Michigan

[teeville5]

Hey, everyone. Just finished reading up. You all were a bit more talkative today, but beyond all the cute photos I can't really remember any of it. I've been a bit tired all day so I'll chalk it up to that. Despite being tired, I took the time to get the brooders and pens cleaned after work. I took most of the tween group out for a few hours of discovery time and I think they did well.

I have one concern, though, about 2 of my isa pullets. We noticed this afternoon that one of them had a wound on the back of her head and it turned out her sister did, too. These 2 were perfectly fine yesterday so I'm a bit surprised at their condition today. These wounds are the worst I've ever seen. They both literally have holes in their heads from what I can only assume was pecking by the others. I won't get too descriptive of it, but it is bad. This is probably the dumbest question ever asked, but is there anything I can do for these open with no way to close wounds or should I just call it as I see it and find a way to man up and pull the plug on them? I can only assume there will be infection, but they act so normal like nothing is wrong it's making me hesitate a bit. That plus DH is refusing to give an opinion on what to do. This would be my first time culling if I have to and I'm a bit apprehensive. I know it was asked recently, but what is the best most quick way to go about it?

 

[EeyoreD]

Yeah, they should work it out. The ducks are bigger so they'll pick their spot and then the chicks will take what's left, probably. I'd just do it on a day when you have time to keep an eye out. If they're going to be abusive you're going to see it pretty quickly, the scovies are pretty non-confrontational (unless the ganders pick on the hens, lol) so as long as they have space, plenty of feed and water there probably won't be any tiffs.

That might be the best plan then. If the teenagers (with some early supervision) will be fine with the ducks. I have several large and small feeders and waterers and I know there are tons of spiders/bugs around the area I built the coop in. For a second I worried about that. Then I smacked myself and said "That's a chicken smorgasboard!".

Now I just have to get a freaking net for the ducks.

 

[Olive Hill]

teeville - Can you post pictures? It's really hard to say without seeing. In general it's best to let puncture type wounds heal from the inside out. I'd saturate with iodine, spray with blucote and turn them back out. It's amazing what animals can heal up on their own, with very little intervention. They're not as prone to infection as humans.

Eeyore - Wasn't there some of that soft snow fence in your pictures? Can that be taken down from where it is? If so you could wrap that around the hoop house temporarily. It won't be pretty... but it'll work.

 

[EeyoreD]

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Eeyore - Wasn't there some of that soft snow fence in your pictures? Can that be taken down from where it is? If so you could wrap that around the hoop house temporarily. It won't be pretty... but it'll work.

Yeah there is and I can but I'm not sure what you're saying. The stupid ducks are more than happy to fly out of any non-covered area.

Jerks.

(and yet I love them most of all the fowl. But they're still jerks.)

Everyone in the hoop seems the only way to keep them contained.

Edit: I meant a net to CATCH the ducks.

 

[teeville5]

I could post a picture, but considering what you see through the holes, I thought it might not be appreciated by everyone. The holes are about the size of an eraser on a pencil. And since I don't know this, how would they even be able to close back up?

 

[Olive Hill]

Edit: I meant a net to CATCH the ducks.

Ohhhh! Yeah. Good luck with that. They'll probably remember the last time they saw a net and be gone for good. LOL! We laughed so hard that morning. You really should have been here just for the entertainment value.


Quote:
Oh the body does amazing things. But, it is hard to say without seeing. You could PM me pictures if you don't want to post. It won't bother me any.

 

[EeyoreD]

Ohhhh! Yeah. Good luck with that. They'll probably remember the last time they saw a net and be gone for good. LOL! We laughed so hard that morning. You really should have been here just for the entertainment value.

When you told me about it, I really wished I had been there to see it. The turkeys were funny enough to catch!

I'd try to lure the ducks but I have a feeling I'd just end up with EVERYONE in the coop. They're all greedy buggers.

 

[RaZ]

Raz & Eeyore - If one were to be suddenly overrun with honey bees when one never has been before should one assume there is a swarm nearby? I opened the sliding door for about five minutes today, went out on the deck, was buzzed by probably ten honey bees in that time, and then when I came back in there were FIVE honeybees in the house. We see the occasional honeybee around here, but nothing like this. I have an uncle that keeps bees, if it's likely a swarm is nearby I might go for a walk and see if I see anything... could give him a call if I found it. I know he's recovered swarms before.

Talk to you uncle, but from my experience, 5,10 or even 100 bees is not a swarm. Given the weather conditions, I would not think that that a hive has swarmed yet. That usually occurs when the colony has enough food and is healthy enough to double in size. Having said that, a good strong colony that overwintered well, could be strong enough to divide.
The nucs that I got today were from hives that were strong and healthy and had hatched a queen. These were managed hives and had not gotten to the point of swarming.
A swarm gone wild will be thousands of bees in a ball around the new queen while the scout bees look for a new home. This is when bees are most docile, they are not protecting a home.

This is probably the dumbest question ever asked, but is there anything I can do for these open with no way to close wounds or should I just call it as I see it and find a way to man up and pull the plug on them? I can only assume there will be infection, but they act so normal like nothing is wrong it's making me hesitate a bit. That plus DH is refusing to give an opinion on what to do. This would be my first time culling if I have to and I'm a bit apprehensive. I know it was asked recently, but what is the best most quick way to go about it?

Can you treat the wound with Blue Cote or the like? If the chickens don't seem to be wigged out, they may be OK. The wound may not be as bad as you think it is. But keep an eye on them.

 

[teeville5]

You could PM me pictures if you don't want to post. It won't bother me any.

Thanks, Olive. I'll pm you once I can get pictures of the 2 of them. I did just check on them and they still seem to be doing fine. Maybe Raz is right and they aren't as bad as I think, but it gave me a jolt when I saw the wounds. I've never seen anything like them before.

 

[Olive Hill]

Talk to you uncle, but from my experience, 5,10 or even 100 bees is not a swarm. Given the weather conditions, I would not think that that a hive has swarmed yet. That usually occurs when the colony has enough food and is healthy enough to double in size. Having said that, a good strong colony that overwintered well, could be strong enough to divide.
The nucs that I got today were from hives that were strong and healthy and had hatched a queen. These were managed hives and had not gotten to the point of swarming.
A swarm gone wild will be thousands of bees in a ball around the new queen while the scout bees look for a new home. This is when bees are most docile, they are not protecting a home.

Thanks for the info. I didn't mean to imply the ones I saw were the swarm, just wondered if they could be from a swarm nearby. Interesting that it's unlikely though. I wonder where they're coming from. We have a few here and there most years, but nothing like this. How far do honeybees travel from their hive? I wonder if a neighbor has gotten into beekeeping this spring?