Michigan

[wyliefarms]

Good Morning!

I slept through all the weather last night

Exercising is all done for the day. So now off to get everyone rolling and school started. Have a wonderful day everyone!


Reminder- If anyone is planning on showing at Fowl Fest, the deadline is September 27.

Sarah

 

[Mish]

Even though this is several topics, I'm posting here because I need help from SE Michigan.

Here is the background: One of our beloved pets was killed by a hawk last week.

. My mistake for thinking only young chicks were in danger.

. Until we build a fully enclosed play run as an addition to their current run I have fencing with twine running across, I'm out there and I even make the dogs help. Since the pullet was one of my daughter's favorites we decided to try to keep her memory by trying to hatch her babies. We took all the eggs we had (even from the fridge) and put them in the incubator. It looks like only one egg is developing and I think it is from the hen we lost since only 2 were laying and it is a slightly lighter color. Because our older chickens are only 25 weeks I am surprised even one is developing. I really hope it makes it through. If so it will be a Bantam Cochin or Bantam Frizzled / Silkie Mix. The other 24-week-olds are a Polish pullet, 2 Bantam pullets and a Silkie cockerel. We also have a pair of 18-week-old Welsh Halequin ducks and 3 17-week-old standard size pullets (although I suspect TSC may have been wrong and one is a cockerel). What was nice was the ducks and young chicks were raised together & with the ducks growing faster than chickens, the ducks protected the young chicks from any bullying when we finally mixed both groups. They all go near each other, but still act like two separate flocks.
My problem: besides having a chick in October, it looks like we'll only have one chick hatching. I need a baby bird to be it's friend when it hatches about Oct 7th. I'm posting this for advice and help finding a baby. We were thinking of getting an East Indie duckling in the spring and I think someone has a hatch from last weekend. Would a 3-week-old small breed duckling be a problem with a newborn chick? We were also thinking of raising pheasants for release. Would some pheasant chicks do well with a Bantam chick? It was nice having the ducks protect the other group of young chicks so is there some other bird I should try? If I raise a standard size chick with this Bantam chick will it just get picked on? One of the 25-week-old pullets is sweet and doesn't bully, she gets picked on. Would she accept a chick without being broody? Of course my choices are limited to what is available nearby in SE Michigan. The Frankenmuth FowlFest is hatch weekend, so will there be day-old chicks there? Should I raise it alone or am I right that it will be too lonely young and then won't have a friend when its older?

Please give advice and help me find a chick to be a friend for what looks like the only developing chick out of 8 eggs which i hope will hatch Oct 7.

 

[Huston's Happy Hens]

Huston's Happy Hens :

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That looks like broody chicken poop! My silkie used to do that when she would sit on eggs all day long for days at a time, then rush out real fast and eat, poop a pancake, then run back to her eggs.
You said she hasnt laid eggs?
Could something else be wrong- internal laying/egg bound, etc- and the coccidia is just coincidental?

no she's not laying and i don't feel anything in her abdomen...she lays this at night when roosting and smaller amounts during the day...this is much larger than any other broody poops I've seen and she's not broody.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/13163_poop_3.jpg
UGH​

Well, I've been in touch with Dr. Fulton here at MSU and the consensus is that the RIR is releasing from both her ceca and colon continuously. She also absorbed a partially formed chick which she excreted also. She is undoubtedly at the end of her laying cycle as well she may have an infected uterus, which can only be detected by xrays....she'll either recover completely....although she's not acting strange in anyway....or she'll pass as the infection becomes more severe. Antibiotics will not help this situation...it's the luck of the draw in the life of a chicken.

 

[Opa]

One of the most important things you can learn about raising chickens is that some of them are going to die. The second most important thing to learn it that it's just a chicken. I work hard at trying to insure my birds are cared for a well as possible and in spite of that I still lose an occasional chicken without knowing why. Good luck and best wishes to everyone experiencing sick or dying chickens. Sometimes they really are a puzzle.

 

[Mish]

Quote:
You're right of course. Although I better not ever try raising a cow because I really enjoy steak. It would never be the same.

 

[Huston's Happy Hens]

Huston's Happy Hens :

Huston's Happy Hens :

Quote:
no she's not laying and i don't feel anything in her abdomen...she lays this at night when roosting and smaller amounts during the day...this is much larger than any other broody poops I've seen and she's not broody.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/13163_poop_3.jpg
UGH

Well, I've been in touch with Dr. Fulton here at MSU and the consensus is that the RIR is releasing from both her ceca and colon continuously. She also absorbed a partially formed chick which she excreted also. She is undoubtedly at the end of her laying cycle as well she may have an infected uterus, which can only be detected by xrays....she'll either recover completely....although she's not acting strange in anyway....or she'll pass as the infection becomes more severe. Antibiotics will not help this situation...it's the luck of the draw in the life of a chicken.

over the course of the next few weeks, we're going to be separating hens to determine who is and who is not laying....if anyone would like some decorator hens for their yards that are not laying or not laying more than an egg or two a week, PM me - N​

 

[FlyingFChick]

Hi! It's been a while! How is everyone doing? I have a problem with a RIR that is picking the feathers off of 2 wyandottes. She is the only one picking feathers and I have separated her for a few days to knock her down in the pecking order, but it didn't work. Now our SLW, Liberty (I think she looks like an eagle) is bleeding. I have now separated her and would like some advice on what to do with her wound. It doesn't look bad, just bloody. Also any help on what else I can do with the RIR would be helpful. I am thinking dumplings! lol

Thanks!!!

 

[gallinamama]

Try to make this short... I raised the 9 little chicks from my grandson's preschool from 1 week old... At This stage I knew I had 2 maybe 3 roosters... my chickens were always too stressed letting out screams and noises... to this day I only have gotten 1 maybe 2 eggs a day...So I made the decision to remove the 3 roosters... only to find out now that I didn't have 3 roosters.. I have 5!!!!!!

I went out this afternoon and things sounded so peaceful in the run and coop... I fed them and when I was leaving.... one let out a scream... I looked back to see that I have two more roosters!! can you believe this... so now I will be left with only 4 chickens... that will give me eggs!!

I don't mind 1 rooster but those 4 chickens were certainly stressed with 5 roosters.. around them!!

So sad.... but I am glad that my girls seem a bit happier... Have to protect my girls...

my sister in law says she knows a place where I might be able to get some mature hens...ones that I know are hens!! hopefully soon... Sad day... don't like this part but it is all for the good.

 

[FlyingFChick]

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Quote:
Thanks! I will try that! Do you have any ideas on how to stop the feather picking?? I am going to give her another "time out" hoping that will help. I may have to rehome her even though she is a great layer, I get a big egg from her almost every day! She is 5 months old!

 

[Huston's Happy Hens]

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Quote:
Thanks! I will try that! Do you have any ideas on how to stop the feather picking?? I am going to give her another "time out" hoping that will help. I may have to rehome her even though she is a great layer, I get a big egg from her almost every day! She is 5 months old!

FFC, spray the Blue Kote on the SLW - I can almost guarantee that will stop the pecking!
Sam, I believe you coined the term "decorator chicken" my dear and I have used it since!