Open front coop done, chicken yard in progress

aart · May 21, 2019

igorsMistress said:
I used flubenvent to worm. Yes poop was bright green and watery. That was Fuglys and one hen. The rest seemed to have ok poops but very reduced and they'd lost weight. I even brought 2 of the hens inside to weigh them compared to last month just to be sure.

I believe you raise birds for meat, so have slaughtered before, so will ask:
Did you open them up to take a look?

igorsMistress · May 21, 2019

aart said:
I believe you raise birds for meat, so have slaughtered before, so will ask:
Did you open them up to take a look?

No, we didn't. I thought about it but honestly, I was crying like a baby over them. Hubs said no, I'd spent all this spring observing and done the research and shown him what he needed to agree with my assessment. There were too many things that added up without having to do that too and to just let it go. He dealt with the bodies, I had a shower and went to bed.

I didn't think I'd be so upset, I have no issues processing a bird for the table. This was just...different somehow.

N F C · May 21, 2019

igorsMistress said:
No, we didn't. I thought about it but honestly, I was crying like a baby over them. Hubs said no, I'd spent all this spring observing and done the research and shown him what he needed to agree with my assessment. There were too many things that added up without having to do that too and to just let it go. He dealt with the bodies, I had a shower and went to bed.

I didn't think I'd be so upset, I have no issues processing a bird for the table. This was just...different somehow.

I think I would have done the same thing IM. It's not easy to lose the animals we raise.

igorsMistress · May 21, 2019

N F C said:
I think I would have done the same thing IM. It's not easy to lose the animals we raise.

I think you hit the nail on the head there NFC. I lost these to disease, I didn't choose which one.

Stiletto · May 21, 2019

igorsMistress said:
Flock update.

When we got our first chicks one was sick and died but not before making the rest sick first. Symptoms were respiratory in nature but the remaining 6 chicks pulled through. They all went out to the coop and I began monthly inspections for parasites and to make sure all were gaining weight and in good condition. I had read that they would likely be more susceptible to illness in the future.

Last summer we had lice in the coop and on the birds, wild bird issue, but were able to eliminate it and I began quarterly spraying of just the coop.

This Spring my Welsummer and EE each layed a few eggs and then quit. Another hen was laying eggs with blood inside. Then our flock leader Ruby presented with stumbling and wing paralysis. We put her down. Since then all the other hens quit laying, the roo quit crowing and only made half hearted attempts to mate. I observed eating habits both while among the flock and hidden from view.

This month on inspection when I lifted Fugly from the roost he hardly weighed anything. Not much more than the smallest of the hens at her full weight when she was healthy.

This combined with other symptoms: Fugly fell off the roost the other night and this past weekend he almost fell over while half heartedly eating scratch, staggering weight loss in all the hens even with no other symptoms other than no eggs, etc all points to Marek's to me. The food isn't bad, the chicks and quail aren't sick and the wild pigeons are certainly flourishing. The points on Fuglys comb would have a purplish hue by the end of the day indicating respiratory issues.

We put all 6 of the older flock members down Saturday night.

I'll be cleaning the coop with Virkon S and the chicks are locked out of there for now. I plan to keep the poop boards and switch to feed bags for lining for better dust management in the coop. I'll be purchasing a shop vac for just the coop to keep dust down and we are leaving the floor bare.

I'm already keeping an eye on one chick...

I am so sorry...

igorsMistress · May 21, 2019

Stiletto said:
I am so sorry...

Thank you

aart · May 21, 2019

igorsMistress said:
No, we didn't. I thought about it but honestly, I was crying like a baby over them. Hubs said no, I'd spent all this spring observing and done the research and shown him what he needed to agree with my assessment. There were too many things that added up without having to do that too and to just let it go. He dealt with the bodies, I had a shower and went to bed.

I didn't think I'd be so upset, I have no issues processing a bird for the table. This was just...different somehow.

It is different. Not easy at all.
I haven't opened up every bird that has died here, but the few I have done satisfied some curiosities and answered some questions...tumor laden intestines, rotten eggs yolks.
I understand not doing it. :hugs

I even teared up learning Fugly was gone.

igorsMistress · May 21, 2019

aart said:
It is different. Not easy at all.
I haven't opened up every bird that has died here, but the few I have done satisfied some curiosities and answered some questions...tumor laden intestines, rotten eggs yolks.
I understand not doing it.
I even teared up learning Fugly was gone.

Thank you so much :hugs

Fugly was the one that really broke my heart. He was my pal and I loved him more than the rest even though he was the youngest. Not even a year yet.

I do have one of his babies here that I hatched from his favorite hen. If she makes it she'll be here until she dies of old age. She's got his laid back attitude but she's jet black like her mom.