OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[Eleisha]

it has been tons of fun.  i will admit its starting to seem alot like "work" now.  i still look forward to visiting my chickens each day.  with the move and everything, its hard to find much time to spend with them.  im looking forward to spring,  im hoping i can throw together a really nice hatch area/brooder system.  ill probably build them into the barn when i put it back together.

I know I can't wait for spring so I can expand and go hatching crazy! Lol I've only hatched eggs one time and I miss having the baby chicks around.

 

[KirstenJL]

Thanks everyone. Sadly, when I checked this morning, the serama, Mille fleur, and black NN roo Herman (the black NN chick that was my avatar for ages "fabulous") had all passed overnight. I'm not sure how to go about necropsies..where would you have those done? I'd love to if I could to make sure it's nothing that will harm the others.

Thanks, Brian. I'll get back to you on that rock. I'm kind of afraid to bring new birds in now until I figure out what happened, not because they'll get mine sick, but incase mine get new ones sick.

I'm honestly not sure what's in the feed. I'm pretty clueless about feed still. I don't have it mixed myself yet, just buy the complete poultry crumble from the feed store. There are no noticeable pea or sunflower seeds in it?

Still going to try to talk DH into going to the nationals Saturday (though I probably won't bring $$ since we just "sold" a junk car to a guy with a bad check and we'll have to get that straightened out). If I manage to make it, I'll definitely keep an eye out for you, blessedchick! Though you might need a name tag.

I had a sick pullet that I had to euthanize this past weekend, so I just spent a grim evening going through Gail Damerow's "Chicken Health Handbook." Your feed might be fine nutritionally, but have been contaminated with mold or something. Chickens get botulism which can cause sudden death if they get enough of the toxin. There's also acute cholera, influenza, Marek's. A local vet should be willing to do a necropsy or two in case it's something reportable. I once took a cat to the state lab (I'm blanking on the name of the agency--examines illnesses in livestock) in Reynoldsburg for a necropsy--that had to be coordinated through my local vet and cost something in the range of $100. Good luck!

Kirsten

 

[blessedchick]

Horrible about all of these recent losses...Kirsten, I'm so sorry about your pullet...

Will the state vet do necropsy at a reduced rate if you are NPIP? I didn't even think about it when I took my pullet to my avian vet. I paid $75 for that one.

Also, I always keep grit available since it can never hurt. I start them when they are about a month old and out of the brooder (warm weather). I use the Purina Chick Grit - pricey, but with Silkies it has to be fine or they won't touch it...

 

[Elohist1983]

Thanks for the offer of cockerells, I found 2 marans yesterday.

 

[big medicine]

So anybody go to Columbus today ? I am heading up in the morning, birds are in the truck.

 

[KirstenJL]

I have nothing to show, but I wouldn't miss it!

 

[loveourbirds]

They probably pick up sand, rocks and bits from the run area. I'll see if I can find larger quantities of grit though to give them more regularly. Where do you get yours?

about any feed store carries it, i buy mine 50 lbs at a time from "heltons feed and seed" in waverly. i can drop off 5 or so lbs tuesday if you want to meet in minford or piketon area.

 

[big medicine]

I have nothing to show, but I wouldn't miss it!

Yeah I'm just delivering some birds there. I have probably been going to this show for nearly 30 years now, agree too good to miss.

 

[chicknmania]

I had a sick pullet that I had to euthanize this past weekend, so I just spent a grim evening going through Gail Damerow's "Chicken Health Handbook." Your feed might be fine nutritionally, but have been contaminated with mold or something. Chickens get botulism which can cause sudden death if they get enough of the toxin. There's also acute cholera, influenza, Marek's. A local vet should be willing to do a necropsy or two in case it's something reportable. I once took a cat to the state lab (I'm blanking on the name of the agency--examines illnesses in livestock) in Reynoldsburg for a necropsy--that had to be coordinated through my local vet and cost something in the range of $100. Good luck!

Kirsten

Get your vet to refer you to the Ohio State Ag department in Reynoldsburg. You do need a referral from a vet, but you should be able to get your vet to just call them., with no fee.
Last time we had a necropsy done there, it was $60.00. That was a few years ago though. But definitely worth the money, and they are fast compared to some.

 

[ShayBaby]

I had a sick pullet that I had to euthanize this past weekend, so I just spent a grim evening going through Gail Damerow's "Chicken Health Handbook."  Your feed might be fine nutritionally, but have been contaminated with mold or something.  Chickens get botulism which can cause sudden death if they get enough of the toxin.  There's also acute cholera, influenza, Marek's.  A local vet should be willing to do a necropsy or two in case it's something reportable.  I once took a cat to the state lab (I'm blanking on the name of the agency--examines illnesses in livestock) in Reynoldsburg for a necropsy--that had to be coordinated through my local vet and cost something in the range of $100.  Good luck!

Kirsten

Thanks, Kirsten! I hadn't even considered mold in the feed and botulism. I'll have to look into that. And check the rest of this feed bag really good. As much as I'd like to know what went wrong, there's no way I could dish out so much for a necropsy sadly. We're in an extra tight spot right now. Thankfully, everyone else out there seems perfectly fine.

about any feed store carries it, i buy mine 50 lbs at a time from "heltons feed and seed" in waverly.  i can drop off 5 or so lbs tuesday if you want to meet in minford or piketon area.

Well thanks! They probably have it at the local ones here (or TSC in Portsmouth) and I just never noticed haha. Do you know roughly what time you'd be driving through here? We're down to one car now and DH takes it to work around 3.

Took a lot of convincing but finally convinced DH to let me run up to the nationals in the morning. But there's no money to take, and as fun as browsing show birds is, window shopping through sale birds is not lol. So I won't be going up I guess. Was really hoping to find some showgirls, but guess it will have to wait til spring. Hope everyone has a nice time up there.