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

[stonykill]

Pekin # 2 , the one who looked the worst looks better after her bath. Boy did she enjoy it! She also has torn flesh, no puntures and the most road rash of the 3. But is drinking well and is really spunky. #3 is now getting her bath. As soon as they start eating they are going out in general population. Being caged up is not doing them any good. Well some good, but their recovery will be better when they have space to move and groove as ducks do.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Pekin # 2 , the one who looked the worst looks better after her bath. Boy did she enjoy it! She also has torn flesh, no puntures and the most road rash of the 3. But is drinking well and is really spunky. #3 is now getting her bath. As soon as they start eating they are going out in general population. Being caged up is not doing them any good. Well some good, but their recovery will be better when they have space to move and groove as ducks do.

Great news stony!!!

 

[Mountain Momma]

Haflingers, oooh, I never had any interest in horses, but now, Molly looks beautiful. Makes me want one...but....hay...fencing...are...ok, I'll just admire yours!
And about stony, I read his post and laughed, I thought he was being a lttle funny. Maybe he didn't mean to sound a little surly. After all, Bee says the most outrageous things about silkies, and I don't think anyone is taking her as trying to be mean. Sometimes written words come out harsher then they would if we could hear and see the person speaking!

I have taken absolutely no offense. I understand that we all want to respect the thread and I buy into that.
Lets all Respect the thread Fred, tan me hide when I'm dead Fred Hang me hide on the shed Fred, tie me kangaroo down sport tie me kangaroo down.
Now its stuck in my head too!

 

[Beekissed]

So what do you all put on their combs, if you do anything, to protect them from frostbite?

Nothing. I tried vaseline(didn't work, BTW) once years ago before I knew what was the real cause of it all and haven't done anything about it since. Haven't needed to.

I don't recall my granny out each winter lubing up chickens and she kept leghorns, RIR, and other large combed breeds.

The most likely cause of frostbite is humidity. It's not happening as your flocks are walking around out in the cold, it is happening in the coop and on the roost. Proper ventilation is the key and I thought I had enough in a leaky old coop but I added deep litter to my methods and it magically went away. I had also opened up another area of ventilation at the floor level that was under the roosts...I think the added airflow helped move that nighttime humidity out of the coop and the DL helped absorb excess humidity as well.

I'd go into the coop on days when it was dry and cold outside~3-5*~and put my hand into that DL and it would be moist and warm. Some would think that it would just generate humidity in the coop but many have reported just the opposite...the litter absorbs the excess humidity if it is kept drier on top~it seems to actually pull the moisture from the air. It has the added benefit of also generating heat and with the proper ventilation opened up at the floor level to bring in fresh air and move the heat upwards and then out the top of the coop, the air quality and humidity is improved.

Lubing up the combs and trying to get breeds that have small combs are just not workable, viable solutions...always go to the root cause, not a quick fix. The cause is poor ventilation in the coop and high humidity environments like the mountain and lake regions. Can't control the humidity in the air and it doesn't seem to be a factor for my chickens but the cooping up, close birds tucked in side by side, all seem to bring the humidity to another level.

I didn't think I could have anymore ventilation in that old coop...you could see daylight through the cracks in every wall and I left the pop door open in all weathers, 24/7, and the roof line had ventilation. Just needed that extra flow under the roosts and the deep litter to take away the problem....and all my roosters have large combs and wattles and I never choose breeds that have a small comb, I choose my breeds for other traits.

 

[stonykill]

And about stony, I read his post and laughed, I thought he was being a lttle funny. Maybe he didn't mean to sound a little surly. After all, Bee says the most outrageous things about silkies, and I don't think anyone is taking her as trying to be mean. Sometimes written words come out harsher then they would if we could hear and see the person speaking!

 

[Mountain Momma]

OK Bee (and everyone else) - just a fun question for you (so have fun with it)!

If you were snowed in for a few weeks, what would you want to have on your farm and why?

Coffee and half and half. Coffee black, cigarette, start my days like all the rest the first thing every morning that I do is start watering you. Some chickens never lay. Some roosters never play. Some broken eggs never mend and my love for chicks will never end....

Okay, just trying to get Kangaroos out of my head...

