What did you do with your flock today?

[PopoMyers]

I use Ivermectin for mites coupled with either Red Stop or Oblitermite which make the chicken's blood unpalatable to red mite via a herbal mixture. The Ivermectin de-worms for practically everything except tapeworm and some capillary worms, as well as killing most mites.
I've never had a worm problem before, generally the worm count I do every 3 months comes back with less than 50 worm eggs for the entire flock!
I also use a product called bio-oo-cyst which is watered round the run to kill worm eggs but I've not used it as much this winter. it's just been too wet underfoot.

I need some of that! Looking to see if we have it here in the US. Anytime water stands for a time with dirt in it, roundworms appear, so must be a lot of eggs in the soil.

 

[PopoMyers]

She's much improved today, thankfully! No more just sitting in her box, dozing. She's been pottering round in the house, getting into mischief.
Her flock besties, Gladys and Stan, came in to visit with her earlier. Somehow, they found the millet spray stash and ransacked it while I was off doing something else. There was millet all over the kitchen floor and they were stood in the middle of it with that "it wasn't me" look on their faces. Except for Gladys of course, she doesn't give a flying fig
Anyhow, I decided if Penelope could get up to mischief, she was well enough to spend a few hours outside with the flock. I'll bring her back in for the night when I let big brother Ferdy in for the.v and snuggles. It's homemade veggie pizza and sides tonight so I'll get her in no problem.

Always some kinda mischief and drama at your place. Oh, to be a fly on your wall. I'd probably fall down laughing.

 

[PopoMyers]

Well, I'm now certain Penelope had a severe roundworm infestation and has tapeworm. She passed a tangle of them and a few tapeworm segments this morning. At least it's easy to treat unlike the other options I was worrying about.
Everyone has now been wormed with the ivermectin and I'll give a second dose in a week to catch any eggs that hatch in the meantime. And it means they're also protected against most mites and lice for the next 12 weeks.

I've NEVER had worms in the flock before. I know how many different sources carry them - worms, slugs, snails, rodents, wild birds shedding oocysts etc - so I do a lot to try to control them. Its been a wet and mild winter so far, so slugs and snails are still very active. My girls absolutely love them. Additionally, Penelope and Gladys in particular are master mousers - better than the cats! - and Penelope has killed 3 small rats that I know of. So, I can see how she's become infested. The only part of my worm management I've slacked on is watering the run and drenching the coops with bio-oocyst. I've not done it for a few months because the ground has been saturated with rainwater. I think that's been a major factor in keeping the worms under control so as soon as we have a dry spell, I'll start using it again.

Does water control worms? If so I shouldn't have any here, but still do, especially roundworms.

 

[PopoMyers]

I got up this morning to a huge pile of poop from Penelope. It was bigger than any broody poop I've ever seen. There were 5 or 6 lumps of a pinkish-red, fleshy material (almost like raw chicken thigh) scattered amongst it. It wasn't quite like salpingitis tissue (my big worry given her past laying issues) but I have seen similar matter in poop photos following the expulsion of roundworm. Given that she started to pick up so soon after the ivermectin, I'm praying that's been what's ailing her. Hopefully now it's just a case of fattening her up!

I'm catching up, believing that by now Penelope is mended and back to good health. So glad it was an easy fix, though the diagnoses was puzzling.

 

[PopoMyers]

