***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[miohippus]

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??

could be birchen: http://www.efowl.com/Birchen_Cochin_Bantam_Chickens_p/2321.htm

 

[mjgigax]

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

Yes, wait, they may be Black mottled - it is hard to tell for a while as the chicks grow.
Black Cochins sometimes have stray white feathers. It can be an indicator of recessive white and is not good for a show bird. I really get lost when it comes to the Black or White genes. There are both domonant and recessive whites and maybe in blacks genes too....?

Bo Garret is very knowledgable about the genes in Cochins. And some folks on the cochin thread know a lot too.

 

[mjgigax]

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....

Well said - when I sell birds I want them to go to a buyer that knows about bird health.

 

[Loriemarler]

I'm a happy chicken mama tonight!! The hoop coop is done (except decorations) and I moved 7 of the bigger chicks and the 3 adults into it. No scuffles Yay! I dusted everyone with seven dust before moving them and they were so mad at me the bonded over it. I think I heard them plotting against me too. Anyway the hen that has been laying for me stayed with the littles and was clucking at them from her roost. The littles haven't figured out roosting yet.

I had to put a vent in the back so I used paper plate holders from dollar general and zip ties

 

[sarajane]

Hi I have a beautiful, healthy buff Orpington rooster that I need to find a home for him. He's a year old. My 5 hens aren't enough to keep him busy. So he is available. Let me know if you're interested.

 

[Poco Pollo]

When I got home from work today I found a Basque Hen cockerel in the Toulouse side of the big brooder. He was holding a gosling with one foot while snatching fluff of the gosling's head. I snatched up the cockerel, wrapped him in a feed bag (head sticking out) and secured him with a bungee cord. He lay like an angry, spoiled child, in his plastic straight jacket, while I collected the goslings and took them to the A-Frame for some outside time. When I came back to figure out how the cockerel had made it past the bird netting, the cockerel called an apology to me and begged, in a tiny voice, to be let go.

I let the cockerel out of his restraints and searched the edges of the bird netting for a hole. What I found was a vertical cut, about eight inches long and two inches up from the bottom of the netting. I must have missed this when I put the netting in place. Looks like I cut it with scissors, maybe last year, since the netting was from a pen roof that's been disassembled.

The goslings played outside until it got dark, and then I carried them back to their newly secured space inside the big brooder.


I think this one is a girl. One other has delicate features and a smaller head.

 

[Kassaundra]

Glad you rescued them before any real damage could happen

 

[hotcurltr]

After the last hatch I had, I couldn't believe that teachers hatch eggs for classrooms. I did not let my children see the chicks I was having issues with. It is a disturbing thing (and heartbreaking) to see that little chick finally make it out (the last three days are at least 2 years long) just to find that his guts are pouring out of him. Then, you have to figure out a way to kill it because to just let it die on its own after a number of days somehow is worse. Sorry for being so graphic and blunt.

..I guess I am still feeling the sting.

Hatching is way cool - but be sure to protect your kids (especially if they are sensitive), and be ready to do what needs to be done.

I am so sorry that you are still feeling the sting. Sometimes it takes a little longer soesn't it. With all you're good chipper advice iI think u need another special hug.

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.

All of us know how u feel. I always think it will get easier for me, but it never does. And babies that are so vulnerable, we just want to protect them. But the love and joy they bring me makes it all worth while and I try to remember that they are happy and safe after I lose them. I think I just hate the suffering the most. and sometimes we just can't tell. You need a spcial hug too.

When I got home from work today I found a Basque Hen cockerel in the Toulouse side of the big brooder. He was holding a gosling with one foot while snatching fluff of the gosling's head. I snatched up the cockerel, wrapped him in a feed bag (head sticking out) and secured him with a bungee cord. He lay like an angry, spoiled child, in his plastic straight jacket, while I collected the goslings and took them to the A-Frame for some outside time. When I came back to figure out how the cockerel had made it past the bird netting, the cockerel called an apology to me and begged, in a tiny voice, to be let go.

I let the cockerel out of his restraints and searched the edges of the bird netting for a hole. What I found was a vertical cut, about eight inches long and two inches up from the bottom of the netting. I must have missed this when I put the netting in place. Looks like I cut it with scissors, maybe last year, since the netting was from a pen roof that's been disassembled.

The goslings played outside until it got dark, and then I carried them back to their newly secured space inside the big brooder.


I think this one is a girl. One other has delicate features and a smaller head.

Poor little thing. I've seen it happen w/ my old gander w/ a new gosling, but I must say your description of the punishment made me really laugh. I hope I never get on your bad side., which is an easy thing for me to do.

