South Carolina

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

Itsjustjen, I'm so sorry for your loss. It seems like the ones with the most personality are the ones to die. I feel like I have to be cautious in how much love I give them. Take care of the others as best you can. That's all you really can do.

Chickens are truely worse than cats in hiding that they feel bad. By the time they exhibit outward signs, they are often so ill that the job to save them is extra hard. DH swore for awhile that I was looking for sick birds to bring in the house. One Ameracuana girlie had an abscess on the side of her head. No sign of injury and nothing to "prove" it was an abscess. Middle Child and I were discussing what signs to watch for when DH yelled "she's NOT coming in the house!" I informed him she was on the "watch closely" list. Whatever the swelling was, Miss Buff has recovered and looks normal now.

When the little birds die, I think about the loss of potential. I've got a chick with a leg injury that I will have to put down. There's no fixing this and it is miserable. I'm miserable because this otherwise sweet little bird won't have a normal life. I think it appreciated being put with younger babies. The younger chicks don't stomp as hard and when it's sleep time, "Peggy" is the center of the puppy-pile.

Gah, today is becoming depressing. I pray that we humans and little birds have a better day. Take care!

(Reporting from North Charleston, SC, for a change.)

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
I am so sorry! I know it happens a lot but it is never easy. I do not use medicated feed but if I see bloody stools I start adding Sulmet to the water. A few days of that and repeated in 2 weeks helps mine. Though I can't say I always catch it in time. I don't use shavings for my youngsters so them being on white nylon flooring helps me see any hint of red......unless you forget you fed them some yummy with red pepper flakes. That can be scary!

I hope you find another cute baby to help fill up your heart. It is so hard to lose them but so easy to get another one to love.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Just too lucky to be in Charleston! This weather is awesome! I know you hate heading home tomorrow! But at least you will have music part way on the drive home. Aratoo will probably serenade you all some!

Can't wait to meet you all!

 

[itsjustjen]

Quote:
Thank you. I spent all day watching all 5 of the chicks closely trying to spot which one was the pooper and then found her, removed her and found 2 more that were also bloody poopers. I know that I may very well lose all 5 of them at this point. It may just be too late to save any of them. One right now looks very close to passing. I am holding out hope for 2 of them but only time till tell at this point. I wish I had them on medicated feed the entire time but perhaps even then it couldn't have been stop. I am looking it as nature taking it's own course. I am trying to detach from them if you couldn't understand why I sound so cold. I am hoping it will make it easier when the time comes, if it comes.

Hi!

and welcome back south. Moncks Corner here

 

[itsjustjen]

Quote:
I am so sorry! I know it happens a lot but it is never easy. I do not use medicated feed but if I see bloody stools I start adding Sulmet to the water. A few days of that and repeated in 2 weeks helps mine. Though I can't say I always catch it in time. I don't use shavings for my youngsters so them being on white nylon flooring helps me see any hint of red......unless you forget you fed them some yummy with red pepper flakes. That can be scary!

I hope you find another cute baby to help fill up your heart. It is so hard to lose them but so easy to get another one to love.

Thank you. We still have the older chicks and Poof the duckling. I thought I was so lucky to get SLWD and EEs but now with them dying, maybe it just wasn't meant to be right now. Trying to rationlize isn't working very well right now.

What can I do after they are gone? Do I sanitze the brooder?? Can is be used again?? I am lost as to what the "after" part of all this will be.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
I think I will try one of those thin chains to run from the plug and up the side of the tub over to a clip of some sort so it won;'t get bumped down into the water. yeah, I do not want to stick my hand down in that nasty. I am not a water person anyhow so putting my arm into a deep tub would not go over well.
I think DH plans on a big PVC pipe. I said 3/4 inch but he is thinking bigger so we can work with it if it does get clogged. I am thinking if it can't go through the drain then we won't have to worry with it going through the pipe.
We originally wanted to put them in a small pond but once we saw all the costs and maintenance for one, even one that drains, we decided to go smaller.

I love to drool over the fancy and pretty ponds on the duck thread but I am not as dedicated as those folks.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
I know a lot of folks keep their chicks on shavings. I am one that does not do it. I lose so many on shavings.
I had someone that bought chicks from me the other day email and say they had lost 2 over the weekend. The first thing I asked was if they had them on shavings. I always explain to folks when they visit that I do not have mine on shavings or sawdust because I lose so many that way. I mean, I lose chicks anyhow but not very many. You can't raise this many at one time and not have a few lost. But that tub she bought out of has had no losses and all those chicks are fat and sassy.
Yes, she put them on shavings. She immediately took them off and hasn't lost any more since Sunday afternoon. No bloody stools or symptoms.
I totally believe the vapors from the shavings can cause them to have respiratory distress, even kiln dried is not totally safe. Not all but some chicks may be affected and they can't tolerate it. Like you and your friends differences in response to all the pollens outside now. Some have major problems and others not so much.

Just my opinion and ideas.

I do not think you need to sanitize your brooder. I feel another approach is all that is needed.
My suggestion is take them off of shavings and put them on paper towels or shelf liner over newpapers. Make sure they have fresh air but are not in a draft and maybe those will be fine. Surely, you will not lose them all!

 

[itsjustjen]

Quote:
I know a lot of folks keep their chicks on shavings. I am one that does not do it. I lose so many on shavings.
I had someone that bought chicks from me the other day email and say they had lost 2 over the weekend. The first thing I asked was if they had them on shavings. I always explain to folks when they visit that I do not have mine on shavings or sawdust because I lose so many that way. I mean, I lose chicks anyhow but not very many. You can't raise this many at one time and not have a few lost. But that tub she bought out of has had no losses and all those chicks are fat and sassy.
Yes, she put them on shavings. She immediately took them off and hasn't lost any more since Sunday afternoon. No bloody stools or symptoms.
I totally believe the vapors from the shavings can cause them to have respiratory distress, even kiln dried is not totally safe. Not all but some chicks may be affected and they can't tolerate it. Like you and your friends differences in response to all the pollens outside now. Some have major problems and others not so much.

Just my opinion and ideas.

I do not think you need to sanitize your brooder. I feel another approach is all that is needed.
My suggestion is take them off of shavings and put them on paper towels or shelf liner over newpapers. Make sure they have fresh air but are not in a draft and maybe those will be fine. Surely, you will not lose them all!

I will take all the shaving out right now. Will put paper towels down instead.

I pray I don't lose them all but I am a "worst case scenrio" kind of person that way when I get positive outcomes, the joy is so much greater!

 

[carolinagirl58]

EEK! Mine are on shavings now too. I will be so glad to get them out of these dog cages/brooders. Such a mess!! The dang waterers leak like crazy and the chicks scatter food everywhere. I put in fresh shavings every day and still they stink because of the wet food. There has GOT to be a better way!

 

[itsjustjen]

Quote:
That's the same problem I had. We took them out of the plastic bin that we had in the bathtub and put them into the outisde brooder with a heat lamp because they were just too messy! Still not as bad as Poof the ducky. She dumps water EVERYWHERE!