Utah!

[Cynthia12]

Lisa! Did you know that you have a storm watch for Wed..through Thurs? It sounds bad..4 to 12 inches, plus, it will turn to rain on Thurs. They are saying bad driving conditions. Not only do you need to get what you need for those two days, but get those chickens ready for this. It's only 10 degrees here now, and my chickens won't even go out to eat scratch! They love scratch. The sparrows are eating it. Anyway, there, you can say yes mam and get to work on getting ready for the big snow storm coming your way..starting in Idaho, then coming to you. I can't imagine how cold it is at your place now!

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Oh sweetheart, is this the first time you've gotten around to seeing this?  There are plenty of worse ones out there, trust me, you don't want to watch any more.  I did.  I am not saying this because I want folks on here to buy my chicks, but I know how most places are.  I love Meyer hatchery.  They will sell their chicks straight run, their place looks clean, and yes, I realize they could be showing only "the good" but I will try and post them.  You can read up on their how they got started, and how they care for the birds. I am not sure, but I don't think they sell their birds to large comapanies..like IFA and Cal Ranch.   I have been hatching from breeders for years now, and love it when they go to good homes.  I know when they have problems, they won't suffer for hrs. when something needs to be done. 
 Another thing to think about..is..what about that dog and cat food that says in it's ingredients..chicken mentioned first..beef mentioned first..lamb mentioned first..ads saying the best thing for your dog is the dog food that has meat as the first ingredient.  I buy cheap dog food, then give my dogs eggs,   left over meat, and other table food they can eat safely.  There are some things that dogs can't eat.  When, did dog food come into the picture?  Years ago, no dog food, just scraps from their people.  Well, the dog food I buy is a great filler, and yes, has some nutrient..anyway, I will try and find that link for Meyer Hatchery.  Small owned. 
 I don't have problems with the chicks that I hatch.  They do the regular pecking order thing, but none have been overly mean.  That's the truth. 

 Found it..it's the first video..note the amount of chicks they produce a year, compared to Ideal..900,000 compared to 4 million!  And note the size of Ideal..to the smaller Meyer...love them.. http://www.meyerhatchery.com/
 And yes, McMurray does it similar..they use small baskets and "people" to separate them, not machines.  And, like Meyer, they sell the rooster chicks.  http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html

It is so crazy I just assumed when they butcher at least they were decent about it. I could not imagine all hatcheries acting like that in the video, so it is good to hear there are some decent ones. Eww! I think I am just sold on buying from individials that love their chickens. These EE I got from you are wonderful and sweet. AND the only other chick I got from a local breeder is great. My others not so much Thanks for the info!

 

[kimmypie]

where you located at

Eagle Mountain.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Cynthia---Yes I saw that! And..yes m'am haha! We are ready though---my run is wrapped in heavy plastic, with about 6 inches on top unwrapped to keep it ventilated, there is a roof on the run now. so it is really protected from wind and snow. We have one side that is exposed on the north but it faces the house and the wind usually blows the other way. It is the part under the letters, really short, just the part under the coop, that way we can still open those gates down there and they like to keep an eye on the house to see mama coming with treats in the mornings. We were at 4 degrees this morning, and they were out running around, I think they have gotten pretty good with the cold. I have a heat lamp inside the coop just in case any body wants to go in to warm up, but they usually stay out during the day. The little pc bantam that got beat up stays in more than anybody, she is missing some feathers on her back. Sometimes I think she just stays in to chase the black EE babies around though. But they are getting alot bigger than her so she has another thing coming haha They have been outside this morning too so I think they will be ok. Then there is Ms. Broody, sitting in the nest, she will be nice and toasty and never even realize what is going on lol. Can you believe that forecast? Up to 12 it says, possibly more near the Idaho border...that is a lot. My boy is ready with his sled out, he has been begging for snow, so let's blame this on him My teenage daughter drives to school and has never done the slick road thing yet. Might have to make her ride with me Thurs morning. It looks like it is going to be warmer, right around 30 so it could go either way as far as slick roads.
Hope everybody else this way is prepared! They are saying some wind with this one, I hope it is not like the crazy wind that blew away our blow up snowman. I just hate storms when they do damage.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Question!!

