Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[RBerryChicks]

I checked on our broody girl that I moved last night and she has settled down and is sitting on her eggs!

TO- 2 baby Buckeyes peering out from under my broody so far. They are so cute!!!

Judge and LMiller: so excited for you both

Having a broody hatch has been such a fun and fascinating experience.

Alrighty... Get ready for a Frenchie size post.

Bf4m: thanks so much for the "Frenchie size post". Being new to the world of chickens it helps so much to read what others have gone through and are doing to remedy or prevent illnesses in their flock. We finished our new coop, with the broody and her chicks on one side and the rest of her flock on the other (divided by chicken wire) With 150 meaties coming mid July and eight more Delawares coming in October from the same breeder we got the eggs for our broody, I want to do my research and this really helped. I am currently working on getting my fermented feed regimen down, the girls really like it and we plan to raise the meaties on it.

Huge kudos to Delisha and Joe - I can read the huge sigh of relief and the renewal in the tone of your post

Reading this makes me want to go out and hug a chicken . . . but none of them will let me hold them yet

 

[irishrovr]

Alrighty... Get ready for a Frenchie size post.

It's all about Friday June 21st. The day that Deli and her Joe and her doggies came to help me save my flock (what's left!)

Those two poor folks had to drive through crappy black skies and torrential rain. Luckily it cleared up for the afternoon! I lost one of my favorite chicks that morning, so I was really pretty down. I had been pretty tough about all the losses so far, but after so much loss you just don't know what to do and want to throw in the towel.

Vicki went and looked over my birds. Yes my flock got cocci. Lots of chicks were lost to it. But it also turns out some of my birds have an URI and some have yeast infections. And some of them are horribly skinny, which you don't know till you pick them up, so we were betting that the adults were bullying babies from getting food. Hard for a baby to get over cocci if its starving to death. Or if it has one of those other ailments. It was just horrible. I thought the cocci was gone, but sure enough Vicki spots a baby that had it. I was spending my time treating for one thing, not knowing all this other stuff was going on as well. The long and the short of Friday was a New beginning for my flock.

The coop was already cleared out down to concrete. All the caked on poop left was scraped and removed. Then we sprayed LABS all over and layed straw down. We picked up most birds and gave them direct drops of corid. We started ACV in the waterer. She also got them started on fermented feed.

A new rule: no more food or water in the coop. Right now I do have some food and water in the run, and food on the lawn. I can lock out the big birds if it looks like they are pestering babies while they're eating. They will get fed once a day. In winter time, when theyncant forage as well, they'll veggies as well. They will not get to sit in the coop or my back shed all day. They are not allowed to be lazy chicken butts anymore. Part of the problem too was food and water being contaminated by bedding. Birds not getting out to have fresh air and sunshine. All chicks hiding in the coop where all the germs were. Those baby immune systems didn't stand a chance.

The birds made a terrible mess all winter in my back shed because they wouldn't go outside for nothing. I was really not enjoying my chickens in the winter. I enjoyed the ducks much more because at least they went out and walked around and came and saw me. Vicki explained to me I was helping the chickens be lazy by feeding them food and water in the coop. If they're made to go outside to get food and water, they will learn to play outside again. They need to be chickens and look and hunt and peck and scratch. I didn't know how to fix that, but the super smart Deli knew how!

This also solves all my messy duck problems. My messy ducks will be fed food and water outside as well. They will not be making a horrific mess in the coop. The can sleep with the chickens ( and the goose) and they will go outside to play. The most awesome thing EVER. I'm almost as excited about my flock again as I was when I first got them. The coop will stay cleaner. There will be less chance of diseases and rodents. There will be more joy for me watching the birds, and quality of life for the birds.

Vicki also helped me utilize a storage space and turn it into a brooder/isolation area so we got the ducklings and George the gosling, his chick Martha and the Buffies out of my basement. Joe used an old puppy gate as a doorway, and used wire as hinges, so it actually opens and closes.I was so happy to get those babies out of my basement! With the illnesses still cycling, we wanted to be careful where we put them so as the keep them healthy. They have also been switched to fermented feed. They really seem to like their new digs and appear to be getting more curious about me when I bring the food.

