Minnesota!

[Wild Child]

First, don't get any more rabbits for now.  I will ask some people I know about this and get back to you.  I am SOO sorry.  I hate finding rabbits that suddenly die.  You have some kind of disease or parasite or something in there.  If it were just one, I would say it could have been a gastro blockage, possibly.  But that many?  You have to disinfect everything.  Also, it isn't uncommon if you have sick rabbits, that it can transfer to other animals.  So, you need to get right on disinfecting everything.  Do you use wood or wire?  If you are using wood hutches, I would burn them.  I know it would be a tough thing to have to replace, but wood can harbor lots of stuff, which is one reason we use all wire cages for ours that get pressure washed at least 3 times a year.  

Oxine is a good cleaning solution, bleach is good at cleaning but be careful how much you use.  

Again, I am so sorry to hear this!  I will ask around and get back to you as soon as I hear anything.

Thanks, I use metal hutches so that parts taken care of. Thos is not my week for animals, I just went outside to check on my girls and muppet (my white silkie) was dead. Comet (the blue Cochin I got from you)is really depressed as they were together for quite along time. I never thought chickens could get so sad but as soon as I went out there she flew right into my arms for a hug.

 

[Minniechickmama]

How often do you fully clean out your coop?

Me? Not often enough, but I am changing the interior layout to make it easier. I have not exact schedule. When it gets dirty enough, I clean it. When most of the birds are on pasture an have a few coops and the big building and the runs to go in, I don't have to clean out as much. But this time I have to get all the outdoor runs scraped down and fresh sand put in, which is a chore and a half, and very slow when it is is wet and slushy and I can't use the lawn tractor and wagon, and I am stuck with hauling everything to the honey pile with the wheelbarrow and it is all sloped down to the pile. It can get slick and I have to watch my footing. Anyway, since I am going to have about half as many chickens over the winter this year, I can make the pens a little smaller and make an alley way to make chores and cleaning easier. If I can, I want to get a heated water system in soon too and not have to use the dog bowls for this year since they are messy and mice like to hide under the stands I made for them.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Thanks, I use metal hutches so that parts taken care of. Thos is not my week for animals, I just went outside to check on my girls and muppet (my white silkie) was dead. Comet (the blue Cochin I got from you)is really depressed as they were together for quite along time. I never thought chickens could get so sad but as soon as I went out there she flew right into my arms for a hug.

We all have those times. I am sorry you are having such troubles. Do you have Comet in with the other chickens too? I haven't ever experienced a bird that has been depressed before, but I have so many, I think it is tough for them to miss just one other bird.

 

[scandiafowl]

Me?  Not often enough, but I am changing the interior layout to make it easier.  I have not exact schedule.  When it gets dirty enough, I clean it.  When most of the birds are on pasture an have a few coops and the big building and the runs to go in, I don't have to clean out as much.  But this time I have to get all the outdoor runs scraped down and fresh sand put in, which is a chore and a half, and very slow when it is is wet and slushy and I can't use the lawn tractor and wagon, and I am stuck with hauling everything to the honey pile with the wheelbarrow and it is all sloped down to the pile.  It can get slick and I have to watch my footing.  Anyway, since I am going to have about half as many chickens over the winter this year, I can make the pens a little smaller and make an alley way to make chores and cleaning easier.  If I can, I want to get a heated water system in soon too and not have to use the dog bowls for this year since they are messy and mice like to hide under the stands I made for them.

You use sand and pine shavings over it?

 

[Minniechickmama]

You use sand and pine shavings over it?

No shavings, just sand in the outdoor runs. Well, I do toss them straw to scratch around in too in winter. Indoors I use just shavings.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Thanks, I use metal hutches so that parts taken care of. Thos is not my week for animals, I just went outside to check on my girls and muppet (my white silkie) was dead. Comet (the blue Cochin I got from you)is really depressed as they were together for quite along time. I never thought chickens could get so sad but as soon as I went out there she flew right into my arms for a hug.

Have you already disposed of the last rabbit you lost? I am thinking it might be worth it to see if you can take it to the path lab at the University to find out for sure what you are dealing with.

 

[Coffee 1st]

here's the wed morning update on goldie:

not so good but not terrible.  When I uncovered the cage, she gave a few soft clucks.  She wanted to drink water (electrolytes still) and drank a fair amount.  moves very slow if at all.  gave a half hearted poke at the dish with scrambled egg, I she ate one piece about pea sized.  refused feed from my finger.  would not go for a little yogurt, dry oatmeal sprinkled on the cage floor, wet oatmeal.  she moved to the dark, covered back of the cage,  had a very watery poop with a few solids, and stuck her head in the corner.

