Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[BullChick]

Yes, maybe they will lay now that the teen boys are manageable.

 

[gonehencrazy]

I'm so

This is what I've heard too and I had to deal with it once with a new bird I brought in to the flock. I didn't know about it at the time but once we were told, we culled everyone that showed any symptoms of it. It was extremely hard because I ended up losing one of my favorite hens, her daughter, and the new bird I had brought in. We haven't had issues with it since and it's been officially eliminated here. It will spread to your other birds if they have contact with the sick ones. You may get lucky if you're quick to remove them though if they've already been in contact. If you don't mind treating everyone once they catch it, and don't sell any members of your flock, you should be ok but otherwise, I wouldn't keep them around.

I'm so irritated. I didn't pick these girls out and we should have taken them back. I worked hard to raise the others and build the variety in my flock. I'm a bleeding heart and the thought of culling is hard for me

 

[Werforpsu]

Yes, maybe they will lay now that the teen boys are manageable.

I watched one try to mate (for the first time I believe) and he fell off

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I'm so
I'm so irritated. I didn't pick these girls out and we should have taken them back. I worked hard to raise the others and build the variety in my flock. I'm a bleeding heart and the thought of culling is hard for me

I understand how you feel. I felt the same way when I went through it. They've only been in with or near your flock for a couple days. I would seperate them immediately and watch your other birds closely.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

I need some advice. Bought two pullets from feed mill. One was sick. Treated both with Tetracycline. I moved them to the intro coop on Monday and now the second pullet who was not originally sick but got treated with her buddy, now has a rattle. Someone told me that basically they will always be carriers and could get sick from time to time. Is this true? What would you do with them?

I am not try to sound mean or insult anyone here, but this is the bio security issues I am talking about.
How do things transmit form one area to another...??? this is how...

*NO less than 2 weeks quarantine for new birds into any existing flock.

*If buying new birds from pet store/feed mill/ or breeder/auction...wherever...they ,must be quarantined.

*When a bird , any bird show signs of sickness,..quarantine, treat & then review status of bird....

*If bird is sick from onset of purchase, shouldn't be bought in the first place,..cull...JMO..if want to try to, treat with proper meds. if source of illness is known, which doesn't generally happen too often because it would have to be tested by a vet/CPT.

*ANY bird that has been in "contact" with these two are now considered affected. Even if it's the "favorite", doesn't matter...

*Treatment is up to you, you can treat the entire flock, knowing that ANY new birds brought in will now be infected ...and proper edict/ treatment would state you do not give or sell these birds now/ever.. OR cull entire flock..treat area AND ...move bird area to new unaffected area & start over.

***This is the advice, not to be hard or pick, but this is it. I have read too much, seen too much...this scenario is happening way too much for what serious issues there truly are involving livestock. It is hard enough to maintain a healthy-sound flock.
***if anyone wants to educate themselves farther on this matter I HIGHLY recommend taking a local class and become a CPT in your area...
***Even if you are not interested in taking part in the CPT testing..the course itself is very informative & with those connections you are able to stay "in the know" of the rising issues that are present in the poultry and animal husbandry arena.
***It is my responsibility to tell you these things that are recommended, it is EVERYONE'S responsibility to properly educate themselves when delving into the raising of animals.
Sincerely,
Danielle

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Hello all, I havent been posting. The end of summer rush and school starting for the kids has taken up all my time.
Our first batch of chickens is about 20 weeks old and we have had no eggs yet. I'm growing impatient.
We ended up with 6 pullets and 5 cockerels (yep, that was my first timer luck!). 4 of the cockerels got bought by someone at the amish animal auction and sold to me (that was a smart amish fellow who knew he was getting rid of male chicks). The last is a black sex link cockerel who was mixed in with my TSC female purchase...that one I was kind of expecting.

We gave away 1 to a friend whose rooster was killed by an owl. We have 1 alpha and two that don't crow at all. That leaves us with our second in command. After he attacked our alpha cockerel two nights ago and pecked my 8yo while he was walking through the yard (drawing blood), he got culled last night. They hubby did it while he was the only one home.
It was AMAZING to see our flock in the coop last night without the culled cockerel. No one was fighting or pecking others about their roosting spot. Everyone was quiet and content.
I know we will have to cull the other two cockerels eventually, but for now it doesnt seem necessary.

SO...maybe the calm will help get these hens moving! My one hen is a few weeks older then the others and I keep thinking she is going to lay but she hasn't. She is very quiet (no clucking, no egg laying song) and our smallest chicken. She is our only hen that isn't a BSL. We thought she was a RIR (or something similar) but she is quite petite and a lighter red then I understand RIR's to be.

I hope all is well with you and yours! Cheers from central pa!

