The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[1muttsfan]

Coccidia infests the cells that line the GI tract, develops inside the cells, then ruptures them open and releases huge numbers of the ova stage. The damage to the lining cells is what causes the diarrhea, sometimes with blood. A peculiarity of parasites is that you can have affected birds that may only have ova in their feces part of the time. Generally a badly affected animal will have visible ova when a fecal is checked under the microscope, but for young birds with diarrhea I would treat anyway - it will not hurt them.

 

[speckledhen]

Coccidia infests the cells that line the GI tract, develops inside the cells, then ruptures them open and releases huge numbers of the ova stage. The damage to the lining cells is what causes the diarrhea, sometimes with blood. A peculiarity of parasites is that you can have affected birds that may only have ova in their feces part of the time. Generally a badly affected animal will have visible ova when a fecal is checked under the microscope, but for young birds with diarrhea I would treat anyway - it will not hurt them.

Absolutely, I would, too! A vet should know that, though, I'd think. And they're under a vet's care. BUT, then again, with normal vets, they sometimes don't seem to know which end of a chicken is up for some reason. They ought to, I know they have an avian segment in vet school. Even Ladyhawk's horse vet has treated her chickens and seems to know quite a bit. He says they all ought to know because they do study it in school, but most don't follow up unless they specialize. Well, we chicken owners specialize!

 

[Minflick]

Speckledhen -

Now you've made me think. I got a book of parasites at work, and while we use it for cats and dogs, it's got other animal sections in it - we had a dog with a squirrel tape worm, because the dog had found a dead squirrel and brought in to the family car and eaten it there (can you imagine the smell?!) and we found the proper egg picture in that book... So, I'll look tomorrow when I go in - maybe it DOES have a section on barnyard fowl.

Melinda

 

[speckledhen]

Atlas, Rowena and Rachel turn 26 weeks on Friday. We moved the big portable nest unit into the old ladies' coop and put this more compact file cabinet nest unit into his, which gives more floor space. He was showing the girls where to lay...on the floor and on the roost shelf, not in the nests, LOL.

This first photo shows his expression, those warm eyes. I see no aggression in it. He's very at home now, it seems.











Though this is Atlas's thread, here's Dottie, who raised him, with his half siblings and his full blooded Delaware cousin.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm so glad to hear he is mellowing and comfortable in his surroundings. It sounds as if he was unsure of the first area and overzealous to protect his hens.

 

[speckledhen]

It would seem so. One thing I notice about him is that when he eats from my hand, he is very gentle. Many youngsters peck so hard, you feel bruised after feeding them something by hand and you have to teach them to slow down and take food easier. Atlas has always been very good about that, at least with me. DH doesn't do that on a regular basis.
Now, waiting for eggs from those two...apparently, so is Atlas.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

I admit that I was never much of a worming chicken keeper, though everyone was wormed about once a year. That was when they were all free ranging much more than they are now. Penned chickens need worming more regularly, IMO, than ones who can access natural wormers out on range while foraging (don't ask me what they are, though, can't remember where that list is, again with the memory!). I would probably recommend worming twice a year. You then have to do a second one two weeks later, if you want to be thorough, to get worms that hatch from those internal eggs the meds don't get. I've usually skipped the second phase, but this time, I am going to do it.


I am announcing that today, I bought eggs for only the 2nd time since owing chickens. They look anemic and will probably taste the same (not used to seeing stark white eggs!). Blech! But, I have to worm them and they are not laying much anyway. Got 2 LF an 1 bantam egg today, which added to every day's take, will be fed back to the masses until the second worming. Wormers have different withdrawal periods, but those are just estimates and some folks don't even do them. I usually wait over a week, sometimes two weeks, before I eat their eggs, however, since I'm re-worming in two weeks, it will be awhile.

If you look up any of dawg53's posts, he is considered quite the expert on worming around here, Angela.

Thanks for the worming info Cyn! I just got back from the vet and now that our babies are feeling better she said I can worm them. She told me we are down to three types of parasites now and the bacterial infection has cleared up, so we are headed in the right direction. I will be on the hunt for some Valbazen tomorrow. Thank you again for your help.

Oh, and I am happy to hear that Atlas has settled down. You have such a beautiful flock.

 

[1muttsfan]

Dottie its a pretty girl, but you can see how much better the barring is on Atlas and the girls. Glad he is doing well.

 

[speckledhen]

Dottie its a pretty girl, but you can see how much better the barring is on Atlas and the girls. Glad he is doing well.

Better than Dottie's? Nah, must be the photos, she's pure Stukel line Rock, though she's in the middle of a molt right now. Here's another picture of her:




Here was Dottie as a youngster:

 

[drumstick diva]

Dottie is beautiful but, she is really stripey instead of dotty