North Carolina

[MaryRuthLangdon]

 

[ncfastdogs]

We use DE here. I dust the birds, coop and run. I haven't had any issues with bugs while using it, but mind you, I have only had chickens since April. We don't use 7 b/c we have bees. If a bee comes into the hive with 7 on it it can kill the whole hive. I hope no one close to use uses 7.

 

[Matt A NC]

Almost lost my Creamette today. She is a Blue Cream Light Brown Dutch Hen. Earlier today I saw her in the feed bucket. That is where she lays her egg. Don't know why. I figure it is more of a convenience. You know, lay an egg, sit down to eat lunch. then take a after egg nap.

Well late today I was out doing rounds and saw a sight that terrified me. I saw a bird hanging upside down from the arm of am outside iron bench by her middle toe. She was not moving. I uprighted her, but her toe was inbetween a decorative piece in the arm rest. Her toe would not side out in either direction. It was caught tight. I was in a panic, but luckily mom was with me. She held creamette steady while I worked. The iron was not bendable by hand, but luckily(AGAIN) there was a thin metal rod right there. Not sure why it was there or where it came from, but I am very thankful. I pried the piece apart and freed her.

I sat down and held her. She was not moving, but had her head up looking straight ahead. Her head was dark red from the blood rush, her pupils were contracting and dilating constantly, she starting shaking, and every now and then had to force a breath. She was in extreme shock. Took a good 20 minutes for her to start fussing. That was the first good sign. She slowly came around. Mom had gone in, but came out later with some mealworms. Creamette took one immediately, but just held it with her beak. She wanted to eat it, but seemed to be a little confused. She dropped it couple times, but I held it up and she would grab it again. The great 'cure-all'(mealworms) finally won out and she started eating. That was great. She was still shaking some, but no where near as bad.

I had some things to do and carried her with me. Being a Dutch hen, she is no more then a handful at 15 ounces. I just had to do everything with one hand while she watched. She is good girl, very tame, and has been carried alot in the past for no other reason then she is cute. She seemed to enjoy it. Got to go everywhere and didn't even have to walk. I got really tired having to make extra trips to relocate all the broodies from houses to food/water sites. I can normally get 2-3 at a time with 2 hands, but had to do it one at a time using just 1 hand. I finally made it to the picnic table by the Dutch house and sat down. I sat Creamette on the table to see if she could walk. She very tenderly took a few steps. The leg worked. I was afraid of tenden damage, but her leg/hip seemed ok. I placed her in her house to rest. I needed to go in for a little while. OK, the humidity was killing me and I needed to find a fan.

She was walking this evening, though obviously very sore. With some stops to rest she went from her house up to the shed(40 feet) where the community feeder pan is. The feeder at the Dutch house is just not what she likes. The community one is just a large pan and she could sit in it while eating supper. After she had ate and we were shutting everyone up, Mom went and got Creamette and took her back to her coop. I figured she would sleep on the floor, but I checked just before I came in tonight and she was up on the 3rd rail. The 4th level is the platform where everyone roosts, but she stopped just short of it. I figured she had no desire to deal with the pecking and shuffling that happens every night. If she is still up there in the morning I will sit her down to keep her from having to jump/fly down. I think I will carry her up to a place I know the roosters won't bother her. She does not need to be jumped on.

I think and hope she will be ok, but that middle toe is a definate problem. She was hung up just inside the end joint. It is smashed flat to the bone on the top, that was the direction she was hanging over. The bottom of the toe looks ok, but I don't know if she will lose the end or not. At least it is not the whole toe. If she were heavier I think the toe would her been torn off at the second joint. I don't know how long she hung upside down, but I know at first she would have been flipping all over trying to get free. Dutch are high strung and very active little birds.

Matt

Edited to add: Sorry I didn't realize how long that was. If you read it all, sorry.

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Good morning folks

today is packing day and making sure all loose
ends are taken care of and ready for our little
trip. There sure is alot of work in getting ready for a trip.
Need a vacation just to rest up from the preperations.

Matt.......I hope your little hen will be ok but I admit
I love your stories........they are entertaining. Let me know
when you are going to write a book, I want to get it.

Hope everyone has a good day and a safe one.

 

[CJJenkins]

So I'm sitting here at the computer and heard the tiniest little 'cheep'! Looked in 'tabor (I have been very good and resisting) and egg #1 has the tip of it's beak out and egg #3 is pipped! I tried to take a pic and bumped the 'bator, egg #1 spun and scooted around, it is still wiggling and woggling! Hope it will be ok, #5 is pipped also. Hatch day is officially tomorrow, guess I had better get the brooder set up!

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

Good Morning Everyone!! Hope everyone has a great day!!

 

[TarheelBirdy]

Thanks Tarheel! I'm still talking hubby into it. We just got our first hens this spring, so he's hesitant to add more birds to our population...but I've had it with ticks and fleas. Our dogs are miserable (even after being treated...and treated...and treated), and so is my youngest son and I. Hubby and oldest son they leave alone, but my youngest and I get chewed up.

If I can talk hubby into it, how much lead time do you need for a half dozen keets?

They are ready now. I'll PM you as well.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

well went outside to find my jersey giant eaten

i had looked everywhere for months to find some young girls for my lone rooster, finally found some this last weekend, got them home sunday afternoon, went out this morning to find them all dead

and id just come up with names for them. why why why do the stupid predators have to go after the birds i want so bad

I'm so sorry....I know it's so heartbreaking.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

HELP!! Lice or mites or something is in my coop!

Yesterday I was peeking in on my broodies who did hatch eggs after all. I picked up an unhatched egg and saw several tiny reddish bugs crawling over it. What is going to be my best bet for treating the chickens and coop? I have adults and now babies too. I researched dusting a little...What's recommended that Tractor Supply may carry?

Thanks so much!

Sevin Dust. Buy it in the round cardboard cans and dust your birds with it, ruffling up their feathers so it gets down in to their skin good. It will take care of them.

I keep a big plastic bin in their coop with a mixture of dirt/Sevin dust/fireplace ash for them to bathe in. Since I have done this, I have never seen mites again.

BTW, don't panic if the mites get on you. Just take a shower and wash your clothes, and they will be gone.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

We use DE here. I dust the birds, coop and run. I haven't had any issues with bugs while using it, but mind you, I have only had chickens since April. We don't use 7 b/c we have bees. If a bee comes into the hive with 7 on it it can kill the whole hive. I hope no one close to use uses 7.

Oh, wow, I didn't know this! Thanks for posting it. I don't raise bees, but I still wouldn't want to kill any! I will think about this in the future for sure!