***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[vanahjeane]

Now when I've got this many chickens you won't lol I just never knew they were so puppy-like. They run to me when they see me and put their little heads down to get petted. It always amazes me when something actually likes me

See, I'm such a sissy. I grew up on a farm raising and butchering livestock (I only personally processed turkey, quail, and dove). But I've become such a softy that I don't know I could keep rabbits for utility at this point because my little sister has two pet rabbits and they're like dogs. They follow her around, love being petted, and give kisses. They even use a litter box.

Do the folks on this thread raise rabbits for utility or to sell as pets?

 

[Kassaundra]

See, I'm such a sissy. I grew up on a farm raising and butchering livestock (I only personally processed turkey, quail, and dove). But I've become such a softy that I don't know I could keep rabbits for utility at this point because my little sister has two pet rabbits and they're like dogs. They follow her around, love being petted, and give kisses. They even use a litter box.

Do the folks on this thread raise rabbits for utility or to sell as pets?

I just started, but am doing it for meat

 

[NanaKat]

Quote: A chicken doesn't always think the "end of the day" is defined as we define it. I have found that letting all the birds (young and older) go into their coops on their own is less stressful on me and the birds. I shut the pen gates for those that coop earlier and then go out one last time with the dogs and lock up the last pen. That is usually the one with Mandy's chicks. She sure has some stubborn little juvies! They are like little kids...they don't want to stop playing when it is time to go to bed.

Quote:
I bet both...pets and utility.

 

[NanaKat]

Going to make an appointment with my surgeon. Twisted my 10 year old knee replacement a few days ago and the fluid swelling is making the knee uncomfortable. Also, my left shoulder is acting like the right one did before he did reconstruction surgery on it.
Getting older has it's downside...but it is better than the alternative.

The boys are hauling more hay for the neighbor and I'm going to work in the barn cleaning up the shop. It hasn't been organized in a while and there is a good layer of dust everywhere. Then when the grass is dry (Thank you Lord for all the ground moisture!) I will mow the yard and garden.

The chickens are getting old enough to sort by variety now into the different pens. When I have time this evening, I will begin working on that. They won't be able to freerange for a few days as they get acclimated to their new pen mates, but There is plenty of grass to pull in the garden for them to munch on in the meantime.

There are two Cochin pullets that have figured out that they can fly up to the top of the garden fence and jump into the garden. They forage all day and then can't figure out how to get back to their pen at night. I'm going to have to lock them into a covered pen for a while. I really didn't think these girls would have that kind of lift...they are pretty solid.

Gotta get busy...be back later.

 

[Ksane]

 See, I'm such a sissy. I grew up on a farm raising and butchering livestock (I only personally processed turkey, quail, and dove). But I've become such a softy that I don't know I could keep rabbits for utility at this point because my little sister has two pet rabbits and they're like dogs. They follow her around, love being petted, and give kisses. They even use a litter box.
Do the folks on this thread raise rabbits for utility or to sell as pets?

I just started, but am doing it for meat

I just started also...right after @Kassaundra posted 2 dozen pictures of the cutest fuzz balls I've ever seen!
I plan on having mine spayed & neutered and.....I don't know...rocking them in the rocking chair and whispering in their ears? Yea, I like that (So do they).

@Nanakat have you considered taking a short BREAK? You know, where you take a few days off and you and Roger REST so those bones and muscles can heal....???
I didn't think so. Slow down, woman lol You make the rest of us look bad lol

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Losing my crop surgery patient. She was on the floor of the cage this morning, keeps going in and out of consciousness, can't stay on her feet. Her crop has a little scrambled egg in it still from lat night. Not sure why I'm losing her but it's a bummer.

Also this morning my son lost his sweet Naked Neck pullet, Mew. She was on the floor of the coop this morning and when I picked her up went into convusions. I brought her in the house so he could say goodbye and the next time I passed her cage in the laundry room she was gone. He is sad but not inconsolable. Just asked if we could get another one.

