The Old Folks Home

[Alaskan]

I hear ya Al. I pulled all of my standard roosters that I have left from the flock and put the bantam boys with the hens. I wasn't expecting much trouble as the cockerels are under 5 months old. My Welly girls are tough little hussies and I have to admit that it's funny as all get out watching them beat up the young cockerels when they make advances towards them and now some of the Buff Girls are following suit. And the momma with 4 babies that are following her around even though they are almost 6 weeks old? Don't even consider approaching that one.

See, that is what I was hoping would happen...no such luck though.

Talking of luck...

So sorry about the recent loss. That is horrid. I applaud your attitude and response. Right on. But..I sure wish you didn't have to go through the heartache.

 

[Alaskan]

Do you think it would be okay for a baby girl gift?

It would be excellent.

As to "safe", nothing gets to be in with baby anymore, but it would be wonderful on the rocker or whatever where they feed the baby.

Great gift, rah, rah. I like the crazy quilting.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Down with Mareks! I am so sorry, there are no words.

Tried to stay off my legs most of the day, so I stitched. Finished turning my embroidery project into an envelope pillow.
View attachment 1062003 View attachment 1062004 View attachment 1062005

I spent some time on it practicing "crazy quilting" which is an improvisational type quilting that does not go well with my type a+ personality. But I took deep breaths and kept going.

I need to pick up a pillow form for it tomorrow (took one out of another pillow for the first picture). Do you think it would be okay for a baby girl gift? The housekeeper at work is having a grand daughter and I wanted to give him something to give his daughter in law, who struggled with fertility issues for years. This is probably about 25 to 30 hours of work start to finish, and I'd pair it with 2 burp cloths (made a ton of them a year ago so I can just grab a quick gift as needed). I'm just not sure if this is something that would be "safe" for a baby room or seems baby appropriate.

Staying off the legs.
Pillow for a present.

I think a pillow would be lovely! Like Alaskan mentioned...it can be placed in the room. That's a gift to be passed down through generations. Yup.

 

[Beer can]

Naked necks are supposed to have disease resistance also.

 

[Beer can]

People crack me up. Just surfing different maple baked bean recipes. Saw this review on one lol....

IDK? We have hard water and our beans cook up just fine

 

[microchick]

SGC your talent never fails to amaze me. How do you find the time? I know what your on the job hours are like and can imagine that like the rest of us your spend a lot of time working with your flock. Do you sleep?

Wickedchicken6 I would guess that your kitty is suffering from kidney failure. If it was diabetes (we have a diabetic kitty) she would be eatting like a horse yet loosing weight as well as drinking a lot of water and peeing like a race horse. I'm so sorry. Our diabetic boy is about 16-17 years old now. We were able to get him off insulin for the time being by switching him to a zero carb cat food. It's expensive as all get out but we figure it's averaging out to what we were spending monthly on insulin and testing supplies. Every day we have with our Johnny Cash is a cherished day for us. I well understand how you are feeling right now.

I can't begin to say how much I appreciate everyone's kind words. With all my heart I hope that if you have never had this touch your flock that it never does. If it has I'm sure you join in my heart felt hope for at least a working vaccine that will prevent spread of this heartbreaking disease. I love my birds. Tonight I separated 5 of the young cockerels from the flock and put them in the rooster pen. I hate putting them in with birds that are showing signs of the disease but they are all exposed and they are getting pretty insistent with the girls which is causing them stress and may have contributed to my hen'd demise today. Breeding stress has figured heavily with my flock. I imagine there will be birds that make the 2nd cut as I have a few youngsters who haven't discovered what girls are yet. One day at a time. Hoping for the best and expecting the worse.

 

[chickisoup]

Evening everyone.
Hi Al! So glad you are safely home and the home is none too much for the wear.
Don't remember how much I shared on this thread about the failing health of my husband's brother and my dear friend but his suffering came to an end this past Tuesday. Made for a very long and difficult week ending in a far too long four hour drive south yesterday, a few hours at the church, watching my strong solid man grow old before my eyes as he stood on the platform struggling to choke out a few precious words about his little brother and lifelong best friend. Next, a quick visit to their home to honor his brother's last request and raise a glass of his favorite brew and toast his life, then the long quiet drive home amid the madness of the holiday traffic. Today life goes on, just somehow ever so slightly different.

 

[ronott1]

Man I spoke too soon. It's been two weeks since I lost a bird to Mareks. I was just out in the coop, pulling late hatching eggs that I had marked from under my broody who is hatching chicks today and noticed that one of my Welsummer hens was standing by me all fluffled up, eyes closed. I immediately got a sad and gloomy feeling. Took the eggs in the house, candled and got them situated into the incubator to finish up......not my plans, hens donated a few eggs to broodies when my back was turned and I've been passing them down from broody to broody. Speckles is my last broody and they have anywhere from three days to a week to go. I'm hoping to stuff the one due in a few days back under momma when the time comes. I went back out and checked her. She was hiding under the nesting boxes when I went out which seems to be the chicken grave yard not to be confused with the elephant grave yard where all elephants go to die. When I checked her over she was very thin, no breast muscle at all. No signs of egg binding, infact, her pelvis was empty and soft as was her crop. She kept closing her eyes.

I put her down, cursing Marek's disease with every breath.

Meanwhile, Speckles has two new babies under her and the third pipping/zipping. Two chicks born and the flock will carry on.

God, please let somebody find a cure for this horrible disease.

Penny 1960 those Lavender Ameracaunas are beautiful. Don't blame you for making room for them.

You really can't do anything but work on health with them.

If using fermented feed, stop using it
Get some Big ole bird from southland organics
feed them some calf manna. use instructions are on the bag.

consider using liter life from southland organics to treat coops and runs--places where the chickens go.

You did send them in for a necropsy?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Evening everyone.
Hi Al! So glad you are safely home and the home is none too much for the wear.
Don't remember how much I shared on this thread about the failing health of my husband's brother and my dear friend but his suffering came to an end this past Tuesday. Made for a very long and difficult week ending in a far too long four hour drive south yesterday, a few hours at the church, watching my strong solid man grow old before my eyes as he stood on the platform struggling to choke out a few precious words about his little brother and lifelong best friend. Next, a quick visit to their home to honor his brother's last request and raise a glass of his favorite brew and toast his life, then the long quiet drive home amid the madness of the holiday traffic. Today life goes on, just somehow ever so slightly different.

I am so sorry for your loss

 

[Alaskan]

@chickisoup