INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[kabhyper1]

So I have 6 girls missing feathers. From roosters, molting and I'm not sure what else, maybe mites. I Ivermectined all of them a couple days ago just in case. I really hope molt out before it gets colder. I have a feeling I am going to have some hens in the house.
Also I have found I am having a case of coccidiosis paranoia. I am going to dose all of the chooks before winter just to put my mind at ease, since I have a few fluffed up and less than energetic. This rain we've had seems to have brought out all of the creepy crawlies.

Almost have all of the in barn coops built, so that I don't have to deal with the gates being frozen to the ground this winter like last year. I'm hoping having 7 alpacas and 60 chickens in the barn will help keep it warmer this year in there.
I have a bad feeling most of my silkie grow outs are boys, but since they are getting nicer through breeding, they all look alike. Now I can't sex them even at 4 months old. They all look like girls, but have boyish qualities. I hate waiting to see what I am working with lol.
I hope everyone is doing well. I've been really busy getting prepped for winter, regular old life stuff, and having fun working with @raisinemright 's horses, so I haven't been able to get on here and be very involved lately. Pretty birds everyone. Have fun at your swaps. Don't forget we have an Indiana byc page on fb too. Hope I didn't break any rules posting that.

 

[flyladyrocks]

I know what you mean about parents...My mother has always taken my current interests in stride.

In the 80s and 90s, I bought several repossessed houses, fixed them up, then sold or rented them. We had numerous family gatherings in my homes that were without walls or ceilings.

I've always had stray or foster animals that were hanging out while I worked to get them a forever home. Mother would always get little Xmas stockings and put their names in glitter for Santa to find them.

Then came gardening, canning, and now chickens. Everybody in the family knows their names and personalities. At family gatherings, the kids like to feed the chickens, watch them peck, and gather the eggs.

Mother hasn't made them little stockings with glitter names yet--I'm pretty sure she's waiting this one out to see if it's a phase.

 

[ChickCrazed]

I am lucky, most of my family is comprised of crazy animal lovers. I have the most animals and the most types of animals but I don't get any grief from anyone. They all duteously ask how all the animals are when I talk to them and love hearing stories about all the antics.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I am lucky, most of my family is comprised of crazy animal lovers. I have the most animals and the most types of animals but I don't get any grief from anyone. They all duteously ask how all the animals are when I talk to them and love hearing stories about all the antics.

My family totally gets it - I have been a chicken crazed person from the time I was like three, so they just know that's who I am. Plus, we had a small farm growing up so animals are just a part of what is "normal" to us. DH, on the other hand, was raised as a total *city slicker* and he and his folks have taken some breaking in as we have slowly acquired our various animals - have to hand it to them, though, they embrace each new addition with an open mind. DH's dad even came out for a week's "vacation" to help build the barn when we got the first horse and did some work on the coop while he was out here this summer. His mom wasn't quite sure how to take it when we named a chicken after her, lol. They ask about the animals just as they ask about the kids when we talk.

 

[pginsber]

Pretty confident my dad will never like the chickens. He pretty much dislikes "outside" in general. I had to laugh about your "phase" comment. I think my parents have given up hope on that one. I am the wierdo and I think they gave up waiting for me to grow out of several phases awhile ago! Twenty plus years means it is not longer a phase! My mom is the one who takes things in stride more than my dad. If we ever end up getting goats, I can just imagine my dad's reaction to that one!!

Hmm, I am sure if I mention the glitter stockings to my daughter, they all will have one!

GOATS--YES!

We've been tossing around the idea of pygmy milk goats for a year now. We have a list of several pros and a few cons for having goats.

We recently became foster parents of 2 puppies that were recovering from parvo. Now, we're considering becoming permanent adoptive parents of these puppies, because they fulfill some of the benefits the goats would.
For example: the goats (puppies) would be good company for our dog, the goats (puppies) would be good learning experience for DW, we would love the goats (puppies) and give them a good home, etc.

I know if we keep these puppies, we'll not get goats. Maybe that's a good thing, I'm not sure...remains to be seen.

The cons are: you can't milk a dog (ew, gross!), and you can't bring a goat in the house with you at night (again, ew, gross!)

 

[ChickCrazed]

GOATS--YES!

We've been tossing around the idea of pygmy milk goats for a year now. We have a list of several pros and a few cons for having goats.

We recently became foster parents of 2 puppies that were recovering from parvo. Now, we're considering becoming permanent adoptive parents of these puppies, because they fulfill some of the benefits the goats would.
For example: the goats (puppies) would be good company for our dog, the goats (puppies) would be good learning experience for DW, we would love the goats (puppies) and give them a good home, etc.

I know if we keep these puppies, we'll not get goats. Maybe that's a good thing, I'm not sure...remains to be seen.

The cons are: you can't milk a dog (ew, gross!), and you can't bring a goat in the house with you at night (again, ew, gross!)

I smell a foster failure! LOL I would think bringing the goats (dogs) in the house would be a PRO! But then again for me they tend to take up prime real estate on the bed. I tend to toss and turn at night and i have to carefully levitate, flip and land back in my same exact footprint on the bed or I risk squashing a canine or two. The plus side is that they keep me warm when I am too cheap to turn the heat up!

 

[flyladyrocks]

The cons are: you can't milk a dog (ew, gross!),

Okay, so that reminds me of the "milking the Cat" scene in Meet the parents. Hysterical! In case you haven't seen it:

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Afternoon everyone, I really hate to bother you, I have been searching all morning about round worms.  I found some in my coop this morning.

I have 2- 8 week old chicks, 17 hens (1-1 1/2 yo), 1 rooster (1 yo), 12 -9 week old turkeys poults. The turkeys are housed separately.  I found the worms in the hen house with the hens, rooster and chicks.

