"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[mzstre]

Sorry, I haven't been on...things have been crazy!!! Kids, school projects, breeding season for my mares. Lucy is doing better. After a day or two of no improvement, I read about using Monistat 3 capsules (divided into 3 parts...fed to chicken twice a day until gone). I started her on this, thinking it was worth a shot, as I hadn't seen improvement. It seems to be helping. Her crop is down significantly. Not back to normal yet, but improving. I have been giving her a scrambled egg with olive oil yesterday and today, as well as, a little yogurt and probiotics in her water. I've got my fingers crossed. Thanks for asking about Lucy. She's a special one. She thinks she's a Canada goose. When she hears them in the field, she starts "hoofing" it out to them. I have to go and bring her back. She sounds just like them.

So happy to hear she is improving!!!

Well that's a thought! I like the idea of that...

The only problem I can think of with the dye solution is that once an egg is broken, any hen around that sees a broken egg will try to eat it. If your culprit isn't sneaky you may end up with multiple blue beaks. It would be festive though!

I'll share some of the "Today in the yard" pics for those who haven't seen. Kids will be kids! "Are you my dad?" "Come back out you big red bug!"

I LOVE the kid pics!

 

[Jipus5]

Most of the chicks died before they reached two months old. I kept them separated from my established flock, which only sees casualties from predators. The chicks just seemed so weak, and I was constantly fighting illness. They didn't leave their brooder until I was down to 10. The marans dropped like flies. It's been a while, but the illness made them have lesions filled with stuff and they looked cold and miserable before dying. A lot of them had swollen faces, ears, nostrils, etc. It was August, so it wasn't from the cold. I tried medicating, cleaning their living area, and things would clear up before they'd be hit with it again. My personal flock was never sick in that time. The recent death just reminded me of how many I have lost and brought the issue back up. I've raised chicks from tractor supply and those I've hatched on my own with no problem. Are there different precautions to take with shipped chicks? I thought you just had to watch them for the first few days a little more closely than normal chicks.

Know what? Sounds just like when mine had fowl pox.

 

[forgetful]

I haven't gone back to see the other response, but if it sounds like fowl pox, do I need to worry about my other birds? One bird survived who got sick. Do I need to take any precautions? What about the shipped chicks that didn't show symptoms?

 

[mzstre]

Those fotos brought back memories!! Years ago I bought a leopard cat from India at a pet shop outside New Orleans, Chad's Exotic Pets. I should have known something was up when the owner wouldn't take it out of the cage for me and took it on the back to put it in a box. There was a lot of growling and hissing and spitting. That poor little cat never did get tame, but I was a young hippie and loved it anyway. It was like living in the jungle at night and he would seriously bite your toes if they were uncovered at night. Too many long stories. Ultimately I bought a large domestic thinking it would tame him. They became inseparable and the domestic became wild. She had one litter and I kept a spotted one named ChiChi. I took them all when I went to Venezuela to live. I would NEVER do such irresponsible animal ownership now, but I was young and stupid. I do want to note that in my case "stupid" WAS cured. Lol

Now THAT is a story! I can't imagine having a wild cat in the house. Domestic cats are crazy enough lol. Two of my cats are Bengals which are several generations from a domestic crossed with an Asian Leopard Cat. They get the beautiful marking with domestic temperaments. Mojo is a spotted Bengal, and Tango (below) is marbled.

Okay yall, this is Nova. She's an 8yr old OTTB (off the track thoroughbred) This pic was taken on the day I got her 1/4/14 And this is a pic I took this morning The new pic doesn't do her justice, she looks a hell of a lot better in person. And she's just the sweetest horse ever.

She is looking great!

X2 and another photo that should be in a calender.

That baby is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!! STUNNING markings!!!!!!

Thank y'all!

 

[Jipus5]

I haven't gone back to see the other response, but if it sounds like fowl pox, do I need to worry about my other birds? One bird survived who got sick. Do I need to take any precautions? What about the shipped chicks that didn't show symptoms?

ok, now last year, my flock was loaded with it. Tons of mosquitos around, and EVERY CHICKEN OR CHICK WITH IT SPREADS IT! So, me personally, I did not keep them separate. I allowed them to pass it to each other, now THEIR chicks carry the immunity, from what i read. So I did lose 9 of 27 that caught it. It will be sores on every part that is not covered in feathers... most of the time it is the complete covering of the eyes that kills them since they cannot see to eat and drink. All the rest of mine that got sick with it survived. Just the ones whose eyes were covered and 2 of those were actually pecked to death by the others.
Most people would keep them separate since pecking at abnormalitis are what chickens will do... hence the ease of the spreading... but the ones that survive wont get it again and I read some immunity is given to their chicks as well. But it i looks like warts, takes three weeks so grow, swell severely, dry up them later after the 3 weeks will flake off like rocks... And DONT ever try to lance them or anything, its just like chicken pox, the seaping is what spreads it. When it dries they arent contagious. Now mine were just a lil bland acting. Ate, tho not as much as normal, walked, but seldom played or trotted, just kind of slowly existed. But my chicks were the ones who got it mostly. Adults all survived like it was nothing, only chicks died. Mainly cause being kept in their cage in the coop, mosquitos everywhere all the time. But when i started putting them outside in the sun, cause they said it helped dry the sores out quicker, they were much better. Then I could do away with as many bugs in the coop each day... so it helped.
Now if I am wrong on any of this, someone will post different.

