Washingtonians

[Nikki99]

Calling all goat peeps.......................

Ok, we have 2 Nigerian Dwarf babies that we brought home September 23. They both had a cough and snotty, runny noses. The breeder gave them both an antibiotic injection before we left with them and said to give it a week and they should be fine, she said it was just a little cold from being at the fair. Jester's cleared up and he's doing well. Blitz started to get better and was lookin pretty good, then the nights started getting colder....
I went down this a.m to let everyone out and Blitz's cough is worse and his nose is snotty again. He's eating and drinking fine, he's up and moving around, he's just coughing and snotty. Should I go to the feed store and pick up some antibiotics, if so, what is the best one? or take him to a vet?

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote:
OK. Thank you. So far, I've felt pretty relaxed about the whole hatching process because I never knew for certain any of them were really alive. Seeing the eggs rock on their own puts a whole new spin on things. I am now realizing that I really am responsible for little babies now. I'm going to get the 2nd incubator on today and ready to go. I think I'm going to keep the three that are rocking in the first incubator and put the other two that haven't moved in the other one. I can only guess that they might hatch later. I know one of them was alive and moving the other day when we candled, but it looked smaller than the others, so I'm not sure if it is a breed thing, or it is just further behind.

CR... the white egg... were you ever able to figure out what that might be? The embryo in that egg was clearly smaller than the embryos in the brown eggs. The embryo in the white egg is much, much smaller than it's own egg. But it was alive and kicking when we candled it yesterday, so I'm not sure why it is so small. The others completely fill their eggs.

Also, any idea what mixes might be hatching? The rundown on all the eggs.... all were candled yesterday morning.

Egg A had a very dark side and a large air cell. It is rocking on it's own today.

Egg B is the one we suspect may have quit - no movement yet, difficult to candle and had 2 small air pockets on each side instead of 1 large one like we should be seeing.

Egg C was difficult to see, but we saw a tiny bit of what looked like a shadow moving. It is rocking on it's own today.

Egg D... same as egg C.

Egg E had a very wiggly embryo in it, but it was much smaller than the rest. The embryo is much smaller than it's own egg - no where near filling the egg. But, it was moving. Crazy. They were all set on the same day.
Egg F had a hairline crack (possibly from my daughter climbing over the egg carton in the van) so we didn't incubate it. It got scrambled and fed to the chickens.

Well I'm off to go nest. I might have babies soon!

The "white" one is a pure bred MUTT CHICKEN EGG!!!

No clue other than who dad is. Hey that is important too ain't it???

If you had trouble candeling those I would say YOU NEED A BETTER LIGHT !!!!

CL The two green/blue are from the crows!!

X fudge what will they be/lay

 

[Slinglings]

I'm looking for plastic barrels/drums to make rotating compost bins, like this:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Compost_Tumbler_1/

Does anyone know where I can get them in Seattle??

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Calling all goat peeps.......................

Ok, we have 2 Nigerian Dwarf babies that we brought home September 23. They both had a cough and snotty, runny noses. The breeder gave them both an antibiotic injection before we left with them and said to give it a week and they should be fine, she said it was just a little cold from being at the fair. Jester's cleared up and he's doing well. Blitz started to get better and was lookin pretty good, then the nights started getting colder....
I went down this a.m to let everyone out and Blitz's cough is worse and his nose is snotty again. He's eating and drinking fine, he's up and moving around, he's just coughing and snotty. Should I go to the feed store and pick up some antibiotics, if so, what is the best one? or take him to a vet?

Sadly once again here we have people selling less than healthy animals to new people. Have you contacted the seller she may know more details of what was "going around" at the fair.
Sorry I am not much help with treatment see I never spent much time studying and remembering health issues. I just went to the books and tried to figure it out or called my vet who would either diagnose on the phone or do a drop in as he was going by.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Well, since my attempt to go back to sleep was a big failure because my husband's alarm went off (at 8:45, when he has to get up once a month for an early meeting, so of course he just lets it run at that time the other 29-30 days to be consistent, even though he's rarely up before 11) I went out in my bathrobe and curlers to check: all surfaces, exterior and interior, are intact, so the gnawing is inside the wall, somehow. Or maybe in the duct work. Which I can't get to without moving the huge bed and the bench across the foot of said bead and the heavy oak bedside table... ARGH.

I need Hulk Smash Powers.

Gnawing in a wall would drive me nuts !
I would sleep elsewhere !!!!!!!!!
It is also very dangerous, rats & mice love to chew the insulation of electrical wires.....and can short themselves out on it, and start a fire !!!!!!!!!!

