INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Birdylady3]

Night all.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Wow, and you have a lot of birds! I have 34 hens and was averaging 22 or 23 eggs a day over the summer (some of my girls are quite old, so that's not bad!), but it was like around the beginning of this month, they shut down! I'm at 7 eggs a day average, 12 at most! Then again, there are a lot of feathers around, so I suspect more of them are molting than they appear.
I agree--the prices are helpful!

I know someone posted a long, long time ago that there was a Fort Wayne vet that would see chickens, but now I've learned that a vet tech that works at our cat / dog vet office specialized in poultry, which means I have had a chicken vet for a while now and I never knew it! I feel a bit more comfortable with her being that we've been taking our animals to this same vet for as long as we've lived here (which is close to 20 years, I think!). Neat thing is, she's called 'the chicken lady' by the rest of the staff, which is promising to me! A lot of times, I've read where vets will see chickens, but they don't really know enough about the birds to make good choices for their care (for instance, a friend was told by the vet that her hen was egg bound, but she was actually internally laying--two totally different conditions). If I were looking for a vet, I would rather go to someone I know has some knowledge of birds at the least, but poultry especially!

Yup, they're definitely Salmon Faverolles! Also, you can be assured they're both girls by how they're feathering in.

Ya it is sad lol

 

[EurekaChic]

I never got to learn what Easter is in german. Or silent night.

[COLOR=006400]
I didn't take German in school, but I've done archaeological research there so had to learn some to get by.

Easter = Ostern
Silent night = Stille Nacht
[/COLOR]

 

[Mother2Hens]

Wow I hope you and Adeline get to feeling better soon.

Have a question... ha ha me with a question... how do the get bumblefoot? I THOUGHT I read that it was caused by living in wire cages ??? I can see I am wrong, but now I am wondering???

chick rookie~
Thank you. Better day today! For one thing, we had sunny, pleasant weather. DH bought a back brace thingy at the drug store, which helps.

You're not wrong! Bumblefoot, or "Decubital Sore" or "Decubital Ulcer" is basically a sore on the foot that becomes infected. A dark scab will form. On the thread, we've usually assumed that the sores resulted from a bird stepping on something sharp that punctures the skin and lets bacteria in. That's one way a foot infection begins, but bumblefoot can also result from pressure sores-- just like people in hospitals or nursing homes can get bed sores-- sores on their skin from the pressure of laying down in one position for too long. Chickens can get bumble foot by having to stand on a wire cage floor for long periods, which causes pressure sores that open up enough to let bacteria in. Chickens that sit on perches for long periods because they are obese or inactive can also get pressure sores. One method to prevent pressure sores from perches is to have perches that vary in diameter so that the pressure of the feet on the perch isn't constantly the same. A wood perch could be shaped unevenly, an uneven branch could be used, or VetWrap could be wrapped around a perch unevenly. Personally, I use soft, foam pipe weatherproofing covers on my perches. It's like having memory foam perches. lol It's not like they need them though since they mostly just perch at nighttime.
I mentioned that I put Adeline's hospital kennel next to the glass doors so she could see her buddies. Purrcy, Lionel's long lost brother, decided that he has "top bunk." I just bought the pet carrier in the photo at Aldi for $15-- a great deal except it was supposed to be my chicken carrier, not a cat tent!


Purrcy also likes the view from the top.
It was taken Saturday when it rained. The chickens are grooming while they wait for
hospital visiting hours to begin.

 

[EurekaChic]

I have only taken two weeks of Spanish so far. I basically know how to count to 40 and say assorted words

Soy=I'm
Hoy=here
Presente= present
Buenas Dias= good morning
Augosto=august
Abril=April
Vocabulario=vocabulary
Numbre=number
Classe=class
Mi mejor Amiga el __________= my best friend is________.
Lunes=Monday

Plus basic stuff like señor and señorita.

There is other stuff I am suppose to remember.

I have never wanted to learn Spanish and still don't. I wanted to take 2 years if German and a year of viatmenese, but they got rid of a program and the only option is spanish, so I am pretty much stuck with it. But it is extremely easy to learn

[COLOR=006400] I speak (or at least read) several languages, including Spanish, and have found Spanish to be the most useful here in the US. But German or Vietnamese would be cool too. My best advice is to learn as many languages as you can as soon as you can, because it gets harder as you get older. I took Spanish, Latin and Japanese as a teenager, and all three were easier for me to learn than Swahili, which I took in college, or Northern Paiute, a Native American language I took in graduate school, or Portuguese, German and Russian, which I've had to learn since then. The funny thing is that I get the vocabulary of Swahili and Japanese mixed up all the time, even though the languages themselves are very different. And no, I don't remember them all equally - I can only keep a few languages 'current' in my brain at any time. I'm blown away by people who can switch between large numbers of languages at the blink of an eye. But the language I learned first (besides English) is always pretty good, and that would be Spanish. Then when I'm travelling (or doing a lot of reading) in a third language, after a while I find it coming back to me. So I guess I kind of top out at three languages at any given time. But no matter what, having the ability to speak another language is definitely an asset when you are applying for a job - especially something like Spanish since so many people speak it here.

