Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chicken Rustler]

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I have some electrolytes outside; when she wakes up in the morning I'll mix them up in her water. I agree about the poison that the rain should have washed anything like that away, unless it's a plant or mushroom. We're going mushroom hunting in the morning too. I am trying to distance myself from this bird right now and pray she makes it. With Tilda, I was so worried about her every second of suffering that we culled her earlier than most would have probably, in the same type of case. I need to not see this bird except to make sure she hasn't died a couple times a day, so I'm gonna put her cage with scrambled eggs and electrolyte water in the basement in the morning so I don't make a rash decision.

I can't see how this would be respiratory; with Tilda she was breathing heavy and really struggling; Louise isn't at all, she's just huddled with her eyes closed. She can stand if need be and open her eyes, hesitates to walk but can do that as well (like when my cat came in the kitchen and she got nervous and walked off the towel). Sounds like something she ate is bothering her. She pooped only once that I can see (she's in the back of the cage right now) and it's mostly liquid with scant, skinny, brownish black poop.

Any help anyone can offer me will be appreciated. Sorry I'm always the drama queen with the dumb sick birds, I'm glad to have y'all for advice but am sick of the drama of these spoiled birds!

I agree with Kim to try treating with Corid for Coccidiosis. When we've had it, first sign is birds huddling, eyes closed, not eating. But be warned, it's usually too late by that point, but if one bird (or two) are showing symptoms, they are probably all dealing with it, and you are seeing the weaker birds succomb to it. I'd treat the whole flock for it....unless there are other symptoms....when was the last time a new bird came into the picture?
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[SadieSue]

I have new babies tonight!!! This afternoon I went out to Bothell and picked up 4 silkie chicks from Sheryl Butler. They are soooooooo cute. I even caught my husband holding one! Since the quarantine coop is not quite done, the silkies are in a stock tank brooder out in the garage. I'll still be going to the show on Saturday to look for 1 or 2 more pullets to round out the flock. But I can take my time since I won't be having to pick out a half dozen birds.

I am just amazed at how sweet these little silkies are. I can reach in and pet them and they don't freak like the hatchery Wyandottes did. The littlest one snuggles down in the palm of my hand. I hope I get at least a couple of girls. It's going to be hard to let any boys go!

Speaking of boys, what is a good age to send my cockerels to freezer camp? If I quarantine the new birds for a month, the boys from the first chicks will be around 11-13 weeks old. Should I do the boys when I'm ready to move the new birds in, to shake up the pecking order? I think there will only be 2 pullets from the first chicks. I guess if the boys are a little small, they should still be good for cooking, yes? I remember when I was in college and fried chicken on my stove, I looked for birds under 4 pounds since they made the best friers. I won't be frying these. Probably roasting....

Jennifer

Sounds like another silkie convert! Aren't they the snuggliest little babies? I've loved all the chicks I've hatched but when I hatched my silkies and Seramas last spring I was introduced to a whole new world of cuddly cuteness. Sometimes those chicks would just burrow in close and take a snooze when we would hold them.
Enjoy those babies! What colors did you get?

 

[JennS]

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Yes, they are amazing! I want to go hold them, but I'm letting them settle in tonight. She only had white available, but that's alright. I've got plenty of time to get other colors in the future!

I brought my son with me to "help" pick them out, but he ended up passing out in the car (we all got up almost 2 hours early this morning, ugh) and woke up cranky, thankfully after the chicks were packed and ready to go. So I was worried that he wouldn't like them when we got home (and he was in a foul mood, too), but after I opened the box he made happy noises and reached in the box. Progress! He's afraid of adult chickens (even silkies) so part of why I wanted these was to build his confidence as they grow. The other part is that they are just so darn cute! Hopefully my husband will come around as well. He's got a bias against silkies since he remembers his grandmother's birds as being, well, as dumb as rocks. I haven't heard of silkies as a breed having that problem, so I'm crossing my fingers these will change his opinion.

Ok, off to the garage to do a last check on the new chicks! I'll take a pic to post. I've got a couple of the big coop, too.

Jennifer

 

[Nikki99]

I received my official invitation to callbacks for "The Childrens Hour" yesterday and hooray -

I don't have to be at the theater until 3 PM. That should give DH and I plenty of time to get there for a quick visit and back home in time.

Gotta go check the pantry to make sure I have all ingredients needed to make the peanut butter fudge. I'm SO looking forward to seeing birds and peeps on Saturday!

Woot woot!! Congratulations!!! Break a leg!

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Hallerlake - I hope your Brabanter is OK!

She's still alive this morning. That's something.
Need to keep her in a darkened room so she doesn't lay again until it's mostly healed.
She died after I posted this morning.

Hallerlake, I'm so very sorry for your loss.

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Yeah well, something is coming to mind about a certain waitress and a cell phone and... I don't quite remember all the details, but I may be beginning to doubt the validity of that "trust me"...

It's sounding more and more like you're never gonna live this one down CR. Lol

Well, 4 little Blue Copper Marans are in the world now.
2 Black, 1 Blue, and one copper-headed blue.
Which I am very excited about.

It was a miracle any hatched the way all air cells were detached & rolled from end to end...as it were, 2 failed to pip as their heads were in the samll end, rumps in the air cells............

BUT, the 4 that hatched are doing excellent, and here's wishin' I have a black copper boy, a blue copper boy, and hopefully a copper-headed blue hen !!!!!!!!

Yay!! Congratulations on the new babies!! I hope you got the sexes you were/are hoping for!

