Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[Kris5902]

Morning Bob!

 

[Ribh]

I have no idea about most of those sheep breeds ~ Shetlands, yes. Saw those in Scotland. Most of the sheep out here are Merinos, naturally. Those are some lovely chookies. They are so funny when disturbed roosting! Mine turn into pretzels looking @ me every which way. As for those cats...!!! Well of course everything in the van now belongs to them: your bed, the couch, the scraps in the bin, your very person! My Marlow loves winter because he can then insist on sleeping in the crook of my arm with his head on my pillow & his bum tucked under my chin ~ a position that give him such great content he emits rumbling purrs that sound like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Funnily enough he usually puts me to sleep really fast! And we are both snuggly warm.

 

[Kris5902]

So I had a setback today that will be costing me significant time I don’t have at the moment... yet another rehab girl has been abducted and relocated to my barn. About 7 pm I got the call from my 7 year old helper, she took her moms cell phone and called me from the farm coop. She ended up staying up well past bedtime helping me wash, dry and trim bum feathers. Gee, if her mom had texted me in the morning like the little one had asked her to, things would have gone smoother and I wouldn’t be up near midnight when I’m leaving on the morning boat tomorrow.

I think the chicken might make it, despite the severe leg mites, lice, I can’t tell exactly what is going on with her vent, dehydration, and possible near starvation, weighing in at just under 2lbs. I’ve treated her with ivermectin, gotten her eating and drinking, and she has perked up some. I have hope.

I’m going to discuss the chickens with the farm owner once I’m calmed down a bit. They are now down to 5 there, and I want to treat and relocate everyone, regardless of the “egg situation”, for the animals welfare, I don’t care the cost in disposing of the eggs. I’ll purchase the lot of them if I have to, with a guarantee that no more chickens will be put in that hell hole of a coop!

In happier news I put my eggs into lockdown... hoping for a good hatch. What scares me is brooding in the same barn as my newest rescue... I HATE scaly leg mites!

 

[Ribh]

Wow. Always something @ your place. I am happy for the chicken though. She will be safer & happier with you. Glad you are willing to do the hard yards for her & kudos to the 7 yr old helper.

 

[rjohns39]

Morning Kris

 

[BY Bob]

So I had a setback today that will be costing me significant time I don’t have at the moment... yet another rehab girl has been abducted and relocated to my barn. About 7 pm I got the call from my 7 year old helper, she took her moms cell phone and called me from the farm coop. She ended up staying up well past bedtime helping me wash, dry and trim bum feathers. Gee, if her mom had texted me in the morning like the little one had asked her to, things would have gone smoother and I wouldn’t be up near midnight when I’m leaving on the morning boat tomorrow.

I think the chicken might make it, despite the severe leg mites, lice, I can’t tell exactly what is going on with her vent, dehydration, and possible near starvation, weighing in at just under 2lbs. I’ve treated her with ivermectin, gotten her eating and drinking, and she has perked up some. I have hope.

I’m going to discuss the chickens with the farm owner once I’m calmed down a bit. They are now down to 5 there, and I want to treat and relocate everyone, regardless of the “egg situation”, for the animals welfare, I don’t care the cost in disposing of the eggs. I’ll purchase the lot of them if I have to, with a guarantee that no more chickens will be put in that hell hole of a coop!

In happier news I put my eggs into lockdown... hoping for a good hatch. What scares me is brooding in the same barn as my newest rescue... I HATE scaly leg mites! View attachment 1801766

It is a good thing that you are there to save these poor hens. Hopefully you can rescue the remainder. Bless you for helping them.

 

[Kris5902]

Morning Kris

Morning Bob! How’s your dog doing?

 

[rjohns39]

He's going stir crazy but other than that he's healing well. He's also figured out how to defeat the cone.

 

[Kris5902]

On the early boat, barely, this morning... I’m going in to make sure my mother gets her medications, she’s been “saving them” for the last two months and been off them completely for several weeks without telling anyone you don’t just decide to stop taking you blood pressure and heart meds!

67 chickens in the dark of dawn, two needing special attention and everyone needing fed, watered, and several needing moved before I left. I’m honestly quite surprised I made the ferry.

The Chicken is looking a bit better this morning, perked up some and was eating and drinking, which I will take as a very good sign. Her crop emptied overnight, I was worried as it was a little squishy and huge, but that might just be the pronounced keelbone. The Farmer in me thinks “I should just put her down”, but the irrational “they deserved better lives” part of me still wants her to recover enough to go out on the grass and hunt bugs and feel the sunshine on her feathers.

I didn’t have time to check the incubator before leaving, but I’m sure the little helper will be looking at it before school. Hopefully no one decides to hatch early while I’m away!

Thank you all for the emotional support! I’m getting so tired of dealing with chickens on deaths door from neglect. If it was underlying heath issues it would be one thing, but treatable parasites running rampant and malnutrition is not acceptable to me. Maintaining condition is far easier than recovering it once it’s lost. I’m hoping good sense, some level of compassion for the birds, and being relieved of dealing with the “ewwww chickens are disgusting, but I like eggs” aspect will prevail. I just need to stay calm and pitch my solution: I take all the chickens, manage the eggs as I see fit, you don’t pay for feed, you don’t get more chickens, I give you the eggs you need. Chickens are healthy, people that don’t like them don’t have to deal with them, both problems solved. I won’t even suggest burning the coop down... as long as they promise not to put any poultry in it!

 

[Kris5902]

He's going stir crazy but other than that he's healing well. He's also figured out how to defeat the cone.

Good to hear! I’m sure the triumph over the cone of shame was a good psychological victory for him, as long as he doesn’t try to gnaw his stitches out, it’s good! Delta was out of his in about a day from his neutering, smart dogs are both a blessing and a curse.