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

[Beekissed]

Beekissed, I'm curious. Will you ever make an effort to show the previous owners of this flock what the birds look like now? You've expressed so little anger towards them...chalking up their faults to ignorance, as I understand it. So, would you want to show them the flock now in order to educate them? Don't they still have chickens on their property (you mentioned a rooster of theirs with terrible feet)?

I understand it'd be hard to arrange this without coming across as vindictive or self-righteous, but you seem like such an educator I wonder if you've thought about letting these people see how their husbandry practices were the direct cause of suffering (and poor egg production, it they care more about this than how the chickens felt).

It's just been such a phenomenally fast recovery that the people couldn't help but see the immediate difference between their practices and yours. I'd invite them over to give them a free bottle of Nu-Stock...and then show them the chickens so they can see all that it has cured. You may be talking about the miracles of Nu-Stock, but they also would be witnessing first hand what healthy chickens look and act like.

You know? I really, really want to!

Other than the fact that they live 4 hrs away from here and would never "come over" to see me, I would love for them to see these birds come next spring. When they were so snotty about Toby being "not any good anymore" because they tried to incubate the eggs and didn't have a successful hatch, I was a little stung and wanted to retort exactly WHY the poor bird was infertile at the moment....but that isn't the way. The better way is to send them a post card next spring with a picture of Toby's offspring and the rest of the glossy fat hens and say these few words, " Toby and his happy family sends you greetings!"

I tend to like subtle irony.

The truth of the matter is that you can tell these kind of folks good ways to keep animals until you are blue in the face and they either value the animal enough to follow suit or not. They don't really value chickens, I can tell. They received a band of glossy, fat, egg-laying machines and turned them into death camp survivors in one short year. How is that even possible??

Then there is also the sad fact that a glass that is already full cannot be filled. When a person is sure that they know everything there is to know, there is no room in their minds for anymore wisdom. They immediately reject any further knowledge because they feel their knowledge base is complete to overflowing. I have family like that and their animals show it and live in sheer misery every single day. As my mama always says, there ain't no cure for stupid.

 

[Beekissed]

Just experimenting.

On my iPad, I chose one of my photos on flickr, clicked "Share," and cut-and-pasted the html code it gave me. Not a one-step process, but it worked.
p.s. It's not a Silkie. It's a miniature Yeti.

Oh! Thanks for the offer but she no longer needs toilet tissue...no more runny butts!

Just kiddin'....

 

[breezy]

Beekissed, I'd like to ask your advice. I am ashamed to admit that my birds are not in great shape and I honestly don't know why. I'd like to tell you all that I'm doing and ask you if you can tell me where Im going wrong. I think I'm doing right by the chickens but they aren't in as good health as I know they can and should be. I don't want to hijack this thread and didn't want to pm you without asking first. Any help would be appreciated by myself and the girls.
breezy

 

[galanie]

Oh!  Thanks for the offer but she no longer needs toilet tissue...no more runny butts! 

Just kiddin'....

ROFL!!!

 

[galanie]

You know?  I really, really want to!    Other than the fact that they live 4 hrs away from here and would never "come over" to see me, I would love for them to see these birds come next spring.  When they were so snotty about Toby being "not any good anymore" because they tried to incubate the eggs and didn't have a successful hatch, I was a little stung and wanted to retort exactly WHY the poor bird was infertile at the moment....but that isn't the way.  The better way is to send them a post card next spring with a picture of Toby's offspring and the rest of the glossy fat hens and say these few words, " Toby and his happy family sends you greetings!"

I tend to like subtle irony. 

The truth of the matter is that you can tell these kind of folks good ways to keep animals until you are blue in the face and they either value the animal enough to follow suit or not.  They don't really value chickens, I can tell.  They received a band of glossy, fat, egg-laying machines and turned them into death camp survivors in one short year.  How is that even possible?? 

