Michigan

[Mom 2em All]

It is roo city around here!!
Guess I am glad I took all 4... At least I got one girl!

So if Hunan and Marsala have babies
NN Bowtie X NN Bowtie = 50% silkie & 50% NN Bowties????

Mom2 ....Should I even hatch their eggs... Would they be too close in relation?

Of course you should hatch their eggs..the whites came from eggs I ordered, the blacks came from my own Uggos. Not related.

could you hold your rabbit in cool water for a bit? I make my chickens stand in a cool dish of water when they are overheating. That way the feathers don't get wet and trap the heat........since she is already wet i'd keep her there until she was breathing a little slower. Then put her in front of the fan. Do you have a treat that she can't resist, fruit maybe that could be put in the fridge in the meantime?

I dont know what to do. It has been eight and a half hours- and there is no improvement. He still cannot move- or isnt moving. Limp. I can roll him to his side with my hand, but I uprighted him because that must be less stressful/and is more natural. Still breathing rapid- but as a prey animal, he must be scared.
When I went to bed it was 87 degrees in my kitchen and living room. I have him in the bedroom where it is reading 70 with the fan bringing cool night air into the house. He has a small little fan blowing air into the mesh side of the carrier across his body. His fur is still damp.
I dont know what else to do. I will take him to work with me, but the vet that sees rabbits is not in until tomorrow.

 

[snowflake]

had a wonderful day at Burchfield Park in Lansing. Beautiful park, very nice,quiet,lots of fish sighted in the river, lots of blue Hurons , Have never been there before, met my friend from Clarkston, there and had a wonderful day kayaking. Celebrating my retirement....We have also been relocating. sprat them with orange paint,(just a little) then bring them about 15 miles away by the river to a nature preserve
been throwing chickens frozen peaches. and squash, they seem to lover it all. wish the heat would abate soon have 9 meaties that need to be sent to camp and we don't like doing it when it is so hot....

let mamma hen & babies out for awhile, time to go shut up some coops, wish these birds would go to bed a little earlier....I am tired

 

[fuzzybutt love]

As to strength, any size hardware cloth is available in different gauges, so if you do decide to get 1/4" no, it doesn't have to be more flimsy, and just because you are getting 1/2" doesn't mean it won't be flimsy, make sure to check which gauge you're getting of either. Did that make sense?

Yes, thank you!

Quote:Originally Posted by Mom 2em All
I dont know what to do. It has been eight and a half hours- and there is no improvement. He still cannot move- or isnt moving.

I was heat-sick yesterday too. Thankfully this time i kept my supper down, but i aimed low and went for the chicken noodle soup. I gotta go and force some coffee and something solid down , before it gets too hot. Gonna go and spring for one of those yummy bolthouse drinks they've been having on sale lately at the store, man are they good! Lots of vitamins in there, i remember the electrolyte discussion. Does that still apply if you are riding your bike for 2 hours a day though? Been soooo dizzy and sick. Water ain't doing it.

 

[SillyChicken]

I think I was actually able to catch up tonight.

(Well, scanning... but still...)

A few thoughts on Raccoons...

It's not true that they are sick if they're out during the day. Raccoons are opportunists, they will hunt and scavenge at any time of day or night. Usually nighttime presents easier meal opportunities for them -- hence their reputation as nocturnal animals -- but if those opportunities are restricted for any reason they will be out and about during daylight hours to fill in the gaps in their diet.

I've posted before about the increase in population this year because of the warm winter and that bears repeating in light of the nocturnal v opportunist conversation. When the population is up, they're going to be out more and more during the day because competition for resources is stiff. I have seen more raccoons out during the day so far this year than altogether for the past five, maybe more. There is no evidence of an outbreak of any infectious disease in the area.

That said, raccoons absolutely do carry and spread rabies. They are not as common as bats and skunks... or even, say, woodchucks... but they absolutely are carriers and can do spread the disease. As Opa noted however, the disease of greatest risk with coons is Canine Distemper. They are very common carriers of distemper and that is almost as nasty as rabies itself.

Which brings us back around to population density. The denser the raccoon populations the more likely they are to carry and spread disease due to territory and resource competition both between members of their own species and members of other species -- including humans and pet animals, such as dogs. Control of the population is an important part of control of disease and damage. No one is suggesting that anyone is going to get rid of raccoons in any given area -- or that they even should -- but control of the population is something entirely different and something that we've been increasingly failing at as it falls to the shoulders of individual land owners more and more.

The collapse of the pelt market is one reason that individual landowners are now more important than ever in the control of the coon population. Where hunters used to harvest many coons each year, the low value of the pelts has all but completely done away with coon hunting. Anymore a pelt is barely worth the cost of the ammo used to shoot it -- in some cases not even that. And a hunter has many more expenses on top of that. It exists only as a sport anymore and because of that far fewer coons are harvested each year.

It has been a very, very long time since nature was able to police itself and human interference in the environment is not even close to the least of the reasons for that. The idea that we can just secure everything and leave the wildlife to their devices is quaint, but not a realistic approach because we've already inserted ourselves into their world and tampered with their existence to such an extent that removing ourselves is not even remotely possible. Estimates of the increase in coon population just in the past 15 years have been at 800+% due to the expansion of human settlements and the crash of the pelt market.

Those that have argued that something "worse" would replace coons seem to be conveniently forgetting that 1) even they've argued that coons cannot be wiped out so that's not a concern and 2) just as something would take their place if they were miraculously eliminated they will very happily take the place of other animals, those that serve an important purpose in the local eco-systems. And the latter is much more likely, especially as prolific as they are and as much as they've demonstrated a propensity to adapt to and survive to even the worst of conditions. Coons very much could push other animals out if the control of their populations was completely abandoned.

