NY chicken lover!!!!

[stonykill]

I came home to a hawk or falcon eating one of my chickens.....what the chicken was doing OUT I don't know, cuz everyone was inside the coop, except the dead one. It was one of my Lav Ameruacanas too. Grrrr.... I hate birds of prey near my house. Now everyone is out and the bird of prey is no where to be seen....must not like the roosters parading around looking for a fight.

On a more happy note I listened to Rancher (I know he thinks no one is listening to him) and started giving my chickens Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in their water at least once a week. (more if I remember to add it) It has firmed up their poo and it isn't as stinky. However it IS expensive to get ACV with "mother" in it (which is what it needs to have to do what I need it to do) SOoooo (again listening to Rancher) I bought two 32 ounce bottles of regular ACV for $1.79 each and one bottle of Braggs ACV with Mother for $6.19. (ouch) Then I poured out some out of each of the cheap bottles into a ACV bottle I had saved and added some of the Braggs ACV to each of the 3 bottles of regular (read MUCH CHEAPER) ACV. Now I am going to let it sit for about a month and see if it develops into the same cloudiness of the store bought Braggs Mother ACV (read VERY expensive). I did this on a very limited scale with a small bottle of ACV I had in the cupboard, when I first got my first bottle of Braggs. It seemed to have worked. The small bottle got very cloudy. I used it in the chicken's water instead of using it to start more ACV with mother in it. I do plan to "reseed" other bottles with one I just started today, when it is "ripe". If this works it will save me about $5 a month and/or allow me to put ACV in their water more often at no more additional cost.

I'll try and remember to let you know how it goes. But that's a month from now, so don't count on it.

I so dislike birds of prey. Sorry Cass.

About the AVC, I've been doing just what you described for a long time now.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

I will have to try the acv recipe. If it saves money and works well, then I am all for it!

County--nice pics of the boys!

Rancher--I am a novice at crocheting and wouldnt want to embarrass myself by swapping my work for others really nice work! My grandma and her sister made such beautiful blankets and such. I think they would be happy knowing that I am finally taking up the craft myself.

Came home from work to a super muddy yard and runs. Almost had my rubber boots sucked off by the mud. Gave the cheeps some cabbage to keep them busy. My new brinsea is holding its temp and humidity nicely and its loaded up with 16 silkie eggs. Hoping for the best. Loading up my genesis when I get my heritage rir eggs plus whatever silkie eggs i get from now till then. Might throw in a few of my terrorist eggs as well. Dont want to waste any space!!!

 

[featherz]

Had a dead chicken incident myself today. Body was still warm when I got out to the pens after work. NO clue what happened - no open wounds, no mites, diarrhea, eyes and mouth looked clear. MAYBE the abdomen was a bit swollen but she's a little young to be an internal layer (but it could happen). Looks like she died when dustbathing so at least she went out happy. =( Crop was even full (but not packed up). No clue what happened.. She was about 13 months old.

 

[Cass]

Had a dead chicken incident myself today. Body was still warm when I got out to the pens after work. NO clue what happened - no open wounds, no mites, diarrhea, eyes and mouth looked clear. MAYBE the abdomen was a bit swollen but she's a little young to be an internal layer (but it could happen). Looks like she died when dustbathing so at least she went out happy. =( Crop was even full (but not packed up). No clue what happened.. She was about 13 months old.

Heart attack? One of my Sumantra roos died overnight a few months back. I thought the silkie momma got after him, but like yours, there wasn't a mark on him, just laying there dead on the coop floor. It was kinda funny, actually, everyone was up in their favorite roosting spot and it was only 3 in the afternoon when I got home....almost like they knew he was dead and didn't want to go near the body. (I don't go down to the coop in the morning....I am just not a morning person)

 

[rancher hicks]

I came home to a hawk or falcon eating one of my chickens.....what the chicken was doing OUT I don't know, cuz everyone was inside the coop, except the dead one. It was one of my Lav Ameruacanas too. Grrrr.... I hate birds of prey near my house. Now everyone is out and the bird of prey is no where to be seen....must not like the roosters parading around looking for a fight.