Yes, maybe they will lay now that the teen boys are manageable.

second this one, calm does wonders for any flock and their owners

@Werforpsu ..what are they being fed right now?...laying feed?...in the fall I like to bump up their protein ..just a bit. knowing the molting is just around the corner, plus trying to ease the egg drop off numbers coming into winter.
Yours are young though, they will lay..it is so hard to wait for that first egg. We do all understand that one!!

Sorry to hear about your son being pecked...not good having birds that mean...good luck with the other boys though!!

She would be glad to hear from you!
I do, but that wasn't the point.

If you want to switch bedding types, straw is my favorite.

Thank you MC...I would love to talk to her. She is always so busy..poor girl!!
I have thought about switching a couple times...but you know the "issue" i have with cleaning...

....maybe just staying with the sand is better for my "instant gratification"...hahaha
How you doing this morning?....Duckling over yet?...we have "off" today..hahaha, haven't gotten dressed yet, soo not too sure what is getting accomplished today. Definitely taking the trip & getting the canner though!!

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

I watched one try to mate (for the first time I believe) and he fell off

omgosh...

...that had to funny!!

 

[Werforpsu]

Quote:
Our local feed mill has a layer mash (like crumbles). It is what just about everyone around us uses for their hens because it is cheaper then TSC. I get 100lbs for just under $22. I give them scratch occasionally and oatmeal from the kitchen. They also have access to our garden (something we will change for the future summers) and they eat as many tomatoes as they want. They get all sorts of kitchen scraps...I give them just about everything that comes out of the kitchen and isn't spoiled (half a burger my kid didn't eat, ends off bread, leftover taco salad, watermelon/cantaloupe seeds and rinds, lettuce, old/soft grapes etc). I even gave them the tomato and peach scraps from when I canned. They don't get much extra protein from the house scraps.

My chickens also free range from about 7am-9pm. We have 20 acres and they go in the woods, under the deck etc. They eat their fill of any bug they can catch. The rooster we culled even ate a mouse that my husband caught trying to get into the feed bags. My husband threw the dead mouse to them and the rooster grabbed it and ran around with it for while before pecking at it until it ate everything but the bones.

Every few days, I am keeping them in for 24 hours or more to see about eggs (I was convinced for a while that I was going to find a clutch of eggs somewhere, but I haven't found anything and the coop doesn't have any left in it yet). This coming weekend we will be gone Saturday afternoon until Monday evening so it will be a good time to see again if there are any eggs.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Our local feed mill has a layer mash (like crumbles). It is what just about everyone around us uses for their hens because it is cheaper then TSC. I get 100lbs for just under $22. I give them scratch occasionally and oatmeal from the kitchen. They also have access to our garden (something we will change for the future summers) and they eat as many tomatoes as they want. They get all sorts of kitchen scraps...I give them just about everything that comes out of the kitchen and isn't spoiled (half a burger my kid didn't eat, ends off bread, leftover taco salad, watermelon/cantaloupe seeds and rinds, lettuce, old/soft grapes etc). I even gave them the tomato and peach scraps from when I canned. They don't get much extra protein from the house scraps.

My chickens also free range from about 7am-9pm. We have 20 acres and they go in the woods, under the deck etc. They eat their fill of any bug they can catch. The rooster we culled even ate a mouse that my husband caught trying to get into the feed bags. My husband threw the dead mouse to them and the rooster grabbed it and ran around with it for while before pecking at it until it ate everything but the bones.

Every few days, I am keeping them in for 24 hours or more to see about eggs (I was convinced for a while that I was going to find a clutch of eggs somewhere, but I haven't found anything and the coop doesn't have any left in it yet). This coming weekend we will be gone Saturday afternoon until Monday evening so it will be a good time to see again if there are any eggs.

sounds like they are getting everything needed..hahaha!!
They will lay , maybe now that the teens are under control, the energy is settled..they will be laying in no time.
I don't recall the types of birds you have..some breeds take longer than other...as you most likely know..

...our wyandottes seemed forever till they laid...and we received those girls as young pullets...
We have neighbors that free range, they have "egg hunts" daily

...those girls will lay just about anywhere out of the way!!!...they have found huge amounts of eggs in places that weren't looked at until spring...yuck for sure, but you get the picture.
She sells her eggs, so this whole egg-finding thing is pretty important for her....think i would keep them a but more 'home' bound for that reason, but that is jmo.

 

[ChcknNurse]

Since the topic of medicating is being brought up... I am hoping some of you can point me in the right direction.. For example, I would like to be prepared with a first aid kit, but it's not even enough to have supplies, when I need to ask about about dosages when it's required, instead of using that time to treat.

Does anyone have a guide or book? Also, I'd be interested in such topics as gastric lavage for an impacted crop and other emergency efforts to help my daughter be more prepared. I am a nurse and she is in FFA. Thank you!