Okies in the BYC The Original

[Buster52]

Quote:
I am delighted that you got some much needed rain without being flooded.

As to "dumb poults" I have never been able to find anything in writing that confirms the theory that turkeys will drown in a rain storm because they look up and catch too much rain into their mouths/lungs, but I have had poults drown because they stayed under a turkey hen who was roosting on the ground in an area that had water collect around her. If you ever find anything "scientific" about turkeys drowning in the rain, I would love to read it.

Actually what they do is die of exposure. When they get too chilled, their necks do this weird thing that arches their heads backwards which makes them look as though they are purposely looking up into the rain with their mouths open. Actually when they get to that point they are too far gone and will die of hypothermia no matter what you do. That is what led to the wives tale of drowning in the rain.

That still doesn't excuse these kids' stupidity for sitting out in the rain when there is nice dry shelter less than three feet away. They are a little over 8 weeks old and might have been fine (my adults roost in the rain and freezing snow and wind all the time), but they are a little to close to that vulnerable age to take the chance.

 

[bethinoklahoma]

would anyone like to come to one of my daughter 4-H events
and talk about chickens and or Rabbits?? We have some kids
that want to get into rabbits as a project but Yonna my daughter
the VP nor the Pres had much to say.

 

[okcarla]

Quote:
I am delighted that you got some much needed rain without being flooded.

As to "dumb poults" I have never been able to find anything in writing that confirms the theory that turkeys will drown in a rain storm because they look up and catch too much rain into their mouths/lungs, but I have had poults drown because they stayed under a turkey hen who was roosting on the ground in an area that had water collect around her. If you ever find anything "scientific" about turkeys drowning in the rain, I would love to read it.

Actually what they do is die of exposure. When they get too chilled, their necks do this weird thing that arches their heads backwards which makes them look as though they are purposely looking up into the rain with their mouths open. Actually when they get to that point they are too far gone and will die of hypothermia no matter what you do. That is what led to the wives tale of drowning in the rain.

That still doesn't excuse these kids' stupidity for sitting out in the rain when there is nice dry shelter less than three feet away. They are a little over 8 weeks old and might have been fine (my adults roost in the rain and freezing snow and wind all the time), but they are a little to close to that vulnerable age to take the chance.

Yes, I TOTALLY AGREE about the turkey poults. We had quite a few in a pen next to the barn. One third of the pen is covered ... but do the turkeys get out of the rain? NO! So, by the time we get outside to feed all the birds before work yesterday, and after lots of heavy rain, there is a pile of turkey poults .... that decided to commit suicide in the rain.

Those that are still alive we placed inside the barn under heat lamps. Some recovered after being too chilled, some didn't. Exactly like Buster described they do.

 

[partwyan]

Quote:

 

[al6517]

I have always thought that any Turkey's are really as dumb as a box of hair, and you can't change my mind because they prove it time and again LOL I am serious !!!!!!!!!

. Well when the sun came out today it was like a sauna outside and I, like a dummy stayed working in it all day................... Just just goes to show I ain't that smart heheehehee. Now I have to cook my own dinner as the house is deserted, don't know where everybody is at ??, and I will pass out out and I don't care

.


AL

 

[Buster52]

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Wow! Thanks, Carla! That means a lot coming from my turkey raising hero of BYC.

I guess I'm actually starting to learn a thing or two.

 

[Buster52]

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Sounds to me like you've done enough cookin' for one day, Al. Maybe you should just cool off!!

 

[FunChick]

Hi everyone. I am finally on to say hello and say that I have missed you all..but I have a good reason for my absence...

Memorial Day weekend Vern and I dug and placed 800 feet of water line; 2" to replace the original 3/4 inch line that the house was originally built with. Once that was laid, we dug under the driveway and laid waterline to the garden, then the coop and finally the barn! We were so exhausted and worked from before dawn to after sunset...and it was miserable outside---record temps and high humidity made hot sweaty work...ugh! But the water is in and working and since we had been dragging water hoses for 3 years, it is a welcome change...especially for in the wintertime when it is even harder to do watering chores.

Then, on the Tuesday after Memorial Day, one of our Delaware hens died...I thought it was from the heat because it had been so hot that day...and then I heard the horrible sound of many hens struggling to breathe...I looked around and several of the hens were suffering badly and in respiratory distress---either CRD or bronchitis or coryza. It was just awful...we have lost 11 prime hens, some of my most beaurtiful and highest producing hens. Of course we have had to cull some that were too far gone to recover...I just hate having to do that even though I know that it is the most humane thing to do. I just am so sad that they died because of terrible illness.

