***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[miohippus]

Quote: I'm not sure what kind i don't have any peppermint oil so i tried some peppermint extract they didn't seem to like it. So i will have to look in to finding so peppermint oil.

 

[Loriemarler]

I was looking at my chicks in the brooder and it looks like my 2 black cochin chicks have white feathers starting to grow on their necks. They had black down with white chests as young chicks. I thought they would turn out black. What color would they be now??

 

[bardies]

EEK. That would definitely be hard. My husband has no problem with that kind of stuff but my oldest son and I are definitely the sensitive type.

Im feeling pretty down right now. We just lost our last bantam cochin chick. BLAH. And I just stood by the cage and cried for awhile, the first time I've cried during all this. It was as much defeat as sadness. I still have one silkie chick that I bought from the seller but I promised her to a friend thats been eyeing my silkies and I am taking care of it until it gets bigger, and I obviously wouldn't give it to her now knowing its sick, or contagious.

So, maybe it seems insensitive to ask this, but after all this is over how soon can I try again with new chicks? Im really dreaming of my flock of banty cochins. Also Im guessing I need to do some heavy duty cleaning on this cage. And any tips on buying new ones? Is it ok to check for mites or offensive to the seller? I already feel guilty enough eyeing the combs so heavily. I do have an idea of what a chick infected with cocci looks like, a pretty good idea I think.

Thanks everyone for making me feel like this stuff just kinda happens sometime. Its reassuring to read and makes all this a little easier to bear.

Wow. So very sorry to hear. The thing to remember is you went the mile for them. You cared. Plus, a key thing here.... you learned something from this and are better equipped for next time. ALL of us were beginners at one time.... Think about it, we've been beginners at everything - even as a mom of people babies, there are some things I wouldn't tell a soul about.... Most of the time, we get pretty good at stuff after a while.

Never mind being offensive... any seller worth his/her salt should appreciate a thorough and consciencious buyer - they know you will do your best when they are yours... unless you are chicken broker - then that may be different. Anyway... I digress....

Oxine is sworn by as a disinfectant by most here. I got mine at a chicken show, you may have to order online if you go that way. I do not know anything of how long the organism survives so don't have anything to say regarding 'how long'.

As far as getting new ones... I would say - get to know the seller, and go visit if possible to see the parent stock, the conditions, other chicks that they might have grown out OR
and this is just my two cents.....
buy hatchery (depending on how picky you are)

Reason being...hatchery birds will tend to be of lesser quality typewise (so if you just want eye candy, they would be fine) but, they are also more likely to be less pure (and therefor benefit from hybrid vigor) and have been grown in (I am kinda assuming at this point) sterile mass production conditions - not backyard crap. You can also get them vaccinated at hatch. Plus, they will do right by you if there are issues.

If you are going to be picky about your birds, or object to hatchery practices with baby roos, then go that exta mile and find your breeder.

Just my two cents....

Like Ksane said earlier - it might only be worth a penny!

 

[Kyzmette]

Foregoing the quote, but hotcurltr said "I take it you don't like the LG."

What I don't like about the LG isn't necessarily its inability to hold humidity, because if you take precautions you can keep humidity in it up to a point, at least as well as the Brinsea. What I don't like about the LG is its inability to hold anything even close to a stinking steady temperature. It's ruined more of my eggs and caused me more health problems with my chicks because of temperature variations than the Brinsea sure does. I got the Brinsea and started a batch of eggs in each incubator. I would check them and the LG would be 103.8, the Brinsea 99.6, then the LG would be 96.5 and the Brinsea would be 99.5, then the LG would 106.2 and the Brinsea would be 99.8.

I come from a background that didn't use constant temperature regulation. I use a fan for most of the summer instead of air conditioning. And in winter I put on a sweater when it's chilly. I don't want to have to constantly have a heater or air conditioner running in order to get a healthy hatch out of an incubator. My hatch in the LG while I was running them both had three spraddlelegs. My hatch in the Brinsea had none.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Here's a frizzle Cochin mix:

They are cuties! There are 4 frizzled and 8 or so non frizzles mixes. I have a few pure cochins left, black.

 

[Loriemarler]

Here's a frizzle Cochin mix:

They are cuties! There are 4 frizzled and 8 or so non frizzles mixes. I have a few pure cochins left, black.

My 2 black chicks looked like this but now they are growing white feathers on their necks. What does that make them

 

[ashtree]

Here's a frizzle Cochin mix:



They are cuties! There are 4 frizzled and 8 or so non frizzles mixes. I have a few pure cochins left, black.

ohhh they are perfect!!!!

