Michigan

[Water Pixie]

Hi everyone it has been very hectic

around here and things are starting to slow down : ) so I thought I would hop on the computer and say Hi

to the you Michiganders.

I know it is only Jan but I am already looking forward to spring. This Spring I would like to add some colorful egg layers to my coop. I am looking for hatching eggs or chicks what is everyone going to have available, what color or eggs do they lay and when are the going to be available and about how much are you going to want for them?

Dawn

 

[RIRJen]

Quote:
More then likely it helped but it sounds like he's still suffering the effects of wry neck. The reason he's acting up out of his cage is the excitement of being out. When he's sitting in his cage he's relaxed and kinda "whatever" and when he's out and can run around the excitement makes his condition worse. I wouldn't stop letting him out because it won't make a difference either way and he'll figure out that he needs to slow down.
He's going to have some signs of wryneck because of the damage that was already done...but hopefully it was enough that it won't get any worse.

 

[RIRJen]

Good Morning everyone! Anyone want a child? about 5 months old...doesn't want to go to sleep until 2am?

Kinda makes for a crummy day when you have to be up at quarter to 7. I plan on tackling this issue this weekend and changing his sleeping pattern back to the way it was before!! He's shifted and goes to bed 2 hrs later then he used to and sleeps in 2 hrs more...so operation "wake up the baby" starts saturday morning!

I'm going to have about 40 eggs in the bater this weekend!

And looking at my yolks (thanks Vicki!) I'm seeing some fertile ones and so my chances of some chickies is good.

I have a feeling I'm going to have to put an addition onto the chicken coop this year. (not that I'm complaining!) I'm also in contact with a breeder down in Indiana who is going to supply me with some more hens in February. I think this year I'm going to let the hens hatch out some chicks over the summer. One of the hens is being a little broody and sitting on the eggs but gets up as soon as I open the coop door. I'm taking that as a good sign that she'll want to sit this spring.

 

[keyt1969]

He's going to have some signs of wryneck because of the damage that was already done...but hopefully it was enough that it won't get any worse.

I agree. He's still such a good boy! We hold him often because I think that helps him feel better. But now he has a habit that is starting to worry me even more.

He sleeps with his head on the water bowl and sometimes he ends up IN the water bowl. There's two problems with that. One is he gets wet and even though it's not as cold on the porch as it is in the barn, I'm afraid he will get sick. He won't drink out of the other water thing. Other problem is I'm afraid he will drown!

If it wasn't for that, I was thinking of putting him back in the barn in his hutch. There's a lot more room and he can see Elvis through the screen.​

 

[RIRJen]

Quote:
I agree. He's still such a good boy! We hold him often because I think that helps him feel better. But now he has a habit that is starting to worry me even more.

He sleeps with his head on the water bowl and sometimes he ends up IN the water bowl. There's two problems with that. One is he gets wet and even though it's not as cold on the porch as it is in the barn, I'm afraid he will get sick. He won't drink out of the other water thing. Other problem is I'm afraid he will drown!

If it wasn't for that, I was thinking of putting him back in the barn in his hutch. There's a lot more room and he can see Elvis through the screen.

try putting something in his bowl, like a rock (obviously a clean one lol) or something like that so that he can't stick his head into it all the way. With his problems a bowl is better for him anyways...wryneck rabbits have such balance problems that finding the nozzle of a waterbottle isn't easy for them. You'll have to make sure he can still get the water but it will prevent him from being able to put his whole head in. Kinda like the same idea with chicks where you fill the waterer with marbles so they can't drown. I don't think marbles would be good in this case though...not that he'd eat them or anything, I just don't think it would be effective.
Sounds like he's using his bowl as a way to stabilize himself...like a brace.

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
I agree. He's still such a good boy! We hold him often because I think that helps him feel better. But now he has a habit that is starting to worry me even more.

He sleeps with his head on the water bowl and sometimes he ends up IN the water bowl. There's two problems with that. One is he gets wet and even though it's not as cold on the porch as it is in the barn, I'm afraid he will get sick. He won't drink out of the other water thing. Other problem is I'm afraid he will drown!

If it wasn't for that, I was thinking of putting him back in the barn in his hutch. There's a lot more room and he can see Elvis through the screen.

try putting something in his bowl, like a rock (obviously a clean one lol) or something like that so that he can't stick his head into it all the way. With his problems a bowl is better for him anyways...wryneck rabbits have such balance problems that finding the nozzle of a waterbottle isn't easy for them. You'll have to make sure he can still get the water but it will prevent him from being able to put his whole head in. Kinda like the same idea with chicks where you fill the waterer with marbles so they can't drown. I don't think marbles would be good in this case though...not that he'd eat them or anything, I just don't think it would be effective.
Sounds like he's using his bowl as a way to stabilize himself...like a brace.

I don't know why I didn't think of that. Thanks I'm going to find one right now!

 

[vicki2x2]

Maybe you could put something else in his cage that he could lean his head on, another bowl (empty) or a small box, etc that way he has something to lean his head that is safe and dry, instead of the water bowl. Might be worth a shot. Come on Gizmo, get well!

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
Well the problem is the enclosure he's in now isn't that big. If he was in his regular hutch it wouldn't be a problem. Between his water bowl and food bowl there's nothing else. He puts his head in the food bowl but he seems to prefer the water bowl and they're the same thing!

I was thinking of putting him back in his hutch but now I'm not so sure.

 

[Olive Hill]

83 days until April 1

Suddenly this countdown is seeming very tedious and drawn out to me. Wasn't it 89 days months ago? Seems like it.

 

[vicki2x2]

Quote:
Well the problem is the enclosure he's in now isn't that big. If he was in his regular hutch it wouldn't be a problem. Between his water bowl and food bowl there's nothing else. He puts his head in the food bowl but he seems to prefer the water bowl and they're the same thing!

I was thinking of putting him back in his hutch but now I'm not so sure.

Keyt,

Do you need to borrow a bigger cage until spring? That would give him something bigger to live in on the porch until it is warm enough to go back in the condo. Just a thought and totally up to you. If so, give me a hollar. I have a few extras I could spare until spring, then things start filling up around here