North Carolina

[ramirezframing]

Also sorry to hear the birds at the Fair are sick. I feel badly for the birds as well as any that weren't sick and are being shown. With the resources available in NC, I am really surprised they don't have someone come to check birds when they are pesented for showing.

Sadly, the fair and WCA might be an indicator of birds that are available for sale in the area right now. I know this is one of my soapboxes, but quarentine, quarentine, quarentine! It doesn't matter the age of the bird. I now wear only a special pair of shoes to the feed store becase I don't know what might be on the bottom of my shoes when I come home. I never go to the coops without changing my shoes first.

That's the kicker! There is suppose to be. I'm mad at the showers who bring the known sick birds, but these birds should not have gotten through the show doors at all. Which tells me they are not doing their job at the fair and it has been this way for a few years and is getting worse. While trying to find out who to talk to, I found out that these "show birds" are to be removed tomorrow, so that a new set of show birds can come in for the second half of the fair. I hope the second half is better and the fair cleans the tent/ pens very well. But probably not, so all these new birds will now be in trouble, even if this lot of new birds are not sick.

 

[DSTchickencraze]

Hey everyone! Just wanted to say thanks with all of the quick help with the bubbly eye thing!!!!!

I'm still not sure what it is though... I have managed to separate the two pullets that have the funny eye. I have taken the waterers and feeders that were in the pen and disinfected them. The only chicken still in that pen is the rooster to the bantam cochin pullet. I can't bring him anywhere else, because we don't have any other place for him to go... However, he is still acting normal and nothing is popping up. He's just lonely.... Poor Elvis.

Anyway the two pullets are still not exhibiting any other symptoms of Coryza, Bronchitis, or MG. I'm kinda wondering though if it is just Mycoplasmosis. I mean there is no raspy breathing, they are eating perfectly fine, no bad smell, and they aren't lethargic at all!! However, I have been flushing out there eyes with Saline Solution. Yesterday both of their eyes looked like they where just completely shut, but after the saline solution it looked alright for a while. My cochin's eye is still looking a loads better. The Maran's is still extremely bubbly and nasty, but I'm gonna do all that I can to get them better.

I have pulled something in my stomach and its not too good, so I can't go to practice this week in order to compete in my meet in three weeks.... Not good that I'm missing practice, but I can finally catch up on homework and get stuff done around the house like fix the coop and clean! I can also focus a little bit more on whats going on with my pullets.

Anyway.... My mom has me out on a hunt to figure out some good winter layers. OUR GIRLS ARE STILL NOT LAYING!!!! Our RIRs are coming out of their molt now. They seem to be the only ones still laying, but the other girls are still on strike. I'm doing all I can to trick them into laying. We want to free roam them again, but are still concerned with the chance of something happening with our dachshund when we are not home and when it is only my Grandmother... Anyway back to my original train of thought... Still trying to figure out what breeds to cut down to, so I think we are experimenting with different kinds to figure out which we really prefer. Right now we are for sure wanting to continue with our Orpingtons and our RIRs. They don't seem to be the best winter laying breeds though... So my mom has had me research Jersey Giants, which we want terribly, but can't find anyone near here that are selling any chicks or pullets...... Are there any other really good winter laying breeds that any of you have come across?

I lost my poor little maran cockerel! The night we seperate him from his sister, he died.

HE was the sweetest little thing and hasn't been doing the best the past week and a half. His tail has been tucked under and he seemed really off balance and when I came home on friday he was just laying there all by himself!!!

 

[wildriverswolf90]

Well we finished cleaning the rabbit today, it got to dark to do it last night. I even helped with the gutting and skinning, was really proud of myself. It didn't bother me hardly at all, the only thing that got to me was when I was helping gut I busted something and fecses came out(meat is still ggood) but other than that I did really well and enjoyed learning the process, put the rabbit in the fridge and will figure out how to cook it tomorrow.



Thanks Hollow for the tip

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

I would not discourage anyone from going to the fair.
There is lots to do and see and I enjoyed the day
although I am going to pay for the next several days.......
I'd do it again and be glad I can walk that much.

As far as sick birds.....I did see several..........one was
a white Leghorn Rooster with a drying pox mark his comb
and brown fluid/goo leaking from his ears.........sad.......and
it seems to turned into a sale bar as half the cages had
"For Sale" tags on them and the prices were not cheap.
The rabbits looked good and fuzzy and cute.

In the long building along the road there was an egg
producer from In and they had a video of their operation
and it was very interesting to watch........if you can I would say
to do so and just have fun.......don't look at the birds.

 

[ramirezframing]

Quote:
And not all them sale birds were even purebred, so not even showable. But yes I would recommend going to the fair and having fun. I enjoyed it, just not the birds. The kids had a blast.

 

[dutchbunny83]

**** predators!!!

I had none until a couple months ago, now I can't win.
Whatever was sneaking in the coop at night and taking my pullets hasn't gotten anymore since I started locking the little ones in the hutch (big ones sleep up on the roost and have never been bothered). Traps are still out, but whatever it is its not going in them.

