Maine

[Stephaniemac]

I had 11 little ones hatch 2 days ago and when I got home today I noticed this little ones feet are curled......is this common? Anything I can do about it?

 

[hoppy]

if it's eating and drinking well, you can uncurl toes, and put "skis" on the feet (I use duct tape) to flatten the toes, taped top to bottom. it usually only takes 2 days max to straighten toes on hatchlings.

I had 11 little ones hatch 2 days ago and when I got home today I noticed this little ones feet are curled......is this common? Anything I can do about it?

 

[Stephaniemac]

Thanks Hoppy! My "skis" look a bit more like snowshoes but I am hoping it will work! She was running around and eating\drinking before so I am keeping my fingers crossed that this goes well! Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Carrie54452002]

Hi Carrie,

I am sorry you lost your chickens.  It's hard to know without a necropsy if it was Marek's disease.  There are a couple of things to keep in mind...

1) Marek's is a herpes virus (alphaherpes to be exact).  Herpes viruses hang out in the nucleus of nerve cells.  The major sign of Marek's is neurological chickens that on necropsy have these weird swollen nerves

2) Not all vaccines are created equal, and not all people treat their vaccines correctly.  It doesn't take a whole lot to inactivate a herpesvirus vaccine, so, if you are getting chickens from someone local, quiz them on where they get their vaccine and how they take care of it.  

3) While herpesvirus don't last in the environment very long, you still need to decontaminate where they were.

I am sure others have advice too.

Thanks for the feedback! I did take out all the shavings and completely replace them but it was already pretty chilly so I couldn't really bleach etc. I will be doing that before I put new chicks in the coop in April. I will be praying that will do the trick!
Thanks again for your response, much appreciated!

 

[EthenNoah]

Hello, does any one have any fertilized Cochin eggs for sale?

 

[hoppy]

joanie maine does.
she's near farmington

Hello, does any one have any fertilized Cochin eggs for sale?

 

[EthenNoah]

joanie maine does.
she's near farmington

Ok thank you

 

[Widget]

Better late than never. I have three Black Australorps. I have always felt that one is a pullet and the other two roosters. However neither suspected male has crowed since they were hatched nine months ago. That is until this morning. Still don't know which one was crowing but at least I know that there is at least one rooster in with all the girls.

 

[ashandvine]

Are you having a hard time with mites too this year? I had Northern Fowl mites & feather mites and I have never had mites before, really. Was it a bad year for them? I never understood what people were complaining about...I figured they didn't know what they were talking about or werent dealing with it properly. Now I know! I have done 3 rounds of Ivermectin, one of poultry protector and two of Sevin dust. And DE too. It's rediculous!!

Thank you SO much for this admission. I do believe it was a bad year for mites and lice and ticks because of the mild winter. I have to say at least something good comes of these horrible cold days we have had. I will never treat with dust again. Waste of time. The Ivermectin is fine at first but what I needed to know was that I should A) trust myself to identify these things when buying from breeders and B) that I should be checking and treated regularly either way. I have managed to save a few birds that were very thin but ... the orloff cock has died.

I was so proud of him and excited to breed them. Its only a chicken. I know I know, but it was a really good cock and they are hard to find (no jokes here please). I selected him carefully. What is worse I have to go back to the woman who gave him to me and admit this happened. She had him for two years and gave him to me so I could work with this breed. I feel so badly. I am wishing deeply she will not be upset and will let me take the second cockerel that she offered. I plan to wait till weather gets a little warmer and just put off my breeding till later in the year. They aren't for sale or anything so its fine to wait, just very disappointing. These are the birds that are just for secret joy and the breed.
I was so ashamed to be struggling with the mites. I felt I was doing my diligence but it happens so fast!

Sorry about you BLRW hatch, Hoppy. I was excited to have 2 of them in my egg assortment, but one cracked and the other is clear.

Ashandvine, I hope your rooster rebounds and you get the Orloff's you wanted. I'm still wondering if my lavender Ameraucanas ever intend to lay an egg. I had hoped to start a hatch in mid-March...

My Ams take forever to get going. What's worse is I just did the math on the age of my new cockerel and he won't be ... working, till any day now. Hopefully his crooning and Hoppy's music will get things moving down the egg ducts.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I'm so sorry he didn't make it. Hopefully my houdans are a pair, but it's too early to tell.