Hey everyone! I'm Bailee and I live in Michigan... we just got chickens for the first time and I love them so much! But we seem to be having issues.
(the red star is where I start to explain the issue, in case you want to skip the story of how we got into chickens)
I'll start from the beginning... my dad's employee (my dad is a landscaper) decided he was going to buy six Cornish Rocks from Tractor Supply and give me four in apologies for being him pretty much (he's an act first, think later kind of person, so he figured he offended me about something). Well, after some debating (we were unsure if we were ready for more pets, we have two dogs, two cats, and three rabbits), and at first, us refusing the chicks, we ended up with two of the meaties.
We had always wanted chickens, but we never really wanted meaties, we wanted chickens for the eggs. So, knowing very little about chickens (as you can see, we were thrown into it), we went and got "Red Pullets" from TSC. Turns out they're Golden Comets (I've been searching the site and such to learn more, and doing research) and from what I can tell they all seem to be hens. Those are about.. three weeks now I think? (Nettle, Teasel, Mallow, and Olive) The Cornish Rocks (Iris and Ivy) are about a week now.
Well, we decided we wanted some more and went and got three older chicks from a local farm- a Barred Rock, Dahlia (medium of the three), an Easter Egger, Lotus (smallest of the three), and an Australorp, Laurel (biggest of the three). We actually wanted ISA Browns but all of theirs were adults and we are building a coop next weekend... plus with the other chicks... we figured it was better to stick with chicks. Anyway, all of them got along easy-peasy thankfully.
We ended up going back to the farm for help when our smallest Cornish Rock, Iris started having a hard, protruding butt. We had tried some of the ways to help the poor girl that I found on this forum, but nothing worked. When we brought the chick to the man at the farm (we wanted to see if she'd be okay), he informed us that we were feeding them the lowest of the low feed (my dad's employee had given some of the bag of food he bought when he got the six Cornish Rocks) and so we bought new feed that they make there and got some probiotics for the water to get little Iris's gut moving. Slowly but surely (with the most heart-wrenching chirping), she got all the poop out in a matter of around two days completely. Her poor bum looks so sore but it's a lot better- she couldn't even lay down to sleep properly before, she'd always lay on top of the bigger chicks. (Also, after this, Nettle never got pasty butt again! *knocks on wood*)
The day we took Iris to the farm, we came home with a Rhode Island Red- Rose (my dad wanted a pretty red chicken, we came home with the wrong chicks (the Golden Comets) and he was a little upset LOL). She is even bigger than Laurel but she got along with the others so quickly! It's like they were always together- there's been no pecking issues or anything *knocks on wood*. We also got pine bedding instead of the shredded paper we were using.
*Everything was going fine and easy until I heard a sneezing noise yesterday. I am incredibly perceptive and I always pay close attention to my babies and as soon as I heard it (which is as soon as it started happening), I watched to see what chick it was and immediately became worried. Turns out, it was the bigger Cornish Rock, Ivy. She was making an occasional sneezy noise and had a rattly throat when I picked her up, almost like rocks grinding. We took her to the farm (but kept her well away from the barn with their chicks) and he said she has CRD and we caught it early. Of course, I'm completely heartbroken. We got antibiotics and have been treating it.
But now I'm wondering if this really is CRD? Ivy is not showing any other signs, though all of my chicks, even the vaccinated ones from the farm sound stuffy. The other Cornish Rock, Iris, and one of the Golden Comets is making the grinding rock noise too... but I was wondering if it was because of the pine bedding. The one we got was a bit loose, kind of like sawdust, and as soon as we changed from shredded paper to that, all the chicks picked at it and stuff, and the sneezy stuff happened about the day after we put the new bedding in (I should mention that the container we have them in is a pretty tall plastic container- for like storage, with no lid. that's pretty much the only ventilation spot). We have changed it back to the shredded paper now, and the chickies are on antibiotics (in their water), and we're hoping they improve. If not, we might just cull Ivy and Iris to spare the other chicks the trouble...
Which I really don't want to do (even though they are meaties and will die much earlier than the others sadly).. they're the friendliest and I absolutely love them!
We're completely heartbroken over all of this, I couldn't even go to class today (I'm in college) because I couldn't stop crying and I didn't want my friend to ask about the chickies because I would start crying even more.. and that'd be way too embarrassing for me.
