Isbar thread

[KYTinpusher]

Yeesh sorry, that's just as bad as what I'm dealing with! From a few suggestions I've been given on another thread: Feed scrambled eggs the first three or four days, switch to medicated feed, sterilize egg trays and hatching trays between batches (which I already did frequently but not between every batch), spray down the brooder with Oxine between batches, and keep them in the house for the first week to keep a closer eye on them. One lady said she, too, finds Isbars to be her most fragile chicks. She said on another breed that was also a new import, many many chick losses at autopsy were found to have high levels of cocci in their bodies even though other breeds hatched at the same time were surviving fine. It may be the same with Isbars, they could be just more susceptible to a strain of cocci in my area that my own chicks have a natural immunity to. I did find the symptoms to be very cocci-like, but dismissed that solution since my other chicks were all fine. But I am considering it again. I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet, just stumped and frustrated. We'll see in a few weeks if these changes make a difference. The 5 left from last Sunday's hatch all look OK for now, but I will bring them in and put them on the medicated feed, too, once I get some.

So sorry you are having problems with your chicks.

I have been lurking for quite a while waiting to get my first Isbars. It does worry me that they are so fragile, but they are SO beautiful that I just have to try. One thing that I have been researching a lot lately for other issues is colloidal silver. I have used it successfully at home on myself and my family, as well as our other pets, but have just started giving some to my chickens as a preventative. Purchasing pre-made CS can be expensive, but it can be made easily at home. It might be worth a try before you give up on your birds.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Oh I'm not giving up. But the colloidal silver is an interesting idea. I've used it for pink eye, stomach viruses, etc for my kids but hadn't considered using it for my birds. I assume you add it to their water? Fresh water and drops daily?

 

[KYTinpusher]

Oh I'm not giving up. But the colloidal silver is an interesting idea. I've used it for pink eye, stomach viruses, etc for my kids but hadn't considered using it for my birds. I assume you add it to their water? Fresh water and drops daily?

I have been adding it in about a 1:3 ratio (CS:water) right in their waterer (make sure you use a plastic one) 2-3 times per week. As I make it myself, it doesn't cost a lot for a quart of CS. I have read that electrolytes can make it more effective, so I add a vitamin/electrolyte mix, too. The other days of the week I add ACV.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

On doing more reading though, the CS you make at home is actually a silver ion solution, not true colloidal silver which uses silver particles? I didn't know there was a difference. I will ask a friend of mine who does a lot of holistic medicine.

 

[KYTinpusher]

On doing more reading though, the CS you make at home is actually a silver ion solution, not true colloidal silver which uses silver particles? I didn't know there was a difference. I will ask a friend of mine who does a lot of holistic medicine.

This is the explanation I have found:


[FONT=geneva, arial, helvetica]"Another big controversy surrounds the question of whether this method produces "colloidal" silver or "ionic" silver. Most people have been told that colloidal silver is "good" and ionic silver is "bad." Once again, the truth might be unpopular. The word "colloidal" refers to a condition where, in this case, a solid particle is SUSPENDED in a liquid (silver in water). The solid particles are too large to be considered DISSOLVED, but are too small to be filtered out. This colloidal condition is most easily detected by what is called the "Tyndall effect", where a narrow beam of light is shined through the liquid to produce a cone shaped dispersion of the light. The particles so illuminated also exhibit a random, zig-zag activity called "Brownian motion" when observed under a microscope. When something is completely dissolved, both the Brownian and Tyndall effects disappear.[/FONT]
[FONT=geneva, arial, helvetica]The word "ionic" refers to a condition where a particle has an electric charge. In the case of "electro-colloidal" silver, this electric charge is ALWAYS positive. Silver will not form a negatively charged ion. So, the truth is that electro-colloidal silver is BOTH colloidal and ionic. It is considered colloidal because of the particle SIZE and it is considered ionic because of the particle CHARGE. In fact, most of the biological studies suggest it is colloidal silver's ionic characteristics that make it such a good germicide. It is also interesting to note that the old chemistry books make no distinction between the colloidal and ionic states of the electro-colloidal metals."[/FONT]

[FONT=geneva, arial, helvetica]I would be interested to hear what your friend says about it, too.[/FONT]

 

[motherhen71185]

Have 4 isbar eggs on the way for my broody silkie to hatch for me. Crossing my fingers for a good hatch!

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Fingers and toes crossed!

 

[debs_flock]

Have 4 isbar eggs on the way for my broody silkie to hatch for me. Crossing my fingers for a good hatch!

 

[motherhen71185]

They arived in PERFECT condition this morning!! You ROCK!!!!
Thanks again!!

 

[lawatt]

my one pure blue isbar chick, plus two isbar/blue marans crosses (and their hatchmates, two CLs), are nearly 6 weeks old -- starting to think Blue the isbar might be a boy? curious as to others' thoughts here:



the blue and black isbar/marans crosses are on the left, Blue the isbar in forward right, and harold the CL boy (same age, but both CLs seem to be developing combs/wattles much faster than the isbar & crosses) in the background for comparison.