The Old Folks Home

[Alaskan]

Why can't this stuff happen to the most obnoxious, 'onery, mean, hateful rooster in the flock?

Always, always always!!!


This summer we have raised up the prettiest most show worthy trio of birds that I have ever owned. It is a bantam single comb white leghorn trio. They have those perfect wide feathers, perfect topline swoop, bright yellow legs. PERFECT.

Every time I stand outside and look at them, shake my head and say "man, do those three look good" whatever kid is there and hears me says something along the lines of "yep, guaranteed to die sometime this next month. The good ones always die."

 

[microchick]

Always, always always!!!


This summer we have raised up the prettiest most show worthy trio of birds that I have ever owned. It is a bantam single comb white leghorn trio. They have those perfect wide feathers, perfect topline swoop, bright yellow legs. PERFECT.

Every time I stand outside and look at them, shake my head and say "man, do those three look good" whatever kid is there and hears me says something along the lines of "yep, guaranteed to die sometime this next month. The good ones always die."

Unfortunately all too true.

I came to the conclusion this afternoon that my cockerel has a neck injury of some sort. This is the little bird who is always getting in the way of the mature hens and getting the stuffing pecked out of him before being chased out of the coop. I spent the morning watching him. He's standing like a flamingo stands with his head resting on his back. At least he is standing on two legs even if they are wobbly at the moment. Not much to do for him other than give him aspirin and wait it out. I moved him back to the main coop and put him in the broody pen where he wouldn't have so much room to move around in. Two of my Welsummer hens walked up to the pen and he went psycho so that pretty well told the whole story. I'm going to keep him in the broody pen for a few days and see how things shape up. I have a back up rooster pen that he can go into if it comes to that. I'll give him a couple of his own gentle Buff O hens to cuddle up to at night and he will hopefully do fine.

Back to the draft horse discussion. Haflingers are very popular here with the Amish. I have to admit that I think they are my favorite draft breed. I had a chance to buy one from our Amish neighbor several years back. If I had been 10 years younger I probably would have been tempted. I hear that they are nicely gaited and easy to ride.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

1. Problem: Stone cracked. Take it all apart. Level base. Clean entire stone. The areas that need to be rejoined, after cleaning, need to be sprayed with denatured alcohol then acetone to get everything off it. Don't touch it with bare hands. Mix epoxy. Spread a very small amount of epoxy (so it doesn't drip) in polka dots along the crack. You can't epoxy the whole thing because moisture wicks around in stone and needs to be able to pass through or it will crack again. Leave breaks in the epoxy for this wicking. Clamp everything. Leave it for 24 hours, then fill in the holes with mortar.







2. Problem: Stones need their pins replaced. These were drilled out yesterday. Today the concrete and old mortar were chiseled out (I'm actually good at chiseling) and the stone was washed, rewashed and re-rewashed. Then the pins were cut (stainless steel) and everything mortared into place (I'm also kinda not bad at making mortar and I even got to use the big powered mixer and still have all my digits and limbs).







And just an update on Georgia Etta... I am less good at actually applying/installing mortar than I am mixing it, but she's together. Again she'll be covered for 30 days.

 

[drumstick diva]

Microchick sounds like your little roo has wry neck. put it in the search box and see what comes up. It's not fatal except when folks get tired of waiting for improvement and "off" the bird. Sometimes the head will hang to the floor between legs. Sometimes they break dance, walk backward etc. Very common in silkies

Sometimes it's caused by a blow(peck) to the head or nutritional deficiencies. I'd guess peck to the head.

 

[ronott1]

Microchick sounds like your little roo has wry neck. put it in the search box and see what comes up. It's not fatal except when folks get tired of waiting for improvement and "off" the bird. Sometimes the head will hang to the floor between legs. Sometimes they break dance, walk backward etc. Very common in silkies

Sometimes it's caused by a blow(peck) to the head or nutritional deficiencies. I'd guess peck to the head.

@microchick Aspriin is the treatment for a silkie chick that has been pecked in the head! The vaulted skull is the problem and often it does not even take a peck to the head.

Look up dosage for the aspirin--you are tying to reduce the swelling from the injury. Luckily chickens can regrow brain cells so if he lives he will recover. You will likely have to hand feed scrambled eggs and wet mash feed(wet the starter). Make sure he drinks too.

 

[microchick]

Drumstick diva and Ronott1.

Thanks guys, yep, that is what I am figuring happened too. My Welsummer hens can be....well, not to nice sometimes. In fact they can be down right nasty to the other chickens. So yes, I am suspecting a hard peck also as I have seen them do that to Tweek and others more than once. I'm beginning to contemplate separating them or even if it comes to that, selling them.

I gave Tweek a quarter of an 81 mg ASA tablet. The little booger worked the piece of bread that I hid it in and popped it out so he just ate the bread. Tried a small half next and was able to camo it enough that he swallowed it down. I checked on him before I called it a night and he was standing more erect and holding his head up a bit. I was thinking Wry neck also but you confirmed it for me. So very grateful.

No chance of me giving up on this little guy. He's been a pip since the day he discovered that he could fly up and sit on my shoulder whenever he wanted. My husband christened him my chicken parrot.

Should I continue the antibiotic just to cover for a few days?

 

[ronott1]

Drumstick diva and Ronott1.

Thanks guys, yep, that is what I am figuring happened too. My Welsummer hens can be....well, not to nice sometimes. In fact they can be down right nasty to the other chickens. So yes, I am suspecting a hard peck also as I have seen them do that to Tweek and others more than once. I'm beginning to contemplate separating them or even if it comes to that, selling them.

I gave Tweek a quarter of an 81 mg ASA tablet. The little booger worked the piece of bread that I hid it in and popped it out so he just ate the bread. Tried a small half next and was able to camo it enough that he swallowed it down. I checked on him before I called it a night and he was standing more erect and holding his head up a bit. I was thinking Wry neck also but you confirmed it for me. So very grateful.

No chance of me giving up on this little guy. He's been a pip since the day he discovered that he could fly up and sit on my shoulder whenever he wanted. My husband christened him my chicken parrot.

Should I continue the antibiotic just to cover for a few days?

It is up to you on the anti biotic. Medicine like that is hard on them though so I might stop it. The brain injury will not respond to anti biotic.

Give him a teaspoon of yogurt once a day for a couple of days along with the aspirin.

Good save on him!

 

[microchick]

Going into town tomorrow. I'll pick up yogurt then. This boy has always had the appetite of a teenager. At least that hasn't failed him. He's also been the 'picked' on one since he was old enough to irritate the older chickens. Kinda surprised that this hasn't happened before now, in all honesty.

Also will stop the Antibiotic since I suspect injury over illness. I think my challenge will be keeping him away from the more aggressive Wellie girls.

 

[Latestarter]

@Latestarter

Where do u live by the way

I'm in Lochbuie, CO for the next 3 weeks. After that my present property will have new owners and I'm still not sure where3 I'll be as I don't have a fully executed contract to buy yet.

 

[Latestarter]

My dad did our ancestry. I'm a son of the revolution as well as a member of the Mayflower Society. I know I had an ancestor at Bunker (actually Breed's) hill, I have the actual genealogy print out (book) packed away someplace. I was never all that interested in my ancestors. It's amazing how often folks remarried back then (after a spouse died). I know I'm a direct descendant of Myles Standish as well as several other "known" early Americans. I had wanted to get all his data and digitize it but he passed away before I could do it. He had a separate genealogy going back to before America and we had all sorts of royal blood in the background. I've disowned my mother so have no way to access all his stuff, records, pictures, etc. Oh well. None of that's gonna put dinner on the table tomorrow...