Maine

[buckabucka]

My rats are back now too (that emoticon is the guy who I referred to breathing propane, LG).

The compost rats have not made a reappearance, but there were signs in the hoop coop today. I haven't figured out where they are coming in. I haven't really been out there except in the dark this week, but I can see that they are not coming in where I recently put lots of rocks and hardware cloth. But they had tried to dig back out, from the inside, in that area and did not succeed. I'll have to make an all-around inspection this weekend.

I don't think my hen had Marek's. Not many of my birds have been vaccinated, but she was. Tuesday she was fine, Wednesday a.m. she was alert, but unable to use one of her legs, Wednesday pm her comb started turning purple and drooping, and this morning she was breathing but unconscious, with a very purple comb. She was already dead when DH went out there later in the morning. Strange. I had wormed her this summer. Whatever it was, it happened very suddenly.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I've had a few of those too, bucka. One in particular was broody. I threw her out of the coop so she'd go poop and she was on the path to dying 5 minutes later.

It's confusing but I'm glad they go quick.

No signs of rats last night, traps undisturbed. However, with the amount of excavating they did yesterday they're probably sleeping it off.

 

[lazy gardener]

How are you all doing on this fine spring day? Hubby and I went and got the final 2 loads of leaves. About 75 bags in all, most of them were heavy construction bags, and the leaves were all VERY wet. Job done! I'll parcel them out in all the areas that need them. Could actually use a few more, but no sense being greedy! Not to mention how hard it is on the body! Put 5 bags in the coop so far, and have 3 "not so wet" bags saved out for the coop as well. Nasty virus dragging family down. GD sick for 2 weeks, fever for more than 10 days. Hubby got sick next, and has been ill for almost 2 weeks. First day back to work yesterday. GS just now getting it. Hope you all stay healthy.

 

[buckabucka]

Sorry about all the sickness, LG.
The weather is weird, but I admit I am enjoying it so far. It will make January and February very tolerable, should it turn cold and snowy by then.

I don't feel like I have the ambition to finish burying all the hardware cloth around the perimeter of the hoop coop this year. If the warm weather holds though, it could be a Christmas vacation project. Right now, I'm just trying to make life for the rats more difficult. I'm filling their tunnels with rocks, and placing weighted down hardware cloth scraps over new tunnels I see coming in. They have to find a new way in each night. I do have a couple traps around somewhere, but have never had luck catching one that way.

 

[diana507]

I am loving this spring weather we have had except the fact of all the moisture in the air has made the girls shavings on the floor of thir coop feel wet. Hoping it won't bother the girls respiratory wise. I had just got the floor all done with a heavy layer of shaving for the winter when it got cold and now this weather. Thinking I might have to change out all the shavings again when the next cold snap comes (if it does).

 

[diana507]

Went out later this morning to let the girls out. They have everything they need on their coop. Found Wheezy dead in the coop. No signs of trauma, no peck marks, no loose feathers around her, nothing. Just laying on her back/side dead. I have no idea. She still wheezed a little but was acting great still yesterday. Ideas?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I can't say I'm surprised but you did your best.

We often don't know what is wrong with them.

 

[diana507]

The 10 left are still doing amazing. So I buried her on the other end of property as far from the coop as possible. I just got the light hooked up finally in their coop even though they are all still laying great for the most part. My new debate is using the heated dog dish I bought or the buying the heated hanging plastic waterer I saw at TSC. Also found a big oval tub there that a bunch can dust bathe together in that will fit under their poop board. What does everyone do for lighting in their coop or how many hours to leave it on?

 

[lazy gardener]

Start slowly when adding extra light. Ramp it up slowly. I start in Sept and ramp it up 1/2 hour/week until they reach the 14 hour mark.

 

[diana507]

I have heard to still let them go to bed with sunset where their digestive systems slow down before going to roost. I just didn't know about turning it on super early in the morning and then letting them go to bed with sunset. It's hard wired in so I can't put it on a timer. Cause if I suddenly shut it off at night and they aren't gone to roost they probably won't find their way in the dark huh?