Michigan

[hickchick55]

I think this is my first post with new platform. Anyway, I have a question for you all. I have a 45 week old RIR hen going through a heavy molt. She was almost naked last week, but starting to fill back in. I didn't think they were supposed to do that this time of year. None of my other hens are doing it. I checked her for mites and don't find anything. What's the deal? I appreciate any info.

If anyone likes to look at fish pictures, my DH and I have been working on his website. We had a local host, but we couldn't work on it ourselves and it wasn't getting done. So we took it to Yahoo and are doing it ourselves. Still learning but getting there.
www.benziefishing.com

 

[Farmerboy16]

hey farmerboy, have you thought of selling shares in your cows If you buy a share, you get to purchase all the milk you need. A farmer in Howard city does this, it is a legal way to sell raw milk. I would love to get some but Howard city is a bit far to travel for milk every couple days. don't know if I could store a weeks worth in my fridg. ,,Just a thought, you do the work we get to benefit

I really don't know if he is pasteurizing or not. went on line and checked it out about a yr. ago. forgot most of the details.

It sounds like it would work for us! I will let you know after I talk to my dad about it. If he is ok with that, maybe we will get a cow sooner.

TGIF!!

And as to raw milk (unpasturized if it is raw) it is no more healthy, nutritious or benificial than pasturized milk, and a whole lot safer. How do you know that farmer is properly disinfecting his facilities? Pasturization removes harmful pathogens and changes the milk quality insignificantly. You can even use pasturized milk to make cheese (not ultrapasturized though, just doesn't work)

It depends how you raise the cow that affects nutrition of the milk. Grass-fed cow's milk has more nutrition than store-brought milk. And unpasturized milk has more nutritional value as some have not been killed off by the heat of pasteurizing process. I have milked my neighbor's goats and drank the raw milk with no issues. I loved it raw. You just need to ask questions to the farmer and look at his set-up, before buying the share.

 

[dmclalin]

Welcome dascountry

 

[SillyChicken]

OPA, hope everything went well for you regarding the house.

Welcome Dascounty!

I'm so happy we have a new home arranged for the geese and ducks tomorrow. I hope they like where their going... Lucy is used to being the boss so I wonder how she's going to handle the move.

Hope everyone has a great weekend, and be careful if your in the lake affect areas, we're due for some snow today and tomorrow.

 

[Olive Hill]

Hey, Raz. Pass me one of your hops sodas? They've opened the can of raw milk worms and this almost always gets good. Who's bringing the popcorn?

 

[RBahmer]

It sounds like it would work for us! I will let you know after I talk to my dad about it. If he is ok with that, maybe we will get a cow sooner.

It depends how you raise the cow that affects nutrition of the milk. Grass-fed cow's milk has more nutrition than store-brought milk. And unpasturized milk has more nutritional value as some have not been killed off by the heat of pasteurizing process. I have milked my neighbor's goats and drank the raw milk with no issues. I loved it raw. You just need to ask questions to the farmer and look at his set-up, before buying the share.

I milked cows the whole time my kids were growing up. I always took the milk straight out of the tank. My kids were raised on it and it sure didn't hurt them any. And I know how the tank was cleaned, I did it everyday.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

fuzzybutt, those roses are beautiful.

Avalon, good luck with the new horse.

RBahmer, I would love to get some of those lovely dark eggs!

Cathy, good to see you again!

Nova, Sorry about Veena, I hope she will get better.

Stacykins, congrats on the hatch.

dascountry, Welcome! What breeds of chicks are you getting?

Daron, great pic of your Icelandics.

Welcome back hickchick. I had a few hens go thru a winter molt this year too.

 

[NovaAman]

I think I need to clear something up. I was not asking Chicken Grandma about the albon because I was planning to use it indiscretionitly. I was asking in responce to her comment about having to use an antibiotic for the yeast build up her hen had suffered after a crop impaction that required an antibiotic. I do not have a vet that can give me anything for my bird until Monday. I can get the fecal exam done, and if it shows a yeast problem, the techs can not give me anything until Monday when he is back. So would the Albon work did she think since it is a broad spec antibiotic that does target digestive as well as respiratory. I was not planning to use it Willy nilly.

the fecal check came back normal. I have to keep her inside where it is warm and I can monitor that she is eating until monday when Dr. Bader is back and can examine her. I think you are Right though Chicken grandma... I can feel her breast bone very defined. I cant believe how much weight she lost so quickly. She is not laying any eggs right now, so I put her on 24% grower, along with the buttermilk, egg yolk and garlic. I am treating her with meal worms and milk soaked bread. I think I will put her in the brooder box so she has room to move around. She will not be near as messy as the chicks were. And I don't think she likes the cat carrier to much. Its maybe 2 sq feet. But if she's not moving to much, she's not burning to much energy. Maybe I should get the rabbit cage from the neighbor....

 

[1muttsfan]

Antibiotics are not effective against yeast, so Albon is not the drug of choice. I usually give LOTS of live-culture yogurt, that should help displace the yeast and help restore a good bacterial population. Usually I mix it with vegetable baby food (beans, squash, peas).

We could argue all day about raw-pasturized milk. My point was that getting raw milk from someone else is always a risk. And the difference in nutritional value between pasturized and raw milk is negligable, and may not be worth the risk in terms of infectious disease. Got a goat in your backyard that you milk yourself, sounds a lot safer to me. Old days milk was taken from cows that were individually cared for, cleaned before milking, into equipment that had been carefully cleaned and scalded. And people still got diseases like Tuberculosis. But I have used raw milk for cheesemaking; from someone I knew really well, and I was there when the cows were milked.

 

[Olive Hill]

1muttsfan is right. Most broad spectrum antibiotics will enhance, not control, a yeast infection. Feed through Nystatin and copper sulfate are common treatments for crop thrush.

IMO you need to find an alternate vet. Illness does not abide by business hours and vacation schedules; if you take on the responsibility of animal stewardship you need to be prepared to work outside them as well.