I have never wormed them and all of this reading, medicine names,  dosage, etc I am getting confused.  I will enclose a pic of the worms in question. I believe they are round worms.

How would you treat for these?   I do value all of the information you offer.  I do not care to eat the eggs while treating the birds if that makes a difference.  I would prefer to throw them out.

Do I treat the chicks any differently than the hens?

Do I treat the turkey poults any differently?


Do you know if I have to worry about my outside cats getting them as well?  I do know that I had a dove nest knocked down out of a tree about 3 weeks ago.  The babies have been staying in the chicken yard.  I'm not really sure how to get "rid" of them.  Any suggestions on that will be helpful too.

Thanks in advance!

Deb

I have no turkeys or turkey experience, but I can help you with the chicken part of this.

I use Ivormectin pour-on, but I have read where a lot of people have recommended using Wazine first. It's totally up to you, though, on which you use. I think Wazine is safer for younger birds, but it isn't as strong and can't be used often as the worms will become immune to it. It only works for round worms. Ivormectin is stronger and covers a variety of parasites, internal and external, but again I think Wazine is safer for younger birds.

Wazine has 2 strengths, 17% and 34%. I think I see 17% more often. The dosage for Wazine 17 is 2 tablespoons per gallon, provided for 24 hours. I imagine for Wazine 34, the dosage would be half that.

If you do go for the Ivormectin, the dose is 1/2 cc for large fowl and 1/4 cc for bantams and younger birds, dropped directly on the skin under the wing or on the back of the neck. I don't remember for sure, but I believe the youngest I have used Ivormectin on was around 4 months. (It's sad I don't remember, I was just posting this info not that long ago. ) I'm not sure I would go much younger than that.

I'm not sure if there are different species of round worms for birds than for mammals, so I can't answer your question about the cat. For the doves, though, the only thing I can think of to do is to shoo them out and cover the pen with bird netting to keep them out.

So I have 6 girls missing feathers. From roosters, molting and I'm not sure what else, maybe mites. I Ivermectined all of them a couple days ago just in case. I really hope molt out before it gets colder. I have a feeling I am going to have some hens in the house.
Also I have found I am having a case of coccidiosis paranoia. I am going to dose all of the chooks before winter just to put my mind at ease, since I have a few fluffed up and less than energetic. This rain we've had seems to have brought out all of the creepy crawlies. 
Almost have all of the in barn coops built, so that I don't have to deal with the gates being frozen to the ground this winter like last year. I'm hoping having 7 alpacas and 60 chickens in the barn will help keep it warmer this year in there.
I have a bad feeling most of my silkie grow outs are boys, but since they are getting nicer through breeding, they all look alike. Now I can't sex them even at 4 months old. They all look like girls, but have boyish qualities. I hate waiting to see what I am working with lol.
I hope everyone is doing well. I've been really busy getting prepped for winter, regular old life stuff, and having fun working with @raisinemright
 's horses, so I haven't been able to get on here and be very involved lately. Pretty birds everyone. Have fun at your swaps. Don't forget we have an Indiana byc page on fb too. Hope I didn't break any rules posting that. 

Uck, yeah, I have a few hens that are practically bare at the moment. I'm just glad they're doing this now! I had one hen, rest her soul, that would molt between December and January! That was what finally did her in--being naked during winter weather. :/

On the topic of coccidiosis, are these adult birds that have been exposed to the ground before now? If so, they are likely not suffering from coccidiosis as they should have built up an immunity to the inactive cocci in the soil and have a strong enough immune system to fend off the active cocci in the wet weather. I would not treat adults for coccidiosis unless I was positive that was what they had, since the two most common meds for coccidiosis are either very harsh on the gut or actually blocking nutritional uptake. Just my opinion there. My girls huddle a lot when it's raining, too. Maybe they're just glum?

And I am still jealous of that barn of yours! I wish I had a nice, big building to put all my birds in for the wintertime! It'll be interesting to see how this winter goes with the usual two coops, plus quarantine over the winter with the ducks I will hopefully find next month.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Ugh, this semester has been unnecessarily stressful thus far. My first calculus test had a full 20 points banking on one problem in which I had to remember how to extract an equation from my graphing calculator, and I couldn't for the life of me remember how to do it. (Yup, I know how to now! Probably will never forget how to after that! ) I've been all doom and gloom since last Tuesday, when the test was taken, as a result. The good news is I got pretty much everything else right and managed 78% on that test. I don't feel so bad for losing out on that question now.


Fortunately, German, the class everyone has been telling me is so tough, hasn't been so bad. That's my stress-free class this semester. (Well, okay, I get nervous about tests no matter what the subject, but otherwise I haven't had issues in German!)

I've said before, but having the birds to come home to has really helped me keep it together. Love my biddies. Speaking of, Sora, my unwell red sexlink hen, is back in action and acting as if nothing happened. Naughty girl probably won't learn from this experience, I'm sure. But oh, well.

 

[Faraday40]

My family totally gets it - I have been a chicken crazed person from the time I was like three, so they just know that's who I am. Plus, we had a small farm growing up so animals are just a part of what is "normal" to us. DH, on the other hand, was raised as a total *city slicker* and he and his folks have taken some breaking in as we have slowly acquired our various animals - have to hand it to them, though, they embrace each new addition with an open mind. DH's dad even came out for a week's "vacation" to help build the barn when we got the first horse and did some work on the coop while he was out here this summer. His mom wasn't quite sure how to take it when we named a chicken after her, lol. They ask about the animals just as they ask about the kids when we talk.

My first female Crested Cream Legbar hatched on Mom's Bday, so it's named after my mom. Of course, when a male hatched, I just had to name it after my dad. I ended up selling my dad's namesake, so I'm not sure how he feels about that. (At least we didn't eat him.) LOL