NY chicken lover!!!!

[boskelli1571]

Hey everyone. Thought I'd introduce myself to my fellow New Yorkers! I'm in Long Island and currently have a flock of easter eggers, few silkies and a Black Jersey Giant. I have BBS Ameraucana eggs, BBS Marans eggs, Rhodebar eggs and a few bantie cochin eggs in the incubator due to hatch the 31st. I also just bought a welsummer rooster and 3 welsummer pullets from a breeder in PA. Going to be a lot of fun around here

Welcome to the crazy coop!

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Welcome Frankie!!! Yup, you got chick brain . Welcome to the BYC family. Careful though , we can get a bit contagious at times. These great people have me itching to get an incubator and I've only had chickens since Easter.

 

[tao chick]

Welcome Frankie!!! Yup, you got chick brain . Welcome to the BYC family. Careful though , we can get a bit contagious at times. These great people have me itching to get an incubator and I've only had chickens since Easter.

I agree. Welcome! You sound like you belong here.

 

[Frankie Ruiz]

Welcome to the crazy coop!

Thanks glad to be here

 

[Frankie Ruiz]

Welcome Frankie!!! Yup, you got chick brain . Welcome to the BYC family. Careful though , we can get a bit contagious at times. These great people have me itching to get an incubator and I've only had chickens since Easter.

Thank you!! And I know what you mean. I've had chickens since June 2013 and I've owned 3 incubators, and if you include the chicks I've hatched and sold, probably 300 birds. I also had my little venture with quail lol.

 

[Frankie Ruiz]

I agree. Welcome! You sound like you belong here.

Thanks for the warm welcome

 

[Purple Iris]

I am sorry for your trouble. Here's is my take on the situation.

1. Don't give layer feed to chicks only 11 weeks old. If you are.

2. I usually switch my entire coop to 20% Dumor chick starter. Or just regular grower but don't mix the chicks as young as 11 weeks. I have had hens with chicks and make the switch until they're grown.

3. It might be worms but don't get overwhelmed even though it may sound like OMG! and all that. Worms do not usually present a major problem and you'd most likely see them in all birds. Keep water and waters clean. Don't let it sit for days. Add some Organic Apple cider vinegar once in a while to their water. There are other wormers out there and you can use one even if there are no worms I can't say it would hurt.

You will find lots of opinions as to what works and what doesn't. Don't get caught up in that, or you'll go crazy. Just pick the one that works for you.

4. Be sure they have insoluble grit. Yes I know they get stones and all that but added grit is a good prevention. It keeps things moving through their system. Especially if you feed greens and other non feed items. Sorry for such a large pic. I buy this for about $12 where I'm at. I usually dump a big pile in the same corner of my chicken run or yard.

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5. Watch your girl and see that she is eating and pooping. That is number one.

6. Keep them calm. I do not allow kids to chase or pester my birds. (not that you are) Chickens can get stressed and stress can bring on an underlying problem.

7. It's hard to say what the problem is. Check her poop every time you see her poop. Watch for unusual poops.

Check the "Poop" page on the internet. http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=17568

I wish you well. I hope some of this helps.

Rancher Hicks

Thanks for all the suggestions Rancher,
Currently the chicks are finishing up the last of the Dumor chick starter which is labelled for use up to 10 weeks, and I'm now mixing it with Dumor grower feed, they have chick grit sprinkled in their pen regularly.

The adult birds were eating just layers pellets, but in anticipation of merging the 2 sets of 2 birds I've started mixing layers pellets with grower feed, just so it wasn't a sudden adjustment, and I can keep decreasing the amount of layers pellets, so by the time they're mixed the adult birds will be OK with just grower feed, until the little ones are old enough to start layers pellets a few months down the line.

The farm where we got the chicks advised waiting until they were at least 13 weeks before mixing them, so at least a few more weeks yet - although Fern the Wyandotte chick is getting huge now. I'll have to take some more pictures to put up.

I think I could give the adult birds insoluble grit in their run, they have access to oyster shell, and we let them out to free range almost every day, and they like turning stones on our gravel driveway, and scratching in the gritty dirt by our firewood pile (as well as raiding the veggie garden, looking for the wild vine, and picking the clover out of the lawn).

Sylvia is eating and pooping, just more standoffish than she's ever been, and that weird 'frozen / zoning out / staring into space' thing that she's doing when out free ranging is something I've never seen her do before.

Yep - I need to make a dewormer decision and stick with it, not drive myself crazy reading pages about why this is the best one ever, then finding a thread that says - don't use that one

No more kids coming to stay for a while, so life should be a little quieter, like normal.

I've seen the poop chart before, thanks - will continue to monitor her.

 

[Gramma Chick]

our adult Leghorn is looking decidedly droopy, some feather loss, seems to stand and just zone out, before snapping out of it and foraging as normal. She has also stopped laying - although she was never that regular.

She sounds like she had been molting ..
If it was worms I would think your other chicken would have it also
I would think it is something thing .else..Is her comb pale & drooping too ?
She may have something else internal going on ...she maybe egg bound ..
did she start laying early ?
This is Roxie before she died ..Notice her comb is pale & bent over ..she also would zone out ...just stand in a spot for a while
Before she was sick her comb was straight up & Red .
she started laying early & had a prolased vent for a while at 4 1/2 months
Because of her prolapse she alway had that goofy tail she lived to about 2 years old
I would just make her as comfortable as possible ...she would probably like a warm bath ...
Some people kill them to put them out of their misery ...I could never do this ...with mine
I gave them a warm bath & and some whiskey & held them as they passed

 

[Frankie Ruiz]

She sounds like she had been molting .. If it was worms I would think your other chicken would have it also I would think it is something thing .else..Is her comb pale & drooping too ? She may have something else internal going on ...she maybe egg bound .. did she start laying early ? This is Roxie before she died ..Notice her comb is pale & bent over ..she also would zone out ...just stand in a spot for a while Before she was sick her comb was straight up & Red . she started laying early & had a prolased vent for a while at 4 1/2 months Because of her prolapse she alway had that goofy tail she lived to about 2 years old I would just make her as comfortable as possible ...she would probably like a warm bath ... Some people kill them to put them out of their misery ...I could never do this ...with mine I gave them a warm bath & and some whiskey & held them as they passed

Whiskey? That's a first time hearing giving alcohol to a chicken for me. Sounds like that bird went out peacefully. Sorry for your loss

 

[tao chick]

My friendliest little chick is an Ameraucana. It ran to me this morning and I picked it up. It happily sat on my lap for a couple minutes. I have had 36 (29 current) birds and this is the first time a chick doesn't complain about getting picked up. They all have unique personalities.