Texas

[lovingmyhens]

I like that idea! May be putting a poultry barn in my near future... Five years or so near. House being built is first, the shed needs to be finished soon too.... So much to do.

So much...

There's always a list!! One thing gets checked off and two things get added

 

[A1momof3]

Yes, I feel very blessed to have the resources I have.

I meant to answer you earlier. What does it look like when you wash the bottom?

Today as I was putting out my 5.5 week old Ameraucanas one had a prolaped vent. The bird had excreted a lot of urates (the white part of the poop which actually comes from the kidneys) and it had dried like concrete on the exposed vent. I spent about an hour soaking and peeling that white stuff off gently using Q-Tips, antibiotic ointment and tweezers. As soon as I got the goop off, the prolapse went back inside his/her vent.

Is something like that going on? It looked like poop sticking out but is really a urate covered prolapse.

I don't know why your chick is so constipated. Sometimes they can get like that if they eat dry food first and then drink. I always put water in first and let them finish drinking.

Good idea to add fruits veggies. I would suggest you only offer wet food. Soak the chick starter for a good half an hour or an hour before feeding.

What are you feeding? Chick starter? Sometimes the quality of the feed is an issue. I would not feed sugar water--it can set up the crop for all kinds of Candida (a yeast) imbalances. You did read about my 6-week disaster with my favorite hen? Candida played a role in the whole mess.

Lots of people ferment--I have and probably will again. Fermenting feed might be the right thing for this chick. If you want to try fermenting, just put a couple of cups chick starter in a gallon jar (I use glass because the fermenting is acidic). Cover with water. It will soak and swell--just keep adding water until it is covered by an inch. Leave it on your kitchen counter and stir a few times a day. As soon as it starts to bubble, it is ready. It will probably take a couple of days. Strain some out. Don't use more than half, and then add more dry chick starter to replace what you took out. It should never have mold growing on it and should not smell bad. Keep it away from anything that could contaminate it like bird droppings. Put a tea towel over the top to let it breathe. It should never smell alcoholic or bad--it has an earthy smell to it. Don't let it over ferment. Sometimes you can get a balance of stuff in there that the chickens don't like. I would just start over if that happens. Some people use non pasturized apple cider vinegar as a starter, but that just grows a lot of the yeasts that make vinegar.. I let what's on the feed grow and ferment.

You might also add a teaspoon of unpasturized apple cider vinegar (Bragg's Organic--you can find it at HEB) to a quart of drinking water. It sounds like your chick has some sort of an imbalance going on. Either that or a blockage somewhere.

Let me know how s/he does.

No nothing was dried on her. She will do her cackle as she is pooping, then you will here her again, then again..... it's normal to hear the same bird cackle a couple of times when they poo.... at least it seems like that.... but she doesn't it 4 or 5 times.. but the 3rd time I am in there watching her.... she will turn and try to help it out.... she will cackle again but if by the 5th time its still there and the is pooched out there, I will pick her up and help it come out. Not dried at all, once it's out everything goes back to normal. Now she does this about the same time every day... I am sure she poops more than that but I only notice this in the evening. I put a band on her leg today so I can keep up with her but I think I am going to put her in a different area for the day so I can see how much she is pooping and make sure she is drinking water good. They eat chick started... so tomorrow I will keep water in her box and then when I feed her I will soak it first and see if that makes a difference. How often do the poo during a day.... I mean it seems like they poop all day. So either she is just holding it in or he poops just fine most of the day.

Guess I will just have to see tomorrow.
I will let you know. Thanks for your help. You put the Roo in Guru! LOL

 

[jajeanpierre]

No nothing was dried on her. She will do her cackle as she is pooping, then you will here her again, then again..... it's normal to hear the same bird cackle a couple of times when they poo.... at least it seems like that.... but she doesn't it 4 or 5 times.. but the 3rd time I am in there watching her.... she will turn and try to help it out.... she will cackle again but if by the 5th time its still there and the is pooched out there, I will pick her up and help it come out. Not dried at all, once it's out everything goes back to normal. Now she does this about the same time every day... I am sure she poops more than that but I only notice this in the evening. I put a band on her leg today so I can keep up with her but I think I am going to put her in a different area for the day so I can see how much she is pooping and make sure she is drinking water good. They eat chick started... so tomorrow I will keep water in her box and then when I feed her I will soak it first and see if that makes a difference. How often do the poo during a day.... I mean it seems like they poop all day. So either she is just holding it in or he poops just fine most of the day.

