Sally's GF3 thread

[Sally PB]

The bees were out and busy!

I was VERY happy to see that. At least I know they aren't dead!

 

[Sally PB]

We live on a river. It's very quiet out here. Dead end road, so no traffic going by.

Last summer, I started hearing heavy equipment moving around across the river, and it's started back up in the last couple of weeks. It's the most noise I've heard in a while.

I took pictures, but you can't see much, other than they're digging and moving a bunch of sand. It could be the road commision, I suppose, getting sand and/or gravel for the roads.

Or it could be the prep work for building something over there. It's very nice river front property. Condos? Apartments? Several "executive" homes? It isn't my property, so I have no say about what can be built there.

We'll see, eventually. Last I knew (and I got this information about 20 years ago), you had to have a certain sized lot if you were on the river, because we're all on septic tanks and everything drains down to the river. The houses on our side are 90(?) feet above water level; the other side is lower.

 

[Sally PB]

First harvest from my garden!!

Yes, they're small, but this was enough for a pan of fried rice for lunch. These are Egyptian Walking Onions, and about 1/3 to 1/2 of a clump. The clump will fill in and be glad for the room.

We're running low on "regular" onions now, so I'm leaving them for hubby. I can go dig these up for me.

Which brings me to this conclusion:
The ground isn't frozen. I don't know if it ever did... maybe? but then thawed in the recent warm up.

 

[pertnear09]

First harvest from my garden!!
View attachment 3744855
View attachment 3744856
Yes, they're small, but this was enough for a pan of fried rice for lunch. These are Egyptian Walking Onions, and about 1/3 to 1/2 of a clump. The clump will fill in and be glad for the room.

We're running low on "regular" onions now, so I'm leaving them for hubby. I can go dig these up for me.

Which brings me to this conclusion:
The ground isn't frozen. I don't know if it ever did... maybe? but then thawed in the recent warm up.

Alright. Looks good.

 

[Sally PB]

I have never gotten food from my garden in mid-February before. Even the first lamb's quarter weeds don't get to picking size until May.

 

[Sally PB]

Pip was not feeling well this morning. The classis "I don't feel good" stance: head hunched, tail down. I looked under her tail, and there was a glob of what looked like egg white mixed with poop under her vent.

I brought her inside, and washed her bum, and saw something sticking out of her vent. There was definitely more, so I probed her vent and worked this loose and pulled it out.

It was definitely a soft eggshell. This is a little bigger than lifesize; the drop of blood was wasn't that big.

This was on the outside of the shell.

It looked like a bit of the meat from "meaty snack" I gave them on Friday. (Meaty snack is the stuff left from making bone broth.) But I'm not sure about that. I did not see anything that looked like lash material, other than the meat bit above.

I gave her a calcium citrate pill. The "pull down on the wattles" to get a chicken to open her beak really works.

She's now in a crate in the mudroom. She pooped the "starvation" poop: urates and a green little blob. She went for the feed that I put in the crate with her as if she was indeed very hungry.

I plan to keep her inside at least until tomorrow, and will give her another calcium in the morning.

 

[NanaK]

Hopefully she was in the act of laying this and the contents were all expelled too. The calcium may help her expel any stuff she didn't lay and harden any future egg.

When I find this I do the calcium too. I will also check their tummy periodically to check for swelling/fluid. If there is lash inside it can cause a problem in the future. May not show up right away.

She's a pullet??? Maybe it's just one off and she threw a soft shell. It's still early in the lay season.

 

[Sally PB]

Hopefully she was in the act of laying this and the contents were all expelled too. The calcium may help her expel any stuff she didn't lay and harden any future egg.

When I find this I do the calcium too. I will also check their tummy periodically to check for swelling/fluid. If there is lash inside it can cause a problem in the future. May not show up right away.

She's a pullet??? Maybe it's just one off and she threw a soft shell. It's still early in the lay season.

Yeah, she's about 9 months old. She's pooped a couple more times, and they're bigger, but still soft and slimy. She ate some feed, drank some water. I have her in a small dog crate in the mud room, away from the dog. Her head is up, her eyes are bright.

How long should I keep her inside? I was think just overnight. She's making a cooing noise that has a bit of trill to it, and I wonder if she's missing the others? (Yeah, probably.) Would it be too soon to take her back outside at roost time tonight?

 

[NanaK]

Yeah, she's about 9 months old. She's pooped a couple more times, and they're bigger, but still soft and slimy. She ate some feed, drank some water. I have her in a small dog crate in the mud room, away from the dog. Her head is up, her eyes are bright.

How long should I keep her inside? I was think just overnight. She's making a cooing noise that has a bit of trill to it, and I wonder if she's missing the others? (Yeah, probably.) Would it be too soon to take her back outside at roost time tonight?

As long as mine are eating, drinking fine and no one is picking on them, not acting sick, I leave them with the flock. I do still watch them. It is helpful if you know which egg is hers but as long as there is no more soft shells, and the birds continues to act normal I assume alls fine. I do periodically check their tummy for a while. Not everyday just occasionally for a couple weeks. Usually you can tell if a hen's tummy is swelling by noticing the spacing between their legs and the tummy will puff up and feel hard. Tummy swelling will cause them to walk with their feet spaced wider.

Not much you can do for swelling it usually means infection that's hard to resolve. Some try antibiotics, draining with a needle. Sometimes it helps for a while but usually the hen dies in the end. I've done antibiotics but not draining. I've had a couple that I believe laid internally. I did antibiotics and comfort care. I lost them.

On the upside, I've had several just lay a couple soft shells and the calcium resolved the issue and it stopped. Don't worry too much now. She will probably be fine. I usually give the calcium for about 5-7 days. That's usually pretty easy.

Let me know how she does. Prayers for Pip.

 

[Sally PB]

Pip seemed to be a lot better today. She was out and about, eating, drinking, and sitting in the sun. She did spend a little time in the "leave me alone" spot between the hay bale and the fence. The space is a one chicken wide, no passing zone area that is sheltered and mostly out of sight.

I tried to put some green food coloring on her vent. I got some on her butt feathers, some on my fingers, but I'm not sure if I got any where I wanted too. I'll try again later. I did not see her in the nest boxes at all.

Little Pippy, your health means more to me than any eggs you might ever lay. Be well, my little Pip, please.