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

[Bulldogma]

An update on the dog attack survivors; mr roo is no longer gimping and seems to be healing up just fine; was even scratching around this morning. The least hurt hen was clucking and singing this morning; she has been scratching around looking for treats for a few days. The hen with the hole in her head. Well still debating myself. I have put these three chickens in their own pen. This one is drinking and occasionally I see her eat a bite or two. She seems to walk around fine, tho she does spend a lot of the day hunched up in the corner. Every time I think I should bite the bullet and just cull her I will see her out walking around and poking around the pen. So sort of waiting for some definitive sign that she'll get better or she won't. The very fact that she is still alive tells me she has a good chance of living so I'm just waiting it out.

The white duck is mostly healed up. The blue one that had such a horrible hole in her chest, the infection seems gone (at least no more smell) and I haven't given her another shot. The hole doesn't seem as deep as it was, but will keep an eye on things. I noticed a couple days after the attack that her caruncle (red stuff around her face, she's a Muscovy) was very pale, almost white. Yesterday some of the color is coming back, so I know she's getting better. Also she has been more lively and chatting up the other ducks through the fence. I've left these two ducks in the pen and just added some baby chickens, from 1-3 months old. I don't want to put them in with my other Muscovys because there are way too many drakes and the testosterone level is getting really thick over there. I figured that would be too much stress. I'll be culling drakes pretty soon and when the girls are well healed up then I will put them all together.

With work, holiday and what not I haven't even got to look close at those old Welsummers, maybe later today if it warms up nice.

Glad to hear they are doing well. Keep us posted on their progress!

The roo regards the woman. What a difference a month on FF feed, Johnny Cakes, wood ash dusting, and Nu stock has made. He has put on weight, is bug free, and those feathers!

Calling the pullets to the pumpkin. They all came running with wings flapping. Such a wonderful sight.

Johnny and the pullets. A small but content flock. My heart is full.

Wonderful update!!! I'm so happy for you and for Johnny!

 

[Bulldogma]

Hey everyone... guess who's getting some Nu-Stock to give away on the blog??



Yup! The Nu-Stock folks contacted me today and they'll be shipping me a box of 12 tubes. Now I'm not gonna lie... I'm keeping one of those tubes, and Bee is welcome to one if she wants it. The rest will be given away (probably once a month) on the blog

 

[armorfirelady]

Hey everyone... guess who's getting some Nu-Stock to give away on the blog??



Yup! The Nu-Stock folks contacted me today and they'll be shipping me a box of 12 tubes. Now I'm not gonna lie... I'm keeping one of those tubes, and Bee is welcome to one if she wants it. The rest will be given away (probably once a month) on the blog

Wow thats awesome Bulldogma......great job !!

 

[Sally8]

I started following Bee's thread from the beginning also and when fermented feed was brought up I thought, "no way". At 5am, I hardy want to water the birds much less drain feed that has sat for a day or two having my house smell like sour dough or vinegar. (I leave the pail, inside a pail next to the woodstove and the fermenting happens quickly). So we ferment. My Aussie loves it, but doesn't seem to bother it. So I thought. A week ago I upgraded my 2 smaller pails to 2 - 5 gal pails next to the wood stove. We went away only to come home and find 5 gal of fermented feed all over the living room floor. What a smell. The dog threw up all night. Guess what I'm getting? New carpet!!!!!!!! Yea! He hasn't touched it since. The temps are ranging around 20 at night and up to 40 during the day. FF really has made a difference, the eggs are much larger, can't say about the yolks, they could be. the chickens look very healthy in spite of the mites. The only reason I started using it was because Bee said we would use less feed. And we do. At first they wouldn't even try it but I think I was using too much vinegar. I backed off and then slowly increased. They all come running, I put a little in the dishes and little mounds around. I still offer some dry but after filling the dish on the holiday weekend, I noticed it still hadn't been touched last night. I still don't like the extra steps that early but it would be frozen if I put it out at night. My next trip to Tractor Supply will provide me with heated dog bowls. I try to do as many things at night as I am extremely grouchy in the am.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hey everyone... guess who's getting some Nu-Stock to give away on the blog??



Yup! The Nu-Stock folks contacted me today and they'll be shipping me a box of 12 tubes. Now I'm not gonna lie... I'm keeping one of those tubes, and Bee is welcome to one if she wants it. The rest will be given away (probably once a month) on the blog

Great news...