On a more happy note I listened to Rancher (I know he thinks no one is listening to him) and started giving my chickens Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in their water at least once a week. (more if I remember to add it) It has firmed up their poo and it isn't as stinky. However it IS expensive to get ACV with "mother" in it (which is what it needs to have to do what I need it to do) SOoooo (again listening to Rancher) I bought two 32 ounce bottles of regular ACV for $1.79 each and one bottle of Braggs ACV with Mother for $6.19. (ouch) Then I poured out some out of each of the cheap bottles into a ACV bottle I had saved and added some of the Braggs ACV to each of the 3 bottles of regular (read MUCH CHEAPER) ACV. Now I am going to let it sit for about a month and see if it develops into the same cloudiness of the store bought Braggs Mother ACV (read VERY expensive). I did this on a very limited scale with a small bottle of ACV I had in the cupboard, when I first got my first bottle of Braggs. It seemed to have worked. The small bottle got very cloudy. I used it in the chicken's water instead of using it to start more ACV with mother in it. I do plan to "reseed" other bottles with one I just started today, when it is "ripe". If this works it will save me about $5 a month and/or allow me to put ACV in their water more often at no more additional cost.

I'll try and remember to let you know how it goes. But that's a month from now, so don't count on it.

Really once or twice a month should be enough. Though you've got me thinking if it's possible to make your own. Try the health food stores they some time have a buy one get on half price.

Sorry about the hawk. It can be frustrating.

 

[County Boy]

Here are my big guys!!!!!!!!




And thanksfor everybody's kind words on the other 2 pics.

 

[rancher hicks]

I will have to try the acv recipe. If it saves money and works well, then I am all for it!

County--nice pics of the boys!

Rancher--I am a novice at crocheting and wouldnt want to embarrass myself by swapping my work for others really nice work! My grandma and her sister made such beautiful blankets and such. I think they would be happy knowing that I am finally taking up the craft myself.

Came home from work to a super muddy yard and runs. Almost had my rubber boots sucked off by the mud. Gave the cheeps some cabbage to keep them busy. My new brinsea is holding its temp and humidity nicely and its loaded up with 16 silkie eggs. Hoping for the best. Loading up my genesis when I get my heritage rir eggs plus whatever silkie eggs i get from now till then. Might throw in a few of my terrorist eggs as well. Dont want to waste any space!!!

I encourage everyone to join. Even if all you can make is the basic granny in the colors chosen by the Hostess/Host, it's fine. We want you to practice. Out of my Grandmothers 44 or so grandchildren I'm the only one who does it. We've got some newbies and it's fine. We want you to learn and practice.

 

[rancher hicks]

Had a dead chicken incident myself today. Body was still warm when I got out to the pens after work. NO clue what happened - no open wounds, no mites, diarrhea, eyes and mouth looked clear. MAYBE the abdomen was a bit swollen but she's a little young to be an internal layer (but it could happen). Looks like she died when dustbathing so at least she went out happy. =( Crop was even full (but not packed up). No clue what happened.. She was about 13 months old.

this is why they (whoever they are) advise to not hatch eggs from young hens. So as not to pass on genetic problems. Still it breaks the heart when it happens.

 

[Cass]

Really once or twice a month should be enough. Though you've got me thinking if it's possible to make your own. Try the health food stores they some time have a buy one get on half price.

Sorry about the hawk. It can be frustrating.

it's really really wet here. They get all kinds of unkind things in their gut, so once a week works well for my flock. I do have one bird that just doesn't seem to have firm poop....it's pretty yucky, so I keep hoping she'll finally drink enough to stop making the coop stink and slip.

I poured some mother in a small ACV bottle I had on the shelf and it seemed to get more and more cloudy....that's why I bought the two new bottles to doctor. I am probably putting 2 ounces of the Braggs into the cheap bottles. ( shook the Braggs first to mix the stuff up to make sure I got the good stuff into the new bottles) But at 2 ounces you can make 16 bottles of cheap stuff into the good stuff. Seems like a good deal to me.

 

[ChickPrincess]

Cass and Featherz, sorry for your chicken losses.

I had a hen pass away last week. No apparent reason. Fine one evening, dead the next morning. One of my production girls. The only thing I can think of, is when Henry (my roo) died, and when this hen died, I had given them a chicken carcass, bones and all. I did some searching of bones possibly getting stuck, but got lots of varying answers. Needless to say, I won't be giving them whole carcasses anymore.