Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

Not the best of photos but you can get an idea of my new kids. The orange guy is Mariner and he is quite the talker. Bender is the grey fellow and still pretty shy. He was pretty ill when they got him. Both are getting used to me and the chaos that is my homestead. Bender is going to the vet next week just to make sure that he is over the original illness or to make sure that he can be treated for anything that might be lingering.
Litter box still seems a bit of a problem. Perhaps because the box is small in an enclosed space. Not enough room to really get around? IDK. The kennel HVHS game me is bigger than the cargo area of my Jeep. I guess they do that for anyone who adopts from there. Plus they gave me 2 carriers that they put the cats in. I'll be returning all hardware when I go back to the city at the end of the month. That and a token to help their operating needs.
I never dreamed I would be doing something like this.

 

[Folly's place]

Handsome boys! Are Bender's pupils different sizes, or is it because of the lighting? Hope he's okay.
Mary

 

[aart]

@RaZ Cool Cats!
@Folly's place Better late than never on the breeding/hatching.

Broody hatched 3 of 4 BCMxCCL by lockup last night...all males
Will try some more in incubator in a couple weeks.

 

[Folly's place]

I just saw a critter I've never seen here before! Larger than a squirrel, black all over, big bushy tail, moved like a weasel. Mink?!! Moved right next to my front window, fast, so no pictures, or even a really good look. I do think it's a mink, travelling between my pond and the neighbor's.
Letting my chickens out seems like a poor idea, at least right now.
It was beautiful!
Mary

 

[RaZ]

Handsome boys! Are Bender's pupils different sizes, or is it because of the lighting? Hope he's okay.
Mary

I think it's the camera flash. Bender was really sick when brought in. I think he is at the tail end of it but I'm going to take him to the vet this week just to make sure he is okay. I have his records and there are 5 pages of treatment. Mariner came with only 1 page. So I have concerns about Bender. I want to give him the best care that I can.

 

[aart]

I have his records and there are 5 pages of treatment.

What was wrong with him?

 

[RaZ]

Feral stray. Under-weight, respiratory illness, anemic, missing teeth, dehydrated, and weak. He was well enough to be adopted out but I need to keep a close eye on him. He is a beautiful cat and needs some TLC.

 

[rachelsflock]

Not to be a downer, but do the medical records say he was tested for FIV and Feline Lukemia? He may just be down on his luck right now since nature seems to treat tom cats as expendable, but if he were positive, it would be nice to know what you're dealing with. As a kid we were adopted by a young roaming tom and he infected our other cat with FIV. Once we knew what it was, his life immediately improved, although he had a permanent medication resistant sinus infection which eventually killed him (8 years later), and he infected our other cat which caused permanent brain damage from the initial infection fever. Some vets don't test for it, and it causes a lot of heart ache.

 

[Folly's place]

Huron valley does test, although no test is 110% reliable. He could be really ill and be negative, fortunately.
Go Bender!
Mary

 

[bigmrg74]

I'm considering doing a hatch prior to Chickenstock if anyone has interest in my Arkansas Blues, here is a link to their thread. They are great egg layers, and fly pretty good too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/arkansas-blue-egg-layers.874920/

Might be somewhat interested in those. That or if you have some Pullets that are not quite up to snuff for your breeding program but are still blue egg layers.

Picked up our chicks today. Really wanted some Americaunas or Easter Eggers this year, but all of the FFH's around us were all out of Americauna pullets and TSC only had them in Straight runs. Can't have roosters because of Miss Belle. So we opted to take the last 2 Barred Rock pullets off of FFH Adrian's hands and two Amberlink pullets as well to get to 4.