The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[Mountain Momma]

No, not Mareks. Not the symptoms of Mareks.

sorry to ask twice. We must have been replying at the sametime.
L

 

[Beekissed]

maybe stoned. Maybe stupid. Maybe overwhelmed. He knew the roo had pecked areas, so he must be holding them and examining them and trying to figure out the issues. He took the blue one inside when she got sick at first. He said he had been cleaning their noses. He is trying to be hands on. The wire cage needs to go, the insulation, at least on the walls needs to go. The lamps need to go. I would cull that roo. Just from pity. Even if he recovered he would never be that proud stately creature he should be. He seemed to have lost all hope. Can this flock recover? And then be immune? Is this Mareks?
L

This is a statement he made a month ago...


Quote:
Not to pick on the fella but this is one person who has no business whatsoever having any animal in his care.

 

[Beekissed]

Hi ya'll! Greetings from the sunshine state! I found this thread a while after stumbling on the OT thread a few months ago.. "pull up a rockin' chair" caught my eye...wow. i am only half way through the OT and at the rate it rolls will never get to the end. I finally popped in over there to say hello and say THANK YOU. BYC was a bit of a dead end for me until finding these two threads. ...too many people talking about how they were chicken "mommies" and stuff. and i am a die hard animal lover, not a mean ol crusty hater. But i am only a mommy to Nina, my dogs are my loves, but i am only their steward for their short time on this earth. A few weeks ago i found this thread and after many late nights am about 3/4 way through.
Wow. Someone else that uses the terms steward and stewardship...whether you have one animal or one hundred, it is that simple. So i am just blown away by this thread and have cried and laughed and nodded my head and pondered the complicated and peculiar relationship us humans have with animals. Really began to LOOK and my tiny flock of 5 (2 BO, 2 americauna, 1 red sex link golden comet) with a much more INFORMED eye. They are not quite a year old, and a couple younger than that. But to my eye, perky, foraging, alert active, running across open areas to cover. But...just not the SHINE they should be having. They had a very light first molt. Their feathers have seemed dull and tired looking for a few months before that.
Did some FULL BODY inspections this past saturday. ...what i found...not as healthy as should be for age. bumblefoot on golden comet. Squeezed and cleaned it out. Pretty bad and deep, felt like i got the core impact out. Nightly epsom salt soak and neosporin as no Nustock at the feed store. Would have never thought to look at the feet had i not read this thread. 1 americauna with the tiny beginnings of bumblefoot, neosporin. everyone else had good feet, een the fat BO. No idea why the BF...they roost on 2x4 turned sideways and edges rounded down w.a sander, no sharp edges. Forage on soft ground. Thinking coop soil needs attention. Only half the coop has a roof and maybe the rain this summer really did a number on the soil. Lice on all. Quick moving, light colored wee buggers. Unbelievable, had no idea and never thought to look.

Dusted them all in a pillowcase with DE. This is the tropics and so humid, wet and hot year round, wee beasties always in seaason. Last winter firepit ashes long gone, they love to dust in it before our crazy heavy rains this summer washed them away. Had a huge fire tonight and will be retreated them with ash in a couple days when the coals stop smokin.
Started fermented feed (always put ACV in the nipple waterer so had it all along). Today was the first day w. FF, they gobbled it up. Last week left a note on some random lady's porch about all her pumpkins and that afternoon my partner stopped by on his way home from work and hauled 5 home to store in our shed. She was thrilled to get rid of them. I cut out a huge wedge, micro for 6/8min. Let cool and serve. After a few days they really go nuts...when its soft and kinda rotten and eventually all that is left is a thin skin.
Dumped 3 trash cans of leaves into coop, they forage out most of the day. But the floor of the coop is dirt and needs to be amended and more layers added. Are we doing things right? Sort of...but have learned so much and can really be doing things better. It's not just about the eggs, its about doing your best and providing the best possible stewardship. Don't have to be rich to do it either (whew, thank goodness). Knowledge! I love it!
Thanks to all, wish i could get some pics posted. Will try again another day.
Loving this thread, the honesty, the wisdom, the candor, the heart. You all are some amazing folks.

Wowza!!! So glad you came and so glad you found something to use from this thread. Please keep us posted about the BF and lice. Did you put something on the nits? If not, they will return, so you might look into putting something on them, even if it's something like Vick's vaporub, if you have nothing else on hand. You'll find those nits most likely around the vents but could be other areas.

I'd do the DE in a basin and lay the chickens down in it so that you can work the DE in under all the feathers~if they have the creepies that bad, I don't know if the pillow case method will suffice. If you want to protect the chickens eyes and nostrils from this you can slip a thin, cotton baby's sock over their heads until you are done. They will still be able to breath but the dust won't get into their openings as badly.

Bumble foot....look into your protein percentages. If too high, you might want to lower them down to around 17-20%, tops.

I think you are doing great and it will all work out now, so please keep us posted and show us pics of the lice if you get a chance...should be educational.

 

[Mountain Momma]

This is a statement he made a month ago...



Not to pick on the fella but this is one person who has no business whatsoever having any animal in his care.

My Lord, who takes care of him? Jees Louise, someone call animal control. He's in a cycle of torture for these birds. Very sad.
L

 

[Leahs Mom]

I recently saw someone state that they sometimes put some sulpher powder in their dust bath area. What do y'all think of that? I was wondering about inhaling such a thing...

 

[galanie]

Let's see who can bear to watch this and tell me all the things you see wrong in this video?

  

 

My God. Once I saw the heat lamp, insulation, overcrowding, and lack of ventilation I was about to shut it off then saw that rooster. And stopped the thing. I wanted to run into that coop and start ripping everything down and throwing it out the front door in a pile. Including the chickens.

 

[jlynnet]

That video is awful! Wow. He's gotten in way over his head!

 

[galanie]

I want wood ash so bad! I can't believe I have no family in this area with a fireplace. I don't get my Chiminea till summer...

Do you have any trees near you? Branches? A bare patch of ground? Maybe some large rocks or something you can use as a fire ring?  That's all you need to make a campfire, and a campfire is all you need to get wood ash.  

You know what's funny? We bought this big piece of land so we could do whatever we want, and now I'm unsure of this one thing. I think living on bases for 12 years ruined me, lol. If my husband was here he'd be burning up anything I handed him...maybe I'll try this weekend?

That makes me giggle. I live in the middle of the city on a 1/2 acre and just yesterday, after dispatching a stupid rooster, burned a ton of old wood and branches in an open fire. I have a "fire pit" out there that I burn things in periodically and then when it all cools, it's dust bath time! They love it. Just keep watch and I have a hose handy just in case anyone comes and asks (and one neighbor has). We sort of do what we wish here and I love it for that reason. So long as I don't bother anyone and don't endanger anyone I can pretty much do whatever I want.

 

[Melabella]

Holy Moly,,,,

Good Morning everyone!


Go to sleep, and 30 posts later, one is behind!

Enjoying the first cup of coffee, waiting for the sun to burn through the fog...

I'm sure Duke is crowing away begging me to come open the door.

BRB....
MB

 

[aoxa]

This is a statement he made a month ago...

well alot of them died and the ones that lived are fine now...I have one bird I love that has a broken foot how do you fix that?....I tryed the antibiotics but that didn't seem to do anything...do you do bandages?

Not to pick on the fella but this is one person who has no business whatsoever having any animal in his care. 

Antibiotics for a broken foot? Even a 10 year old knows you need to set a broken leg and cast it.