Sitting with a cup of coffee. (coffee lovers)

[sunflour]

Okay, question that I have been pondering, maybe the rest of you chicken folks out there can clear this up for me: Is it bad/harmful to lay your chickens on their back? I keep reading differing opinions on this and I don't know the answer. Chickens will calm down/fall asleep when placed on their backs but is this actually calming to them, or does it cause some kind of weird medical thing to happen that can be harmful to them?

Please ponder this while you sip your coffee. I look forward to the responses.

Sorry but I don't think it is a good idea. The apparent relaxation is Tonic Immobility = a fear-potentiated response to being restrained. The chicken - or any animal demonstrating the response - is convinced that it is going to die and goes into a cationic state. They are awake, aware and frightened. It is the same phenomenon rape victims can experience.

For baby chicks the warnings are real - they are quite stressed when held on their backs to clean pasty butts. And there is a danger in a hand not allowing them to expand their lungs.

There are always exceptions to any rule: I am sure there are some chickens who enjoy laying on their backs just because they like it.

 

[ronott1]

Does the sulphur burn the wounds. We used sulphur as an antifungal on peanut crops. Just the dust blowing on us burned our eyes really bad.

Sulpha drugs were and are still sometimes used as anti biotics. They are a very old class of drugs.

The amount in an ointment would not be enough to burn.

 

[3goodeggs]

Sulfur, Didn't they used to refer to sulfur as brimstone?
The burning stone.
Burns my eyes too.

My grandfather told me that when he was a kid he got hit by a trolley car and had compound breaks on his leg. This was before antibiotics. The doctor packed the wounds with sulfur, set the breaks and told my great grandmother to pray.
He said it hurt like Hades, but as a grown man, he had complete use of his leg.
Nary a limp. but some weird looking toes. and some awesome scars.
yea, sulfur!

 

[sunflour]

I think it's ironic that the only oral sulfa for humans will cover MRSA which was created by newer antibiotics..

 

[Amberjem]

Hi Amber! what's the weather like for you?

hi it started warming back up it's about between 45 50's atm..been crazy up and down this winter so far

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Just an antic-dote. You can actually put a chicken into a trance by laying it on it's back, tucking it's head toward it's breast and then using your finger, gently drawing a line from the the top of it's head down it's breast several times. If successful, it will lay there until you snap your fingers or clap your hands to wake it up. You need to have a bird that is used to being handled of course. Fun little parlor trick. If you've ever seen the "Dr Chris, Pet Vet" show by that Australian vet, they filmed him a while ago doing that to his favorite hen.

We heard one about drawing a line in the dirt in front of a chicken to hypnotize it but couldn't get any of ours to stand still long enough o try it.

This is a picture from the hatch a long:

Baby chicks even rest on their back after hatching. The chick is fine, just tired and resting.

Thanks for all the feed back. I have another question for those of you who have ducks: Chuck has begun to (what I think) groom us when we sit and pet her. She will nibble on our hands and arms while we scratch/stroke her head/chest. Is it grooming/flock mate behavior? This is our very first duck. We had to get rid of the drake because he was beating up the roos so she is a solo duck among chickens.

 

[Alaskan]

humm.... sorry, I am not helpful... we have never gotten super friendly with any of our ducks.

 

[perchie.girl]

I was going to cook meatloaf for company and company left before I could get my act together. the main ingredients were just sitting there so I decided to cook it with a few exceptions

Ok meatloaf is in the oven I got the recipe off the interent from:
http://www.realfooddudes.com/mouth-watering-meatloaf/

Ingredients: Substitutions because I didnt have the ingredient
3 Cups cubed sourdough bread
1 whipped egg
2/3 Cup raw milk buttermilk
1 Tbl Dijon mustard worshester sauce
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 Tbl fresh chopped basil
2 Tbl fresh chopped thyme Dried thyme equivalent
1/2 tsp dried nutmeg Cinnamon
1 medium onion finely chopped
1/2 Cup chopped celery
1/2 Cup chopped parsley Dried Parsley... not enough but all I had about a teaspoon
12 slices cooked and crumbled bacon NO BACON didnt want to dirty a pan
2 lbs grass fed ground beef 2.5 pounds very lean
4 Tbl melted butter Bacon Grease




Combine the whipped egg, milk, and cubed bread pieces. Let this rest for at least 15 minutes so the bread soaks up the egg and milk. Then use a large fork or potato masher to mash the mixture until there no more large chunks of bread. Add the Dijon, salt, pepper, basil, thyme, nutmeg, onion, celery, parsley, and bacon to the mixture. Add other ingredients and Mix well.



In a large bowl, pour the melted butter over the meat. Mix the butter into the meat. Then add the bread and spice mixture to the meat. Mix well and form into a loaf in a loaf pan.



Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the meatloaf for approximately 1 hour. I like to turn on the broiler for the last 10 minutes to darken the outer crust a bit.




Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. I recommend serving this with your favorite mashed potato recipe.


We will see what my tweaks did.... the smell coming form the oven smells Middle Eastern.... LOL

Not doing the broiler.... I have it high up in the oven should give it a good crisp.

With regard to mixing the meat loaf I approach it as if I were folding whipped eggs into a batter.... I use a large spoon and scoop under the meat grabbing some of the bread and veggie mix and fold... it produces a homogenous mixture without over working...

deb

 

[chickwhispers]

Thanks CW! That looks kewl! Hmmm, have to show that to DH.
He's been looking for something to tinker with since this weather has him grounded and he's finished all his own indoor projects.
So much so that he's beginning to cross over into the "Danger Zone" and eye up some of mine!

Thank you! and You better give him something to do quick!

 

[ocap]

purchased a pair of peafowl yesterday, I now have seven and will try and hatch in two or three years.

so cold this morning that I only had one sip of coffee before I lit the fire. carried the trash to the road while my coffee was "dripping". Sure is nice to have trash service, the last house was too far out to have anyone willing to pick it up. Beautiful sunrise this morning, the art of a sunrise never ceases to amaze me.