 

[reptone30]

OK I need HELP!!! For the first time EVER, in all my years I've kept chickens, I have an egg eater in my flock! I started finding shells last week - thought it was because they were all piling up in the same nest, cleaned everything out, put new straw in -- nope, I'm convinced now it's happening on purpose. I found 2 eggs broken this morning. I had gathered everything last night when I locked them up for the night. No predators can get in my coop. I'm feeding exactly the same things I've always fed. The only thing I can figure is boredom since they've stayed inside during the bad weather (their choice I might add, since I always open my coop in the morning). Anybody have any opinions or experience with this? I have to go research it...

Add to that, I let them out to free range yesterday and as I was walking back to the house, heard something rushing up behind me - it was that darn Welsummer roo on the attack - that's the first time he's ever tried that. He will be gator bait this coming weekend if not sooner.

At this point I'm about ready to get rid of the whole bunch & start over!

Any suggestions are appreciated! How am I going to figure out which hen is the culprit when I'm at work all day!

Get a couple of golf balls and put then in the nest. They will peck em and get nothing out of it. (This only works if you get the eggs out before they can be broken) good luck.

 

[Jipus5]

Out fishing all day Saturday, I noticed all the salvinia everywhere..... so i googled it. SAYS CHICKENS THRIVE ON IT! So, I grabbed a small sack we had in the boat, and piled some in it. Came home and loaded our duck pond with it (kiddie pool we leave filled)!!! So, all im doing now is trying to find out HOW to serve it?! Im guessing drop it on the ground... but wait till it is green all over/ I love google.. lord knows this stuff will be quadrupled in no time... so free feed/??
The experiment continues.....

 

[PrimroseMom1]

OK I need HELP!!! For the first time EVER, in all my years I've kept chickens, I have an egg eater in my flock! I started finding shells last week - thought it was because they were all piling up in the same nest, cleaned everything out, put new straw in -- nope, I'm convinced now it's happening on purpose. I found 2 eggs broken this morning. I had gathered everything last night when I locked them up for the night. No predators can get in my coop. I'm feeding exactly the same things I've always fed. The only thing I can figure is boredom since they've stayed inside during the bad weather (their choice I might add, since I always open my coop in the morning). Anybody have any opinions or experience with this? I have to go research it...

Add to that, I let them out to free range yesterday and as I was walking back to the house, heard something rushing up behind me - it was that darn Welsummer roo on the attack - that's the first time he's ever tried that. He will be gator bait this coming weekend if not sooner.

At this point I'm about ready to get rid of the whole bunch & start over!

Any suggestions are appreciated! How am I going to figure out which hen is the culprit when I'm at work all day!

Just wondering: is it possible to lock up half and if the eater isn't in that half, then lock other half. Eater in that half , then half the half, etc until you find it. Process of elimination. Just wondering???????

 

[Angelicisi]

Do you have a picture? I love gathering wild foods and am getting good at spotting goodies for the bunnies and chickens (sometimes me lol) but always like to see it 1st

Out fishing all day Saturday, I noticed all the salvinia everywhere.....  so i googled it.  SAYS CHICKENS THRIVE ON IT!  So, I grabbed a small sack we had in the boat, and piled some in it.  Came home and loaded our duck pond with it (kiddie pool we leave filled)!!!  So, all im doing now is trying to find out HOW to serve it?!  Im guessing drop it on the ground...  but wait till it is green all over/  I love google..  lord knows this stuff will be quadrupled in no time... so free feed/??
The experiment continues.....

 

[Jipus5]

SALVINIA, there are many species, but they are a majority of what you see on all the Louisiana crocodile shows that's covering our lakes and waterways. There is some slimy green muck that resembles snot, that is not Salvinia. The greenery, and sometimes brown during winter, grows on top of the water with no dirt based root system, that floats on top of the water regardless of it's depths. It can have long brown gooshy roots down into the water up to a few feet long! But the greenery on top is what they have said chickens will thrive on. So, I placed some in out plastic kiddie pool, and now it is greener and is growing! I am still searching on how exactly to administer this to them.. so far, placing it minus the root system in the blender and mixing it with some FF seems logical to me. Besides, anyone who has a pond or lake or marsh nearby that this is growing in, which my research shows most ALL Louisiana waterways are coated in it, this seems to be a great and cheap as hell way to enhance their mineral and vitamin intake! It's growth rate is to double itself minimum per week.