NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

Yes, Rancher, size matters. Sorry to be the one to inform you of that.

I hatched 3 different sized eggs (cuz the hen wouldn't give any of them up and I have the scars to prove it) and the chicks were 3 different sizes. Only the largest survived. Might be they squished their smaller siblings, might be the smaller ones were just weaker. If I had a choice on what to hatch I would hatch the largest eggs I had so the chicks were bigger at the get go...I really hate it when the itty bitty ones die. (And they always do)

Well I meant the size egg laid by the hen hatched from a larger egg. Right now I have an EE who should be laying a larger egg, like her mother. While the egg is a large I still like a 2. + size in my eggs, not that I lay eggs, but you know what I mean.

As for the Blu Kote stuff. I have used two bottle in the years since I've had chickens and both ran all over the place. Down the side of the bottle and just messy. It's works but you cover more than you bargained for.

 

[Adoravachick]

Hi All! It seems like forever since I have been here. I've had family for the holidays and boy did they keep me busy.

I got some new pics of the fast growing chicks in the barn. They are shaping up nicely.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Stony, stony, stony....I'm sure you have some antibiotic ointment around the house you would use on puncture wound....you know the kind without pain killer....

TOB, I have blue kote to spray on red spots so the other birds don't peck the injury, the above meantioned antibiotic ointment without pain reliever, "Save a chick" (which is just powdered electrolyte stuff, you can use unflavored Pediasure--I hatch chicks and have saved a few with it), Corrid and an broad spectrum antibiotic powder (just in case). Oh, and a hatchet. If it requires more than I have in the house and bed rest, it becomes dinner/landfill fodder. (Some you don't eat because you don't know why it died, some you eat because you do know why it died) And Eprinex for worming. I don't worm often, but I do it....I have seen an increase in egg production both times I did it. But my chickens live in a very very swampy area, so they get stuff that more dry land raised birds do not get.

Chickens get mites, feather mites, vent mites and scaly leg mites. I don't consider Sevin "in my medicine cabinet" cuz I keep it with the garden stuff, but I have powdered a butt or two with it, in the past for mites. Other people use Food Grade DE for mites. Vasoline or cooking oil works on scalely leg mites. I have never had those in my flock. Face masks for when you use this stuff is a good idea too. DE is not good to breath in.

Most things that chickens get do not kill instantly. (Predator attacks would be the exception to that) If your chicken starts to have a problem you ask around and then go get what you need to help/fix the problem. (there is a thread on BYC for emergencies....responses can be in a matter of minutes) The one thing I would have in the house, even before I got the chickens, is Blue Kote. Some injuries can be blue koted instantly and saves you having to find a place to separate the bird from the flock til you get to the store to get the blue kote. With that said I have used BLue Kote 3 times in the past 18 months. One of those times was to cover blood that showed up on EVERYONE and I don't know, to this day, where the blood came from, but it dripped all over everyone and they wanted to pick at the spots on their neighbor while roosting. (Note: BLue Kote is actually purple and a permanant stain....use gloves and clothing you don't care about, cuz they WILL flap and manage to spray it all over you before it dries. I keep an old coat around for covering up with when I have to use the stuff)

Thanks for the replies, all... and also for the super information and tips, Cass...much appreciated!

TOB

 

[rancher hicks]

Hi All! It seems like forever since I have been here. I've had family for the holidays and boy did they keep me busy.

I got some new pics of the fast growing chicks in the barn. They are shaping up nicely.

My eyes, my eyes!! You gotta warn a person when you're going to post pics of aliens.

​

 

[ChickPrincess]

A quick "newbie" question for you more experienced folks:

What would be a good, basic start to have on hand for a chicken "medicine cabinet"? I was looking thru some of the things at the Feed Store yesterday and although I like to be prepared, I don't want to waste $$. What are some remedies, over-the-counter or home-made, you can't be without?

Thanks!


TOB

I have used Preperation H for a swollen foot caused by bumblefoot (ordered it on Amazon to save embarrassment!

). Applied it to gauze and wrapped with Vetrap (another necessity). Vetrap is a wrap for injuries, and it sticks only to itself and not to you or feathers. Amazing stuff. Blue Kote spray, neosporin WITHOUT pain relief, vaseline, exacto knife and tweezers. I also keep New Skin in the box but haven't used it yet. Epsom salts. I think that's all I have.

Some blue copper Marans eggs with a Branbanter egg collected in the last few days. I wish they weren't scratched....

I get quite a few scratched eggs. What causes this? It seems to be the larger end of the egg mostly.

 

[rancher hicks]

The scratches most likely come from the hen stepping out of the nest box. The "color" or "paint" needs to dry and can be scrubbed off.

 

[ChickPrincess]

I have a couple hens who are getting some bare backs (one in particular) from some overly hormonal boys. Other than those saddles, what can I do? Would there be anything that might keep the roos away for awhile to give her a break? Or to help heal her? She's not bloody, just naked.

 

[Cass]

I have a couple hens who are getting some bare backs (one in particular) from some overly hormonal boys. Other than those saddles, what can I do? Would there be anything that might keep the roos away for awhile to give her a break? Or to help heal her? She's not bloody, just naked.

Stick the roos in another area. Even those saddles don't work 100%.

 

[Lynzi777]

Hi All! It seems like forever since I have been here. I've had family for the holidays and boy did they keep me busy. I got some new pics of the fast growing chicks in the barn. They are shaping up nicely.

Sooo Cute!!!

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

TOB--I have many of the above mentioned items in my chicken emergency kit. Much of it I bought on sale where I work in the hba section. Things like neosporin, saline eye wash, self sticking wrap, gauze pads, etx. I also found a great product called veteramycin. It comes as a spray and an eye ointment. Works fabulously! I used it on my hens eye when it was swollen almost shut and cleared it in two days. My moms dog got into it with the neighbors dog while she was here and we think a tooth hit his eye as it was all swollen and painful the next day. I remembered the eye ointment and starting rinsing the eye with the eye wash, applied the ointment and after two days it was back to normal. I also have corid, permetherin spray (kills the cooties) and eprinex for worming. All is stored in two handy plastic totes for emergencies. Better to have what you dont need than to need what you dont have.

Adorava---Kids are looking really good! Now I have the hatching itch real bad! And 2 new incuabtors from christmas just sitting here.....argh!

Thinking about Javas again. Those auburn ones are just gorgeous. I have got to stop looking or I am going to get myself in big trouble!