Guess I will just have to see tomorrow.
I will let you know. Thanks for your help. You put the Roo in Guru! LOL

Normally, they just poop and you would hardly ever notice. They poop a lot--many times a day. Maybe separate her for a day and put her on paper towels so you can get an idea of what is going on. Putting another healthy chick separate on paper towels might give you an idea of how normal your problem child is or isn't. Can you send a picture of her stool? Looking at the poop can tell you a lot about health.

Don't mistake urine with diarrhea. Birds poop out three things at once--urine, urates (white) and stool. If they are very hydrated, it the urine might make you think they actually have diarrhea when they don't.

Here's a link to chicken poop. I haven't read it thoroughly, but her stuff tends to be pretty good.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/whats-scoop-on-chicken-poop-digestive.html

 

[hungnguyen]

Hubby is out of town, watching. I would be watching, but we don't have tv. That last team from the Big 12 is dh's and my alma mater!

Too bad, the last team is now a memory !!!!

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Finally got my Orpington chicks!!! Mostly blacks with one blue and one other possible blue!! Cant believe how big they are and they hatched on the 23!! Im gonna have to get a bigger brooder ><"

The are so cute!

Oh, and they've grown so much in such little time!! They have feathers and their bodies look like little hens but their bodies look like pollitas...funny looking

We need pictures.

Welcome to the Texas forum watch out these people will not talk you out of getting more chickens.

Who, us? Welcome to the Enabling Texas Forum.

I was a bad mommy today. I over did it out in the yard, didn't realize I got to hot until I fainted. I was clearing fence line for the runs. Got about 300ft done... Did I mention I hate Yaupon? DF has me sitting on the couch with a cold rag, water, and a fan on me. Told me not to go back outside today. He even did the dishes... I must of looked bad. :-/

I was only out there for three or four hours in that hot sun, normally I can do it all day. Guess I was more tired than I realized after shopping this morning? :shrug

The babies spent some time outside too. They followed me down the fence as I got it stretched and up in a little portable chick-letter-outer-thingy I made out of the puppy play pen. Haha.

Guess I have to sit back and do nothing this evening. I'm not even allowed to go put the horses up. He says its not gonna hurt to let them graze in the rain, yeah right!! They'll tear the pasture up!

I need a beer. Maybe this Dr pepper will hold me over instead?





Did I mention Lyle is a ginormous rooster?! He's as tall as my wheel barrow....

Oh, be careful! You need to take it easy.

Problem is, I'm used to working all the time. To constantly being on the move. Its hard taking it easy especially with all that has to be done around here. With DF working 13 on, one off, 14 hour days.... I don't get much help anyways. This is why the in-laws come every weekend, to help out with this kind of stuff.

I'm stubborn, but not stupid. Today was a wake up call. Time to slow WAYYY down. My MIL is moving in this weekend to stay and help until everything gets done around here... Lord help me I love the woman in small doses.

Hydration is my only problem. I forget my body needs LOTS more water than I usually drink. Chugging three bottles at lunch just doesn't do the kick anymore. Slow and steady all day the doc says. All bright, measured out two water bottles ( a quart each ) and will drink through out the day per the time lines noted on the bottles. Don't drink yo catch up, drink on time.
Joking about the beer! That stuffs horse pee anyway. I drink tea, mostly, but need to up my water as I said earlier.
We brood in the house for the first four weeks on 15+ batches, first six on anything less... Depending on the weather. In then summer chicks are out in the shed from day one with no lamp. 80s at night isn't a problem in big clutches. Small clutches usually stay inside though. My 6 week old mutts have been outside for two weeks, granted there's 13 of them left... Lost seven a few nights back to a snake. Sucker scared that bajeesus out of me. He was so full and fat, and then my dog Blue ate him. The boys had a good shake and tug-of-war going over that sucker for a few hours before I burned it in the wood pile...

