Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[ChickenAl]

Quote:
Even I could figure the mix out. Great genes there.

I feel Bobby's pain. I could never eat one of our own. And I used to hunt. I also have, and I know this sounds weird, a pang of guilt when eating any chicken dish. And, chicken was my favorite. In fact, I have unconsciously upped my consumption of red meat. I know it is from having chickens of our own. I even feel funny eating our own girl's eggs. Maybe I'm just nutty. Yup, I know I'm nutty.

Don't let that chicken math do you in. We can rationalize anything. Remember those words, because it has ruined many of us.

Originally I wanted to get BOs because of their nature. I didn't care much about an abundance of eggs, but we wound up going to Tractor supply one day because they had sex links and I figured we could not have a rooster, so this was a guaranteed way to not get one. We wound up with three golden comets and three amber links. They are the friendliest and coolest. I get greeted it he morning like I was really missed. They cackle up a storm when they hear the deck gate close as I am walking of the coop. They know th e noise means daddy is on his way. I fill the run feeder up while they are still in the coop and they are making a total racket by then. Queenie, who is my favorite, runs up to me and yacks up a storm at me. She is the most vocal and the leader of the pack. It is so cute to see her come out after they are all in the coop for the night to check and see if all are in. She gets the top roost every night. It is her place of honor and respect within the flock. She lets two of the other girls share it most nights. I find it amazing hw they all have their own personality and you can always pick out the adventurous and sneaky ones. Queenie, and her cohort Neenee will go into the most impossible and far off places when they forage. And you have to pick them up and bring them back or else they will go all over the neighborhood. I may have to fence in the backyard next year. I never though that $3 chickens could cost thousands in construction to keep them safe and comfortable.

Still, what's money when you've got chickens! What the heck am I saying.....

 

[smkchick]

A lot of people have asked me about if it's weird to eat eggs from a chicken I know. It does seem a little weird to me, but I was reading something in a thread about spent hens that made sense. Someone said that eating the chicken was a way to continue the service the chicken had given us. Almost like a way to honor them. Sounds a little Eastern metaphysical to me, but it helps me with the egg thing. I see the eggs like a gift from the girls. And by eating them, I'm honoring that gift.

Like you said, we can rationalize anything.

I have a Golden Comet who is the friendliest of the chicks. It looks like the BR will be the head of the Junior flock. She's developing the most dominant personality, from what I can see.

We're going to finish up the other side of the run today. I'm going to add some tree branch perches. Only 2 more weeks til the babies go out there. I have a meet and greet with the big girls planned for today...

 

[goldeneggtees]

Hi everyone, Donna here. I have a problem with a hen and every time I post in the emergency section, I hardly ever get any replies. My friend who is a vet usually helps with my chicken health problems, but she's away for the next 10 days. Below is my post from a little earlier today…


Hi, I have a 2.5 yr old hen (Juliet) who I noticed this morning walking funny, one leg crosses in front of the other and she's walking in an arc type pattern. If it was caused by moldy feed, is there anything I can do to help her? I am not sure but it's a possibility.

I will watch the other 12 hens as well to see if any are exhibiting similar symptoms, I sure hope not. I had a hen a few months ago who this happened to and she very quickly deteriorated where I had to have her put down. It was like she went crazy! She was in a box in the basement and flew up at me and into walls. I couldn't stand to see her suffer. We were trying to treat with antibiotics and steroids as her neck was completely twisted.

Is there an antidote so to speak if she does indeed have mold poisoning?


CAN ANYONE OFFER HELP?