 

[aoxa]

Nothing. I tried vaseline(didn't work, BTW) once years ago before I knew what was the real cause of it all and haven't done anything about it since. Haven't needed to.

I don't recall my granny out each winter lubing up chickens and she kept leghorns, RIR, and other large combed breeds.

The most likely cause of frostbite is humidity. It's not happening as your flocks are walking around out in the cold, it is happening in the coop and on the roost. Proper ventilation is the key and I thought I had enough in a leaky old coop but I added deep litter to my methods and it magically went away. I had also opened up another area of ventilation at the floor level that was under the roosts...I think the added airflow helped move that nighttime humidity out of the coop and the DL helped absorb excess humidity as well.

I'd go into the coop on days when it was dry and cold outside~3-5*~and put my hand into that DL and it would be moist and warm. Some would think that it would just generate humidity in the coop but many have reported just the opposite...the litter absorbs the excess humidity if it is kept drier on top~it seems to actually pull the moisture from the air. It has the added benefit of also generating heat and with the proper ventilation opened up at the floor level to bring in fresh air and move the heat upwards and then out the top of the coop, the air quality and humidity is improved.

Lubing up the combs and trying to get breeds that have small combs are just not workable, viable solutions...always go to the root cause, not a quick fix. The cause is poor ventilation in the coop and high humidity environments like the mountain and lake regions. Can't control the humidity in the air and it doesn't seem to be a factor for my chickens but the cooping up, close birds tucked in side by side, all seem to bring the humidity to another level.

I didn't think I could have anymore ventilation in that old coop...you could see daylight through the cracks in every wall and I left the pop door open in all weathers, 24/7, and the roof line had ventilation. Just needed that extra flow under the roosts and the deep litter to take away the problem....and all my roosters have large combs and wattles and I never choose breeds that have a small comb, I choose my breeds for other traits.

I kept deep litter last year, but ventilation was not ideal. You've seen my coop Bee. Do you think it's adequately ventilated now?

Our air is very moist right now, but usually isn't during the winter.. And what about the FF on the wattles?

 

[Mountain Momma]

Pekin number 1 bathed and ohhh boy did she enjoy it. Splashing around, having a good old time. Letting her dry some, then bringing in number 2.

Number 1 Pekin has torn flesh and what looks like road rash where her feathers and skin were tore from her. No puncture wounds at all. I managed to get 99% of the dried blood off her feathers with peroxide. She will get re Nustocked shortly. She is looking good all things considered.

thats really great news!

 

[Beekissed]

I kept deep litter last year, but ventilation was not ideal. You've seen my coop Bee. Do you think it's adequately ventilated now?

Our air is very moist right now, but usually isn't during the winter.. And what about the FF on the wattles?

I'm sorry...I must have missed the pics of your actual coop but I saw parts of your barn. I've found that ventilation that starts at the bottom and moves air up and out of the coop seems to be best. I think people get confused about the whole ventilation issue and start worrying about "drafts". Drafts are the worry of those who do not understand how animals live and thrive. A wind blowing directly into the coop at the place where your birds roost is a draft...a wind blowing into other parts of your coop is ventilation.

Here's an analogy: Say it's one of these 55-60* days and the sun is very bright. You are driving your car for a long distance, and the sun is making you too hot, but not hot enough to warrant fiddling with the AC~ but you really need some cool air. You don't want to roll down or crack the window on your side of the car...too much cold air where you be. So you crack the window on the other side of the car and it's just right for cooling the air in the car without ruffling cold air through your hair and on your face. THAT'S the idea of ventilation.

There are people out there copying the open air coops they used to build way back in the day up in Wisconsin. Almost one whole wall is open to the elements, coop covered in snow a foot deep and it stays all winter. No frostbite, no specially chosen small combed breeds, no heater or light. Just cold air and chickens roosting on the opposite wall.

I've not seen any FF on my bird's wattles, so I've not dealt with that. Is it breed specific or is it all your birds?

 

[stonykill]

Pekin number 3 was FULL of spunk! Same deal, torn flesh, no punctures. LOT's of road rash. She certainly enjoyed he bath. I don't know if I can get pictures of them in the shop due to lighting, but I'll try. They look silly right now. Still not fully dry and all wearing Nustock caps!