We try not to baby our chickens. They're exposed to every element Texas throws our way as early as possible. No fans or sprinklers in the heat. Just shade and cool dirt. If its extra hot they get rotted fruit from then store in town, get it for a steal! I just call ahead and they give it to me by the crate.

Hensbwith chicks are only separated if absolutely necessary. If an aggressive rooster is the only issue, he goes into isolation during the brooding stage.

Side note: Did anyone else in east Texas just get hit by that nasty thunderstorm and tornado? We lost four trees, power, and some fenceline I JUST fixed last week. Grr mother nature wins this time. Power company won't be out until morning. Guess the two week old Aussies are going without heat tonight. At least its in the 70s in the house still... Albeit dark, its not cold enough to worry about them.

I am, however, sitting in my car charging my electronics so if DF calls tonight to see how I'm doing, like he always does on his midnight break, I can answer.

its still eerily yellow outside after that last tornado. I'll post a video if I can from my phone here in a bit. Caught a tree falling on camera, woo!

Glad you are OK. I guess tornado season is upon us now.

No nothing was dried on her. She will do her cackle as she is pooping, then you will here her again, then again..... it's normal to hear the same bird cackle a couple of times when they poo.... at least it seems like that.... but she doesn't it 4 or 5 times.. but the 3rd time I am in there watching her.... she will turn and try to help it out.... she will cackle again but if by the 5th time its still there and the is pooched out there, I will pick her up and help it come out. Not dried at all, once it's out everything goes back to normal. Now she does this about the same time every day... I am sure she poops more than that but I only notice this in the evening. I put a band on her leg today so I can keep up with her but I think I am going to put her in a different area for the day so I can see how much she is pooping and make sure she is drinking water good. They eat chick started... so tomorrow I will keep water in her box and then when I feed her I will soak it first and see if that makes a difference. How often do the poo during a day.... I mean it seems like they poop all day. So either she is just holding it in or he poops just fine most of the day.

Guess I will just have to see tomorrow.
I will let you know. Thanks for your help. You put the Roo in Guru! LOL

She sounds like a rebellious toddler that doesn't want to get toilet trained and holds until they are about to burst just so they don't have to use the big scary toilet.

 

[texasmomma]

Too bad, the last team is now a memory !!!!

So true. It's neat to see them win. We only won one football game my sophomore year. I quit going to games after that as it wasn't really fun anymore.

 

[Brookshire11]

You can always keep him can't you?  My Silkie rooster is a reasonable soul.  He and the really ugly double-copy frizzle (a frazzle) bantam Cochin are in my back yard with the Silkies pullets and one of my Polish.  I still might be wrong--they are notoriously hard to sex.  If you start getting streamers, you can give up hope I think.

We'll see how loud he is...lol
TECHNICALLY, I cant have roosters in the city limits

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I got hit with another unexpected huge bill and I just can't get chickens now. Hopefully I can get them next year.

I am so bummed.

 

[jajeanpierre]

We'll see how loud he is...lol
TECHNICALLY, I cant have roosters in the city limits

Roosters make a lot of noise, there is no getting around it, even quiet roosters. If you can't have a rooster, just accept it and plan on what to do with him when he grows up. Please don't sell him on Craig's list. There is a big demand for Silkies for their meat--they can sell for about $40 a piece in an Asian grocery store. I've seen enough really horribly botched home slaughter videos to know I would never let any of my birds go to a stranger. If they are going to end up in a pot, it is going to be my pot. I'll make their life a happy and good one and they will have just one bad day, and it really is really only a few seconds. I will try to make their exit as peaceful and stress free as possible. It will make you very thankful for your food and cognizant of the life and death of food animals. I eat a lot less meat since I slaughtered my unwanted cockerels. There are some not nice things about keeping chickens, and culling and slaughter are tops on my list.

When I was first wrestling with what to do with my unwanted cockerels, someone suggested I could just set them free. They would hang around for a few days, I was told, and then magically go away. Please don't do that either. They end up ripped apart by an animals. It is a cruel way to get rid of your unwanted bird.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I got hit with another unexpected huge bill and I just can't get chickens now. Hopefully I can get them next year.

I am so bummed.

I'm sorry to hear you won't have chicks this year. I still say a trio of Silkies will cost very little and give you a lot of fun.