 

[Carolyn252]

Quote:
I have NO idea if any of what I'm suggesting would help or not, but off the top of my head, thinking what do I already have in my possession that might work to help or at least support and stabilize the hen, I'd try to give her some infant pedialyte to provide some immediate fluids and electrolytes, and I'd add some plain (not activated) Oxine into the pedialyte. I'd use a syringe (without the needle) to gently put some in her mouth. Just a little and see if she'll swallow. I'd put her in a dark, quiet, space to minimize stress. Maybe feed her some soft, wet, mashed up chicken feed if she'll swallow it when you put some in her mouth. Maybe using the pedialyte/oxine to wet the feed. Oxine is active against fungi. Call a local vet and or pet store and see if they can recommend an avian anti-fungal that can be taken internally. If they don't know anything about chickens, ask what they'd suggest if it were for a parrot.

Remember, I'm just grasping at straws here; I'd be as frantic and clueless as you, if all this were happening to one of my hens.
-Carolyn252

 

[goldeneggtees]

Thanks Carolyn, sounds like it makes sense. Don't people put oxine into water too? I have to find a place to isolate her. I used to use my unfinished basement but now hubby is finishing so doubt he'd want a sick hen down there.

 

[magsrags]

You might read up on Merick's disease and see if she has more of those symtoms also. Can happen to 1 bird in a flock and not othersis my understanding. No first hand experience myself but falling/unbalanced behavior is one of the signs if I remember correctly.
I wish you luck.




Quote:
I have NO idea if any of what I'm suggesting would help or not, but off the top of my head, thinking what do I already have in my possession that might work to help or at least support and stabilize the hen, I'd try to give her some infant pedialyte to provide some immediate fluids and electrolytes, and I'd add some plain (not activated) Oxine into the pedialyte. I'd use a syringe (without the needle) to gently put some in her mouth. Just a little and see if she'll swallow. I'd put her in a dark, quiet, space to minimize stress. Maybe feed her some soft, wet, mashed up chicken feed if she'll swallow it when you put some in her mouth. Maybe using the pedialyte/oxine to wet the feed. Oxine is active against fungi. Call a local vet and or pet store and see if they can recommend an avian anti-fungal that can be taken internally. If they don't know anything about chickens, ask what they'd suggest if it were for a parrot.

Remember, I'm just grasping at straws here; I'd be as frantic and clueless as you, if all this were happening to one of my hens.
-Carolyn252

 

[ChickenAl]

Howlinggood, you also might want to isolate her from the rest of the flock. My thinking also leads me to say a possible stroke, but I have never seen it myself so I'm not sure. The other suggestions are all possibilities too. I would do the anti fungal treatment as that seems like it would be the most logical and would not do any additional harm by treating her with it.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[smkchick]

Donna:

I have absolutely no idea what anyone is talking about, but do you Dr. Hoefer on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington? She used to be at West Hills Animal Hospital when I worked there and now has her own practice. She specializes in birds. Don't know about hours/emergency numbers, etc. Also, maybe call the emergency vet hospital in Farmingdale? There might be a poison control number you could call for suggestions. I seem to remember there was such a thing when I worked in a vet hospital in Northport.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Suzanne

 

[smkchick]

Okay, so here's the news from my flock.

Bobby and I finished the coop today. I am proud to say I built a nesting box and shingled the new nesting area and covered run.

I put the little chickies into the coop for about an hour this afternoon, just to give them a feel for the place. Now that it's been expanded and all. Then I took them out and showed them to the big girls one by one. Wanda got ignored, Shirley got a big peck and a piece of fluff pulled out and Aretha just got scared.

Tomorrow I'm going to put up a barrier in the coop and let them spend some time all together, but separate. So no one gets hurt.

I need to work on getting the chicks into the coop for good. They figured out how to get over the top of the box. I keep coming in to find chicken poop all over my floor.

Soooo tired from all the work.

But so happy with how it looks.

They should be putting themselves to bed in about 20 minutes!

 

[ChickenAl]

Suzanne, sounds like you guys had a busy day. Plenty of work got done too. Bet you both are tired.

When ours jumped out of the brooder we put a piece of hardware cloth on top. We had a large plastic storage box as a brooder and I was able to bend the hardware cloth around the ends to hold it securely. Made it a little tough to clean, feed and water but it kept them in one place.