I turned out the light and am letting her rest.

I could not see any oozing or anything but i did not handle her.  She is not a tame hen, and is normally very skittish.  Normally will not take food from my hand.  

I am debating pulling her out of the cage and trying to reexamine her to see if there are puncture wounds I didn't find Monday night.  I was pretty upset, and was holding the flashlight with my teeth to get enough direct light to examine her then.   But....from the way she moves, I believe it will be painful for her to be picked up and handled, and it might cause her to struggle.  So not sure.  Probably should wait til I have someone to hold a good light...

Poor thing. Maybe you could give her some children's Advil or something for pain.. Hope she makes it..

 

[scandiafowl]

No shavings, just sand in the outdoor runs.  Well, I do toss them straw to scratch around in too in winter.  Indoors I use just shavings.

I think having 35 chickens in one coop makes me want to fully clean out every two weeks. It was easier when they were outside all day. Next year I'm investing in a water line out to the coop.

 

[Coffee 1st]

G

I believe there were two older hens?  Those are going to be noticeably bigger still.  The younger ones will take a few more months to catch up.  This type of Cornish really don't hit their adult size until well past a year old.  Once I get my pens cleaned and everyone separated, I will have to get some pictures of the ones I have left.  I haven't ever weighed them and should put the boys on a scale.  


I have been spending the last hour+ cleaning floors.  One of my dogs, the older female, decided she would get up to the shelf last night when I ran to town to pick up my son from work.  When I got back, she  had eaten a bag of chocolate chips.  Yes, I know how bad chocolate is for dogs, we encountered a similar incident with the other female two years ago.  The bag was far enough back, she really must have worked to get it, but she is a jumper too.  I had considered giving her something like peroxide, but she drank a bowl of water and in a short time, I heard the telltale gurgling.  She ended up puking at least 8 times in the house during the night.  The worst was on the kitchen floor, but several spots on carpet.  She is doing fine, but it going to spend a bit of time outside today until I can be sure she is passed the puking stage.  She rarely gets up to the shelves, it is the younger one who is the naughty girl.  But Francy will not pass up on butter left on the shelf, and once in a while if we leave her in the house she will get into something in a box that left open, like crackers.  She LOVES graham crackers!  So, I think it may be time to 1.) Be extra careful of what is left out, and 2.) put her on a leash at the door if I have to run out for a few and can't leave her outside.


Well, THEN, I let DS drive to town to pick up his sister from dance at 9:00 (with me, of course).  Backing up to last Winter when he drove home from town at 10:30 at night, and a young deer ran out in front of us and clipped the front corner of the van, not doing a thing to the van, but hurt the deer pretty bad so I and to have the troopers come shoot it.  So, last night, in just about the same spot, something runs across out lane, stops on the center line and turns back into ours, I thought it was a coon, but it was a fox.  Right under the van it went, tumbling.  DS said he saw something shoot across the road behind us in the mirror, so we don't know if it lived through it.  I can't imagine it could have, but stranger things have happened.  We got home and the dogs went crazy sniffing ALL over the van.  I am going to have to take it to the notorious car wash and hope it gets some of the scent off, because the younger female does nothing but bark now????  She barks, but not like this constant stuff she has been doing out there since last night.  I kept bringing her in and she would just keep barking until I shut all the lights off.

I must say, both incidents, DS handled it perfect!  Which is a surprise since he has taken longer than average to achieve a good level of driving to try his road test.  He kept it straight, didn't swerve at all or try to slam his brake and send us skidding into the ditch.  Of course, it is sad that the animals get injured or killed, but he handled it just as he should have.  It was tough on our daughter though after, she was pretty shaken up over both, since she was with us both times.  It could have been much worse, so I remind her of that and that we don't hit them on purpose but we don't put ourselves in danger by trying to save them either.


The good news, the van is still holding together.  I should make a list of all the things that have happened to that vehicle and it still is running after 150K miles.  LOL

 

glad everyone is fine, hope the deer made it.. And Ohhh NO not the car wash AGAIN.... Lol.

 

[Coffee 1st]

Dr. Porter from U of M is awesome... He called today just to see how my ButterScotch is doing, he said he is glad she is doing better. I've never even meet him in person. Nice Doc....