Quote: I guess its been a while since I've been on and there are new folks here since I originally posted about it around Feb. It is like a government grant. I applied and was awarded it so the tunnel will be paid for as long as I comply with the specs and a 3 year study that I need to keep records and provide information to USDA.

Wow, that sounds neat! Congrats on the grant! I think it looks really cool and good luck on your study!

 

[Hinotori]

Quote:
Yes, they are amazing! I want to go hold them, but I'm letting them settle in tonight. She only had white available, but that's alright. I've got plenty of time to get other colors in the future!

I brought my son with me to "help" pick them out, but he ended up passing out in the car (we all got up almost 2 hours early this morning, ugh) and woke up cranky, thankfully after the chicks were packed and ready to go. So I was worried that he wouldn't like them when we got home (and he was in a foul mood, too), but after I opened the box he made happy noises and reached in the box. Progress! He's afraid of adult chickens (even silkies) so part of why I wanted these was to build his confidence as they grow. The other part is that they are just so darn cute! Hopefully my husband will come around as well. He's got a bias against silkies since he remembers his grandmother's birds as being, well, as dumb as rocks. I haven't heard of silkies as a breed having that problem, so I'm crossing my fingers these will change his opinion.

Ok, off to the garage to do a last check on the new chicks! I'll take a pic to post. I've got a couple of the big coop, too.

Jennifer



I have a silkie cockerel who is the first to see anything coming in the sky. How, I have no idea. He's also a little racist dictator of his coop. His flock had better stay within a radius of him or he'll put them in their place. Doesn't like other breeds in his run. Now that the EE chicks are a few months old and he can tell they aren't silkies, he doesn't like them in there either. I'll have to move them over with the big birds soon.

One of the silkie hens likes to get her head soaked. I swear she does it on purpose so that her crest feathers stick together and up out of the way so she can see better.

 

[TerrorBird]

CR recommends pastries for my contribution, so I feel inclined to make something like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I can make them GF and egg-free so that everyone (hopefully) can have them if they'd like. If anyone has any objections, please say so and I'll come up with something else.

 

[JennS]

Here are the new silkies! Supposedly two pairs, but I'm crossing my fingers she was right when she said "everything looks like a girl to me today."

And the latest pics of the big coop. More progress! The cabinet/nest box area is mostly done, and Lamont has moved on to framing the rest. I think he's doing a pretty darn good job for someone who's never built a coop before.









I think it's going to be gorgeous. I don't want to think about how much it is costing! Most conversations with my husband about the coop involve apologies. It helps that he's gotten a few pricey toys himself, and I'm calling this my birthday and Christmas gift. (It includes a new compressor, circular saw, and jig saw....) It's being built in such a way that we can take it apart and bring it with us if we move.

Jennifer

 

[JennS]

I have a silkie cockerel who is the first to see anything coming in the sky. How, I have no idea. He's also a little racist dictator of his coop. His flock had better stay within a radius of him or he'll put them in their place. Doesn't like other breeds in his run. Now that the EE chicks are a few months old and he can tell they aren't silkies, he doesn't like them in there either. I'll have to move them over with the big birds soon.

One of the silkie hens likes to get her head soaked. I swear she does it on purpose so that her crest feathers stick together and up out of the way so she can see better.

KMHunter was at Sheryl's place when I got there, and IIRC she also has a hen who does that. Sounds like they're pretty smart! The racist dictator cockerel is pretty funny. I wish I could keep a rooster so I could see the flock dynamics in action. Heck, I'd like to keep one just because they're beautiful.

Jennifer

 

[JennS]

I'll be bringing snacks that are easy to prepare to the show. I just don't have the time or energy to bake, sorry!

I'll bring some nice cheese and crackers, veggies and fruits, maybe some smoked salmon. That sort of thing. Which reminds me, I should go to Costco tomorrow.... I probably won't be able to hang around long, either. Depends on how long I can keep my son interested in the food and people. He's been acting out a lot lately.

Jennifer

 

[lovinchickypoos]

Heres the latest on the HT. Just need to put doors on but I need to bring in a couple dump truck loads of top soil and it will be easier to get the tractor in there with the doors off.

THAT LOOKS GREAT!!!!

This is dumb. I feel like I'm doing stuff right in regards to keeping things clean, checking my birds out regularly, feeding them good feed, pampering them by offering oatmeal + vitamins twice a week, yada yada. Things are clean and they're taken care of! Could there be something inherantly wrong with my backyard when mixed with chickens? If it's not been one thing it's been another, since the beginning. If it weren't for the insane amount of money we've put into this whole ordeal I swear I'd quit!

I got 4mL of molasses water into Louise. Put her in a cage in the dining room. We'll see how she is tomorrow. I'm done. Done nursing sick chickens back to health. If they're gonna die in the conditions we keep them, so be it. Ugh!!!

I am trying to distance myself from this bird right now and pray she makes it. With Tilda, I was so worried about her every second of suffering that we culled her earlier than most would have probably, in the same type of case. I need to not see this bird except to make sure she hasn't died a couple times a day, so I'm gonna put her cage with scrambled eggs and electrolyte water in the basement in the morning so I don't make a rash decision.

Sorry I'm always the drama queen with the dumb sick birds, I'm glad to have y'all for advice but am sick of the drama of these spoiled birds!

Don't beat yourself up!!!!!!!! You're doing A LOT for your girls!!!!!!! No matter what we do, these things can happen. From what I remember, you did not jump the gun on Tilda. You tried very hard. There comes a point when it is merciful to help them go.