INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I have marked that auction. It looks like that is much cheaper than the hand model others have suggested to me. Someone actually suggested a commercial styled miniature version of a cow pump, including a giant metal milk storage area costing well over $1,000. While I don't have arthritis, I'm thinking the pumps are cleaner. No way for bugs to fly into the jar like there would be if I was using a pail.

I did join the ADGA, but I'm not that great at using their member directory search system. I have an email into a Nubian goat owner from the Indiana Dairy Goat Association. I guess i can call him if I don't hear back soon. The breeder I got my goats from said she did not offer stud services due to the bio security risks. I'll give her a call soon too.

As for the Oberhasli, I don't think she will be in heat until at least March. I do plan to get breeder info from you then. No need to mix the breeds, over all I'm for breed improvement, not just getting a kid. That is one reason I'm having trouble with my nubians. there was a random person at the feed store that offered to bring his boer stud over. But that is not really what I want. Sure it would get me the milk but most likely I would be stuck selling the kids for almost nothing, maybe not even enough to cover the stud fee.

I have an awful problem.

I have at least 5 birds sick with something. They all have different symptoms though. Some I can hear wheezing and they he has a gooy yellow discharge coming from one nostril. Two others are just lethargic and have crusty eyes, to the point they can not open them, and another is just very lethargic, doesn't want to move or anything, but isn't showing any kind of symptoms, and most of them have an awful smell and their feathers are matted where they tuck their heads in their wings to sleep. I have them all separated and have been treating them with warm VetRx head soaks and Terra-Vet in their water. (I have actually been feeding the water to some of them manually, because they do not seem to want to drink. Mister Polish (the one that was wheezing ) seems to be doing better this morning, but the ones with crusty eyes I'm not sure. I'm I doing the right thing. I can't stand the idea of having to cull these birds, I have watched my polish Roadrunner grow from a chick.

Is there anything else I can do????? And also what in the world would have caused this?

I have not done anything different with the birds, except change their bedding and cleaned their coop a few weeks ago. I have not been around any other chickens but my own and I have not introduced any new birds. I am at a total loss at to what caused this. Can any of you guys help me PLEASE??????

Sounds like it might have come from wild birds or the new bedding.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Anyone here going to the show in Knoxville and would be nice enough to bring back a few birds for me?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I am using the term, "chocolate" as that's what his original owner described him as.  Regarding the genetics, @ki4got is the one to ask.  She's the genetics guru.  I hope she'll stop in and comment on this

[COLOR=900000]Yay, genetics! Well, if she does chime in, perhaps she can correct me if I'm wrong here, but if your fellow is genetically chocolate, you can find out by test crossing him to a black hen. If roughly half of his offspring from this cross are chocolate / dun and the other half black, he is genetically chocolate (either sexlinked or dun based). Taken a step further, if from this cross he only produces chocolate daughters and black sons, he is sexlinked chocolate; if the sexes of his offspring are split between the colors (as in, some male chocolate and some female chocolate, etc.), then he is dun based chocolate. [/COLOR]

@pipdzipdnreadytogo your lil ducks sound adorable. Would love to keep a few bantam ducks, am very interested in the east india breed I see on occasion. Its a someday project for me right now, they won't be able to free range so it means another coop and very secure.

[COLOR=000090]Are they not the cutest little duckies? I don't know how well she will lay, but I can share some eggs from Trudi once she starts laying next year. Or, I do plan on hatching some of her eggs over the summer next year, and I'd be glad to hatch out some babies for you if you want. (Anyone else, too! I hear calls don't have much of a laying rate, so I'll probably hatch the majority of what she lays. ) The only thing will be getting them from way up here all the way down to you!

Black East Indies ducks are pretty nifty, too! They're so shiny! A lot of people think they are a variety of call duck, but they're a bit different in shape. Apparently, they're teeny-tiny, too, though! That's what I like about the calls, they are so small! Well, and now that I own them, I can say I love their cute little noises and the way they waddle across their pen together and when they get to splashing in the pool! [/COLOR]

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I have an awful problem. I have at least 5 birds sick with something. They all have different symptoms though. Some I can hear wheezing and they he has a gooy yellow discharge coming from one nostril. Two others are just lethargic and have crusty eyes, to the point they can not open them, and another is just very lethargic, doesn't want to move or anything, but isn't showing any kind of symptoms, and most of them have an awful smell and their feathers are matted where they tuck their heads in their wings to sleep. I have them all separated and have been treating them with warm VetRx head soaks and Terra-Vet in their water. (I have actually been feeding the water to some of them manually, because they do not seem to want to drink. Mister Polish (the one that was wheezing ) seems to be doing better this morning, but the ones with crusty eyes I'm not sure. I'm I doing the right thing. I can't stand the idea of having to cull these birds, I have watched my polish Roadrunner grow from a chick. Is there anything else I can do????? And also what in the world would have caused this? I have not done anything different with the birds, except change their bedding and cleaned their coop a few weeks ago. I have not been around any other chickens but my own and I have not introduced any new birds. I am at a total loss at to what caused this. Can any of you guys help me PLEASE??????