 

[Miss Lydia]

I started following Bee's thread from the beginning also and when fermented feed was brought up I thought, "no way". At 5am, I hardy want to water the birds much less drain feed that has sat for a day or two having my house smell like sour dough or vinegar. (I leave the pail, inside a pail next to the woodstove and the fermenting happens quickly). So we ferment. My Aussie loves it, but doesn't seem to bother it. So I thought. A week ago I upgraded my 2 smaller pails to 2 - 5 gal pails next to the wood stove. We went away only to come home and find 5 gal of fermented feed all over the living room floor. What a smell. The dog threw up all night. Guess what I'm getting? New carpet!!!!!!!! Yea! He hasn't touched it since. The temps are ranging around 20 at night and up to 40 during the day. FF really has made a difference, the eggs are much larger, can't say about the yolks, they could be. the chickens look very healthy in spite of the mites. The only reason I started using it was because Bee said we would use less feed. And we do. At first they wouldn't even try it but I think I was using too much vinegar. I backed off and then slowly increased. They all come running, I put a little in the dishes and little mounds around. I still offer some dry but after filling the dish on the holiday weekend, I noticed it still hadn't been touched last night. I still don't like the extra steps that early but it would be frozen if I put it out at night. My next trip to Tractor Supply will provide me with heated dog bowls. I try to do as many things at night as I am extremely grouchy in the am.

I love the heated dog bowls, I have been putting the ff in them and sitting it out in the morning.

I finally got the ff the consistency of peanut butter so no draining now and I was using too much vinegar too and since I cut back my flock loves the ff.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have an broody/incubating question.

I have an 8 mo old that looks like she may be trying out the broody road. I will thoroughly test her by removing her from the nest box for several days in a row, etc. If she appears to hang in there, I am looking at getting some fertilized eggs and letting her give it a shot.

Now.... I'm thinking I'd like to have a backup plan in case I have eggs and she deserts. I do not own an incubator. I have looked at some youtube videos of home made incubators using cooler, light bulb, thermometer/hygrometer, but I wonder about how reliable these are.

Any thoughts for a backup? Anyone tried a homemade one? How did it work for you?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Hey everyone... guess who's getting some Nu-Stock to give away on the blog??



Yup! The Nu-Stock folks contacted me today and they'll be shipping me a box of 12 tubes. Now I'm not gonna lie... I'm keeping one of those tubes, and Bee is welcome to one if she wants it. The rest will be given away (probably once a month) on the blog

YAY! Thanks to the NuStock folks too!

 

[texasmomma]

We got our first chickens in August. I have learned a lot since then! I was not a good chicken keeper today, and one of my 10 week old pullets ended up in the yard next door. Well, they have dogs over there. My daughter found the pullet and got her away from the dog. She was still alive, but her tail feathers are gone, she has quite a few feathers missing from her back, and she looks like a naked neck. There was one 1/2 inch gash on her back as well.

I knew what to do. I got her, slathered NuStock over her bare parts and put her in a rubbermaid bin. She has water and food to eat if she wants it. I've tried to get her to drink a few times, but she has not wanted anything to drink. She was very scared. She also tends to pant more than my other pullets and finally stopped the panting. She is all fluffed up in the bin. I'll probably put her in the garage tonight, so nothing gets at her.

I had been trying to integrate the flock and it wasn't going so well. So, I thought I would let them free range. None of them have ever gone into the yard next door. Well, this time they did. This EE is a feisty chicken, though, and I expect that she will make it through with flying colors. In the meantime, the integration has been put on hold. I have two swedish flower hen chicks in their own separate pen and expecting a few more hatching eggs this week. I really need to get this group integrated. All in due time, of course.

I am grateful for the FF. I think that this pullet was in great health before the dog got her. And I am glad that I knew what to do. I might try to find a way to drizzle some water into her mouth, but I figure she knows what she needs better than this Momma.

 

[Chickmate]

...until then, there is no way to regulate his food while still giving the gals what they need so I'll let him go through his fat days until spring when I taper everyone off slowly until they are full on forage without needing supplements.

So you're saying your birds live only off what they forage in the summer? No laying crumbles or any supplemental food at all? How would I know if mine were getting enough to eat and to support egg laying (besides getting eggs!). Would it also depend on where you live and the type of property they forage from? I'd love to save money on food when I can but I didn't think they could survive only on what they forage.