I'm in a *mood* today, and it's causing me to use BYC as my very own diary. If you have any advice or encouragement, throw it at me. I'm kind of in the dumps about my flock right now.
So I've had chickens since March last year (2013). I absolutely LOVE it! Ask any of my friends and they will tell you that it's all I talk about.
Around the end of summer last year, my 3 Sebright cockerels and BLR Wyandottes (3 pullets and a cockerel) came down with something. They were small, so I had the seven of them in a rabbit cage inside the coop. Their water spilled and matted up the straw in the cage, and it didn't drain. After that, they were sick and lethargic. They got over it for the most part, but when hard winter hit, my whole flock of almost 30 something chickens had the sniffles and sneezes. I treated them with Duramyacin for CRD, which someone suggested. It helped a little, but I was expecting better results. Halfway through winter, I had lost all of the 7 that were in the cage (they had long since been introduced fully into the flock) but two - a Sebright cockerel and a BLR pullet.
I had just acquired a beautiful Speckled Sussex Roo from a girl that showed him in 4-H, but her coop burnt down, so I took him and her two Khaki Campbell ducks. I soon culled my two extra Pekin drakes (to bring the ratio from 3:3 to 1:3) and my two Red and Black Sex Link Roosters, who were getting frostbite on their combs and feet (the Red, "Sarge," lost almost all his toes to the middle knuckle). Keep in mind, Northern Michigan reached 30 below (before windchill) this winter. I had 3 lights in there, but it didn't do much at those temps.
Which brings me to my next hurdle. That Sussex. I was keeping him in the garage until the sickness was cleared up and the other roos were gone (I still had one Sebright left, but don't really count him as a rooster). I had him free ranging by the back of the house just so he could get some sun one winter day. Of course, he wanders off and roosts somewhere a few HOURS before dark, and I couldn't find him anywhere. I figured he'd be a goner, because if a predator doesn't get him, the cold will. Well, dad heard him crow the next morning, and found him hiding in the bucket of the backho tractor. He had bad frostbite on his comb, to the point where his eyes swelled shut for a day or so. He began healing, but he wasn't that picture perfect Roo anymore. I then kept him in the garage because of the healing. He was in there until about the last month of actual winter. I finally introduced him, and he ended up getting a little more frostbite on his comb, then everyone picked at it. It was about half the size it was originally.
The Sebright Cockerel took a turn for the worse the same way all of his other cell mates did when this Spring hit. He was lethargic, then eventually went brain dead, tensed up and died. That was the day I called a local chicken expert. She told me that it was just a bad winter, and she, too, had lost some of her healthiest roosters. It made sense - the chickens I was having the hardest time keeping alive were roosters. BYC said I had CRD in my flock, and I'd have to cull and start over. Well, there are some that I just couldn't kill. No way. Some of these birds I've saved from being moments from death, like "Heat Stroke," the sweetest little Australorp that I found taking her last breaths on her back in my baking greenhouse in the middle of summer. I managed to slowly cool her down and I thought for sure she wasn't going to make it. About a week later, she's finally able to stand, and she ended up making a full recovery and loves me (she's incubating a golf ball at this very moment). Anyway, I couldn't kill these critters. They have become pets, especially the hens. The roosters I don't usually care so much about, except the Sussex, who is nicer than most of the hens.
The day I lost the Sebright was the day I was mad at the world and bought more chicks. I was advised on here not to if I have CRD, but I read stories about people being fine with it in their flock, others not. I was, and am still hoping if I have it, I'm one of the lucky ones. I got 4 straight run assorted Bantams, 4 straight run Welsummers (always wanted them!!), 2 White Leghorn pullets, and they threw in a straight run New Hampshire because it was getting big. Cutest little things. I quickly learned one of my leghorns is a white Easter Egger. Still hoping for pullet. Within a week I started noticing sneezes. GREAT. So I run to TSC to grab some more Duramyacin. I look back into the bin of Leghorns while I was there, and noticed they were sneezing a little bit, too. Now I'm feeling a *little* better because I'm telling myself that it wasn't my fault they are sick, but I'm still mad that they're sick.
The same day I got the Duramyacin, I went to a different feed store and couldn't resist the urge of the muuuuch better selection they had/have. I get 7 more pullets (2 EEs, 1 Leghorn, 2 Brahmas, 2 Assorted Bantams (one of those bantams was actually a Freedom Ranger meat bird). I put them with the rest and start them ALL on the meds.