[COLOR=900000]I'm so sorry to hear your birds are having issues! :/ Sadly, with what you're describing, the prognosis is not good. I agree with Leahs Mom in that it sounds like Coryza. Coryza notoriously causes cold-like symptoms plus a nasty smell. Birds infected with Coryza remain carriers even once symptoms have gone away, and they can continue to spread the disease to any new birds they come into contact with. Of course, as Leahs Mom also said, there is no way to be absolutely sure what it is without testing--we can only provide our best guesses based on what symptoms you describe.

On the question of how it got to your birds, well, there are a number of ways, honestly. Unfortunately, these diseases can be carried on clothes and shoes, and if someone with an infected flock wears their soiled shoes to the feed store, it can be picked up and tracked home by unsuspecting shoppers. It's possible as well (though significantly less so if you haven't seen any cold-like symptoms in your birds in the past) that your birds have been carriers all this time and something has stressed them into showing symptoms, such as the weather changing. And as Sallyinindiana pointed out, wild birds are another way diseases can travel from flock to flock, though not as often and MG is usually what's carried. Unless you are totally biosecure and wild birds are unable to get near your birds, there are several possibilities for disease to reach your flock. :/

As for treatment, I would recommend switching to Tylan. Terra-Vet is a Tetracycline, which is not as potent as Tylan, and Vet Rx only treats the symptoms, not the cause. You can continue to give them Vet Rx if you think it's making them more comfortable, but if you switch to Tylan, I would take them off the Terra-Vet. There are several forms of Tylan, but the most common is the injectable. Tylan injectable can be given orally if you are nervous about giving a shot, although you may sacrifice some potency in doing so. The dose for Tylan 50 whether injecting or giving orally is the same, 1/2 cc for large fowl and 1/4 cc for bantams once a day, but you do this for 3 days when injecting and 5 days when giving orally.[/COLOR]

I just noticed that you stated a foul smell. That is characteristic of Infectious coryza. HOWEVER...... YOU CAN'T KNOW FOR SURE WITHOUT A CULTURE SWAB.

Sounds like it might have come from wild birds or the new bedding.

 

[kabhyper1]

Thanks for the nice ovations guys. I never have figured out if you can reply to those or not, so I'm doing it on here.

 

[ellymayRans]

Well I won the 24 hour hatching egg auction!! Lol! Since losing my only AM pair to predators recently I decided to get more! Beautiful looking birds and eggs. Keeping my fingers crossed they fair the shipping ok! They are Wheaton and Blue Wheaton AMs! Don't worry I'll post pics of eggs..hatching and chicks!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@jchny2000

Interesting milker! Looks like he incorporated a hand-held food saver vacuum sealer for the pump. That would be a good option if you don't have many to milk. And it's especially nice that you can still use it if the electricity is out for some reason.

I think this is what he's using there??
http://www.target.com/p/foodsaver-f...496&LID=3pbs&ci_src=328768002&ci_sku=11295496

Sure does look like it! going to save this link, If my pump quits maybe I can replace it with that! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I have an awful problem.

I have at least 5 birds sick with something. They all have different symptoms though. Some I can hear wheezing and they he has a gooy yellow discharge coming from one nostril. Two others are just lethargic and have crusty eyes, to the point they can not open them, and another is just very lethargic, doesn't want to move or anything, but isn't showing any kind of symptoms, and most of them have an awful smell and their feathers are matted where they tuck their heads in their wings to sleep. I have them all separated and have been treating them with warm VetRx head soaks and Terra-Vet in their water. (I have actually been feeding the water to some of them manually, because they do not seem to want to drink. Mister Polish (the one that was wheezing ) seems to be doing better this morning, but the ones with crusty eyes I'm not sure. I'm I doing the right thing. I can't stand the idea of having to cull these birds, I have watched my polish Roadrunner grow from a chick.

Is there anything else I can do????? And also what in the world would have caused this?

I have not done anything different with the birds, except change their bedding and cleaned their coop a few weeks ago. I have not been around any other chickens but my own and I have not introduced any new birds. I am at a total loss at to what caused this. Can any of you guys help me PLEASE??????

Lots of good advice already. I am so sorry they are sick, good luck.

I caught a small raccoon in a rabbit trap in my back yard yesterday. It was already missing an eye and smelled like the rotten things in the bottom of a dumpster.

Lock up your chickens, the enemy is everywhere.

Yes, been seeing them all over the place at night.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
You can pick these up at most Walmarts and/or Meijers. If you're out shopping you could take a look at them and see if they're the same as the one you have. There ARE a couple of different versions of them so if one doesn't match the other may.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Well I won the 24 hour hatching egg auction!! Lol! Since losing my only AM pair to predators recently I decided to get more! Beautiful looking birds and eggs. Keeping my fingers crossed they fair the shipping ok! They are Wheaton and Blue Wheaton AMs! Don't worry I'll post pics of eggs..hatching and chicks!

Awww, you lost your AMs