NY chicken lover!!!!

[Cass]

OMG is it nasty out there! Just got done cleaning coops and rearranging them once again. I wanted the silkies to have a larger run so attached the run from the bigger coop to it so they can out a little more while I'm away. The bigger girls don's need it since they free range every day. I had it moved it to the silkie coop once before but moved it back for some reason I can no longer remember. Anywho, everyone should be all set for when I leave this Thursday. Only ones I'm worried about is Stella and her chicks. All she does in there is scratch around for food. I'm assuming she's showing the babies how to scratch for food but man, she is making a mess! I have one of the little waterers in there for them and it's clogged up with shavings in five minutes with the damage she does. So now I'm worried that is my husband is working all day and he cleans out/waters them in the morning, an hour later it'll be clogged again. It's not like I can hang it higher either cuz the chicks wont be able to reach it. I really need to remove half the amount of shavings that are in there. That may help a little but not much. I'm thinking of calling my friend and seeing if she can stop by around noon or so each day to make sure their water is clean. I wonder if would help if I put up some kind of "wall" in front of the water, and left it open on one side only (where the shavings can fly into it) if that would help. Anyone else ever have this problem??

I have that problem every day. I put one of those big black "plates" that you get from supermarket when you order a meat or fruit platter under the food and waterer. It has helped a lot. If I were going away for a while I would take ALL the shavings out and just hose the mess out when I got home. Lack of water is a bigger problem than lack of nesting material for the little family.

 

[horsekeeper]

X2 Cass. I put a square of cardboard or scrap of plywood down to make an "apron" and it helps some because the hen (or scratching chicks) can't get as close to the waterer.

 

[miquwid]

Sorry haven't been around busy weekend.

Okay there was a question about there coop door. I have two coops attached two one run. That is a pretty sturdy set up so door stays open. In the silkies coops I lock up the coop. And my breeder in my area agrees.

For the recent losses I hope you can recover ok and like I tell my son what can we learn from this?. I'm so sorry and I feel for you.

I do use acv, we use it for ourselves and animals, it hasn't done any of us harm and we've all stayed healthy for the most part. Oregano, mint, lavender have good holistic healing properties as I've used them. I use many other herbs as well. But to each his own!

PS stony I have clue about mint and rodents, but something is keeping them away most likely other predators.

Congrats on all the babies out there, I took my son n niece to my breeder to buy locally grown feed, and he said my silkies I bought from him should go broody next year I'm thinking cuz that's what I to hear lol I know the breed and understand, he thinks that my crazy one will be a good mother. He's been doing this for 25yrs so maybe. Not sure if I want to hatch, but will be doing meat birds next year definitely. Funny he said just don't name them, I'm like there still 6 out of 12 with no names in our flock, but those 6 are production layers and are extremely hard to tell apart. LOL

I think that for my first time gardening I'm doing well but compost with both chicken and kitchen waste make a big difference. I'm creating more compost than I know what to do with. Since there are a number of neighborhood gardens to make the neighborhoods nicer and feed fresh produce to those unable to get it. I'm wondering if I can donate some compost and / or make some trades on craigslist. I decided to let a rose bush live I've been mowing over for almost 2 years I've been here and it still grows so I will keep in with the theme of the neighborhood roses and see where it takes me. Roses grow like weeds here. But it will add to my sunflowers.

My chickens are staying cool since they are at the lower part of the property, in addition to several trees that keep them shaded. Though in our Rochester chicken club there was a suggestion to freeze water in hugs and place it around your coops and runs. Haven't tried it yet but whether or not if it works it couldn't hurt to try.

I hope everyone is well.

here is my son and our sunflowers.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Okay...just to clarify. The hen I found dead this morning was in the big coop. My terrorist coop. They are a year old. She was a good weight. Maybe the heat. The two silkie chicks were in the silkie coop on the other side of the house. What I thought was pox is beginning to look like coryza. I have isolated arwin as she was lethargic this morning. She is in a crate with food and water with corrid in it. When I pulled her out this evening she had all this nasty discharge come out of her nostrils and she stinks really bad.. I can see that she drank but didnt eat. I have been doing lots of reading and it seems there is no cure and the flock should be destroyed. This presents a delima. The silkies have all been around each other and my broody momma has had the vaccination for it but still exhibited symptoms (eyes swollen shut, scabby around face, crusty eyes, some nasal discharge) as did her sister (i got them from a breeder). My birds have not had the vaccination. The three remaining chicks seem fine at this point and I read that it doesnt pass to the chicks. What to do. My other breeding group shows no symptoms even though there has been interactions between them and the infected group. I have corrid in the water in hopes that it will help. I will be devestated if I have to destroy all my birds. They are my babies. Any suggestions???

