Michigan

[1muttsfan]

Chicken Grandma, I couldn't agree more!  I really hope Farmerboy's project works.  I am no longer a chicken owner as of this week.  From now on any new chicks I get will be tested for MG before being put in the coop and no one is allowed to pick up their chicks on my farm.  I have had no signs of it with any hatched chicks (three years of my hens hatching my eggs) until this year when I starting allowing other chicken owners near my coops.  One person who was here had one of their young chickens die of "natural causes" while they were here.  A week later my chicks get sick, they were just a couple of days old when that person was here.  I'm not saying that's where it came from by any means,  I could have had it this whole time when I bought my adults at the beginning.  Both them and I are newer chicken owners, and are not "chicken smart" yet.  One very expensive vet bill and the loss of my babies has made me a bit smarter.

So sorry! What a sad story.

 

[babigyrl22]

Babygrl has eggs pipping I am so envious!! Not a pip or a peep here yet. Not due until saturday tho.

Yeay! Still just a pip with occasional chirping. The little guy hasn't started to zip yet. DH and I are going out this evening so I am SURE that's when it will decide to fully hatch. I THINK that is the only egg that's chirping. It's one of Robin's (RBahmer) marans eggs. WOOT!

 

[M.sue]

Chicken Grandma, I couldn't agree more! I really hope Farmerboy's project works. I am no longer a chicken owner as of this week.

From now on any new chicks I get will be tested for MG before being put in the coop and no one is allowed to pick up their chicks on my farm. I have had no signs of it with any hatched chicks (three years of my hens hatching my eggs) until this year when I starting allowing other chicken owners near my coops. One person who was here had one of their young chickens die of "natural causes" while they were here. A week later my chicks get sick, they were just a couple of days old when that person was here. I'm not saying that's where it came from by any means, I could have had it this whole time when I bought my adults at the beginning. Both them and I are newer chicken owners, and are not "chicken smart" yet. One very expensive vet bill and the loss of my babies has made me a bit smarter.

So sorry to hear this. I have a friend ( more of an acquantance) )who has chickens and has offered a few times to come over and tend to my flock when I'm out of town. The offer is very kind and thoughtful but there are a few reason why I would never let her in my pens or coop. 1. The chickens she has are not hers, she lives with BF's family. 2. I don't know how their's are cared or what type of health they are in and 3. The fear of her bringing something into my yard. Not that she'd intentionally mean to bring any harm but I know they do not tend to & care for their chickens as I do.....I don't think they are very strict when it come to bio security practices.

 

[M.sue]

Yeay! Still just a pip with occasional chirping. The little guy hasn't started to zip yet. DH and I are going out this evening so I am SURE that's when it will decide to fully hatch. I THINK that is the only egg that's chirping. It's one of Robin's (RBahmer) marans eggs. WOOT!

Keep us posted and Pics please!!

 

[RaZ]

Does your crazy neighbor know about your beekeeping? Haha, I bet she'd have a fit if she figured it out. Thankfully, there are a lot of laws out there that protect the rights of keeping honeybees, even in urban settings, because of their valuable pollination service.

When I moved here 12 years ago, I brought 2 hives with me set them out back. None of my immediate neighbors had a problem with that. They enjoyed the honey that I shared with them. That includes my now "crazy" neighbor. Out of the 7 houses immediately around me, 6 of them love getting fresh eggs from me. Three of the other neighbors like to bring the grandkids to see and pet the chickens. The people across the street have a daughter who was deathly afraid of bees. I showed her the difference between honey bees and yellow jackets and picked up a handful of bees to show her how they don't "attack" like she thought they did.

Unfortunately, few years ago the city council passed an ordinance that specifically outlaws the keeping of bees of any kind within the city limits. This stand alone ordinance was based on the lobby efforts of one woman whose autistic grand-son was afraid to go outside because he saw flying insects that she claimed were "bees". Her target was a neighbor who had a hive and her dear grand-son tipped over the hive and got stung.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why someone wants to control the life of a neighbor when what they do doesn't affect them in way way.

 

[taprock]

I lockdown 38 dipped eggs today! They are due on Sunday. Please pray that they hatch clean of Mycoplasma gallisepticum!

