Maine

[Mainechick168]

Widget, sorry to hear about your dog. That really sucks.

 

[hoppy]

sorry to hear this widget. my own died of this, he went very fast, bled out, we only found out this diagnosis after the fact.

Edit: Vet just called. Best guess that it is Hemangiosarcoma[1] is a rapidly growing, highly invasive variety of cancer, occurring almost exclusively in dogs and rarely in cats. It is a sarcoma arising from the lining of blood vessels that is blood-filled channels and spaces are commonly observed microscopically. (Thanks wikipedia.) Outlook is grim. 1-3 months.

 

[hoppy]

I vote you get another chick or duckling as a friend to the lone duck, same age or a bit younger.

One lone Pekin duckinlg hatcher after dropping the egg and pushing it back together right at hatch and sticking it back in the bator hoping for the best and getting it, "she" survived famously but is seriously imprinted on me. She is a house duck right now in a box at night, but we put her out every clement day right next to the others, she wants nothing to do with them and just cries all day long. Try to ignore it, tried to put her in with the Buff ducklings that are not much older, they attack her. The Pekins who are her parents go after her as well. She is terrified of other ducks altho we expose her safely as much as possible. She has no idea she is a duck altho we encourage duck behavior as much as we can. Follows me everywhere outside like a pup. Cries her heart out when I leave her and cuddles like crazy when I retrieve her at dusk to go into her house box. Is there any hope or will I be stuck with a house duck come winter? She is feathering out now, let her swim in the duck pool and try to get her to hang out with the others, but they either shun her or she runs away from them. Don't really want a house duck, not about to buy diapers, and just got the porch scrubbed from the others so don't want to go through that again. Am I doomed? Love her to pieces, and IF AND WHEN $$$ we move the barn up front she will have her own space and hopefully incorporate eventually, but any ideas in the meantime?

 

[VioletBlueIvy]

So sorry Widget, that's heartbreaking news

 

[buckabucka]

MEmama, just make sure to leave plenty of ventilation when you wrap the tractor in plastic. Ours worked well last winter, but we had some frost bite before,we figured out there was a draft where the birds slept.

Ah the dreaded yes ventilation/no drafts balancing act. The coop has top vents that run along the roof. I was worried with it being a short coop that it may be to drafty. I was hoping putting it IN the hoophouse would take care of that problem. As far as ventilating the hoop house, I was thinking of slitting the plastic in rows (reinforced with duct tape) on the two ends near the top. The run is 6' tall. Do you think that will be enough?

I would be tempted to cover everything except one end (provided that end does not face north). You could even cover the bottom half of the open end to keep out snow, but I would leave the top half open.

Widget, that is very sad about your dog. . So sorry.

My Buff Chantecler is a pretty bird, but she was never very productive. Her productive years she spent as a broody. I could not break her of broodiness and she would sit for more than 2 months at a time, and then fall would come and it would be time to molt. Definitely cold hardy though.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd just like to post a positive interaction with Murray McMurray for those of you who end up getting hatchery birds. I ordered 6 birds this spring to a local hardware store (Aubuchon in Brewer). Unfortunately the 3 Dominique pullets special ordered ended up being roosters. The hatchery definitely made a mistake in sexing these birds, especially since Doms are auto-sexing, however, the resolution of this issue has been positive, and I am pleased with the outcome. I have written confirmation from Kim that the birds will be replaced in the spring per my request. (Didn't want to start chicks again this summer.) Kim @ MMc and Paul at Aubuchon have both been very good with customer service.

 

[CoopChick719]

Originally Posted by ducklucky she wants nothing to do with them and just cries all day long. Try to ignore it, tried to put her in with the Buff ducklings that are not much older, they attack her. The Pekins who are her parents go after her as well. She is terrified of other ducks altho we expose her safely as much as possible. She has no idea she is a duck altho we encourage duck behavior as much as we can. Follows me everywhere outside like a pup. Cries her heart out when I leave her and cuddles like crazy when I retrieve her at dusk to go into her house box
Awww, the little Pekin sounds adorable!!

Good Luck with her!

Originally Posted by buckabucka Last day of school today for me! Yesterday was the last day with kids. I am totally wiped out. I managed to get another black fly bite on the eyelid, so I look kind of like I feel. Congrats on the graduation, Coopchick!
Thanks bucka! She’s off to UMPI in the fall. Congrats to you on surviving another school year!! I remember that feeling of Pheeeew when the last bell rang for the summer.

Originally Posted by Mainechick168 Yes please to the picture!! I'd love to see how she turned out! Her mom was one of the ones taken by the predator
Oh Mainechick, I’m so sorry!!

She was a beautiful bird!!

Originally Posted by Widget Outlook is grim. 1-3 months.
Widget, I’m very sorry to hear this! It’s so hard to see them suffer.

 

[CoopChick719]

Pictures for Mainechick

Here's Chipmunk.




Spot the BR & Pitch the BR cross, Chip & the Garage Babies

 

[JustPJ]

I am SO upset! went out at 4:45 am to let my chickens out and found that my 2, 8 week old ducklings were missing. 3 or 4 blood spots were found once the sun came up but no holes in the fence, no pile of feathers, nothing. Not sure what got them but they are gone!



suspecting a weasel or mink but dont know how they got the ducks out with no feathers.

 

[longgrove]

So sorry to hear of the loss of the ducklings.
Have recently introduced my my one 9 week and four 5 1/2 week old cross breed chicks into the adult flock. It went amazingly well. The 3 foster broodys are in the mix and the chicks tend to keep in their general area much of the time. The broody of the oldest is done, He still tries to go near her but she ignores her chick and squaks and fiegns a peck at him if he comes within 3 inches of her. He is now hanging out with one of the Silkie broodies and the 4 younger chicks. The Silkie broody is fine with mothering him tho he is rapidly aproching her size! All 5 are roosting together with the blue Silkie broody at night on top of one of the nest boxes. It has been decades since I raised chicks with a broody. I am impressed at the alertness and seemingly precocious behavior of these chicks as compared to chicks I have raised in a brooder. The adult flock know to come in the coop from the day pen when dusk approaches. Incubator/ brooder chicks in the past have needed to be brought into the coop for a week or two before they learned to come in (and at 10 to 12 weeks). These clever little chicks figured it out the first evening they were in with the flock. They go out and scratch and dust bathe, just like the adults. They scoot in to the treat bowl, grab a orsel and zip out like lightening. A couple of the older hens make a peck in their direction but they are already gone. That is the only time I hsve seen any hostile behavior to the chicks. They are so bold and quick!