later.
@jchny2000 ~ Like you said, three piglets sound good for the first experience for both of you. At least the mama will have plenty of milk to go around! I bet that is so fun to seem mom and babies interact.
@Faraday40 Your Cuddles is a beauty! I hope she's doing better.

I have finally gotten up my nerve to use Safe-guard for goats for my chickens (I'm worried that I will kill them). I'm going to dose them tomorrow. Is there a certain type of scale to weigh chickens? Today, I weighed a soft pet carrier (2 lbs.) using a luggage scale and then I weighed each chicken. I weighed New Lacy in a different carrier.


@pipdzipdnreadytogo ~ Since they all forage and eat earthworms and who knows what else, I guessing that they all have capillarary worms or other parasites. Considering that I never regularly wormed them, they could probably use a dose (my scientific thinking!) I would like to look into doing fecal testing and have copied the info you provided. Remember when brad selig was trying to sell a fecal kit? Anyway, I have a microscope 10,5x to 45x (to look at fossils)—never thought I'd look at magnified chicken poop! So, a microscope is a start.

Dr. Lossie/Purdue said:
Goat Safe-Guard (liquid)
Dosing 1 milliliter per 4 lbs of bird.
You will need to medicate once every 5 days for three total treatments.
Don’t eat their eggs for 14 days

I've given chicken meds in those little syringes before, but I ran across this advice on a random thread—Does anyone do this? I usually use my thumb and index finger to gently get a hen to open her mouth. Here's what someone said:

Pull the wattles down and the mouth will open, release the liquid on the tongue and immediately release the wattles so that the chicken can swallow it.
Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

 

[Mother2Hens]

Humor for your Health ~ Especially for cat lovers (like me).

 

[chick rookie]

UGh feel for you! When Dad had his open heart done, DDs were doing the feeding and care while I took care of mom and trips to Indy to see dad. They were feeding sweet feed to my hens... no eggs, thin birds. I assumed they knew the differences, but no one was reading the labels. I'm with you, I have a very hard time leaving even for a day, I just cringe. Let alone stressing about my parents care, I have a 2 page instruction sheet for every animal species care. It never fails, something happens. We have even discussed giving up our campground of 17 years, its just not worth keeping if you can't enjoy going. My parents will not go camping, they hate it. I worry most for them, so I just stay home.
I would start giving her warm soaks right away. Hopefully, it will help relax her muscles enough to allow passage. I lost a LO hen to egg binding last year, caught me totally off guard. Hugs to you and prayers tor Cuddles.

So good to see you!!! Life changes so much. Please always feel welcome here.

I am so happy for the fella, he was such a sweet boy to the hens here, and a very dominant caring roo.
LOL not fun for the day after yuk! But a "have to" ugh.
Your LO fella has certainly become THE MAN of the free range flock, even the WL roo won't cross him.

I know you understand, same boat, different river and all.

Glad to hear that Ransom has revived!

Thank You

Sudden death strikes again. I went out to feed today and my rescue peafowl pair were both dead, lying there cuddled together. Neither has appeared ill. I checked them for mites, signs of respiratory infection, weight loss--nothing. The only thing that I could think of is that they got hold of some bad feed, but seems that others would have gotten into that also, unless they found some that had spilled behind something and had spoiled.
I couldn't keep them for a necropsy; no way to get them to someone on a Saturday and I don't have refrigerator space for peafowl. Enjoyed them while I had them and will miss them, but I guess that's life on the mini-farm. I once had a peahen die while I was feeding--just fell off the roost.
I'm keeping an eye on everyone else, but all seem okay.

That is terrible, So sorry.

Humor for your Health ~ Especially for cat lovers (like me).

lol thats cute




Well been keeping my mouth shut for a few days now cause I didn't want to jinks us... we THINK we have found us a new place!!! I am still trying NOT to get my hopes up but it is hard to do. I want out of here sooo bad!!! It's only 5 ac. and 21/2 are woods but the goats will love that!! It's not the ideal setting for horses but could work. The house is bigger then we need but oh well if any of the kids need to come home we will have the rooms.... lol
The place had been used as a rental and talk about trash!!! OMG!!! junk cars, a trailer that has been tore down, and 2 old sheds that have fell down. BUT it is so far out in the sticks!! I LOVE IT

The payment is 75% less then we are making now, mainly because the current owner don't want to clean up the mess.... no butt head land lord that wont fix anything, no neighbors that LET their dog run and kill our chickens, or a neighbor that runs around with a gun strapped to her hip telling me its time we live in fear. No worrying about our roosters being TOO loud!!!! No traffic noise to keep the dogs barking all night...

