Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[preciouskitty]

our handsome 2-tone EE roo did his first crowing today - guess its about time, since hes about 18 week old

I still can't believe that he waited that long !

My 2 EE Roos started at 8 weeks! They are now 20 wks &, OMG .. The crowing contests. 2 1/2 hrs this morning starting at 0430!

 

[iamfivewire]

guess he's a slow learner. maybe since his left & right sides are so different, he was a little confused & unsure what he's supposed to do or be doing?

 

[Trefoil]

I thought about botulism, but I don't think that's the case. It is a fresh bag of feed, feed doesn't last here long. LOL. Other reading has led me to the possibility of rickets... Which is also weird too, but then again, maybe not if those birds need a better/different feed. Don't think so though. Then there is the dreaded "M". And with that one and its many facets... That one is a scary thought. Won't know unless a bird dies and send it for necropsy, or do one myself looking for tumors/lesions and such. I am going to get them started on a diet for rickets, and see if there isn't some improvement, and keep an eye on the leg directions, eyes for unmatched dialation... The "m" signs... I would separate them out, but I don't see a point since the other birds have been with them this whole time, so what ever it is, they've already exposed the others, and will be at a survival of fittest at this point if they start to get worse, and if a necropsy points to the "M".

If it were ducks, niacin deficiency would be the first to check for, but chickens don't need as much . I'll keep my fingers crossed that it isn't mareks.
I have a silkie hen that's been broody all spring/summer, I finally put 2 guinea eggs under her, a week or 2 ago I put my 8 week olds from meyers in with her. Tonight when I went out to feed, there was a guinea chick in with my 6 (6week old ) bantam wyandottes. I put it back with the silkie and 5 minutes later it had gotten back into the other pen and was laying under my wyandottes again. I put it back under the silkie, but am going to kick myself if it dies because I did. I'm afraid the silkie likes to brood, not raise babies, the other egg hasn't hatched yet. But its pretty bad when 6 week old chicks are more motherly than a broody hen. I lost the top 1/2 of my peach tree ( loaded with peaches) that night we had the heavy rains. My chickens are all acting goofie, like they've got spring fever. The roosters are back chasing the hens and fighting like when it first got warm this spring. I don't know what's going on.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Nova-- not sure if this applies at all -- but lots of ducks having similar symptoms with legs & walking or rather falling. Also a couple botulism cases too

botulism

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/19/botulism
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/219553/help-what-is-wrong-droopy-wing-beak-down-pictures/20

I thought about botulism, but I don't think that's the case. It is a fresh bag of feed, feed doesn't last here long. LOL. Other reading has led me to the possibility of rickets... Which is also weird too, but then again, maybe not if those birds need a better/different feed. Don't think so though. Then there is the dreaded "M". And with that one and its many facets... That one is a scary thought. Won't know unless a bird dies and send it for necropsy, or do one myself looking for tumors/lesions and such. I am going to get them started on a diet for rickets, and see if there isn't some improvement, and keep an eye on the leg directions, eyes for unmatched dialation... The "m" signs... I would separate them out, but I don't see a point since the other birds have been with them this whole time, so what ever it is, they've already exposed the others, and will be at a survival of fittest at this point if they start to get worse, and if a necropsy points to the "M".

If it were ducks, niacin deficiency would be the first to check for, but chickens don't need as much . I'll keep my fingers crossed that it isn't mareks.


If it's the "M" then pray you got the turkey's version; in any event you would have to do an emergency vaccination of everyone. (the dead version i think) It would give just enough antibodies for them to survive.

This is how my little sick d'uccle chick started. Turned out to be her lungs. Have her on the powdered antibiotics from TSC but if she's to survive i have to bump it up a a bit with something different. Usually mine get bubbly eye, never had them had crackly lungs before so not sure yet what the best course is.

 

[RTFchickens]

Have you read his story?  It's at the bottom of his post.  Very interesting!   He's still going thru a lot.  

Yes, I'm familiar with Raz's story. I think it complete bull crumbs that he is going through all this harassment! I admire his effort, and support him in his fight. I am upset that we have to fight for our right to own chickens, but I look forward to paying it forward and winning one for team BYC! The more RTF cases won, the better it is for all of us!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

http://www.ehow.com/about_6454399_poultry-disease-botulism.html

http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/foyscatalog.html

bookmarking

 

[kitty928]

Can anyone recommend somebody to build a chicken run? I live in Haslett close to the Lansing area. I am thinking it would be about 20 by 40 in size.
Thanks!

 

[ladyrsanti]

A few thoughts about egg production droppage (is that a word?) Often people simply ask "why" and provide no other details. It would be helpful to know more detail.

How old are the hens?
What breed are they?
Are they moulting or about to or just finished?
Food sources? Fresh water everyday? Oyster shell available?
Free range? Run kept? Hidden nest maybe?
Environmental conditions (too rainy, too dry, too hot)?
Did you have lights in the coop during the winter?
Egg predators in the coop?
etc.

The more details that one can provide can help the experienced people better suggest an answer to the question/problem.

Hmph. I provided all those details but whatever. Got four eggs today. Four! I might as well just worm them for all the eggs I can't eat anyway.

Sorry, been a bad day all around.

 

[countrybiggen]

Is there anyons close to Niles that knows a good amount about breeding of cross breeding. ?

 

[Opa]

Does anyone know what happened to summer? Yesterday I drove to a town about 50 miles from here to pick up a friend from the hospital and was amazed by the number of trees that are already starting to turn color. It's as if fall is starting without summer not really happening. While some of the plants in my garden are doing extremely well,others, heat loving crops have yet to reach their potential. I guess it's just a reminder of how fleeting life really is. Maybe it's nature's way of reminding us that we need to appreciate each day as it occurs and not hurry towards the future. We should take the time to enjoy life's flowers as they come remembering that smelling them from the root side probably won't be as wondrous.

The old friend I picked up will soon be 90 years old and is basically in very good health. He had awoke in the middle of the night in extreme pain with what turned out to be a kidney stone. His only living relative is a nephew who has been pushing him to declare him his uncle's guardian and he's convinced that it's not to take care of him but to gain immediate access to his money. Sadly I think that is the nephew's motivation since he placed his own mother in a nursing home where she lasted less than a year. The greed of some people doesn't surprise me since I have a brother who went through all of my mother's money and was trying to set her up for that scenario, yet it still saddens me.

My old friend still adds to my life with his stories and experiences and I wouldn't want one day less that the number that God sees fit to allot him. Why do it seem that so many consider the elderly disposable? Shouldn't we honor their years of contribution by spending time with them?