Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[math ace]

Is your dad's health declining? its somewhat similar here over the last year, its becoming noticeable week to week small changes.

Physically, he is fit as an ox.
Mentally.... well that is a who other story!

 

[gilavina]

Physically, he is fit as an ox.
Mentally.... well that is a who other story!

haha, what to do when it is slowly becoming both. Its just hard to watch parents age.

 

[math ace]

Do your chickens appear to be slightly drunk after dipping them in the Adams flea & tick dip ? (i might be using a little to much concentrate ?)
But it's good stuff ......... when you don't want to dip you can use Adams flea and tick spray ..... they took the smell-good out of it couple years back but might have put it back in by now(i know they got a lot of complaints when they took it out) .

I also make a spray using some of the dip concentrate and water .... smells good and works .
Been using Adams for over 40 years-give or take ( if my memory is correct).

I use 1/2 the dosage rate recommended on the bottle.
I am pretty sure the whole "Drunk" thing is because of the added weight of the water from the dipping.
This is especially true for the birds the first type they are dipped.
It is also more pronounced in the smaller birds, in my case the leghorns really act drunk. They just lay on the dirt for 5 or 10 minutes.
Seriously, they are convinced something is HOLDING them down. Once they realized they are not being harmed, they slink off.
I try to SQUEEZE - Squeeqe style - all the excess water off them before I release them.

I've dipped for years and never lost a bird. I am pretty sure the "drunkness" is the result of the water weight, not the chemicals..
It does concern me about how numb my lips get in the process of all the dipping LOL...I end up pretty wet by the time I have done all the birds here...

 

[math ace]

haha, what to do when it is slowly becoming both. Its just hard to watch parents age.

Oh the dramas I could share would surely get me cited for me "off topic" on this thread...
Some are laughable and some I can't wait to forget.

 

[upthecreek]

Quote:
LOL ... yes i've been soaked in the stuff , but who knows ... as it might be responsible for some of my problems now . So be careful .

 

[KsKingBee]

Since it is consistently happening aound the 7 to 8 week age period, it makes me think it is something other than Botulism.
Certain Virus tend to effect birds at a certain age more than at any other time.

Also, at 7 to 8 weeks of age, watch for things like "dog piling". The chicks on the bottom of the pile can suffer all kinds of things, even death.
This is an easy thing to check for... Just go look at them at night, after they have gone to bed. If they are piled on top of each other, this could be contributing to your problems.

Thank You! That is definitely food for thought. It is common to see them 'dog piling', especially after they go into 'General Population', as the large birds tend to scare them and they pile up in the corner for safety.

 

[OHmamma]

OK< I am a little confused here. You are saying that white feathers are caused by too much black? Could you explain this a little more fully?

I know it makes no sense. But that was based on a study on Black Wyandottes I believe. From what I have read melanizers that cause black plumage are too many to fully understand. I will try to find the reference for you. I do not believe this is the problem in the BC, I believe it is the same genes causing "mossy" pullets, which is e or brown. The mossy pullets and the roos with the red in the breast are just lacking the melanizers that their siblings have to cover the brown. When you cull for darker males you breed those melanizers in and come up with white in the hackles of the roos once they reach sexual maturity.

I have a Blue Copper roo that molted late last year. Then we had a unusually cold September and his feathers rushed in. His tail had so much white in it that it was just nuts. When he molted this year it stayed warm and his feathers took a normal amount of time. He has no white in his tail this year. So my point is the white is just going to remain a mystery. Wynette and Don are right to cull away from it but also be aware that unless you change your breeding strategies you will just keep making more.

 

[KsKingBee]

botulism is deadly.....you said you have not had any to die. I would think mortality would be 100%.

Just an opinion have not look at botulism in chickens.

Thank you for that, I will do more research.

 

[upthecreek]

Quote:

I agree if it was botulism i'm thinking you would have a lot of dead-dead birds ......... i would also be looking at their food ... what they have access to in the yard .... check the water .... also have you wormed them ?
I've seen this in goats and it was found to be the feed they were eating .

Have you taken one to your state diagnostic lab (no charge) - free accurate service for us all .... until one of the "cut ever thing" congress person gets a hold of it .
But any how it is a great service that answers many of our problems at NO cost (i've used them many times) .

 

[TulsaChick]

Is there anyone who can help the guy with the sick chicken? Anyone have any ideas?