AND NO COVERED BRIDGE traffic!!!!!!!!!!!

The cons: 21 miles from DH's job, 20 miles to any store. .... I'm thinking.... yep that's it. I think the Pro's out way the cons. but DH is still thinking about it.....

 

[Mother2Hens]

I'd like to live out farther away from noise, too. Urban sprawl has been taking over our once peaceful area. As far as commuting to work (your DH), At one time, I a 20 mile commute to work, and it actually was nice to have a little wake up and then wind down time before and after work.

Re worming - I meant to ask if anyone knows if it's better to give wormer to chickens during the day or at bedtime?

 

[ellymayRans]

I'd like to live out farther away from noise, too. Urban sprawl has been taking over our once peaceful area. As far as commuting to work (your DH), At one time, I a 20 mile commute to work, and it actually was nice to have a little wake up and then wind down time before and after work.

Re worming - I meant to ask if anyone knows if it's better to give wormer to chickens during the day or at bedtime?

Ive only chose early morning because i worm the peas before letting everyone else out. I have just always measured out the dosage and then tore pieces of bread large enough to soak in each dose. Put the pieces on a paper plate and some without doses so i can distract others to get the next that needs the meds. Its always worked for me but thats just what i do.

If yours will eat from your hand since you have so few that would be even better. I usually have to give a few pieces with no meds to get them fired up enough to eat because they don't care for the meds and will turn their noses up if i try giving them medicated first. Again, just what i do.

I just pick the largest chicken and provide doses for them based on that weight because safeguard is just what it says, safe, it would be very difficult to overdose. I have too many to try performing the weighing etc. for each individually.

 

[ellymayRans]

I really would like to get everyone wormed now for spring. I might have to get that done today since its so nice.

 

[chick rookie]

I'd like to live out farther away from noise, too. Urban sprawl has been taking over our once peaceful area. As far as commuting to work (your DH), At one time, I a 20 mile commute to work, and it actually was nice to have a little wake up and then wind down time before and after work.

Re worming - I meant to ask if anyone knows if it's better to give wormer to chickens during the day or at bedtime?

I will be so happy to be out in the sticks again!!! as for the worming, I always do it in the morning so I can watch them after wards to make sure all is well.

Ive only chose early morning because i worm the peas before letting everyone else out. I have just always measured out the dosage and then tore pieces of bread large enough to soak in each dose. Put the pieces on a paper plate and some without doses so i can distract others to get the next that needs the meds. Its always worked for me but thats just what i do.

If yours will eat from your hand since you have so few that would be even better. I usually have to give a few pieces with no meds to get them fired up enough to eat because they don't care for the meds and will turn their noses up if i try giving them medicated first. Again, just what i do.

I just pick the largest chicken and provide doses for them based on that weight because safeguard is just what it says, safe, it would be very difficult to overdose. I have too many to try performing the weighing etc. for each individually.

Thats how I do it too...


I'm worming goats, dogs and horses today. Fun Fun!!!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Thats my only complaint about broody anything. I pretty much only let my scovy and geese brood, it seems like most of the others give up. My bourbon red turkeys have been good mothers also.

The really weird part is that last time Margaret sat on eggs, they were infertile, but she still sat on them for 22 or 23 days until they started rotting. This time, there are babies moving around in them and she does that!! This morning, though, she's back to her dedicated sitting. I even opened the broody pen to make sure the eggs were still under her and she just grumbled at me, no signs of wanting out early again. I hope that means she's good now!