That is the overview of the day. We finished it off with a cookout and Rice Krispie treats. Very nice indeed! It was absolutely the most wonderful thing to hear what I WAS doing wrong and how to fix it. While this fermented feed is way messier, and my chores take way longer right now, it will get faster, and the birds will be healthy and happy. They are already looking perkier (not all, but a lot) and are totally flocking around my feet when they see me thinking I'm handing out new food. Now I just have to get burning the wood so I have the wood ash dust bath for them, and they will be the happy chooks I want them to be.

That sounds very positive and encouraging! Things are looking up - YAY!!

 

[irishrovr]

Proud Momma! 2 of TO's Buckeyes and one Langshan out from under her so far!

Lisa

Congrats Lisa !!!

X2!!

 

[irishrovr]

Quote: Originally Posted by babylady4

Irish, I would try Jack's Hardware downtown Waupaca (Tru Value) for a stirrup hoe. We had one when I was a kid and I thought it was the best tool ever. I need to get my hands on one (not like I have a garden worth using it in....) Everything is growing REALLY well here, I expect buds on the squashes pretty soon....


Thanks for the reminder - I keep forgetting about that store downtown.

*A little "Alzsheimers lite" thing going on here lately*

I had one squash blossom already and the plant isn't big enough yet. That horse puckie must be pretty potent stuff.

 

[FrenchToast]

"Frenchie size post" !!! Hmmmm not quite sure what you mean !!

 

[Bigfamily4me]

Quote:
my @ss you don't know what I mean Sandi LOL! the duration of my post tired ME out. But it had to be written...

 

[Terri O]

"Frenchie size post" !!! Hmmmm not quite sure what you mean !!

Hi all! Crazy day here...nice to be home ALONE for sure. Got much done too! Found out that the kids will be here for another 8 days at least...I am beginning to think that my daughter is right about her calling me every Sunday and saying what will happen in the coming week...not real happy about it, but glad that they will be coming this week! Now for some $$$~

Here is "Super Mama" with her third clutch for the year! I believe there are 10. 5 dark striped and 5 brown...wonder if it is a sex link?





Anybody want a cat??? This little a$$hole i so sassy in the house! It is the one that got dropped off here, Such a brat--we have to lock him in the bathroom if we are eating cause he steals ANYTHING that is on the counter!


I guess my kids are good for something after all...when they got home from the beach they cooked SS ribs and potatoes on the grill and made some broccoli to go with it! I am SO stuffed it is not funny! Now they are all headed off to different stuff...a party, house sitting and fishing...I will let you guess which one went where! LOL!

I cant believe that chores are already done and it is still light outside!

warm one out there today.. I re-tilled the whole garden except for 2 partial rows of beans.. corn and 2 rows of beans never sprouted.. thank you Jung for setting me back another 2 weeks..

I hear ya on this!!! I am planting more beans, squash and potatoes tonight! What is going on? Sheesh...

OK--talk to you all tomorrow night...planning on hitting the hay early, getting chores done early and going to the garden job by 8:30! THen the grocery store...cleaned out the fridge today...not much in there so it was easy!

TerriO-wishingyouallsweetdreamsandaproductivetomorrow

 

[babylady4]

Wow Heather, I had no idea...... I am so sorry you had so many issues but I am GLAD things are looking up!

Busy day, I did a 5K this morning.......... and I am very TIRED. I think I need to do a little more prep work before I do another race..... like perhaps I should start training for the Tri NOW....

Thankfully I have a massage tomorrow...... and I NEED it!

Let's see if I can get some pics on here....

These are my co-workers plus Tyler from Purely Poultry.



And here we are all done, filthy, tired, but we had a LOT of fun!

 

[JustJohn]

TO- 2 baby Buckeyes peering out from under my broody so far. They are so cute!!!

count the toes, hay TerriO

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

When I went out to lock up the chickens tonight there was a huge black bear walking into the woods near my one run. Now, the dog was outside hanging out with the goose and didn't smell the bear? I had to take him into the woods and sent him after it. I can't have that big guy destroying the bee hives. This is the biggest one I've seen here yet. By far. I think my donations of dead chickens and eggs to the crows and raccoons may be going to him. Maybe I'll have to put the trail camera out by my dumping area and see what comes in. I have a couple of duck eggs that didn't develop that I can use tomorrow. Gosh, I should pull my bird feeder in . . .