Sorry I know it's not funny and could have been bad, but since it turned out ok I have to LMAO. Bet the little cockeral was more frightened than the gosling.

Now on another note, my little welsummer pullet started getting bad again today. If I put her in w/ the others she seems to focus more and starts acting pretty normal for a while. I know she doesn't like being separated, but I feel I have to at night and when I'm not around. She's still eating good and loves her scrambled eggs. I didn't offer her the yogurt today. I'll try again tomorrow. I wish I could figure out how to get DMSO down her w/o burning her. I really have seen wonders as I said before. I was thinking of rubbing some on her but that would burn too much. Glenn said to make up the amount I ususally put in a bolus. And just give her a little drop of that like I do the poly vi sol. She takes her vita e and sel great and is just so sweet. I want some help naming her because I want her to overcome the odds. I thought of Helen(likeHelen Keller), Esther (Like in the Bible) then I just get stuck. No brain power any more, so I would like some name suggestions of women who have over come great odds. As far as my little preemie, I can't name him or her because I don't know it's gender. The Yolk(as Glenn said it was) is all but gone or absorbed. I still give viamins everyday, and he still worries me because he hardly ever gets down. Just stands with his/her droopy little premature wings. It does have a lot of spunk and is still eating, but I think I should go back to eggs and baby cereal. See it is hard to try to out guess yourself with these little guys. Now I have some juveniles w/ colds. I had one once this year and it did fine. This is now the second time since I've had chickens that some are sick. All in about a month or so. Oh, and I always love looking at their fluffy butts, but after all the talk about mites and lice, I saw two that had little bald spots, one is broody and got up to eat the other is a Dominque hen. I asked hubby to catch them for me and they both ahd bugs. I could see the ones on the light brahma but not the other, but hubby said he could. So we treated them and checked all other fluffy butts once on the roost. They didn't seem to appreciate it. But we didn't find any more. Now tom, if I have enough energy, I'll have to clean and dust , sanatize and hope to get rid of the rascals. It really is weird that one or two could have them and not the others. I guess it just depends where they were when a wild bird brought them by. I need to read up on it more. Could they come from the hay I use for bedding, but then I would think they all would have them. Both hens had nice red combs and looked good so, I'll be checking for that now since I was lucky. Makes me feel like a bad chicken mama, because I always do a count and watch them for a while to see if anyone is acting different. I guess I just don't look at all the fluffy little butts when thy're up in the air. LOL And I'm out of oxine. But have something from Canada that is similar but is liquid in a bottle.. How u say could I have used it all up so fast. By going nuts(been there a long time) and flooding the ground w/ it because of the ducks. Just in case it came from somewhere around their favorite areas. Don't know if it really did it good, but it made me feel better.

 

[muesky]

Good Evening Folks!
Well I had multiple quotes then my firewall put a message on my computer warning of a virus trying to come through on this site, so I had to restart the computer after the threat was removed...
Sorry to hear about all the losses.. Raising chickens is hard because they just die for no apparent reason, no matter how hard we try or how good of care we give them. It is super frustrating and heart breaking but I take every one of the losses and see how I can do things better. That is all you can do..

Still working on tearing down and rebuilding the chicken yard. Should be done with the construction this weekend then I focus on getting the feeders and watering system set up. Of course I am modifying my plans again.. Am going to install a 10'x8'ds metal awning over the north face of the coop which is the south end of the yard for several reasons. First is to provide shade and a place for the chickens to get out of the rain or bad weather. Second to keep water/snow from blowing into the coop because the pop door is north facing and the last reason I can set the feeders up and keep the rain off of them.. I am also contemplating reroofing the coop.. Haven't totally decided if that is going to happen or not, I have the roof from an old metal storage shed that I am not using and the roof is not in the best of shape after 8 years of having big turkeys and peafowl landing on it.. The yard is going to be awesome when it is done but I am exhausted getting it done.. At least I have all the materials I need to rebuild it, which is a blessing and a serious sign of a hoarder...

Oh and the hidden nest of turkey eggs, I found it today... 28 eggs two hens were sitting on, so I have them in the incubator now. There is still another nest because there should be at least 30 more eggs unaccounted for..

This is what I want to do but am planning on putting everyone in lock down once the yard is done for a couple of weeks, so no more sneaky sneaky turkey hens hiding eggs for a while...

Hopefully I will have completion pictures by Sunday evening, if I am not too tired to post them... hehehe! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[brandy00]

I bit the bullet and ordered my Brinsea 20 Advance today! I'm ordering polish bantam frizzle and cochin bantam frizzle eggs for my first hatch in the fancy new bator! Now I just have to wait for everything to get here