 

[Pyxis]

Okay...just to clarify.  The hen I found dead this morning was in the big coop.  My terrorist coop.  They are a year old.  She was a good weight.  Maybe the heat.  The two silkie chicks were in the silkie coop on the other side of the house.  What I thought was pox is beginning to look like coryza.  I have isolated arwin as she was lethargic this morning.  She is in a crate with food and water with corrid in it.  When I pulled her out this evening she had all this nasty discharge come out of her nostrils and she stinks really bad..  I can see that she drank but didnt eat.  I have been doing lots of reading and it seems there is no cure and the flock should be destroyed.  This presents a delima.  The silkies have all been around each other and my broody momma has had the vaccination for it but still exhibited symptoms (eyes swollen shut, scabby around face, crusty eyes, some nasal discharge) as did her sister (i got them from a breeder).  My birds have not had the vaccination.  The three remaining chicks seem fine at this point and I read that it doesnt pass to the chicks.  What to do.  My other breeding group shows no symptoms even though there has been interactions between them and the infected group.  I have corrid in the water in hopes that it will help.  I will be devestated if I have to destroy all my birds.  They are my babies.  Any suggestions???

That's awful!! I'm glad it doesn't pass to chicks, for a second I panicked about the eggs. You don't have to destroy them if you're okay with not ever selling them off your property and you don't mind dealing with the disease for the rest of their lives. If they're just your pets and you're really conscientious not to spread it around you shouldn't have to kill them.

You could aslo have them tested just to verify before you take any further steps. In New York, I was told they NPIP certify for free...you could go for that and they'll test them for you. In the meantime, keep an eye out for other symptoms like facial swelling, loss of appetite, swollen wattles, etc. Here's an article you can read: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/82/infectious-coryza

 

[marquisella]

Quote: Coryza is a bacterial respiratory disease, with the smell being the biggest clue. I have a hard time believing it doesn't transmit to chicks...? I read up on it and treatment used can be: sulfadimethoxine being the safest one available. Antibiotics such as tetracycline are another possibility. It is pass bird to bird, in feed, water and by footwear, clothing on humans.

Corid will not help.

I would treat your whole flock and hope for the best

New York NPIP only tests for Pullorum, nothing else.

I wish you luck. Let us know how it turns out with treatment.

 

[miquwid]

So sorry Pharm do you know for sure?

 

[Pyxis]

QUOTE]
Coryza is a bacterial respiratory disease, with the smell being the biggest clue. I have a hard time believing it doesn't transmit to chicks...? I read up on it and treatment used can be: sulfadimethoxine being the safest one available. Antibiotics such as tetracycline are another possibility. It is pass bird to bird, in feed, water and by footwear, clothing on humans.

Corid will not help.

I would treat your whole flock and hope for the best

New York NPIP only tests for Pullorum, nothing else.

I wish you luck. Let us know how it turns out with treatment.

Good to know about the NPIP. I thought they tested for all kinds of things. Glad I never did it, it would have been useless as I don't ship eggs.
As for the chick thing, we mean pass to the chicks through the eggs, like mycoplasma can do.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

So sorry Pharm do you know for sure?

No I dont know for sure. Symptomology suggests it though. I will get some other antibiotics tomorrow. I know that chicken pox can make them more suceptable to the disease. They are also very close in symtomology except for the smell in coryza. I will continue to monitor my flocks for any further symptoms. I am hoping it is not this disease.

 

[stonykill]

Pharm, I really hope you are wrong and it is something less deadly. All I can say is what I would do. Monitor them, quarantine as needed, and chose to nurse or cull as needed. Good luck. Wishing for good health.