Not only that, I was intending to get two silkies in two weeks when they're born, but if this is really CRD, do I even want to introduce two in (they might remain on their own though because they're more for companionship than for the flock)? I was SO excited to get them, and I'm really torn up about that too (I've wanted silkies since I was a kid).
I was told the silkies COULD get along with the others, but I was thinking about having a slightly smaller coop and run across from the other chickens (they're all going to be in a run/coop, we live next to a main road and don't have a fenced in yard so that plus the fact our dogs want to eat them and we have hawks here and not much shelter... we figured it would be better), and keeping them separate because the silkies are more for myself as companion pets (as well as the fact they are more docile), not egg-layers like the others (though I absolutely adore the others and handle them as much as possible to get them friendly and used to me. Every time I approach them I coo, "Hi baby chickies! Hi chickies!")...
I intended to pick up the silkies right away, but now I'm thinking it'd be better to let them stay with the farm until they're vaccinated.. (I might have to go visit them EVERY day though..) I really really want my silkies, but I really really want these babies to be okay too. This is a lot harder than I ever imagined it would be!
Either way, I'd love to hear your thoughts... (please be kind, I'm incredibly emotional right now :/ )
(I will also let you all know if I see improvements with the changing back to the shredded paper bedding. We have newspaper under it to keep it more steady, and we do change it quite often, just for those that are worried!)
Here's some pictures!
Here are all the babies. First one is before we got Rose. Second picture is when Iris was having the pooping issue.
Here's some Rose:
Lotus:
Some of the Golden Comets:
Ivy, the Cornish Rock:
Iris (right) and Ivy (left) (the top chickie is a Golden). This was to show the size difference. Iris is catching up now but she was smaller due to the pooping-issue.
This was the meaties before the pooping issue:
Before the pooping issue, I could tell them apart because Ivy has a little spot on her beak.
Dahlia the Barred Rock:
Laurel the Australorp:
When we first got Laurel, Dahlia, and Lotus:
Anyway, that's all for now... I'm looking forward to talking to all of you! Never thought I'd become a chicken person but I always wanted a pet bird and now I'm realizing how much I love these little gals.
(the red star is where I start to explain the issue, in case you want to skip the story of how we got into chickens)
I'll start from the beginning... my dad's employee (my dad is a landscaper) decided he was going to buy six Cornish Rocks from Tractor Supply and give me four in apologies for being him pretty much (he's an act first, think later kind of person, so he figured he offended me about something). Well, after some debating (we were unsure if we were ready for more pets, we have two dogs, two cats, and three rabbits), and at first, us refusing the chicks, we ended up with two of the meaties.
We had always wanted chickens, but we never really wanted meaties, we wanted chickens for the eggs. So, knowing very little about chickens (as you can see, we were thrown into it), we went and got "Red Pullets" from TSC. Turns out they're Golden Comets (I've been searching the site and such to learn more, and doing research) and from what I can tell they all seem to be hens. Those are about.. three weeks now I think? (Nettle, Teasel, Mallow, and Olive) The Cornish Rocks (Iris and Ivy) are about a week now.
Well, we decided we wanted some more and went and got three older chicks from a local farm- a Barred Rock, Dahlia (medium of the three), an Easter Egger, Lotus (smallest of the three), and an Australorp, Laurel (biggest of the three). We actually wanted ISA Browns but all of theirs were adults and we are building a coop next weekend... plus with the other chicks... we figured it was better to stick with chicks. Anyway, all of them got along easy-peasy thankfully.
We ended up going back to the farm for help when our smallest Cornish Rock, Iris started having a hard, protruding butt. We had tried some of the ways to help the poor girl that I found on this forum, but nothing worked. When we brought the chick to the man at the farm (we wanted to see if she'd be okay), he informed us that we were feeding them the lowest of the low feed (my dad's employee had given some of the bag of food he bought when he got the six Cornish Rocks) and so we bought new feed that they make there and got some probiotics for the water to get little Iris's gut moving. Slowly but surely (with the most heart-wrenching chirping), she got all the poop out in a matter of around two days completely. Her poor bum looks so sore but it's a lot better- she couldn't even lay down to sleep properly before, she'd always lay on top of the bigger chicks. (Also, after this, Nettle never got pasty butt again! *knocks on wood*)
The day we took Iris to the farm, we came home with a Rhode Island Red- Rose (my dad wanted a pretty red chicken, we came home with the wrong chicks (the Golden Comets) and he was a little upset LOL). She is even bigger than Laurel but she got along with the others so quickly! It's like they were always together- there's been no pecking issues or anything *knocks on wood*. We also got pine bedding instead of the shredded paper we were using.
