Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

When I was young enough to be learning these things we learned that mycoplasma was a separate type of thing. Different from bacteria.
These days I believe it is classified as a genus of bacterium lacking a cell wall.
In chickens it is responsive to antibiotics, though they do not typically achieve a cure.
As a teenager I had a thing about mycoplasma - they are quite beautiful. I still have a book of mycoplasma photographs that I have kept all these decades!

Tax: Eli slaughtering a stir fried shrimp tail
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this resource (which I find quite useful) https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/poultry/diseases-of-farmyard-poultry/part-1-mycoplasmosis/
says antibiotics can 'reduce incidence to a tolerable level' if given early and to young stock, and probably have their impact on the other pathogens which the affected bird is likely to be carrying (para 1).

Eli looks stunning!

 

[BDutch]

Just bought the standard unit. I don't need the sensors. Setting the timer should work just fine. Most evenings I'm there at dusk to close them up so it's the morning opening that's important. I'll need to adjust the pop door to prevent noses and feet from getting under the door to push it up. This should be pretty straight forward. I have spare plastic.

I won't be able to get a straight pull on the cord so I'll need to sort out a pully.
Given it's going to be inside the extension, weather shouldn't be a problem.
It will also mean there is some incentive to get a door on the coop extension and I can move the auto door opener to the pop door that will be in the extension door eventually.
I've got close to four square foot per bird in the coop so in the event that something goes wrong the chickens should be okay if a bit pissy until I get there.

My experience is that you can rely on the chicken guard. My old chickenguard can be set on time to open and close on lumen, when its almost dark.

There is an Omlet auto opener without the need of pulling up by a cord.

 

[RoyalChick]

this resource (which I find quite useful) https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/poultry/diseases-of-farmyard-poultry/part-1-mycoplasmosis/
says antibiotics can 'reduce incidence to a tolerable level' if given early and to young stock, and probably have their impact on the other pathogens which the affected bird is likely to be carrying (para 1).

Eli looks stunning!

Thanks for that resource. And I will tell Eli you said so.
She is an endearing little chicken with a lot of character and good flying skills.
She keeps getting egg bound and laying these huge eggs. Biggest so far is 88g.
I am hoping it is something she grows out of. I made a post on BYC for any insight on the issue and whether I should consider a hormone implant but I don’t have any responses.

 

[Shadrach]

I thought this was an excellent article. The problem is many good articles don't get the support they deserve and consequently don't get read while a lot of less informative stuff gets on the first couple of pages of the relevant pages of the Learning Center.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/trouble-in-parasites.78256/

 

[Sally PB]

Thanks for the link, @Shadrach. That is an excellent article. Everyone should read it.

 

[Perris]

When I was young enough to be learning these things we learned that mycoplasma was a separate type of thing. Different from bacteria.
These days I believe it is classified as a genus of bacterium lacking a cell wall.
In chickens it is responsive to antibiotics, though they do not typically achieve a cure.
As a teenager I had a thing about mycoplasma - they are quite beautiful. I still have a book of mycoplasma photographs that I have kept all these decades!

Tax: Eli slaughtering a stir fried shrimp tail
View attachment 3444353

You are right and I was wrong - it is still classified under bacteria in this very detailed paper on respiratory infections I found this afternoon, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102553

Are Eli's huge eggs double yolkers?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning X Batts opened the coop found a membrane egg no shell.
I have oyster put but hard to get them to it every now and then.
Moving to the new coop in 2 days.

 

[RoyalChick]

You are right and I was wrong - it is still classified under bacteria in this very detailed paper on respiratory infections I found this afternoon, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102553

Are Eli's huge eggs double yolkers?

Yes. And she really struggles with them.
With the first one, the next day’s egg must have got backed up because she laid the huge one and then another (large but not massive) right after.
She is only small. It worries me.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

I don’t have experience of chicken doors, but the Solway boards look interesting.
Here you can get recycled plastic lumber - it is good stuff and can be used for construction framing.
I used it in some parts of the Chicken Palace build - I would have used it more if it weren’t so expensive.

Tax

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She looks like you have her full attention.

 

[RoyalChick]

Henry, despite his standoffishness generally is very gentle when taking food from my hand.
This first picture is how not to do it but with Henry I don't even feel his beak.
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This is the best way of feeding treats to chickens in general if you're hand feeding and trying to make sure the chicken you want to get the treat, does.
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I think I am doing this wrong. I tried and got thoroughly beaten up by Bernadette who seemed to think it was a way of preventing her from getting at the seed in my hand.
I can’t feed her open handed because she regards my fingers as snacks ‘on the hoof’ as it were, and it is quite painful. So I let her eat out of the treat cup directly.
I would love to be able to hand feed her. Is the idea that they insert their head right into your fist? What (apart from Henry’s obviously impeccable manners) stops them just grabbing hold of the web of skin between your thumb and forefinger and twisting?
That is what Bernie did.