Could not have said it better myself! Since we are so "involved" with the eco system, and coons don't have many natural preditators - except us really... and if we're not doing our job in keeping the numbers in check... overpopulation and disease spreading will just get worse.

 

[Momma K]

Just got done with 15 pages of posts!! Phew!! I'm stuck at home for awhile BF drove the truck and the differential went out. In the process of that breaking it also sheered the axle shaft in half!! Now I have to figure out how to get food for my chickens!
Does anyone know how many 50lb bags will ride safely on the back of a motorcycle???
Seems like we all have one bad thing or another going on. I'm going to try to dig up some good juju and spread it around!!
Have a good day all

 

[uchytil]

Lotsa talk about coons. Nocturnal yeas, howvevre, when my blueberries are in they like to hang out in the bushes and feed during they day. Having been a trapper I always found that if you offer therm food (bait) they will hang around, ie, my corn, my blueberries, but not my livestock because I don't offer it. I lock up all the critters tighter than a drum. When I first moved here the previous owner said she fed the coons and possums dog food. For awhile they hung around and they finally left when they figured the pickings were not being offered anymore. I also agree that in populated, suburban areas they comete for food and are more daring, and will try to get into your hen house. If you put out bait you will attract scavengers. Maybe try keeping the coops locked up tight, keep all food (compost), trash, and other attractants sealed. I'm not saying a momma won't decide to birth under your porch, but, if you make it less accesible maybe they won't hang around.

 

[Mom 2em All]

I am so frustrated with my own lack of rabbit veterinary support!!!
I have called all our 'sister hospitals' and even texted the vet who left our hospital. Nobody can tell me what else to do for my bunny. If this is it, then I should put him down- how pitiful. If it just takes more time, I will wait it out.
I posted in the backyardherds forum under emergencies. eighteen views zero replies.
We have an relief vet who sees exotics. She is in only on Wednesdays- however we are closed tomorrow. I tried calling her. no response.

 

[Mish]

Found this article. Also has some good tips: http://www.rabbitkeeper.com/heatstroke.htm

"SIGNS OF HEAT STROKE OR HEAT PROSTRATION: Please read and learn these symptoms!!!

If you go out and find a rabbit laying with it's head thrown back, ears back and panting, that's a rabbit in the first stage of heat stroke. Cool it off. Quickly. Keep a bucket of water at the ambient temperature of the air on hand all the time. Add enough fresh water to COOL it off, not to make it cold. Then dunk the rabbit, making sure you get it's ears wet. (But not it's muzzle!!) Ears are where rabbits loose excess heat. Not panting. Some people prefer to mist or spray the rabbit. I personally prefer the dunk method because it gets the rabbit wet down to the skin and then the evaporation of the moisture from the skin and coat helps cools the rabbit.

DO NOT USE COLD WATER TO DUNK/MIST/SPRAY A RABBIT IN HEAT STROKE!!

You'll throw it into shock and can very easily kill it while you are trying to save it. This same method can also be used to help save other small livestock such as chickens, etc. if they go into heat stroke. (Larger livestock can be sprayed with a hose until they cool off. FIRST CHECK THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER IN THE HOSE! IF IT'S BEEN SITTING IN THE SUN, IT CAN BE ALMOST BOILING HOT!! My vet told me that if you see a mammalian livestock animal with foam on it's muzzle, chances are it's in heat stroke. The object is to cool it off as quickly as possible. With sheep, goats, cattle, horses, etc., the best way to do it is with the hose. Cats can be dunked [welders gloves help a great deal when dunking cats as they don't seem to appreciate your efforts to help cool them off], dogs, depending on their size, should be dunked or sprayed with the hose.)

Say your rabbit is laying sprawled out, head thrown back, ears back, panting with obvious signs of moisture around it's nose and mouth. Second stage of heat stroke. This rabbit is rapidly approaching the critical stage. Cool it IMMEDIATELY as above.

A rabbit is laying sprawled out, head thrown back, ears back, panting with obvious signs of moisture around it's nose and mouth and going down onto it's chest. This is the next to the last stage of heat stress. Again, this animal HAS TO BE COOLED IMMEDIATELY or you're going to lose it. By this point, it's only a 50/50 shot of saving it unfortunately.

Your rabbit has all the above symptoms and is in convulsions. Destroy it. By this point, the rabbit is so overheated that there is quite probably brain damage. That's what usually causes the convulsions. At this stage, nothing can be done to save the rabbit. Just destroy it and put it out of it's misery."

 

[hickchick55]

I understand that you're upset about your case, but I don't see how it lessens the importance of the vandalism and/or stealing of art in the area. Art is an important part of any community's culture. Stealing and vandalism that deters people from being able to share and appreciate art is a cultural issue. Just because it's a pig? And therefore you're making it about farm vs city?

X2!!

 

[1muttsfan]

West Nile virus (WNV) activity has been identified in two Michigan counties. A mosquito pool submitted by the Saginaw County Mosquito Abatement Commission has tested positive for WNV at Michigan State University (MSU). In addition, a wild turkey found in Washtenaw County displaying neurologic signs has tested positive for WNV at MSU. These findings confirm that the virus is circulating in mosquitoes and birds in the state

Sick birds are lethargic, weak, and may show neurological signs.

Raz, Rabies information hasn't changed that much in the last 30 years or so. The Raccoon rabies outbreak in the eastern states is very serious, the strain is highly contagious and has been found in animals that are not usually susceptable to rabies (such as ground hogs and other rodents).

For more rabies information, visit www.michigan.gov/rabies or www.cdc.gov/rabies