I lose one Brahma within a few days.
About 3 weeks ago, I realized my Sussex rooster was limping pretty bad. I thought it could have been from the day when I introduced him before winter ended, he was so antsy to get out of my hands and meet his new buds, that I gave him a little toss so he could fly over to them (he didn't get higher than about 5 feet in the air). He must not of landed right, because he had a small limp for a day, but it disappeared until 3 weeks ago. It recently got so bad he wouldn't stand on it. BYC said to treat with vitamin B. I gave the flock some Durvet electrolytes and vitamins, which had vitamin B in it, too. A couple days later, he didn't come out of the coop...or eat. I separated him and gave him eggs. He wouldn't touch it, but drank lots and lots of water (that I had put the vitamins and some Duramyacin in). He still wouldn't eat, so I brought him into the garage bathroom, where I planned to tube feed him. This stressed me out a LOT. I pureed the food with lots of water, but the smallest of bits were still too big to get sucked up in the biggest syringe that TSC had. I gave him what would fit in the long 1ft tube before the syringe, but it looked so painful that I thought I might be doing it wrong, and I didn't try it again. It didn't seem to help or hurt him. He just sat there, drinking his water, spitting up every time he put his head down too far. He took a couple nibbles of mash, but wasn't interested after that. I kept it near him at all times, and turned off the light at night so he could rest. Within a couple days, he was dead. This was about a week ago.
I had gotten one last batch of chicks just two weeks or so ago. Two more EE pullets (if you couldn't tell, I LOVE EEs!), 1 barred rock pullet, an Amber Link Pullet (my super sweet and gentle Amber Link just got taken by a predator while free ranging at the neighbors.' He said he saw feathers everywhere, but no sign of her. She's not coming back
) a RIR pullet, a Golden Comet pullet, and 3 Pearl Guineas (expanding my poultry!!). The Barred Rock died a couple days ago. She was so small compared to the others.
My adult flock has sneezes and sniffles again, but no casualties at this moment.
I just integrated the first batch of chicks from this year into the coop. They aren't fully integrated, but the adult flock and chicks can see each other through the fencing I put up in the coop. The first night, one of the original 4 Bantams died. I think it was a Silver Duckwing Old English Game pullet.
I went to check on the flocks tonight. Adult flock - OK, but sniffly. Young flock - all OK, except for another bantam is ruffled and lethargic. The Freedom Ranger is lethargic, too. I came back a couple hours later, and the Bantam is dead. I think that one was a regular Old English Game cockerel. The Freedom Ranger is hardly alive, but for a different reason. It has been getting it's butt picked on since it's tail feathers are coming in and making it bleed. I've been keeping up with the Blu Kote, but the other chicks went too far and pecked it's vent out, so it was a gaping hole, and you could see the insides moving. There was no saving her. I came in here to check BYC on humane ways to kill chicks, and to post a quick thing about it, and by the time I went back, she was dead.
I go to feed and water my latest chicks in the basement, and notice they are spitting up, especially the Guineas. And shivering a little bit. I add some Duramyacin to their water, since they haven't gotten it so far. I was trying to keep their immune systems strong so they could fight whatever it is without meds, but not after seeing that.
I haven't told my whole story in one post before, just bits and pieces. I'm just so discouraged because no matter what I do or how much I try, they just keep dying. I feel like I'm not destined to own roosters or bantams, because they almost ALWAYS die at some point. I didn't do anything wrong and I love my birds. I have no clue where this all came from or what it even is, and as much as I'd love to send the dead ones in to MSU to get a necropsy, the Chicken Expert I first talked to put it well when she said you could just buy a whole new flock for what they are going to charge you on that one bird to *maybe* find something.
I've head a lump in my throat since I came up here to type this. I just don't know what to do anymore. Culling is the last thing that I could ever image doing, and I definitely don't make enough money to get all these birds treated by a vet. I know, I know, then stop buying more. Well, I'm building my flock because I'm getting a higher and higher demand for eggs, so that's why I keep buying more.
If anyone has any advice (you can tell me to cull, but it probably won't happen) or tips, PLEASE let me know. I am HUGE into poultry and I absolutely love it more than any other hobby or job, but I'm sick and tired of them all dying! It's always something!!