*Everything was going fine and easy until I heard a sneezing noise yesterday. I am incredibly perceptive and I always pay close attention to my babies and as soon as I heard it (which is as soon as it started happening), I watched to see what chick it was and immediately became worried. Turns out, it was the bigger Cornish Rock, Ivy. She was making an occasional sneezy noise and had a rattly throat when I picked her up, almost like rocks grinding. We took her to the farm (but kept her well away from the barn with their chicks) and he said she has CRD and we caught it early. Of course, I'm completely heartbroken. We got antibiotics and have been treating it.
But now I'm wondering if this really is CRD? Ivy is not showing any other signs, though all of my chicks, even the vaccinated ones from the farm sound stuffy. The other Cornish Rock, Iris, and one of the Golden Comets is making the grinding rock noise too... but I was wondering if it was because of the pine bedding. The one we got was a bit loose, kind of like sawdust, and as soon as we changed from shredded paper to that, all the chicks picked at it and stuff, and the sneezy stuff happened about the day after we put the new bedding in (I should mention that the container we have them in is a pretty tall plastic container- for like storage, with no lid. that's pretty much the only ventilation spot). We have changed it back to the shredded paper now, and the chickies are on antibiotics (in their water), and we're hoping they improve. If not, we might just cull Ivy and Iris to spare the other chicks the trouble...
Which I really don't want to do (even though they are meaties and will die much earlier than the others sadly).. they're the friendliest and I absolutely love them!We're completely heartbroken over all of this, I couldn't even go to class today (I'm in college) because I couldn't stop crying and I didn't want my friend to ask about the chickies because I would start crying even more.. and that'd be way too embarrassing for me.
Not only that, I was intending to get two silkies in two weeks when they're born, but if this is really CRD, do I even want to introduce two in (they might remain on their own though because they're more for companionship than for the flock)? I was SO excited to get them, and I'm really torn up about that too (I've wanted silkies since I was a kid).
I was told the silkies COULD get along with the others, but I was thinking about having a slightly smaller coop and run across from the other chickens (they're all going to be in a run/coop, we live next to a main road and don't have a fenced in yard so that plus the fact our dogs want to eat them and we have hawks here and not much shelter... we figured it would be better), and keeping them separate because the silkies are more for myself as companion pets (as well as the fact they are more docile), not egg-layers like the others (though I absolutely adore the others and handle them as much as possible to get them friendly and used to me. Every time I approach them I coo, "Hi baby chickies! Hi chickies!")...
I intended to pick up the silkies right away, but now I'm thinking it'd be better to let them stay with the farm until they're vaccinated.. (I might have to go visit them EVERY day though..) I really really want my silkies, but I really really want these babies to be okay too. This is a lot harder than I ever imagined it would be!
Either way, I'd love to hear your thoughts... (please be kind, I'm incredibly emotional right now :/ )
(I will also let you all know if I see improvements with the changing back to the shredded paper bedding. We have newspaper under it to keep it more steady, and we do change it quite often, just for those that are worried!)
Here's some pictures!
Here are all the babies. First one is before we got Rose. Second picture is when Iris was having the pooping issue.
Here's some Rose:
Lotus:
Some of the Golden Comets:
Ivy, the Cornish Rock:
Iris (right) and Ivy (left) (the top chickie is a Golden). This was to show the size difference. Iris is catching up now but she was smaller due to the pooping-issue.
This was the meaties before the pooping issue:
Before the pooping issue, I could tell them apart because Ivy has a little spot on her beak.
Dahlia the Barred Rock:
Laurel the Australorp:
When we first got Laurel, Dahlia, and Lotus:
Anyway, that's all for now... I'm looking forward to talking to all of you! Never thought I'd become a chicken person but I always wanted a pet bird and now I'm realizing how much I love these little gals.
