Washingtonians

[HoneysuckleHills]

Well I finally got what's coming to me by bringing in new birds. Tilda is sick. I think it's Cocci even though I don't have solid proof; nothing else makes sense. She's huddled and weak and can barely walk, when she leans forward to eat or drink she falls on her face. Or rather, that's how she was last night. I was up late syringe feeding her medicated amprollium water mixed with Pedialyte. She also hadn't eaten in a long time, her crop was empty so I fed her a scrambled egg and a mash of her feed with the medicated water. Didn't want to overdo that though so we finally went to bed. She woke up at 8am thirsty and I gave her another cup full of medicated water; she drank 6 ounces of water and won't eat her mash or egg yet. She is now standing and drinking out of a cup without falling down, and occasionally she talks quietly to me. Her poops were yellow water with a tiny bit of black solids in there. She's breathing about half the time heavily with her mouth open. I suck. I know I should quarantine but I just don't have the setup. This is final for me now, no more new birds, except day-olds and hatching eggs! Grr. I think she'll recover I'm just mad at myself. If she doesn't recover, those will be two expensive new chickens!

The only thing that doesn't make sense is that "incubation" period for new cocci strains is supposed to be 5 days, and she'd only been exposed for 3.5 at the most by the time I found her. OK we're doing school now and I'm wasting time. Gotta go check my peeper (she's in a crate on the table) and finish up with John.

This is very distressing news.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
It's not your fault or anyone's, we just have different cocci strains in our yards. Don't worry friend, your birds are healthy and happy so far, all are on Corid for a while until Tilda is better.

 

[VelvettFog]

Quote:
I really don't think this is Cocci. In my experience Adult birds seldomly come down with those symptoms. Did you feel her abdomen? soft? firm?

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
I really don't think this is Cocci. In my experience Adult birds seldomly come down with those symptoms. Did you feel her abdomen? soft? firm?

Abdomen is soft, definitely not egg bound (I'd feel something, right?). Crop is either empty or soft with her egg/mash combo food right now. Poop is watery yellow with some solids in it. She's open mouth breathing about 1/3 of the time.

 

[FirewifeJess]

I could always start antibiotics too just in case, I just don't want to overload her system. I think she's maybe a bit better today, except for the not eating part.

 

[VelvettFog]

I could always start antibiotics too just in case, I just don't want to overload her system. I think she's maybe a bit better today, except for the not eating part.

Starting antibiotics before you know the true cause is a very bad idea. You can either use the wrong spectrum or a dose that is too low -- then you end up contributing to the 'super bugs' that we have all around us.

 

[Chickielady]

LOL... Looking back bravery wasnt the word best fitting...Stupidity is maybe better LOL... See when I went to check the noise I wasnt thinking it would be a large critter and I certainly never imagined he would actually be inside the barn when I opened the doors..... The pitchfork was the closes thing to grab. To my benefit he was a young bear and I think about as scared of and surprised by me as I was him. I dont think I would have faired as well with an adult. So I learned 2 important things that night.
1) Dont put the dogs in the house when barking and you go to check out the commotion.

and 2) Take something that goes Bang when you go each time just in case.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
Yeah I know that, I just hate seeing her have problems. She's pretty miserable right now, won't eat anything at all, even mealworms. Right now I'm soaking some scratch grains and worms in hot water to soften them up and see if she'll eat them. Guess I will just keep watching her.

 

[Chickielady]

Hey CL!
Been nice to see you back online more.
How are you feeling today?

I smiled when I saw your post. The other day when I posted some garden shots I thought of you and wondered if you would respond with a few photos of your own!
I always love photos of your garden. You have such a green thumb.

You know what I've really been wondering about?
Your Lyda rose. How's she doing? Any photos?
I've wanted one of those forever!

When you get a chance, post some photos of the construction.
Good to see you online.

Lyda is doing great...I will go snap a few pics in a little while !

I also have a rescue rose...it was here when we bought the place, stuck in the clay dirt and beaten down...it never grew hardly nor bloomed, so last winter I dug it up & potted it in nice chicken manure compost and it grew !!!
It is side-by Lyda, still has not bloomed, though....can't waite to see what it is ?!?!

 

[Chickielady]

Ahhhhhh Panic!!!! Well a little So I need some advice from my Washington Friends..... I think I mentioned awhile back that we are raising Cornish X for Meat.. They will be READY in around 3 weeks time. We have never done this before A neighbor of ours was going to teach us the ins and outs of processing in exchange for my raising him 15 birds.. It was a great plan... Then today I found out that he is having complications due to a surgery and will not likely be able to be upright to help us..... Ahhhhhh.. So I have put my big girl "boots' on and have been watching Videos most of the past couple days on How To Do the Deed So I posted this in the Meat bird section but thought Id bother all you fine folks here too I just need a little advice and directions

So heres the Post :::::::

Hi everyone..... We are going to be processing about 32 Cornish X in about 2 or 3 Weeks. This will be our first time. So I am working now on getting everything ready. I am wondering if all you folks that have done this before have any ideas or advice on good set ups or tools needed to make the process go well?? You know like types of knives, tools, storage bags, how many buckets Etc...

Our County here has a program that lets us rent processing equipment for $20.00 for the weekend. So I have reserved that and hope the date I picked is a good one to match the Birds I will have Killing Cones, Plucker, and Scalder. So Im open for ideas on the rest of whats needed. Figured I d ask the experts before I go out and spend $$ on stuff I may or may not need

Thank You!!!!

You will need a few 5 gallon buckets for guts & heads/feet.....and line them with grabage bags.
I use a big cone-shaped collander in my sink to strain the blood off the entrails....blood goes down the drain & guts stay in the collander.
I also use a cutting board with non skid feets, and a very very very sharp paring knife to do the cutting, and a large very sharp kitchen knife for cutting throats & legs off.
We have 2 tubs of cold water nearby, rubber maid type tubs.
After birds are gutted & in the first tub for a rinse, then into the second.
Once I get a few in there (not more than 15 minutes go by) I bag them in 1 gallon ziplocks or they get rigor mortis & legs go straight out and they will not go in the bags !
So I bag as I go & stick them right in the freezer.
Scald water should be 160 degrees...have a strainer to get out floating feathers.....and trash bag attached to the plucker for feathers....stem thermometer to test water...dip the birds & pull them out & test if the leg scales come off, if so, they are ready to pluck.
After plucking, pull off pin feathers, rinse & I take off the front, neck/crop, and then the lower legs, and then do the entrails.
Pinch the area above the vent (as the bird is on it's back) and cut horizontally almost to the vent, then reach in & grab the gizzard & pull..then the liver, take a needle nose plier & pich off the bile duct, remove without dripping any bile on the meat !
Livers & heart go in the tubs also, and we bag them when we get about 15-20.
After guts are all pulled out, I slice 2 cuts on either side of the vent (you will feel the spot) and then fold this down (vent & all) and cut tail/vent off with the big knife.
Done.
You'll get the hang of it after a few birds.

Oh I also have a 1 gallon milk jug of bleach solution, and keep it there with a spray bottle of it also, spray down the area & tool every so often and put a dose of 1/2 cup or so in the scald water...the bugger are poopy !
Another good tip is to with hold feed the day of butcher...take their feeder away the night before & do the butchering early in the morning.
This means alot less poopiness & full gross crops.