The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

When I entered the barn all I saw were little girls in attendance. They each were holding a chicken and asked every single person if they wanted to pet it. I declined but most people were petting the chickens. I was appalled. That sick bird was so pale it was very obvious something was wrong in it's face. Judging hadn't started yet. I got out of that barn and washed my hands even though I never touched anything. And everything I had on went into the wash before I went back outside when I got home. I even wore a hat and my hair pulled back in a tight pony tail when I went in that barn. I have no idea how they get away with having no adults on duty. These were very little girls. Around nine or ten. There were maybe thirty chickens total in the cages.

Edited to add: I do remember seeing a group of adults outside the barn setting up a tent for showmanship. Noone was available to speak with. My resolve not to enter my birds in small fairs or shows like this stands.

I feel bad for that bird, and for any pets that came into contact with it at the show. That just wouldn't go well at our events. We are very watchful. If a bird has parasites it is DQ. I watched every bird for signs when I was doing the bird watching one day. One had a droopy tail and I mentioned it, but she perked back up after some water (it was so hot).

You did the best thing when you got home.. wash everything.

 

[MumsyII]

I feel bad for that bird, and for any pets that came into contact with it at the show. That just wouldn't go well at our events. We are very watchful. If a bird has parasites it is DQ. I watched every bird for signs when I was doing the bird watching one day. One had a droopy tail and I mentioned it, but she perked back up after some water (it was so hot).

You did the best thing when you got home.. wash everything.

When I was super, no bird was allowed in the barn to be caged until it passed through the hands of the livestock vet. They checked the face (eyes and nares) and upended them to check for gleet and for parasites. Birds were DQ at the door if anything was suspicious. I am pretty sure they still must go through vet check before caging. It's the same for all the livestock barns. The whole process of showing for chickens in remote areas like ours is usually the first time for these birds. They are scooped up out of the barnyard, bathed, and caged all in one day. Four days of crowds and heat and I'm surprised any survive it. These are not seasoned show birds. Most of them are straight hatchery run. Or traded over back yard fences. Only a very few were true blue purebreds. There were a couple Silver Phoenix cockerels that were nice. And a few others. And what was surprising was no white Silkies! There was a nice Splash and all the rest looked like Blues. Every one of them had hard tail and wing feathers. They must be all hatchery. But no White Silkies. Very surprising.


I think this is a Splash or some kind of Blue. Of all the Silkies entered, I think all were 4-H kids. I never saw any color listed for any of them on the tags.

Yep. Looking at the pictures makes me want to go wash my hands again.

 

[Rhinoman]

Have a monster bobcat festing on my free range birds seen it face to face as big as my rot shepard mix will shot if poss. can wild cats be live trapped in hog trap. Don't want to steel trap any ideals?

A chicken lady I know had the same problem: Riffle, shovel, hole in the ground, never speak of it! Problem over.

 

[RedRidge]

Anyone ever get embedded with a tick? Supposedly I have to get a tetanus shot now. :|

I've only pulled maybe 3 from my pets this year. Last year it was unbelievable, but never had one on me!

I was so grossed out.

Tick was a deer tick, or black legged tick.

This is what it looked like.

We had a serious tick problem when we moved to this farm... pulled off more than 20 off each person a day.
Got guineas... problem solved.

That said... I will keep the tetanus shot opinion to myself... but will tell you I got one on Nov 5th last year (after a serious cut on a rusty cattle gate while I was preg testing cows).
Took a month to figure out what was wrong... could have killed me... I will never have a tetanus shot again... will take my chances with ticks and rust gates.

 

[aoxa]

We had a serious tick problem when we moved to this farm... pulled off more than 20 off each person a day.
Got guineas... problem solved.

That said... I will keep the tetanus shot opinion to myself... but will tell you I got one on Nov 5th last year (after a serious cut on a rusty cattle gate while I was preg testing cows).
Took a month to figure out what was wrong... could have killed me... I will never have a tetanus shot again... will take my chances with ticks and rust gates.

Too late. Already got it. Feel like my arm has been stabbed - the needle didn't hurt, but my entire arm is throbbing.

I am fine with needles. I went through two years of weekly allergy shots. But this is different. Ouch. I am normally not a fan of vaccines at all, but I caved. My mother, friends and Susan were all hounding me to do it.

I have heard people can have bad reactions to it. Is there something they can do if you do get a bad reaction?

 

[MumsyII]

Too late. Already got it. Feel like my arm has been stabbed - the needle didn't hurt, but my entire arm is throbbing.

I am fine with needles. I went through two years of weekly allergy shots. But this is different. Ouch. I am normally not a fan of vaccines at all, but I caved. My mother, friends and Susan were all hounding me to do it.

I have heard people can have bad reactions to it. Is there something they can do if you do get a bad reaction?

An acquaintance of mine got a deep puncture wound by sliver off a windowsill while in Greece. She didn't get the tetanus vaccine. She died a horrible death by Lock Jaw. (Tetanus)
We all weigh the consequences of our choices every day and hope for the best. Ticks scare me more than any bug out there. I'm glad you found it so quickly Justine. I shiver when I look at the picture of it.

 

[Rnbwbrite1207]

shan, you made me laugh with pigeon. I'm still halfway convinced its seagull Kassaundra, I can just see you crying your eyes out! and Justine, this is mrs murphy, also unidentified but definitely a bantam:

Looks very much like a bantam welsummer cross, I have some EE with that coloration. What color are her legs?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I think I was told to put ice on the shot location for 20 minutes on 20 minutes off when my arm hurt after the shot. But my arm swelled up a bit too. I do remember taking a pain reliever too.
ice is more natural so now I would be using just the ice.

 

[aoxa]

An acquaintance of mine got a deep puncture wound by sliver off a windowsill while in Greece. She didn't get the tetanus vaccine. She died a horrible death by Lock Jaw. (Tetanus)
We all weigh the consequences of our choices every day and hope for the best. Ticks scare me more than any bug out there. I'm glad you found it so quickly Justine. I shiver when I look at the picture of it.

Oh wow. That is terrible, and I am very sorry to hear that. I am glad I found it quickly as well. They are disgusting bugs.

 

[lalaland]

Quote:
t the legs are the strangest color. not white, not pink, not slate, not yellow, but sort of a dark orange/slate mixed together? auburn? she was pingpong ball sized as a chick, half the other chicks sizes from day 1. She is still small, but I have some what I think are icelandic roosters that aren't much bigger.