On that note, I have a small correction on your translation. 'Hoy' means 'today'. 'Aqui' (with an accent over the 'I' that I can't type on my Kindle) means 'here'. If you are trying to say 'I am here' you might just say 'estoy', which technically means 'I am' with the 'aqui' part being understood rather than spoken (that is, the full sentence would be 'estoy aqui', but people often just say 'estoy'). [/COLOR]

 

[EurekaChic]

[COLOR=8B4513]My Aching Back[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Overdoing it with my yard work/entertaining my flock finally caught up with me.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I woke up yesterday with a bad leg and lower back pain. So annoying! I haven't decided what type of doctor to see, but I'd better make up my mind. I can feel crunching in my lower back. I won't even mention how I'm even more behind on the thread . . . I will catch up, but I want to go ahead and post the following.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Here's my experience with my[/COLOR] [COLOR=A52A2A]Jubilee Orp Adeline's Bumblefoot[/COLOR][COLOR=8B4513].[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]On Thursday afternoon, I called the vet and picked up pain meds for Adeline since I could tell she was feeling worse --limping more dramatically and sleeping in a nesting box the night before. That night I brought her inside to her hospital kennel. [/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]She had an appointment on Friday afternoon. I bring my ill chickens to Dr. Gormley who raises chickens and other farm animals. Besides his regular vet practice, he also runs a wild bird rehab clinic. Adeline was the second chicken patient that he saw yesterday. lol [/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]While I waited, he removed the scab, inspected and cleaned the area, applied antibacterial ointment, and bandaged her foot including padding. He said it was good that I brought her in before it worsened, which would have required the infamous de-kernel surgery. Just fyi-- If surgery isn't done in time and infection spreads to the bones, it's too late. I was relieved that Adeline didn't have to go through surgery, and I'm glad that I had not attempted surgery myself since it wasn't necessary. I had decided not to because I had read about the pain involved, plus the potential for excessive bleeding during surgery and infection following surgery.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]In addition to pain meds, she's taking an antibiotic. I'll bring her in on Wednesday for a re-check/bandage change.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I'm listing the charges, so that our members can gain a general idea of veterinarian treatment costs:[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Exam/Diagnosis/Treatment $40[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Batril (antibiotic) 200mg/10cc every 12 hours $22.00 [/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Torbutrol (pain) 15ml[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]every 12 hours $25.50[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I'm keeping her in her hospital kennel next to the glass doors where she can see her buddies. Dr. Gormley said she could go outside for a short visit each day if her bandage didn't get too dirty. Since then, it's been rainy.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Hopefully skies will be clear tomorrow.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Hope everyone has an enjoyable holiday weekend! [/COLOR]

[COLOR=006400] So glad that Adeline didn't need surgery and hope she improves quickly. Thanks also for the info of the vet costs. I'm also really sorry about your back pain. The involvement of the leg sounds like sciatica to me (a pinched nerve that runs from your lower spine to the back of your leg). The crunching sound you hear/feel is worrisome. If you go to a chiropractor be sure to tell them about that. If there is a possibility of disc damage (or vertebral fracture, also not good), a good chiropractor will send you off to have some images of your spine done before adjusting you, because adjustment can cause further damage if you have deteriorating/damaged discs (I have several). On the other hand, if done correctly and carefully, it can take some of the pressure off those discs. Maybe you know all this already, if so, just ignore me. [/COLOR]

 

[chick rookie]

chick rookie~
Thank you. Better day today! For one thing, we had sunny, pleasant weather. DH bought a back brace thingy at the drug store, which helps.

