|
Hey Chido! You're not the only person who likes to keep poultry snuggled in your hoodie! Photo from Reddit user "Montenegro." The ducklings are Pekings. http://i.imgur.com/YbAl4.jpg Also, photo of cute Muscovy ducklings and their mama in a large flower pot (also from Reddit). http://i.imgur.com/YTNd5.jpg
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 00:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 09:06 |
|
|
Inveigle posted:Hey Chido! You're not the only person who likes to keep poultry snuggled in your hoodie! That's so cute! lookit all those ducklings trying to get under mommy 
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 05:38
|
|
|
Customer Service posted:Huh, good to know! Like I said, the others, sure. Lil' half-naked buddy there, I wouldn't. It's up to you...if you split them up Nature Girl will holler for her flockmates and the constant frantic peeping WILL drive you mad. Maybe give them a stuffed animal to snuggle just in case? The cloth type or a plushie with VERY short fur so the idiots don't eat it, and nothing on it they can yank off & swallow. Think infant-safe stuff animals.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 10:20
|
|
|
Velvet Sparrow posted:Like I said, the others, sure. Lil' half-naked buddy there, I wouldn't. It's up to you...if you split them up Nature Girl will holler for her flockmates and the constant frantic peeping WILL drive you mad. Maybe give them a stuffed animal to snuggle just in case? The cloth type or a plushie with VERY short fur so the idiots don't eat it, and nothing on it they can yank off & swallow. Think infant-safe stuff animals. I am so sure that ALL the chicks would prefer to stay inside where it's nice and warm. They promise they'll be good!  Even with a stuffed animal to keep her company, Nature Girl would definitely be upset she can't be with her buddies. It's so odd that particular breed (Columbian Wyandotte) is slow to feather out, but they're really pretty when they're adults.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 13:20
|
|
|
Customer Service, I was looking at the pic of your chick and automatically thought it was a boy. We hatch Orpingtons and the boys always take longer to feather on the back and tail. Is it possible your chick is a roo?
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 14:57
|
|
|
Hmm well I wouldn't want her to be lonely then.  Guess I can tolerate it a few more weeks. I just wish they'd stop trying to pull up the tarp I put down to protect the carpet, sheesh. I need more bricks.meriruka posted:Customer Service, D: Oh gosh I hope not. We couldn't keep a rooster. I ordered a girl specifically but I guess there's always a chance... Are there any signs I should watch out for?
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 19:20
|
|
|
Customer Service: I think that Meriruka is possibly pointing out the more-developed comb on Nature GIrl, but it could be that her comb is showing up more because she is slower to develop her head feathers (since they are white feathers). The Columbian Wyandotte chick reminds me a LOT of VS's Peepsquire (a black Marans) and Linc (a Barred Rock) when they were chicks. The were both tall with big feet and were always craning their necks to check things out -- they both turned out to be girls (and I remember at a few points we were worried they'd be roos). I would tend to go with the place that sold you the chicks when they sexed the babies as girls. If Nature Girl did turn out to be a roo (and it takes several months before they start to crow), you could always rehome.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 20:16
|
|
|
Actually it was the big feet and the start of wattles already. You could watch for chest-bumping with other chicks but then again I've seen a few hens do that. I'm not an expert by any stretch but I have been hatching chicks for a few years. I just know I glanced at the pic and thought "oh, a roo." then read the text. Hopefully I'm wrong and it's the camera angle or something. I do know that our Orp boys take longer to feather in than the girls. Maybe it's a breed thing.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 20:23
|
|
|
Here's a BYC thread about specifically sexing Columbian Wyandotte chicks. Sounds like you have to give Nature Girl 3-4 months to make absolutely sure she's not a roo. http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/170401/sexing-columbian-wyandotte-chicks Go to page two for pics, but this image was so cute, I had to post it. Edit: yeah, definitely look for chest-bumping behavior. After two years of intently watching VS's chicks for months (and editing/posting videos), the chicks who did a lot of chest-bumping turned out to be boys. Perhaps post some more pics (always glad to encourage more chick/chicken photos). Below: The two white babies in the pic are Columbian Wyandotte pullets. The black chick, with the comb, is a roo. Inveigle fucked around with this message at 20:34 on Dec 18, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 20:27
|
|
|
Naw, I don't think Nature Girl is a roo (so sorry I accidentally hung that name on her, Customer Service  ). At this age I'd go by behavior--girls tend to be more shy and demure, rooboys will be more active, want your attention more, come running when you come near and generally become your favorite chicken.You can also sail a small, soft flattish object over their heads (like a beret or dish towel) and watch their reaction--hens hunker down and get quiet, roos stand up straight and look around, possibly peeping or trilling an alarm. Inveigle's pic perfectly demonstrates two hens and a roo at that age, look at their body language. He's totally guarding his girls, what a good boy!
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2012 05:27
|
|
|
My girl Angel has a huge lump on the right side of her neck, it's bigger than a large grape and a little smaller than a golf ball. She's a 9-week old cochin frizzle bantam. Here's some photos. http://imgur.com/a/Q75hI Google says it might be her filled crop (she has just eaten when I noticed and photographed) but this thing looks HUGE. It also might possibly explain why I have recently seen her more often with her head slumped forward as though under some weight. What the hell is this? Will she be OK?