I will probably be posting this in more than one place, also.
Thank you for reading,
Laura
So I've had chickens since March last year (2013). I absolutely LOVE it! Ask any of my friends and they will tell you that it's all I talk about.
Around the end of summer last year, my 3 Sebright cockerels and BLR Wyandottes (3 pullets and a cockerel) came down with something. They were small, so I had the seven of them in a rabbit cage inside the coop. Their water spilled and matted up the straw in the cage, and it didn't drain. After that, they were sick and lethargic. They got over it for the most part, but when hard winter hit, my whole flock of almost 30 something chickens had the sniffles and sneezes. I treated them with Duramyacin for CRD, which someone suggested. It helped a little, but I was expecting better results. Halfway through winter, I had lost all of the 7 that were in the cage (they had long since been introduced fully into the flock) but two - a Sebright cockerel and a BLR pullet.
I had just acquired a beautiful Speckled Sussex Roo from a girl that showed him in 4-H, but her coop burnt down, so I took him and her two Khaki Campbell ducks. I soon culled my two extra Pekin drakes (to bring the ratio from 3:3 to 1:3) and my two Red and Black Sex Link Roosters, who were getting frostbite on their combs and feet (the Red, "Sarge," lost almost all his toes to the middle knuckle). Keep in mind, Northern Michigan reached 30 below (before windchill) this winter. I had 3 lights in there, but it didn't do much at those temps.
Which brings me to my next hurdle. That Sussex. I was keeping him in the garage until the sickness was cleared up and the other roos were gone (I still had one Sebright left, but don't really count him as a rooster). I had him free ranging by the back of the house just so he could get some sun one winter day. Of course, he wanders off and roosts somewhere a few HOURS before dark, and I couldn't find him anywhere. I figured he'd be a goner, because if a predator doesn't get him, the cold will. Well, dad heard him crow the next morning, and found him hiding in the bucket of the backho tractor. He had bad frostbite on his comb, to the point where his eyes swelled shut for a day or so. He began healing, but he wasn't that picture perfect Roo anymore. I then kept him in the garage because of the healing. He was in there until about the last month of actual winter. I finally introduced him, and he ended up getting a little more frostbite on his comb, then everyone picked at it. It was about half the size it was originally.
The Sebright Cockerel took a turn for the worse the same way all of his other cell mates did when this Spring hit. He was lethargic, then eventually went brain dead, tensed up and died. That was the day I called a local chicken expert. She told me that it was just a bad winter, and she, too, had lost some of her healthiest roosters. It made sense - the chickens I was having the hardest time keeping alive were roosters. BYC said I had CRD in my flock, and I'd have to cull and start over. Well, there are some that I just couldn't kill. No way. Some of these birds I've saved from being moments from death, like "Heat Stroke," the sweetest little Australorp that I found taking her last breaths on her back in my baking greenhouse in the middle of summer. I managed to slowly cool her down and I thought for sure she wasn't going to make it. About a week later, she's finally able to stand, and she ended up making a full recovery and loves me (she's incubating a golf ball at this very moment). Anyway, I couldn't kill these critters. They have become pets, especially the hens. The roosters I don't usually care so much about, except the Sussex, who is nicer than most of the hens.
The day I lost the Sebright was the day I was mad at the world and bought more chicks. I was advised on here not to if I have CRD, but I read stories about people being fine with it in their flock, others not. I was, and am still hoping if I have it, I'm one of the lucky ones. I got 4 straight run assorted Bantams, 4 straight run Welsummers (always wanted them!!), 2 White Leghorn pullets, and they threw in a straight run New Hampshire because it was getting big. Cutest little things. I quickly learned one of my leghorns is a white Easter Egger. Still hoping for pullet. Within a week I started noticing sneezes. GREAT. So I run to TSC to grab some more Duramyacin. I look back into the bin of Leghorns while I was there, and noticed they were sneezing a little bit, too. Now I'm feeling a *little* better because I'm telling myself that it wasn't my fault they are sick, but I'm still mad that they're sick.
The same day I got the Duramyacin, I went to a different feed store and couldn't resist the urge of the muuuuch better selection they had/have. I get 7 more pullets (2 EEs, 1 Leghorn, 2 Brahmas, 2 Assorted Bantams (one of those bantams was actually a Freedom Ranger meat bird). I put them with the rest and start them ALL on the meds.