You're not wrong! Bumblefoot, or "Decubital Sore" or "Decubital Ulcer" is basically a sore on the foot that becomes infected. A dark scab will form. On the thread, we've usually assumed that the sores resulted from a bird stepping on something sharp that punctures the skin and lets bacteria in. That's one way a foot infection begins, but bumblefoot can also result from pressure sores-- just like people in hospitals or nursing homes can get bed sores-- sores on their skin from the pressure of laying down in one position for too long. Chickens can get bumble foot by having to stand on a wire cage floor for long periods, which causes pressure sores that open up enough to let bacteria in. Chickens that sit on perches for long periods because they are obese or inactive can also get pressure sores. One method to prevent pressure sores from perches is to have perches that vary in diameter so that the pressure of the feet on the perch isn't constantly the same. A wood perch could be shaped unevenly, an uneven branch could be used, or VetWrap could be wrapped around a perch unevenly. Personally, I use soft, foam pipe weatherproofing covers on my perches. It's like having memory foam perches. lol It's not like they need them though since they mostly just perch at nighttime.
I mentioned that I put Adeline's hospital kennel next to the glass doors so she could see her buddies. Purrcy, Lionel's long lost brother, decided that he has "top bunk." I just bought the pet carrier in the photo at Aldi for $15-- a great deal except it was supposed to be my chicken carrier, not a cat tent!


Purrcy also likes the view from the top.
It was taken Saturday when it rained. The chickens are grooming while they wait for
hospital visiting hours to begin.

I just love the kitty...

I have a large tree branch for a perch well had I have changed things around for winter. now they sit on pallet boards, Thinking I may have to do something to cover them some how?????? Will have to think on that. Thanks for the info, now I understand allot better maybe I can help them to not have to go through it. Just wouldn't know what it would be, you have memory foam like perches.. lol Maybe I should put the tree branch back in, it is big enough around that they can actually sit on their feet to keep them warm in the winter, which is why I thought it would be good for winter. I saw the design on BYC coops and thought it would be great for ease of cleaning ... with the poo board catching the night time poo and the flat of the perch would keep their feet warm. Now I'm worried about splinters and pressure points... lol
I would like to know how my grandmother did it with 100+ chickens, that don't include the ducks geese and everything else bird she had....

 

[raisinemright]

Had a great day yesterday (besides the first half at work). Cookout at my moms, then stopped at Brads and picked up a couple chickens. Even left with an extra one (Polish for my son) thanks Brad! Got home put the birds in there new home. Then left again to hang out with Kabhyper1. Great time over there as always!! Hope everyone has a good holiday!

 

[chick rookie]

Want to run my winter plans by ya'll ( yes getting a late start ) .
We are buying a 10x9 metal shed planing on insulating on the outside so as not to take up room on the inside, and we are going to split it into 2 coops, and a storage area, if you can follow me on this, this is how we think it will work:
Storage area will be in front 10x4 ( the whole front back 4 ' ) which leaves 10x5 split that in 2 parts at 1 side 4x5 and the other 6x5. the 6x5 will house 5 EE hens and 1 EE roo, the 4x5 will house 4 silkies and 2 ISA hens, ( they were raised together and do badly when apart ). Each side will have its own run with porch area for shade and snow free zone. How much run space would each need to keep they from dry lotting it? And do you think the floor space will be enough to keep them inside on real bad days? I'm pretty sure the Silkie side will be fine, smaller birds, but not sure at all about the EE's.
If I have it figured right the EE's will end up with 20 sq. ft of floor space, which I think will be 4 sq. ft. short of the recommended. No wait I just noticed I figured that wrong... the EE's will have 30 sq. ft. that should work... it gives me 6 sq. ft. more than the recommended, love talking to you guys... you help even before you answer, aint that great... lol
I don't know what the recommended is for space for the bantman's. Just guessing that the smaller the bird the less space needed. So the Silkies will have 20 sq. ft.

The Layers will be housed in the original coop.

the MF's and the special needs girls????
thinking the old Silkie house that is 50" x 38" divided in 2, 1 side for the 3 MF hens and 1 Roo. The other side with Baby girl and Shorty. With the old Silkie run divided. I know the Run will be plenty big enough, but again I don't know how much room the little's need inside.

any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[chickiebaby1]

In Salmon Faverolles, the males and females are different in appearance throughout their lives. If you looked up pictures, you may have noticed that some were more black and some were more white and brown. The black ones were the boys and the brown ones were the girls. They start showing this difference in appearance almost immediately upon feathering in. Boys grow in darker wings, mainly black, while girls grow in white and brown feathers.

A young male:




A young female:



Picture credit.

Does this coloring thing work for silver seabrights too? I bought 12 seabright chicks last week and have noticed that some are very light colored and some are much more black. Does that mean the lighter ones are girls and the darker ones are boys? They are only a week old. Also do the girls feather in quicker than boys? All the info I learn on here is so helpful. Thanks