          Me thinks you need an exterminator, pronto !

You know one that works for free?

 

[Nikki99]

Quote:
Yes, I have contacted her, just waiting to hear back from her. When we picked them up, she told us that it's not a big deal, that it was just like a "common cold" and that all goats get it and that now that they've had it as babies, they'll be more immune to it later on.
I have a goat book, but it doesn't talk about a cold, just all the different diseases and bloat so, while the book has been a big help in many different areas, it's not givin me much for this particular situation. That's why I turned to you guys and I'm also goggling some stuff now too. I like to dip in to as many different resources as possible so I have more then one opinion, option and/or outcome to go off of.
Thanks anyway CR!!

 

[pettec63]

Quote:
Well, when your used to getting at least a dozen or more every 4 to 6 days, then I get rid of all the older birds, and acquire young stock, who are just now at POL it's aggravating!! I do need to move them to the main coop where theres electricity and put the light on them, the problem with that, is with 13 hens, if and when they do start laying, the potential for massive egg over load is likely!

And since where I live every one and their brother has chickens, making it a profitable business is slim. So, yea six a half a dozen of the other, as they say! If you have young layers, and you want to have eggs during the winter, you need to put a light on them. They need at least 14 hours of light to produce, so you put a timer on you light, I know CL says she puts it on I think 6 -6?? I usually set mine to go on at 5am off at 8am and back on by what ever hour it gets dark at, for another how ever many to make up 14, I don't see the point in having it on when it's light out obviously. It worked last time I did it that way. They say you can burn your hens up that way, but, I say, get some quality birds and you shouldn't have a problem! Again just MHO!!
Good luck!

 

[Nikki99]

Quote:
Well, when your used to getting at least a dozen or more every 4 to 6 days, then I get rid of all the older birds, and acquire young stock, who are just now at POL it's aggravating!! I do need to move them to the main coop where theres electricity and put the light on them, the problem with that, is with 13 hens, if and when they do start laying, the potential for massive egg over load is likely!

And since where I live every one and their brother has chickens, making it a profitable business is slim. So, yea six a half a dozen of the other, as they say! If you have young layers, and you want to have eggs during the winter, you need to put a light on them. They need at least 14 hours of light to produce, so you put a timer on you light, I know CL says she puts it on I think 6 -6?? I usually set mine to go on at 5am off at 8am and back on by what ever hour it gets dark at, for another how ever many to make up 14, I don't see the point in having it on when it's light out obviously. It worked last time I did it that way. They say you can burn your hens up that way, but, I say, get some quality birds and you shouldn't have a problem! Again just MHO!!
Good luck!

Thanks! We definitely need to get on this light thing!! I'm a newbie, this is our very 1st flock so I've got a lot to learn through trial and error!! Good luck to you too!

 

[Shyla-C]

I'm looking for plastic barrels/drums to make rotating compost bins, like this:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Compost_Tumbler_1/

Does anyone know where I can get them in Seattle??

You could try calling Cucina Fresca. They are on Military Road S. in Seattle. My DH and I picked up 18 plastic food grade 55 gal barrels on Friday. This is what they look like. They also had metal ones, but I don't know if the metal ones had lids or not. If these would work I may have an extra one you can have. I am going to use them to store fresh grains for the chickens, and won't know how many I will need until I get the grains home later today.

 

[pettec63]

Quote:
Yes, I have contacted her, just waiting to hear back from her. When we picked them up, she told us that it's not a big deal, that it was just like a "common cold" and that all goats get it and that now that they've had it as babies, they'll be more immune to it later on.
I have a goat book, but it doesn't talk about a cold, just all the different diseases and bloat so, while the book has been a big help in many different areas, it's not givin me much for this particular situation. That's why I turned to you guys and I'm also goggling some stuff now too. I like to dip in to as many different resources as possible so I have more then one opinion, option and/or outcome to go off of.
Thanks anyway CR!!

One big reason why I don't and probably won't ever show! The goat show people I've talked to all say it's a very common occurrence to get runny eyes and nose when going to those places. I personally wouldn't have let you take them home till they were better, but, yea, that's just me. You need to know what kind of infection it is before you get antibiotics so, if you can get the name from the breeder and get some, he just may need another round, usually it takes a bit more than one shot, but, if the other one is fine, then this little guy's immune system may just be a bit lower. I would talk to the person you got them from, they would know better than anyone, and if they are reputable, and decent they should help you get him back on track.

CR you used to show!! You know how that goes!!! But, I must say, it's NOT common in a closed herd. I have had no colds, or respiratory infections or anything in the almost two years I've had my goats.
I'm sure it'll be fine.