Maine

[quailtrail]

MeMama ((HUGS))

 

[Mainechick168]

My public service announcement for today: Always ALWAYS quarantine new birds for AT LEAST 30 days, regardless of if you know and trust the person you got them from, regardless if they come from a certified flock, regardless of if they seem like perfect healthy birds, regardless of if it is a huge pain in the butt.

I KNEW this, but for all the reasons above, I didn't. I am now fighting respiratory infection and dry fowl pox. I have chickens in dog crates in every room of my house. Many may not make it.

I know it's stressed all the time to quarantine, but I wanted to share so that if someone was like me and thought "just this once" they may take the time and do it right.

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MeMama, I'm sorry to hear about your chickens. I just went though something similar- with the dry pox. Feel free to PM me and I can let you know how things went over here- Everyone did survive, which I was unsure would happen at first.

 

[buckabucka]

I've enjoyed all the turkey talk and photos!

MEMama, I am very sorry for your ongoing disease battle. I hope things improve soon.

We put tarps on the chicken run today and finished putting plastic on the hoop coop ends so that we'll be ready when the snow arrives. Meanwhile, since the garden is basically done, we are letting the older flock free-range. They are loving it! And I love watching them explore the yard.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Yup they won't lay until spring. I had one lay late into september this year but they usually quit at first sign of fall. They're also really sneaky. One of my bourbon red girls is perpetually broody. As soon as I'd discover her nest she'd make a new one and I usually couldn't find it until I noticed her missing for bed and sent the search party out for her. At least her nest is always within sight of the coop.

 

[jenni22776rn]

Yup they won't lay until spring. I had one lay late into september this year but they usually quit at first sign of fall. They're also really sneaky. One of my bourbon red girls is perpetually broody. As soon as I'd discover her nest she'd make a new one and I usually couldn't find it until I noticed her missing for bed and sent the search party out for her. At least her nest is always within sight of the coop.

oh wow...once they lay..do they lay daily? I am anxious to see if I get eggs out of them..How are they in the winter? Mine never go into the coop at night on their own..I have to pick them up and carry them to the coop.and that is not easy anymore as they are getting so big ( I know I carry my turkeys to bed...there is something wrong with that picture) I am hoping once snow falls and stays they will go in on their own but they are so very stubborn!!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

My ones from last year took about 6 months before they realized they were supposed to go into the coop on their own. Now I never have a problem with them. The others from this year... every single night I have to chase them in.

They lay about 4-5 eggs a week, unless I just haven't found their stash.

 

[CoopChick719]

I agree. Ugly but pretty to me.

WOW! Very handsome!

My public service announcement for today: Always ALWAYS quarantine new birds for AT LEAST 30 days, regardless of if you know and trust the person you got them from, regardless if they come from a certified flock, regardless of if they seem like perfect healthy birds, regardless of if it is a huge pain in the butt. I KNEW this, but for all the reasons above, I didn't. I am now fighting respiratory infection and dry fowl pox. I have chickens in dog crates in every room of my house. Many may not make it. I know it's stressed all the time to quarantine, but I wanted to share so that if someone was like me and thought "just this once" they may take the time and do it right.

I'm so sorry for your troubles, MEMama!!

I've got one in a dog crate in the garage under heat right now.

I only quarantined my 5 new birds for 2 weeks because of all of the reasons you stated above. I hope I'm good in the next few weeks.

Well, I lost my 9 month old mystery hen, Pitch, on Saturday.

She was the very first fuzzy "pitch" black chick to hatch in my coop with my broody Sizzle. I've decided to send her up to Orono for a necropsy. She is #4 in the last month. The other 3 were before I got the new birds. I have to know what the heck is going on.

My little 6 month old BCM, "Maran" is still hanging in there. Her appetite has come back...gobbled up rice cooked in an infection fighting tea (garlic, echinacea, golden seal and a few other herbs). I know she's not out of the woods yet but I hope she's turned the corner. She has a cough which just showed up. She's had two Oxine vaporizer treatments, last night & tonight. Funny thing is I was going to cull her Sunday. DH was headed north for work so I asked him before he left if he had a sharp, hunting knife. He couldn't find it. DS left his hunting knife in his foot locker. So I was going to call my brother for one--big hunter, fisherman--has what I'd need. I watched Maran eating and moving around more and decided to try the Oxine. I figured we had nothing to lose. DH called me from the road to say that we could bring Pitch & Maran up to Orono when he got back later this week.

I told him I was giving Maran a little longer because of her appetite. He said "Good idea, I noticed she seemed to be moving around more." Wish us luck!

 

[buckabucka]

I hope Maran gets better, Coopchick! It will be nice I the necropsy gives you some valuable information.

When I had two that were sick a year or so ago, I assumed they had the same thing. One very slowly got better though, while the other died. She had some kind of infection going (internal layer?), but I never did find out what was wrong with the survivor.

 

[MEMama3]

WOW! Very handsome!

I'm so sorry for your troubles, MEMama!!  I've got one in a dog crate in the garage under heat right now.

I only quarantined my 5 new birds for 2 weeks because of all of the reasons you stated above. I hope I'm good in the next few weeks.

Well, I lost my 9 month old mystery hen, Pitch, on Saturday.  She was the very first fuzzy "pitch" black chick to hatch in my coop with my broody Sizzle. I've decided to send her up to Orono for a necropsy.  She is #4 in the last month. The other 3 were before I got the new birds. I have to know what the heck is going on.

My little 6 month old BCM, "Maran" is still hanging in there. Her appetite has come back...gobbled up rice cooked in an infection fighting tea (garlic, echinacea, golden seal and a few other herbs). I know she's not out of the woods yet but I hope she's turned the corner. She has a cough which just showed up. She's had two Oxine vaporizer treatments, last night & tonight. Funny thing is I was going to cull her Sunday. DH was headed north for work so I asked him before he left if he had a sharp, hunting knife. He couldn't find it. DS left his hunting knife in his foot locker. So I was going to call my brother for one--big hunter, fisherman--has what I'd need. I watched Maran eating and moving around more and decided to try the Oxine. I figured we had nothing to lose. DH called me from the road to say that we could bring Pitch & Maran up to Orono when he got back later this week. I told him I was giving Maran a little longer because of her appetite. He said "Good idea, I noticed she seemed to be moving around more."  Wish us luck!

good luck with maran. I feel that appetite is strongly related to survival. My miss Sophia is not eating or drinking and hasn't since Saturday. I tried using a dropper, but it didn't go so we'll. Surprisingly she had an egg in there this morning. I don't think she's going to make it, when bums me out. She is the sweetest, quirkiest thing every.

 

[Widget]

oh wow...once they lay..do they lay daily? I am anxious to see if I get eggs out of them..How are they in the winter? Mine never go into the coop at night on their own..I have to pick them up and carry them to the coop.and that is not easy anymore as they are getting so big ( I know I carry my turkeys to bed...there is something wrong with that picture) I am hoping once snow falls and stays they will go in on their own but they are so very stubborn!!

Mine will run right in the pen or into the side of the pen when they miss the door.

All it takes is a bit of food thrown in first. Of course within ten minutes they are out again since they can easily clear the 8-10 ft sides. If I had a way of covering the top of the pen they would stay in but at least the ducks and geese are confined. I have a couple chickens that also fly out but the rest are content to stay in the pen and coop at night.