Today was a bit of a rollercoaster…I went out to let the new puppy play and try going potty and decided to give out some treats since the sun was shining. As I went to each run I discovered that my one bobtail girl that I’ve been fighting with to quit brooding, is not well and has lost a bunch of weight :-( Then I noticed Willy, Aria’s favorite Bobtail rooster is limping and won’t use one foot. Then I found a huge cache of eggs that my kids had not collected even though they claim to be checking each day The “nest” was right next to the door so I know they didn’t even look at all. Then I sat down with my breeding cage birds and realized the boy I was looking at was the wrong boy. I had sold my favorite young dAnver cockerel, Fennel, by accident. So that was the straw…and I just started sobbing. We lost Alfredo too, our one black Watermaal rooster on Sunday…found him head first in his feeder like he’d fallen dead right off the roost bar. And yesterday we also learned my husbands cousin lost her battle with cancer and passed away. It’s been a rough few days emotionally and the dam finally broke. So I sat there and felt sorry for awhile…vented to a chicken friend for a bit, and then started dealing with all the issues. Just to add to the fun, when I checked everything at bedtime, I found a door wasn’t closed because it was blocked by wet muddy shavings, another one wasn’t closed because a bird was blocking the door, Parmesan was just out sitting on a fence top instead of inside her coop, Oliver was wandering around the yard, and the Watermaal coop door won’t close all the way and leaves a rat sized gap at the bottom. BLAH.

So I chopped up organic greens, scrambled some eggs with mashed up egg shells, poultry cell and flax seeds and fed the broody girl, I cleaned out the clogged doors and put away naughty chickens, and then contacted the person I sold Fennel to and she agreed to swap him this weekend for the one she was supposed to get.

Then I sat down and a friend texted me in a panic because she’s chicken sitting for her neighbor and came out to THREE bobcats feasting on a couple of the chickens, some injured ones laying in the yard, and a bunch more missing or in the trees So I spent the next hour helping her treat the injured ones via phone. These bobcats look super healthy too! Zoom in and you can see a couple of them.

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I’m feeling emotional and drained and sad tonight…chickening is hard sometimes.

Lots of hugs to you. Hoping by now things are looking better, and the coop issues are solved. So sorry about your Watermaal roo, and happy that Fennel is back.

Your poor friend. Bad bobcats! Those predators sure know where to get dinner given the opportunity.

Yes, chickening is hard. Some times harder than others.
Healing and comforting thoughts and prayers for you and your family on your loss.

 

[lagrange chicks]

Added 20 minutes to the auto door timer, staying light later and don't want the girls locked out of the coop before they are ready to roost.

 

[PopoMyers]

That's mine too...I just wish they'd eat fire ants, but nope...they won't touch those either .

Neither will I. Don't blame them one bit.

 

[PopoMyers]

Olena is doing some crazy things with her legs. Still needs the sling. Her balance has not improved, and now she does a head dive instead of rolling backwards when I try to get her on her feet. Took her out to visit the flock and let her have some time on the grass.
I wonder if she has brain damage, or permanent nerve damage that prevents her from regaining this?

Thankfully, a good friend will sit her while we are on vacation. She is experienced in farm life, and has experience in animal husbandry.

Today, went out for eggs, found only one at first, none a couple days ago. Lo and behold, the girls made a corner nest on the opposite side, and there were 6 eggs there. Filled feeder and washed out and reset their water bucket. Apparently, freezing kills moss and algae, as the bucket was quite easily cleaned. Turned the water spigot back on, as we are not expecting any freezing temps for quite awhile.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Exotic Nutrition is running a good sale in addition to a flash sale ( coupon code mega15 ). I got 10 lbs of soldierflies for $42 I added in some dandelion salad treats for my rabbit things back up to above $ 50 for the free shipping.

So nice of you to share the information! Thank you

 

[ChicksnMore]

Olena is doing some crazy things with her legs. Still needs the sling. Her balance has not improved, and now she does a head dive instead of rolling backwards when I try to get her on her feet. Took her out to visit the flock and let her have some time on the grass.
I wonder if she has brain damage, or permanent nerve damage that prevents her from regaining this?

Thankfully, a good friend will sit her while we are on vacation. She is experienced in farm life, and has experience in animal husbandry.

Today, went out for eggs, found only one at first, none a couple days ago. Lo and behold, the girls made a corner nest on the opposite side, and there were 6 eggs there. Filled feeder and washed out and reset their water bucket. Apparently, freezing kills moss and algae, as the bucket was quite easily cleaned. Turned the water spigot back on, as we are not expecting any freezing temps for quite awhile.

It is sounding more likely permanent at this point isn't it . You've done an amazing job with her though Popo.