The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

mumsy, I pm'd you about delisha's advice. keeping my fingers crossed for you. I did have a batch of chicks that started eating the shavings, I removed shavings and kept them on wood mulch that was way too big to eat for a week, then went back to shavings, by which time they stopped eating them.

Justine, I'm in love with the puppy! ok, the doeling too! and susan looked so happy in one of the pics you posted.

 

[PeepsCA]

So sorry to read this Mumsy...

Can you try to get some molasses and mineral oil into her? And more fluids, possibly directly into her crop. I know she is highly stressed already and you've given her cod liver oil, but IMO that little girl really needs a seriously lube job and a flush.

Also epsom salts are a laxative as well...

 

[lalaland]

Anyone know anything about "super blue egg layers"?

a woman who is going to hatch some chicks for me this spring said Super Blue Eggs layers are a cross between a pure Ameracana and a Leghorn. The result is huge, prolific robin's egg blue egg layers. They are an amazing laying hen.

eta: looks like a couple of people sell hatching eggs for the super blue egg layer. they look like a fluffy shorter leghorn with pea comb and slate legs, and white with a few black dots, like maybe 3-20 dots per hen.

Not sure if the leghorn means they would burn out after a few years?

I'm going to get some swedish flower hen chicks, and a couple of one other breed, thinking icelandics or possiblly these blue egg layers from her.

thoughts?

 

[delisha]

awwww..Mumsy..hugs

I am so sorry..you need to with hold food and give flushers.

 

[PeepsCA]

Delisha, congrats on your new batch of fuzzies

Glad you had a decent hatch this time, how many eggs did you start with for this batch? Were these shipped eggs too?

I'm not sure where you got your eggs, but since you did not get these eggs directly from Hattrick your Blue chick (or chicks) that hatched from the eggs marked as Black could have been the result of not all of the breeding stock being true Blacks. Some (or even just one) could have been very dark Blue instead. It can be very difficult to tell the difference sometimes, and some people that keep B/B/S Silkie pens just assume that all of the dark birds are Blacks, when they really aren't. Black bred to Blue produces 50% Black and 50% Blue chicks. Just some food for thought...

 

[armorfirelady]

Mumsy sending hugs your way & fringes crossed she pulls through. I would call breeder as well to see if she has any suggestions about this. I don't understand why the silkies like to eat shavings so much. Maybe it's because they have a deficiency of some sort? Kind of like people crave odd things (ice, corn starch) when they have a vitamin deficiency ?

 

[Mumsy]

I've been in the barn doing chores and watching the Silkie downstairs. My computer is upstairs.

She is now standing with her legs under her. Respiration is still fast but open beak panting is lessened. I have had her in the house for 24 hours now. She passed two feces of normal consistency and they look and smell normal. She was given another cod liver oil gel cap. I snip the end and squeeze the oil over her tongue. I will add the childrens Polyvisol to her water again. I changed it and forgot to add it. Thank you for the pm
lalaland. I appreciate the advice.

I can't afford to take chickens to the vet. A simple blood draw costs a $100 here. I will do the best I can.

The shavings I use are the white pine kind sold at my feed store. I've used them for 35 years.

 

[lalaland]

I was lucky to have delisha's advice to pass on to you, Mumsy.

We are all keeping our fingers crossed for you and the little silkie.

 

[countrygirl74]

I've been in the barn doing chores and watching the Silkie downstairs. My computer is upstairs.

She is now standing with her legs under her. Respiration is still fast but open beak panting is lessened. I have had her in the house for 24 hours now. She passed two feces of normal consistency and they look and smell normal. She was given another cod liver oil gel cap. I snip the end and squeeze the oil over her tongue. I will add the childrens Polyvisol to her water again. I changed it and forgot to add it. Thank you for the pm
lalaland. I appreciate the advice.

I can't afford to take chickens to the vet. A simple blood draw costs a $100 here. I will do the best I can.

The shavings I use are the white pine kind sold at my feed store. I've used them for 35 years.

I hope she gets better soon - sounds like you got a lot of great advice to help her through this.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Does anyone have advise on best way to treat a rather open laceration on my hen, caused by my rooster? I'm going to get saddles to start with, but this needs cleaning out and ointment.

Quote: Del - Can you give a good tutorial on removing spurs - or post a link with good instructions/video/ etc. that shows the way you would recommend doing it?

I've seen several different versions and I'd like to hear your - and anyone else with experience - method.