I lose one Brahma within a few days.
About 3 weeks ago, I realized my Sussex rooster was limping pretty bad. I thought it could have been from the day when I introduced him before winter ended, he was so antsy to get out of my hands and meet his new buds, that I gave him a little toss so he could fly over to them (he didn't get higher than about 5 feet in the air). He must not of landed right, because he had a small limp for a day, but it disappeared until 3 weeks ago. It recently got so bad he wouldn't stand on it. BYC said to treat with vitamin B. I gave the flock some Durvet electrolytes and vitamins, which had vitamin B in it, too. A couple days later, he didn't come out of the coop...or eat. I separated him and gave him eggs. He wouldn't touch it, but drank lots and lots of water (that I had put the vitamins and some Duramyacin in). He still wouldn't eat, so I brought him into the garage bathroom, where I planned to tube feed him. This stressed me out a LOT. I pureed the food with lots of water, but the smallest of bits were still too big to get sucked up in the biggest syringe that TSC had. I gave him what would fit in the long 1ft tube before the syringe, but it looked so painful that I thought I might be doing it wrong, and I didn't try it again. It didn't seem to help or hurt him. He just sat there, drinking his water, spitting up every time he put his head down too far. He took a couple nibbles of mash, but wasn't interested after that. I kept it near him at all times, and turned off the light at night so he could rest. Within a couple days, he was dead. This was about a week ago.
I had gotten one last batch of chicks just two weeks or so ago. Two more EE pullets (if you couldn't tell, I LOVE EEs!), 1 barred rock pullet, an Amber Link Pullet (my super sweet and gentle Amber Link just got taken by a predator while free ranging at the neighbors.' He said he saw feathers everywhere, but no sign of her. She's not coming back
My adult flock has sneezes and sniffles again, but no casualties at this moment.
I just integrated the first batch of chicks from this year into the coop. They aren't fully integrated, but the adult flock and chicks can see each other through the fencing I put up in the coop. The first night, one of the original 4 Bantams died. I think it was a Silver Duckwing Old English Game pullet.
I went to check on the flocks tonight. Adult flock - OK, but sniffly. Young flock - all OK, except for another bantam is ruffled and lethargic. The Freedom Ranger is lethargic, too. I came back a couple hours later, and the Bantam is dead. I think that one was a regular Old English Game cockerel. The Freedom Ranger is hardly alive, but for a different reason. It has been getting it's butt picked on since it's tail feathers are coming in and making it bleed. I've been keeping up with the Blu Kote, but the other chicks went too far and pecked it's vent out, so it was a gaping hole, and you could see the insides moving. There was no saving her. I came in here to check BYC on humane ways to kill chicks, and to post a quick thing about it, and by the time I went back, she was dead.
I go to feed and water my latest chicks in the basement, and notice they are spitting up, especially the Guineas. And shivering a little bit. I add some Duramyacin to their water, since they haven't gotten it so far. I was trying to keep their immune systems strong so they could fight whatever it is without meds, but not after seeing that.
I haven't told my whole story in one post before, just bits and pieces. I'm just so discouraged because no matter what I do or how much I try, they just keep dying. I feel like I'm not destined to own roosters or bantams, because they almost ALWAYS die at some point. I didn't do anything wrong and I love my birds. I have no clue where this all came from or what it even is, and as much as I'd love to send the dead ones in to MSU to get a necropsy, the Chicken Expert I first talked to put it well when she said you could just buy a whole new flock for what they are going to charge you on that one bird to *maybe* find something.
I've head a lump in my throat since I came up here to type this. I just don't know what to do anymore. Culling is the last thing that I could ever image doing, and I definitely don't make enough money to get all these birds treated by a vet. I know, I know, then stop buying more. Well, I'm building my flock because I'm getting a higher and higher demand for eggs, so that's why I keep buying more.
If anyone has any advice (you can tell me to cull, but it probably won't happen) or tips, PLEASE let me know. I am HUGE into poultry and I absolutely love it more than any other hobby or job, but I'm sick and tired of them all dying! It's always something!!
I will probably be posting this in more than one place, also.
Thank you for reading,
Laura