Then today I am outside cleaning the coop. I feel bad these chickens are penned in the whole time in a covered run and coop so I let them in the garden and yard while I'm cleaning them out. I'm potty training my 2 year old so she poops her pants and I run in real quick to get her cleaned up. I come back out and one of my Marans pullets is completely decapitated, nothing wrong with the body, laying in my yard and all the other chickens are back in the coop huddled together. About 15 feet away I see a pile of feathers, blood & what looks to be a piece of beak. I'm assuming the head was ripped off then the body ran the 15 feet to where I found it. Absolutely no dogs in my yard or other things like a fox or raccoon. I guess it could have been someone's cat, but I really doubt it because mine doesn't let other cats in the yard. I really think it was that stupid hawk, but would they just rip a head off and leave??? I was literally in the house all of 5 minutes and never heard anything and all our windows are open (and it's not like I have a big yard, our whole lot is 1/3 an acre)

Also, the feathers and blood and whatnot where all in sand where our pool was we just took down and there we no footprints of any kind to be found.

 

[Banriona]

Hey everyone! Just wanted to say thanks with all of the quick help with the bubbly eye thing!!!!!

I'm still not sure what it is though... I have managed to separate the two pullets that have the funny eye. I have taken the waterers and feeders that were in the pen and disinfected them. The only chicken still in that pen is the rooster to the bantam cochin pullet. I can't bring him anywhere else, because we don't have any other place for him to go... However, he is still acting normal and nothing is popping up. He's just lonely.... Poor Elvis.

Anyway the two pullets are still not exhibiting any other symptoms of Coryza, Bronchitis, or MG. I'm kinda wondering though if it is just Mycoplasmosis. I mean there is no raspy breathing, they are eating perfectly fine, no bad smell, and they aren't lethargic at all!! However, I have been flushing out there eyes with Saline Solution. Yesterday both of their eyes looked like they where just completely shut, but after the saline solution it looked alright for a while. My cochin's eye is still looking a loads better. The Maran's is still extremely bubbly and nasty, but I'm gonna do all that I can to get them better.

I have pulled something in my stomach and its not too good, so I can't go to practice this week in order to compete in my meet in three weeks.... Not good that I'm missing practice, but I can finally catch up on homework and get stuff done around the house like fix the coop and clean! I can also focus a little bit more on whats going on with my pullets.

Anyway.... My mom has me out on a hunt to figure out some good winter layers. OUR GIRLS ARE STILL NOT LAYING!!!! Our RIRs are coming out of their molt now. They seem to be the only ones still laying, but the other girls are still on strike. I'm doing all I can to trick them into laying. We want to free roam them again, but are still concerned with the chance of something happening with our dachshund when we are not home and when it is only my Grandmother... Anyway back to my original train of thought... Still trying to figure out what breeds to cut down to, so I think we are experimenting with different kinds to figure out which we really prefer. Right now we are for sure wanting to continue with our Orpingtons and our RIRs. They don't seem to be the best winter laying breeds though... So my mom has had me research Jersey Giants, which we want terribly, but can't find anyone near here that are selling any chicks or pullets...... Are there any other really good winter laying breeds that any of you have come across?

I lost my poor little maran cockerel! The night we seperate him from his sister, he died.

HE was the sweetest little thing and hasn't been doing the best the past week and a half. His tail has been tucked under and he seemed really off balance and when I came home on friday he was just laying there all by himself!!!

So sorry to hear about your maran!

As for winter layers, Brahmas and Delawares are both supposed to be good winter layers - but I have yet to obtain personal experience with this. I'll let you know in the spring. Check out this breed comparison chart from ALBC: http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/chicken-chart

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Anyway the two pullets are still not exhibiting any other symptoms of Coryza, Bronchitis, or MG. I'm kinda wondering though if it is just [COLOR=333333]Mycoplasmosis.. [/COLOR]

. "Just" mycoplasmosis? MG IS mycoplasmosis! That's a pretty detrimental disease and not to be taken lightly. You may want to hold off bringing more birds in until you sort out what is going on.

 

[Tikkijane]

So sorry to hear about your maran! 

As for winter layers, Brahmas and Delawares are both supposed to be good winter layers - but I have yet to obtain personal experience with this.  I'll let you know in the spring.    Check out this breed comparison chart from ALBC:  http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/chicken-chart

I've had buff orps, barred rocks, production reds and easter eggers are continue to lay throughout the winter regularly without supplemental light. Fwiw.

 

[Tikkijane]

**** predators!!!

I had none until a couple months ago, now I can't win.
Whatever was sneaking in the coop at night and taking my pullets hasn't gotten anymore since I started locking the little ones in the hutch (big ones sleep up on the roost and have never been bothered).  Traps are still out, but whatever it is its not going in them.

Then today I am outside cleaning the coop.  I feel bad these chickens are penned in the whole time in a covered run and coop so I let them in the garden and yard while I'm cleaning them out.  I'm potty training my 2 year old so she poops her pants and I run in real quick to get her cleaned up.  I come back out and one of my Marans pullets is completely decapitated, nothing wrong with the body, laying in my yard and all the other chickens are back in the coop huddled together.  About 15 feet away I see a pile of feathers, blood & what looks to be a piece of beak.  I'm assuming the head was ripped off then the body ran the 15 feet to where I found it.  Absolutely no dogs in my yard or other things like a fox or raccoon.  I guess it could have been someone's cat, but I really doubt it because mine doesn't let other cats in the yard.  I really think it was that stupid hawk, but would they just rip a head off and leave???  I was literally in the house all of 5 minutes and never heard anything and all our windows are open (and it's not like I have a big yard, our whole lot is 1/3 an acre)

Also, the feathers and blood and whatnot where all in sand where our pool was we just took down and there we no footprints of any kind to be found.

I am so sorry.