Then there is also the sad fact that a glass that is already full cannot be filled.  When a person is sure that they know everything there is to know, there is no room in their minds for anymore wisdom.  They immediately reject any further knowledge because they feel their knowledge base is complete to overflowing.  I have family like that and their animals show it and live in sheer misery every single day.  As my mama always says, there ain't no cure for stupid. 

I like your idea best. Wait and send them pics of Toby's babies! No finger pointing, no nagging, no seeming as though you're doing any of that. I had a feeling that trying teach someone like that would be a waste of effort. They already don't listen or those chickens wouldn't have ended up that way in the first place. That's just willfully being ignorant. Which is worse than simple ignorance, which can be remedied.

 

[Daisy8s]

I like your idea best. Wait and send them pics of Toby's babies! No finger pointing, no nagging, no seeming as though you're doing any of that. I had a feeling that trying teach someone like that would be a waste of effort. They already don't listen or those chickens wouldn't have ended up that way in the first place. That's just willfully being ignorant. Which is worse than simple ignorance, which can be remedied.

Good points, galanie. And Bee, I like your analogy of a glass that's already full. (Not to mention the classic: "You can't fix stupid." Amen to that!)

 

[7L Farm]

There's only one person who's all knowing & I hope we all know who that is. I for one am always looking to help animals been doing it for most of my life. My father once told me son if you take something from nature you need to put something back in nature. I have been on this quest forever & will continue until the day I pass on. This thread has helped me better the life of some birds that I chose to raise. The birds rely on me to help them & I'm always looking & trying different stuff to help them along their way. They bite me sometimes & I just bite them back. Basically the birds seem to trust me. I worry each & everyday about them I constantly check on them their my life. Will some not make it yup & I really hate that part but its how nature culls the weak & helps grow better animals.

 

[Beekissed]

Beekissed, I'd like to ask your advice. I am ashamed to admit that my birds are not in great shape and I honestly don't know why. I'd like to tell you all that I'm doing and ask you if you can tell me where Im going wrong. I think I'm doing right by the chickens but they aren't in as good health as I know they can and should be. I don't want to hijack this thread and didn't want to pm you without asking first. Any help would be appreciated by myself and the girls.
breezy

Ask it here! That is what this thread is for, for learning and doing. I think you are not alone and others out there could really learn from your experience. Tell us your story....

 

[cowcreekgeek]

I complete understand why/where cold, simple logic fails, when it comes to those you feel responsible for. Went through similar experience when breeding/training dogs ... despite pullin' $1200 each? I've not produced a single dog in decades now.

Check the links below; you'll find 'em very useful. And, I do wish you the best ...

 

[Beekissed]

There's only one person who's all knowing & I hope we all know who that is. I for one am always looking to help animals been doing it for most of my life. My father once told me son if you take something from nature you need to put something back in nature. I have been on this quest forever & will continue until the day I pass on. This thread has helped me better the life of some birds that I chose to raise. The birds rely on me to help them & I'm always looking & trying different stuff to help them along their way. They bite me sometimes & I just bite them back. Basically the birds seem to trust me. I worry each & everyday about them I constantly check on them their my life. Will some not make it yup & I really hate that part but its how nature culls the weak & helps grow better animals.

Your dad was a wise man! That was important advice to have and I think farmers have gotten so far away from that concept that they no longer know how to find their way back. They get caught in a web of greed and a herd mentality of thinking that the US gov't agencies have the 411 on the "best" way to raise livestock. It's never, ever a good idea to raise too many livestock, fast and in a small area, just to make a buck.

Essentially, many of the people getting into chickens fall under that same spell. They crowd chickens into a small space or in poorly ventilated doll houses, in their wanting to have every pretty or unusual breed, laughingly call it "chicken math", contaminate their run soils with all the excess manure, and then rely on the recommended by the vet or USDA medicine to remedy the problems that ensue. It's a horrible and careless way to get into animal husbandry and the many "HELP" type threads tell the story. I can't even read those things without cringing or shaking my head and moving along.