I have had several chicken miracles so it is possible!

Well, by some freakish miracle we're now more than 24 hours in and Frederick (Fredericka?) The Garden Bunny is still alive. To spite me, I tell you, to spite me.

Yea for Garden Bunny!


Nova take care of yourself! Anxiety attacks are no fun! and try get some sleep - lack of can affect every part of your health.

I posted my picture earlier of my handsome Bootsie boys, the d'Uccles. They have always been best buds but this afternoon I find them just fighting full out. A while later my son comes in with Socks who has a swollen closed eye. I'm guessing injury but how do I know for sure it isn't a disease? I put him in the guinea pig cage but he's still in the coop.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Yeay! Still just a pip with occasional chirping. The little guy hasn't started to zip yet. DH and I are going out this evening so I am SURE that's when it will decide to fully hatch. I THINK that is the only egg that's chirping. It's one of Robin's (RBahmer) marans eggs. WOOT!

Good morning Michigan. Still hanging out at the incubator hoping for peeps - nothing yet, but their "due date" is not until friday night/saturday am.

Chicks are not fully feathered until 6 weeks. After that they should be ok in an outdoor coop, if they are acclimated to the colder temps. There is a big difference between 60 degrees and 30 degrees.

When removing ticks do not grasp the body of the tick, or apply any caustic or irritating substances. Squeezing the body will basically inject the stomach contents of the tick through the mouth and under the skin. Applying nasty stuff (or attempting to burn them) can cause the tick to regurgitate (vomit) before releasing. Both of these two things can lead to infections. Opa's instructions are great. There is also a very inexpensive product called a Tick Twister that is really slick - removes the ticks without you having to touch them.

I've been staring at my incubator too hoping for peeps. I saw some wiggling but that's about it.

Maybe there will be some peeps when I get home.

I have ONE pip. I love when they hatch. I keep looking in there, but still, just ONE pip. Hasnt progressed. Come on Easter babies.

 

[Stacykins]

I have had several chicken miracles so it is possible!


Yea for Garden Bunny!


Nova take care of yourself! Anxiety attacks are no fun! and try get some sleep - lack of can affect every part of your health.

I posted my picture earlier of my handsome Bootsie boys, the d'Uccles. They have always been best buds but this afternoon I find them just fighting full out. A while later my son comes in with Socks who has a swollen closed eye. I'm guessing injury but how do I know for sure it isn't a disease? I put him in the guinea pig cage but he's still in the coop.

Can you flush out the eye and get a better look? See if there is a laceration or something in the eye? Normal contacts solution is sterile saline and perfectly safe for flushing out an eye (heck, I use the stuff if I get dust in my eyes). They can get a form of pink eye (avian conjunctivitis) too. I know pinkeye in goats is treated by using the injectable antibiotic oxytetracycline (LA-200 at tractor supply) in the eye as a drop instead.

 

[taprock]

Raz - Unless you have allergies to bees they are great, especially for kids. One of my best memories growing up was playing with drones. My dad would bring some in for us to play with in the fall. And there is nothing like eating the first honey/wax when you uncap the frames! My son already says he wants to have bees and I think he just might. When he was about 3 -4 years old he would go outside when the chives were in bloom and play with the bumble bees. He always got stung but it never changed his desire to play with them.

 

[RaZ]

Raz - Unless you have allergies to bees they are great, especially for kids. One of my best memories growing up was playing with drones. My dad would bring some in for us to play with in the fall. And there is nothing like eating the first honey/wax when you uncap the frames! My son already says he wants to have bees and I think he just might. When he was about 3 -4 years old he would go outside when the chives were in bloom and play with the bumble bees. He always got stung but it never changed his desire to play with them.

If you (or anyone) has an allergic reactions to any bee sting, I would hope that you travel with an epi-pen.
My buddy farms bees commercially and gets help from his nephew who is highly allergic. He carries a couple of epi-pens with him at all times.
At least with honey bees and bumble bees, you will get a warning before they ever sting. That is something that I try to teach when I give bee lectures.

I'm not allergic, per se, but one time I was stung on a wrist vein and my whole hand and arm swelled up like the elephant man.