She was huge but hadn't started laying yet, I think about 6 months old. She was fine when I fed everyone yesterday. She's a little thin but not skeletal.

 

[Kassaundra]

Losing my crop surgery patient. She was on the floor of the cage this morning, keeps going in and out of consciousness, can't stay on her feet. Her crop has a little scrambled egg in it still from lat night. Not sure why I'm losing her but it's a bummer.

Also this morning my son lost his sweet Naked Neck pullet, Mew. She was on the floor of the coop this morning and when I picked her up went into convusions. I brought her in the house so he could say goodbye and the next time I passed her cage in the laundry room she was gone. He is sad but not inconsolable. Just asked if we could get another one.

She was huge but hadn't started laying yet, I think about 6 months old. She was fine when I fed everyone yesterday. She's a little thin but not skeletal.

Sorry about your losses, at least you know you did everything to give your crop surgery pt a chance. I lost a NN pullet this week too, out of the blue, no issues just dropped dead. I didn't do a necropsy Gary found her and had her buried before he said anything to me about it. She was one I wasn't planning on keeping anyway.

 

[Ksane]

Losing my crop surgery patient.     She was on the floor of the cage this morning, keeps going in and out of consciousness, can't stay on her feet.  Her crop has a little scrambled egg in it still from lat night.  Not sure why I'm losing her but it's a bummer.

Also this morning my son lost his sweet Naked Neck pullet, Mew.  She was on the floor of the coop this morning and when I picked her up went into convusions.  I brought her in the house so he could say goodbye and the next time I passed her cage in the laundry room she was gone.    He is sad but not inconsolable.  Just asked if we could get another one.    She was huge but hadn't started laying yet, I think about 6 months old.  She was fine when I fed everyone yesterday.  She's a little thin but not skeletal.

Dang it. I was so hoping she'd be ok :-( And I just adore Leghorns, too.
I think what happens sometimes is their organs start shutting down yet it takes several days for them to die of organ failure after that. We have no way of knowing if their organs have begun shutting down and there's nothing we could do about it if we knew anyway.
Their only chance is to do the surgery in the hopes it's not to late. It sucks we don't find out until after the fact if it was too late or not. And if she had other health issues going on it just gets to be too much for their tiny bodies.
There's a crop surgery thread on BYC and some of those women lost theirs also. I, thankfully, didn't read that thread til after I did my 1st or would've worried too much. Short of handling every single bird every single morning at wake-up I don't know how some of these crop issues can be noticed soon enough.
You've learned something that may save a very special bird later on down the road even if she doesn't make it.

 

[ashtree]

Losing my crop surgery patient.     She was on the floor of the cage this morning, keeps going in and out of consciousness, can't stay on her feet.  Her crop has a little scrambled egg in it still from lat night.  Not sure why I'm losing her but it's a bummer.

Also this morning my son lost his sweet Naked Neck pullet, Mew.  She was on the floor of the coop this morning and when I picked her up went into convusions.  I brought her in the house so he could say goodbye and the next time I passed her cage in the laundry room she was gone.    He is sad but not inconsolable.  Just asked if we could get another one.    She was huge but hadn't started laying yet, I think about 6 months old.  She was fine when I fed everyone yesterday.  She's a little thin but not skeletal.

I'm so sorry. You worked really hard for her and gave her a fighting chance. Sorry about the NN too. It's always harder losing a kids special bird.

You guys are scaring me with stories of pullets just dying. Is it heat related? So sorry for both the NN losses.

 

[Kassaundra]

I'm so sorry. You worked really hard for her and gave her a fighting chance. Sorry about the NN too. It's always harder losing a kids special bird.

You guys are scaring me with stories of pullets just dying. Is it heat related? So sorry for both the NN losses.

I do not think mine was heat related, it hasn't been that hot, not like the last few summers, and she wasn't overly young and not old, plenty of shade and water to drink and wade in. No obvious sickness in anyone.