 

[ashtree]

My 2 black chicks looked like this but now they are growing white feathers on their necks. What does that make them

Have you checked out this site? Its pretty fun! http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKBabyChicks.html

Wow. So very sorry to hear. The thing to remember is you went the mile for them. You cared. Plus, a key thing here.... you learned something from this and are better equipped for next time. ALL of us were beginners at one time.... Think about it, we've been beginners at everything - even as a mom of people babies, there are some things I wouldn't tell a soul about.... Most of the time, we get pretty good at stuff after a while.

Never mind being offensive... any seller worth his/her salt should appreciate a thorough and consciencious buyer - they know you will do your best when they are yours... unless you are chicken broker - then that may be different. Anyway... I digress....

Oxine is sworn by as a disinfectant by most here. I got mine at a chicken show, you may have to order online if you go that way. I do not know anything of how long the organism survives so don't have anything to say regarding 'how long'.

As far as getting new ones... I would say - get to know the seller, and go visit if possible to see the parent stock, the conditions, other chicks that they might have grown out OR
and this is just my two cents.....
buy hatchery (depending on how picky you are)

Reason being...hatchery birds will tend to be of lesser quality typewise (so if you just want eye candy, they would be fine) but, they are also more likely to be less pure (and therefor benefit from hybrid vigor) and have been grown in (I am kinda assuming at this point) sterile mass production conditions - not backyard crap. You can also get them vaccinated at hatch. Plus, they will do right by you if there are issues.

If you are going to be picky about your birds, or object to hatchery practices with baby roos, then go that exta mile and find your breeder.

Just my two cents....

Like Ksane said earlier - it might only be worth a penny!

Very good advice. Ill be ordering Oxine today. And I think I may end up doing a hatchery order, maybe from Strombergs because they have cochin frizzles in stock. I figure if I order 25 chicks I can probably easily sell the extras right? I only need 5 or so, and ordering a lot means I can pick out different colors, but I'm gonna need a bigger brooder! Anyway, its something Im considering. More reasons for my husband to think Ive lost my mind. And seeing how I was up till 3 this morning chicken stressing I think he's right!!!

Wondering what everyones feelings on vaccinations are? After this I'm thinking I may be pro, but I would be interested to know if there are any negative aspects to consider. I think Ill do a forum search, since this website seems to have everything!

 

[ashtree]

I use bleach water for sanitizing. It's inexpensive and it works well. Wear gloves to prevent skin irritation. Some folks swear by Oxine. I've never used it, but those who do report good results. Oxine has a wide range of uses and benefits. It's worth reading about...

if you have time. If you have problems with lice on birds in the future, consider bathing each bird with Adams flea and tick shampoo. The next day, you can use 1/2cc Ivermectin pour on for lactating cattle. Get a wash basin from Wal-Mart (under $2.00) and add some wood shavings or sand to make a bathing box. Playground sand is a favorite bathing material, and it's inexpensive, but it needs to be in an area where your barn cats can't get to it. You can sprinkle DE or poultry dust in the bathing box a couple times each month.

You're the buyer, so you're entitled to check for creepy crawlers. Check around the vent, under the wings, and along the back of the neck. Then go back and check around the vent one more time.

If I think a chick is male, and I only need females, I take one that I know is male in one hand and the bird I'm considering in the other, and then I hold them close together to compare combs and wattles. You're the buyer. You don't need to apologize for being thorough. Take some hand sanitizer with you and use it before and after holding birds. You want to discourage unwanted passengers (both seen and unseen).

A lot of people will have chicks and juvenile birds at P.O.O.P.S. It means waiting until June 14th, but in the mean time you could construct some awesome chicken pens : )

P.O.O.P.S. is sounding more and more tempting…..

And I will definitely be checking vents and under wings from here on out!

When you say wood shavings Im wondering if pine shavings will do? Thats the bedding in their coop house and all the cages. Will that be an appropriate substitute for ash?

ETA: sorry for all the separate posts, I'm typing while standing at the kitchen wearing my baby in a mei tai. I keep getting distracted, (5 kids, go figure) and forget there are other posts I need to respond to!

 

[lonnyandrinda]

My 2 black chicks looked like this but now they are growing white feathers on their necks. What does that make them

I'd wait and see, chickens go through several molts before their adult feathers come in.

P.O.O.P.S. is sounding more and more tempting…..

And I will definitely be checking vents and under wings from here on out!

When you say wood shavings Im wondering if pine shavings will do? Thats the bedding in their coop house and all the cages. Will that be an appropriate substitute for ash?

ETA: sorry for all the separate posts, I'm typing while standing at the kitchen wearing my baby in a mei tai. I keep getting distracted, (5 kids, go figure) and forget there are other posts I need to respond to!

I think they meant to say wood ash, not wood shavings. Shavings aren't going to help much with mites and lice but the wood ash smothers them. You can at least provide them with a pan of dirt if you don't have access to ashes, even better if you can sprinkle some DE in with it.