[COLOR=8B4513]I have finally gotten up my nerve to use Safe-guard for goats for my chickens (I'm worried that I will kill them). I'm going to dose them tomorrow. Is there a certain type of scale to weigh chickens? Today, I weighed a soft pet carrier (2 lbs.) using a luggage scale and then I weighed each chicken. I weighed New Lacy in a different carrier.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]@pipdzipdnreadytogo [/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]~ Since they all forage and eat earthworms and who knows what else, I guessing that they all have capillarary worms or other parasites. Considering that I never regularly wormed them, they could probably use a dose (my scientific thinking!) I would like to look into doing fecal testing and have copied the info you provided. Remember when brad selig was trying to sell a fecal kit? Anyway, I have a microscope 10,5x to 45x (to look at fossils)—never thought I'd look at magnified chicken poop! So, a microscope is a start.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Dr. Lossie/Purdue said:[/COLOR] Goat Safe-Guard (liquid) Dosing 1 milliliter per 4 lbs of bird. You will need to medicate once every 5 days for three total treatments. Don’t eat their eggs for 14 days [COLOR=8B4513]I've given chicken meds in those little syringes before, but I ran across this advice on a random thread—Does anyone do this? I usually use my thumb and index finger to gently get a hen to open her mouth. Here's what someone said:[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513] [/COLOR] Pull the wattles down and the mouth will open, release the liquid on the tongue and immediately release the wattles so that the chicken can swallow it. [COLOR=8B4513]Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?[/COLOR]

Don't worry, as Ellymayrans said, Safeguard is very safe and it takes a LOT to overdose them with it! I use a digital postal scale to weigh my girls, but it doesn't really matter what you use as long as it's accurate enough to get the doses ready for your birds. I would agree with that sentiment. If the birds are in the same environment, odds are they have the same parasites. All of the looking I've done for fecal float tests has never mentioned floating a sample from each and every bird, so I gather from that that that's the correct assumption to go by. (Wow, I've never before written a sentence with three 'thats' in a row!) I do remember Brad having a kit for it! I also have a microscope (somewhere), as well as the blank slides (somewhere...) and the test tubes (...somewhere ) needed for it. Just need the solution (and to find all of the parts...) and I can start testing it out. Yep, pre-chickening, I'm pretty sure I never even wanted to look at poop. It's life-changing. I have used wattle-pulling to get their mouths open, it's usually the first thing I try. Some of the girls cooperate with it, but some of them really don't like their wattles touched, so I have to adjust my method depending on the bird. The really important part is to make sure you don't just shoot it to the back of their mouths, because they can aspirate on it!

Re worming - I meant to ask if anyone knows if it's better to give wormer to chickens during the day or at bedtime?

That shouldn't make a difference. Just do it when it's most convenient for you. If you have any hens that you just can't catch during the day, do it at night when they're roosting and less likely to flee. If not, just whenever you have the chance.

Well been keeping my mouth shut for a few days now cause I didn't want to jinks us... we THINK we have found us a new place!!! I am still trying NOT to get my hopes up but it is hard to do. I want out of here sooo bad!!! It's only 5 ac. and 21/2 are woods but the goats will love that!! It's not the ideal setting for horses but could work. The house is bigger then we need but oh well if any of the kids need to come home we will have the rooms.... lol The place had been used as a rental and talk about trash!!! OMG!!! junk cars, a trailer that has been tore down, and 2 old sheds that have fell down. BUT it is so far out in the sticks!! I LOVE IT The payment is 75% less then we are making now, mainly because the current owner don't want to clean up the mess.... no butt head land lord that wont fix anything, no neighbors that LET their dog run and kill our chickens, or a neighbor that runs around with a gun strapped to her hip telling me its time we live in fear. No worrying about our roosters being TOO loud!!!! No traffic noise to keep the dogs barking all night... AND NO COVERED BRIDGE traffic!!!!!!!!!!! The cons: 21 miles from DH's job, 20 miles to any store. .... I'm thinking.... yep that's it. I think the Pro's out way the cons. but DH is still thinking about it.....

Sounds like a nice place, with a bit of cleanup, of course! I have a ~20 mile commute to school every day, it's not bad at all. I think you just need to your DH and say, "WE'RE MOVING."

 

[pbirdhaven]

Wouldn't be storage or others would be affected. My guess is that they found some in some nook or cranny where it had been scratched out and molded or maybe got hold of something else. They were just lying together with their heads tucked as if they were sleeping.