Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[TillyPeeps]

Hi Dennis, are your Olive eggers just Welbar and legbar cross? I just wonder if Little Dragon has bantom gene. She has huge red comb and wattle now, but much smaller than the Ameraucanas. She is 5 month old, but only about half size of my other Olive egger.

 

[BullChick]

Once upon a time, I weighed the poultry as they grew if they were in the house. That got old, so I stopped. Then I’d just occasionally weigh a hen if she looked or felt unhealthy. Occasionally I probably could have saved one if I’d weighed them even every two months.
Well, people in the guinea pig world expect me to weigh these rodents every single day, or at least weekly. Seriously?!
A few days ago we (the original owners and myself) lost a guinea pig. I don’t know how much weight she lost because I had not been weighing her. I only did a month ago after surgery. I know she lost a bit of weight before surgery, and was even lighter this week. She couldn’t have been saved regardless (she was full of cancer). The moral of the story though? I’m an idiot for not doing what I knew from my experience with poultry I should be doing. Most of us have stopped/just don’t weighing our animals, and it’s a shame. For the fowl and other light animals (like cute little fuzzy Pomeranians ), any weight loss is a sign, and catching it can save them.
Now I’m off to debate getting a Pomeranian or ten.

 

[TillyPeeps]

Once upon a time, I weighed the poultry as they grew if they were in the house. That got old, so I stopped. Then I’d just occasionally weigh a hen if she looked or felt unhealthy. Occasionally I probably could have saved one if I’d weighed them even every two months.
Well, people in the guinea pig world expect me to weigh these rodents every single day, or at least weekly. Seriously?!
A few days ago we (the original owners and myself) lost a guinea pig. I don’t know how much weight she lost because I had not been weighing her. I only did a month ago after surgery. I know she lost a bit of weight before surgery, and was even lighter this week. She couldn’t have been saved regardless (she was full of cancer). The moral of the story though? I’m an idiot for not doing what I knew from my experience with poultry I should be doing. Most of us have stopped/just don’t weighing our animals, and it’s a shame. For the fowl and other light animals (like cute little fuzzy Pomeranians ), any weight loss is a sign, and catching it can save them.
Now I’m off to debate getting a Pomeranian or ten.

Even you weigh your guinea pigs, there's nothing you can do to save her. So what's the point to weigh them? There are very limited things vets can do for small animals like that (or chickens), so we can only do our best to take care of them.

Pomeranians are absolutely adorable, but I cannot imagine how to take care of that fluffiness.

 

[BullChick]

Guinea pigs are actually popular at vet offices. They are supposed to see the vet every year, and be rushed in for any ailment. I’m told that two hours one way is not too far to drive.
I think a good example of weight monitoring is to compare it to a horse. They die from a stomach ache! Goats get bloat, and must be treated as well (they are simple. Just give them Gas X). If I know the gp is losing weight, I can see if it’s just bloat. Or, maybe the hay is moldy, and they don’t want to eat it.
LMP breeds Pomeranians. Personally, I’ve only had a Pom-a-Poo, and I had to keep him shaved down because he was a biker dog. His hair came in as a puppy, and it was in his face, and knotted at the end of the day even with him in my jacket.

 

[dheltzel]

Hi Dennis, are your Olive eggers just Welbar and legbar cross? I just wonder if Little Dragon has bantom gene. She has huge red comb and wattle now, but much smaller than the Ameraucanas. She is 5 month old, but only about half size of my other Olive egger.

No bantams in the cross, but Legbars are small compared to other breeds. The Olive Eggers usually take after the Welbars and are larger birds. It is likely an anomoly and not really genetic.

 

[TillyPeeps]

No bantams in the cross, but Legbars are small compared to other breeds. The Olive Eggers usually take after the Welbars and are larger birds. It is likely an anomoly and not really genetic.

Thanks for the information. She is even smaller than my Legbars at the same age! She remind me about old English game bantam. But her comb and wattle are huge! Make her looking funny She has big attitude though. She fought my head hen, Blue Bear the Welbar, this morning, even though Blue Bear is twice her size.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

We could be here all day talking Poms..like we talk chickens...
They are fun, loving and insist on everything is theirs and they are the boss, so as long as you can handle those rules you are a Pom owner..LOL..just kidding...
They do take some handling, especially when you have a house full of them, but what else would I be doing with my time?!
Trying to find Orp. breeders around here is proving difficult. Trying to find any breeders for that matter..
Has anyone heard from Martha lately?
Not even sure if she is raising chickens anymore. She had such beautiful birds.

 

[fisherlady]

Ive never tried ordering from a hatchery. So I am no help there. If you do, let us know how it goes. Good luck!!
We havent run into anyone local with what we are looking for.
Will most likely pick some chicks up this spring at the local TSC or feed stores.
Much rather get from breeder, but travel and time dictates ...although even DH has mention a couple times about getting the incubator out....omgosh..hahaa, that on top of seed growing and garden starting.
Well, why not? we are gluttons for punishment!!

We could be here all day talking Poms..like we talk chickens...
They are fun, loving and insist on everything is theirs and they are the boss, so as long as you can handle those rules you are a Pom owner..LOL..just kidding...
They do take some handling, especially when you have a house full of them, but what else would I be doing with my time?!
Trying to find Orp. breeders around here is proving difficult. Trying to find any breeders for that matter..
Has anyone heard from Martha lately?
Not even sure if she is raising chickens anymore. She had such beautiful birds.

Remember I do transports now. If there is an out of state breeder you are interested in I can grab a group on almost any of my runs and bring them back to PA. They do need health tests (NPIP) for shipping. I will need to check for any other Ag regulations. Check Horstman poultry in SWPA. I drive by him all the time and can grab birds to bring east to you.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Remember I do transports now. If there is an out of state breeder you are interested in I can grab a group on almost any of my runs and bring them back to PA. They do need health tests (NPIP) for shipping. I will need to check for any other Ag regulations. Check Horstman poultry in SWPA. I drive by him all the time and can grab birds to bring east to you.

You are wonderful, and I do appreciate the offer.
Maybe take you up on it..we will see.
I will look into Horstman. Thank you for the info!
Be safe out there on the road!!

 

[Hopeful4chickensCortneyPA]

Does anyone have any ideas on how I could find a list of how many/which boroughs in PA allow backyard chickens? Lancaster county here trying to build a good proposal .