I went out to feed my girls. My partridge cochin bantam has been sitting in the house under the heat lamp...she usually does on and off but it is unusual for her to just sit there not moving...she is not even chasing the two that she likes to chase around they are just walking right past her. It is not too cold out there right now because the sun is out and the coop has heated up to over 30 degrees. But I noticed she is breathing really heavy, like she has been exercising or running around but has not moved. SO, if she has a respiratory illness of some sort, can the others catch it/should I remove her from the area? Maybe it's nothing--might just be the cold morning--but what would you do if anything and what signs do I watch for to know is she is indeed sick? She would be vulnerable to illness I would think because as many of you know I had posted a picture of her she got beat beat up a few months back and has recovered but is missing some feathers and looks awful, and to boot she has never laid eggs and just seems kinds sickly. She is 9 months old. She has never been quite right

Edit----i went back out--when i reach to her she does not budge...I petted her back and she just sat totally still, closing her eyes while I pet her, never moved...not her usual behaviour, she usually veers away from my hand..she really has gray combs and wattles today too. I think something is really wrong. She seems to be heaving when she breathes.

 

[Sphinx]

Lisa, it definitely sounds like something isn't right. I'd be so irritated if I had a 9 month old chicken that had never laid an egg!! I'd be tempted to remove her from the area, just in case she does have something.


Kimmy, Sunnybrooke Farm's sexed chicks also come from a hatchery. The ones she hatches herself are usually straight run.

The place here in Utah with Cream Legbars has the following deal, from what I heard: She got a few hatching eggs from someone in the UK, had to do crazy paperwork to get it done legally. She hatched them, and had two pullets and one cockerel hatch. The one pullet was never terribly healthy, and ended up passing away a couple months ago. Last I heard, the remaining pullet hadn't even started laying eggs yet, so she definitely didn't have anything available for sale. I suspect she'll want to build up her flock before she starts selling much of anything.

Cynthia, yes, I got my eggs set fairly late on Sunday night.

 

[RedIII]

Lisa, that doesn't sound like normal behavior, from what little I understand. I would separate her from the others so that it doesn't spread. Is there any way you can bring her inside and warm her up? That way you could keep an eye on her and see if you can get her to take some food or water. I hope she's okay.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Lisa, that doesn't sound like normal behavior, from what little I understand. I would separate her from the others so that it doesn't spread. Is there any way you can bring her inside and warm her up? That way you could keep an eye on her and see if you can get her to take some food or water. I hope she's okay.

I think I willl put her in my garage--I have the brooder cage out there with a 75 w lightbulb for heat---and its insulated, only about 50 degrees out there, plenty warm with the bulb and a cover....then I can keep an eye on her. She is acting really weird Hope she is ok. She does not really seem to be suffering, as far as I can tell.

 

[Cynthia12]

I think I willl put her in my garage--I have the brooder cage out there with a 75 w lightbulb for heat---and its insulated, only about 50 degrees out there, plenty warm with the bulb and a cover....then I can keep an eye on her. She is acting really weird

Hope she is ok. She does not really seem to be suffering, as far as I can tell.

This is a good idea..listen to her. Do you hear any crackling sounds? That would be upper resperatory. I know that hen-thusiast takes in unwanted chickens. You could see if she wants her. But, if she is sick..Maybe you should wait until you know for sure, plus this crazy weather..wait until it passes. Good luck.

Shinx, are you going to do the web cam again? I still haven't heard from that gal..hope she doesn't forget me.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

No crackling sounds, she is amazingly quiet today. No peeps or anything. The other girls come in and pick at her a bit, she just sits there totally quiet but breathing giant breaths. I am getting the garage brooder ready and she is going in there in just a minute. Waiting for my DH to get here and watch the kids while I go out and get her, I have quite a few here now (I teach preschool). Yes she makes me irritated for not laying....but if she is sick I feel kinda bad for her, do not want her to die through suffering, it may be because of all her trauma from her wounds before she healed up. I worry more about the others because they are healthy. She would not eat or drink for me when I tried to give her some bread--THAT tells me she really feels bad----If she gets really ill we will do what we have to do though to get it over with, probably should have taken her out a long time ago, like those farmers do, but you know, for us they are pets too, it is hard to purposefully 'cull' one from the flock....but might be necessary. I need to toughen up for that part I know it will be part of the task of chicken keeping. Thanks for all the input and help, I have no idea about the various illnesses and what to look for :/