New Englanders! Much ado about New England!

[the simple life]

Quote:
Do you have a problem in your area of Connecticut?
I will have to find out which towns they were discussing.
It was weird to see a picture of a bear walking down someone's street in broad daylight.
You picture them being so much more secluded.

 

[spook]

We have neighbors that feed the wild life and get frustrated when I take care of the excess that comes my way to disrupt the hen house.
Joanie, how I love that black Cochin with the feathers forward, that is pretty special.

Anyone have a solution besides culling my Kathleen has been 1 week of declining health. Losing weight, refusing to eat or drink, unable to keep eyes open. When I do get a few dribbles of water in her, she will set back a bit, pull her head in and lean to her right.
She is moving her bowels, limited now to lack of food. I had her on Terramycin, but its not looking like an infection. Also, bare breasts back to her legs, you would not know she was lacking feathers.

I just wish I could save her. I wonder if the regular layers got after her.
People say they put standard and banties together, should I separate them? None of the other birds act ill, no health issues at all, no sneeze, cough or shiver, just a dumpy bird that had a day that her eyelid bled.

 

[the simple life]

Kell,
I am wondering if she has some type of internal injury and not an illness.
I have been following your girl's plight the last few days and I couldn't figure it out.

I can't remember now what you said about this but are you sure she doesn't have an impacted crop?

Do you think the missing feathers could be from a tussle with another hen?
Were these feathers missing when you first realized she was not right or are they falling out while you have her isolated?

I have had chicks do what you say, refuse food and water after a hatch and its always because they had something wrong with them to begin with.

She is probably very dehydrated because she is refusing to at least drink and that will cause her organs to shut down and I think that is some of what you are seeing but I know that does not account for what started it to begin with.

I hate to say it but it doesn't sound good if she is going to refuse to eat and drink, there isn't much you can do.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that you can solve the mystery and your girl.

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

New Hampshire, but very close to the Maine border.

 

[birdlovin gal]

Thanks everyone for all the answers about the turkeys, it was actually maine chicks that asked, but I don't really have the quote thing mastered yet so it looked like I asked -

I just posted the pic because I thought it was funny the wild turkeys were checking out the coop!

A bear came here last night, no damage thank goodness. The chicks were safe in the garage, so I'm "sort of" happy the coop isn't finished yet.

 

[sherrydeanne]

Quote:
I'm in Fitchburg, MA. We get a lot of interesting wildlife here on the other side of rte 495! LOL! Apparently we are also on a moose trail that runs down from NH and we have had lots of them lately, too. But at least they don't eat chickens.

I don't have chickens yet, still in the planning stage, but this makes me nervous!
Is it even possible to keep a determined bear out of a coop?
I have a friend in Ashburnham (next town over) who has had nightly bear visits for the last two weeks. She started to bring in her bird feeders at night...I plan to do the same. I'm just glad I haven't gotten chickens yet. They might have had a nice buffet last night.

Holy moley. Ok, where in Fitchburg? I'm adjacent to Coggshall which I don't think has bears, but WOW. As for deterring bears, perhaps something as simple as a solar powered light or two on the coop? I know some people leave a radio on in the coop at night, I'm not sure if that's for bears or coyotes though.

 

[gotpoodle]

Quote:
I PM'd you... I'm a mile or so from Rte 12 heading into Ashburnham.
(up by the radio towers above SS Lobster)
The funny thing is that the dog was really restless...she sleeps with us and she kept jumping off the bed but she wouldn't go outside. Now I know why!

I was thinking about some kind of motion sensor, so at least we'd wake up to scare a bear away?

 

[spook]

Birdloving gal, Try to keep wild turkeys away from your poultry flock. They carry diseases that will make your birds ill. I was just reminded to keep wild, commercial and different age birds apart!

Also recently we bought a pair of Turkeys, older Tom, younger hen, but I did all that was supposed to be done and one day...the pair of mine walked off with the wild ones to not return.
Such a sad and frustrating thing.

Just learn from others errors, and there is a lot of folks that will go against me, but the state diagnostic Dr. was the one I got this from.

One thing I will say, have your states Vet and the Extension Service Diagnostic Lab on your record book. This morning sadly I had to put a bird down, cool her and send her off to the diagnostics lab in a box with ice for an over night.
She had swelling in her sinus' also mites and had not eaten in over a week. I had been giving her Tylenol in the water I could dribble over her beak.
I keep reminding myself that if you own poultry, you have to be ready to euthanize them too. Its important to have a plan and stick to it.
Processing broilers is justified, a sick hen, its justified too.

Please just keep this in mind.

 

[TcherDawn]

Hi all. I am originally from Ohio but have lived in Newport, NH now for 8 years. My husband is from Ware, Mass, so he is a native. I will be getting 5 started Hy-Line pullets on Sat, May 9th. Very excited and nervous, as I have never once handled or raised chickens. The feed store says that they are very easy going, hardy, and egg layin machines. I can't wait. Well, I just thought I would say hello from New Hampshire. Anyone near me??
Dawn

 

[birdlovin gal]

TcherDawn! I live next to Ware, MA. Did he raise chickens before or is it new to both of you? Have fun with your new pullets!

spook, thank you, I appreciate hearing of your experience, especially since I am so new to this. I am so sorry to hear about Kathleen, but you certainly tried your best, and did the right thing for her in the end. Hugs to you for your loss.