Minnesota!

[lalaland]

Best first aid for chickens: nustock - feed stores carry it but you can get it online as well. It is an old time sulphur based ointment. I've used it on puncture wounds and very bad deep gashes from hawk attacks, scaly leg mites, a ripped comb, and a torn toe. (all on chickens). I've also used powdered sulphur in a coconut oil base to make a salve.

Ralphie, I never had bumblefoot in years of chicken keeping til I moved here - I think it is from the black berry brambles in part of the run- I used to be very vigilent and cut the foot, did out the core, express the pus, etc but I started thinking I was making it worse. Now, I don't do anything - just watch. If the foot is swollen and painful, I'll do a hot water/epson salt soak. Sometimes , very rarely, the infection will come to a point on the upper side of the foot, and then it is a hot water/epsom salt soak and the infection will pop out like a pimple - very gross - and then nustock on it, it heals up. With staph, you want to be careful yourself - gloves are a great idea as is practicing good disinfection.

About 95% of the time, the chicken's immune system takes care of it.

I think it is like any cut or injury - rarely will you need medical treatment, but if it starts getting systemic, then you or the chicken are in deep trouble.

 

[Chickenchick11]

Bert looks like he's been such a trooper. Hoping he gets better as he is a very pretty boy and I enjoy your Bert stories Ralpie.

 

[Rhetts]

@nordicacres Your coop is really nice. I like your roost/poop board. I just might 'remodel' my roosts system to resemble yours. I was going to add poop boards anyway. I like your style.

@AmericanKraut Did you get your Cream Legbars?

@duluthralphie Thanks for the updates on Bert. He looks like he is getting some great love and tender care.

Now I have to go back and reread posts to see what I missed! So much to catch up on.

 

[Minniechickmama]

LOL, really??

I am seeing them on every chicken forum and all over Facebook, and every time we share, we are giving them advertising! LMAO!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Bert is outside, It might be wishful thinking but he appears "better" he is standing, he crowed some, and is eating oats..



One of my Creamette eggs has pipped!!!

It is one of them with the air sac on the side. I am amazed. My wife found the pip, of course, she immediately let me know I was not a good candler. Which is no big surprise.

Fingers crossed, I might have a chick!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Ralphie, you fuss over those eggs and chicks like an old woman! LOL
They can pip and not do anything for 24-hours, then all the sudden they pop out in a very short time. Like people, it takes all kinds, and chicks all have their speed of hatching. So long as you have good humidity and temp, just leave it alone and let nature take care of it. If you help it, it just makes it weaker.

You are a good chicken daddy!

American Kraut, I just started using Thieve's Oil for respirator stuff and I am convinced! I had a Cochin hen who kept getting crusty eye and some nasal discharge. I would clean her up and treat her eye and a week later, back it came. I used the Thieves and in 3 days she was almost better and day 4 you wouldn't know anything was ever wrong! If any start acting 'off', I give them a spritz over the comb so they can inhale and get some absorbed in the skin without getting in their eyes. And IT SMELLS LIKE CHRISTMAS!!!!

 

[Rhetts]

I have been told lots of good things about Thieve's Oil. My SIL LOVES it. Never thought to use it on the hens. I am more likely to opt for natural remedies but I do realize that antibiotics do have their time and place. I have also read up on using herbs and garlic for the hens. I saved the info for future use if needed.

 

[AmericanKraut]

...

@AmericanKraut
 Did you get your Cream Legbars?

I did! It was midnight by the time my dad finally made his meander on as far as Princeton to meet me and a friend that so graciously enabled such chicken addiction to drive me that way in the middle of the night. He'd just done about 6 hours driving because he had to cross back home first. But he was in a good mood and I grand theft auto'd his car across the lot quick avoiding a tackle to throw some gas in his tank. The chooks were quiet and mellow. Rode home mellow and wandered into the quick but cozy coop and run the family had put together in the garage for the night. I'm so excited this last minute rope-in I threw on my pops worked and Triplell helped make it happen and got me a lovely pair of them

 

[AmericanKraut]

I am seeing them on every chicken forum and all over Facebook, and every time we share, we are giving them advertising!  LMAO!

You're right! I just promoted this junk! I hadn't seen it anywhere, now I saw it a few places online. [Face palm]

 

[duluthralphie]

Minnie you are right, but I have nothing else to fuss over. My kids are long gone from home. They accuse me, falsely, of fussing over their kids, and spoiling them. They even get upset when I bring them little "treats" claiming I ruin their meals...... BTW, I just look through the window at the eggs so I cannot see real well what is happening in there.

So I have nothing left to do except, fuss over my chickens and eggs.

OH NO, I may have a minor battle on my hands today. I get up a lot earlier than my wife on weekends. She likes to sleep late. As I was writing this, crowing as started in the bathroom, adjacent to our bedroom. She wanted Bert to spend last night outside, I feel Bert has just made it harder for him to get another night in the house. Bert looks perkier today. I am still resigned to the fact he is most likely going to chicken heaven soon, As EJB said I am trying to prepare for a life without Bert, but I still have a glimmer of hope.

My creamettes are still only giving me 3-4 eggs combined a week. Something must be wrong, people on the CL thread say they get 5-6 eggs per bird a week. They said the game bird feed may be too high in protein and not enough carbs for egg production, or mites, lice or worms. Any thought from any of you? I find I ask people on other threads, but I trust the people on this thread way more, maybe because we live in the same state or something. ( I know Minnie I am Fussing over them like an old
lady too.)

I bought some dewormer and powder for lice/mites, but I have not used it. I would prefer a more natural way if possible. Other than Bert, I have not used any meds of any kind. I know to some it is no big deal, to me it is, I want my birds to be drug free if possible, with the exception of the wild hemp they eat.

My dogs are getting use to the muzzles, I am actually getting chicken poop built up in the areas around the coop! They are not happy dogs. I found three eggs behind my welder yesterday. I only 22 eggs, 5 are missing!

The guinea pen is almost complete, I am using an old topper for them to get out of the weather. I have cross members (2x4s) on the 2- 4x4 uprights that will hold the game bird netting up for them to roost. They prefer roosting outdoors anyways. Ed is on probation, if he messes up he could be living with the guineas for a while, until I get him a pen of his own.


I love those harnesses, I suggested we get Bert one and a diaper so we could take him to Walmart or Petsmart, my wife is being a little stubborn on this.




On poop boards do they work? what is the advantage? Does it lengthen the time between total coop muckings?



Lala , I have never heard of nustock, I was looking for a sulfa product and could not find one, but I went to TSC, simply because I needed lumber from Menards.