So every night, Vern and I were rounding up the birds and giving shots, using VetRx on their beaks and wattles and under their wings plus using Vetricyn in their eyes and throats...finally I think we over it but I am just so sad about this whole thing. They were suffering so much and although we did all that we could for them I feel like I failed them; Failed, because when we were so preoccupied by putting in the water line that they were starting to get sick and I didn't even notice their suffering. I usually spend at least 30 minutes in each coop area to watch for anything odd...and I was so busy that I missed those obviously important observation times.

And of course, wouldn't you know it we have two other areas that we are also raising babies--One in the shop that has all of our POOPS babies and turkey poults, who are doing OK for now, as we are being VERY careful to tend to them first, use biosecurity for them and the other coop in the barn as well. So far we haven't had anyone other than the chickens in the big coop--my laying flock--get sick with "THE PLAGUE". We have been very careful and tend to them (the sick ones) last and use a bleach water foot bath when leaving and take showers after handling them.

Now, we are having a brand new problem...one of my Jersey Giants had droopy wings and unkempt appearance, and staggered around when she walked...this went on for one full day; then in the morning she was right as rain! I thought that was the end of it...but tonight, one of my barred rocks is doing the same thing...I am trying to stay positive but I am terrified because we are having a whole new problem on our hands and I have no idea what to do for them other than give good, solid supportive care. Please, PLEASE anyone that has ANY idea what we might be dealing with here...PLEASE let me know...

I am just so upset and sad, that I finally broke down tonight to tell you all of our woes...I am worried that we will lose more birds.

I hope you all are doing better than we are...God bless....

 

[muesky]

Evening Everyone!

Funchick, my heart goes out to you. I know how frustrating it is when something like that happens. But don't be so hard on yourself, sometimes things like this happens. I have had birds right as rain in the evening when I put them to bed and in the morning they are dead with no signs of anything. It just happens, sucks but that seems to be the nature of raising birds.

As for the rain, everyone seems to be ok, at least I hope so. My peahen is MIA this evening. She was out and about this morning but I can not find her now. Had to get up at 11 pm last night and make the baby chicks and poults go into their house rather then sit in the rain all night. The grow-out pen is completely covered but water was running through the runs. I have a large igloo dog house I use for the chick pen but they will not go into it. Stupid birds.

Ok so I need to ask for assistance. I need floors for my coops. The wood frames rot out too fast no matter how much paint I use to treat them, and right now I can not afford the $500 to 600 to have slabs poured, plus to have slabs poured make the location permanate and I am not sure exactly where I want the chicken city to be yet. My solution is plastic pallets but I am having a hard time finding them where I do not have to buy 50 at a time or $50 each for them. So if anyone here knows where I could find some I would grateful and would even be willing to give you a baby chick or two or three.

Speaking of baby chicks, I have four hens who have gone broody and it is war. One hen has taken over the dome in the coop (hard to explain) but it is huge and she will not let anyone in it. I have two hens who are currently nesting in the same box since one moved in while the other one was out eating but the one eating refuses to give up her box so both of them are squeezed in a very small cat litter bucket (one of the many recycables I use for nesting boxes). It is kinda cute. plus one is sitting on my first turkey egg in a long time

.

Uli is now collecting toads for me out at Will Rogers Airport. He was telling me he saw a big toad the other day and was worried it was going to get run over by a plane or the jet bridge. I ask him why he did not bring it home. I have made a toad bucket for him to bring all the toads he finds out there home so we can put them in our garden as pest control. Some of his coworkers have agreed to collect them for us, as well. Monday morning Uli wakes me with Todd the toad, our first toad rescue.

Uli says HI!

to everyone. He is possibly going to go with me to Fletcher Saturday for Doc and Peaches' auction. Hope to get to see a lot of you all there.

Well it is time to head to bed. Have to go work the whooping 4 hours tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a great night.

 

[Perryspeeps]

Quote:
@ Perryspeeps

The last time we bought Chick Starter there it was just under 9 dollars a bag.

We've been getting ours at Tractor Supply in Shawnee lately (we've been buying allot of other bags of feed as well
- it just works out best for us); it runs around 9 as well. But in a pinch, we'll run to D&D in a hurry. lol - I have a hard
time calling it King's Supply; it's been D&D forever.

Lisa
Thanks for reminding me of the name of the feed store in Harrah. I knew that Monty mentioned it awhile back, but wasn't sure that D&D, which is listed in the phone book, was the same feed store he likes. $9 for a back of chick starter would be a lot better than the $12 - 14 I am paying for a 50 lb bag of Purina chick starter at Lumber 2 or the $12-13 I am paying at Cross Brand Feed for BlueBonnet chick starter. I am going to call Kings Supply today and price rabbit feed. If they have a variety of rabbit feed I like, it would be worth going a few miles out of my way to give them my rabbit feed/chick starter/laying pellet/all flock raiser business.

I did have time after my appointment to go to King's feed. I paid $11.23 out the door. A lot cheaper by the 50# bag.