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2012 16:15
|
|
|
Her crop looks full. Does it always stay that big? If it does, she might have sour crop, when the food gets stuck in there and starts to ferment. Check if her breath smells bad and if her crop doesn't empty throughout the day.
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2012 16:25
|
|
|
Zeris, You could try to massage the area and see if it feels like it's filled with a wad of grass. It wouldn't hurt to give her some form of grit to help grind the food and maybe a few peices of olive oil soaked bread to help slide it along. None of these things will do any harm even if it's not a blocked crop.
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2012 17:32
|
|
|
meriruka posted:Zeris, It feels pretty rigid and resembles skin stretched over a bunch of small BBs. It hasn't decreased in size since this morning so I'll have to check it out tomorrow morning after she hasn't eaten for a bit. She has access to grit, too.
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2012 20:09
|
|
|
Zeris posted:My girl Angel has a huge lump on the right side of her neck, it's bigger than a large grape and a little smaller than a golf ball. She's a 9-week old cochin frizzle bantam. Here's some photos. http://imgur.com/a/Q75hI Yeah it looks like a full crop. Isolate her overnight and remove her food and water (return it in the morning), check her first thing in the morning and make sure her crop has emptied. If it is still full she may have a blocked crop. You said she had access to grit, it is possible that she gorged on grit and it's stopped her up. How long has she had access to the grit, and how long has she been like this? Another possibility is sour crop (icky, rotting food that won't leave the crop) as others have said. Sniff her breath and check for a bad smell. Is she perky and healthy otherwise? Not drinking excessively, not skinny (feel her breastbone), normal poops?
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2012 23:23
|
|
|
Hi guys, one of my pullets started limping really badly thisevening. I fed them thisafternoon and they were all fine, eating happily, then when I went to put them to bed the door to the chicken run was open and she was lying one her side in the middle of it, she could barely stand up. I don't know how the run got open, so I've blocked it off with a brick for now, but I checked her for injuries and she seems clean. I also checked her feet for scabs, and they look fine too. Now she's just been limping to one side, has to keep her wing spread out to keep balance, but she's also been falling over. I put her to bed with the other chooks since they're all under three months and they snuggle up to one another at night. She limped over to the others on her own once she was up in the nesting box and managed to get herself to her regular sleeping place. Whatever it is, it's come on really quickly. She's really quiet and I don't know what it could be, does anybody have any suggestions for what it is and what I should give her? And if it's anything the other pullets could catch? I hope she pulls through, but she's really not looking too good. none of my chickens have ever been sick or injured before so I don't know what to do 
Mx. fucked around with this message at 10:58 on Dec 20, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2012 10:54
|
|
|
Did you check to see if all her toenails are there? Could be she ripped one off or injured a toe on something. Mareks disease usually manifests as paralysis in one leg or the other and happens really suddenly.
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2012 12:02
|
|
God I fucking love Diablo 3 gold, it even paid for this shitty title
|
Ditto what Tim said, if it's Mareks there isn't a whole lot you can do for her at this point. Mareks is infectious, keep an eye on her--if she dies, you'll know it's disease rather than an injury. The next 24 hours will tell you. If she is eating, drinking and pooping normally tho, I'd suspect an injury--one you can't see, like a pulled thigh muscle or something--rather than disease. Especially since you found the run door open. Hopefully it's just a simple injury rather than a thigh bone break or something. Her lying on her side kinda tells me that the injury is higher up on her leg rather than in her shank. Can she grip with her toes on both feet normally? Time will tell, keep her warm and quiet, and don't allow her to jump up on things if it's an injury till she heals. Healing will take anywhere from a day or so to days/weeks depending on the severity. I had a New Hampshire hen who broke her thigh (who knows how she managed it!) and ended up living in my kitchen for about two months. I couldn't even tape it or anything. She healed up fine although she walked with a limp for the rest of her life. Once she started healing and could walk, she learned that flapping her wings as she hippity-hopped around made her zoom around the kitchen faster.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2012 00:22
|
|
|
Do I recall seeing or reading about a vaccine or something for Mareks? Is it an annual vaccine for chickens/poultry? What kind of vaccinations are available for chickens? If there are vaccines, is it something the backyard chicken owner can do or do you go to a veterinarian?
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2012 03:30
|
|
|
piscesbobbie posted:Do I recall seeing or reading about a vaccine or something for Mareks? Is it an annual vaccine for chickens/poultry? What kind of vaccinations are available for chickens? If there are vaccines, is it something the backyard chicken owner can do or do you go to a veterinarian? With Mareks, you get them vaccinated as chick. It's an option you can either select or not before they ship them to you, its like a dollar and I got mine vaccinated. I don't know of any other vaccines out there, especially for the backyard chicken enthusiast. The agricompanies that sell them sell them in lots of thousands of doses. Its my impression that contagious diseases are less of a problem vs commercial agriculture because there the numbers and density are so much higher. Diseases don't get a foothold the same way when there are 6 birds running around in the fresh air compared to 100,000 under one roof.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2012 05:00
|
|
|
I managed to find a local vet that specialises in birds and took her in. They've got an e-vet too, so I'm very glad to know them now. She was walking today, so he reckons it's a good chance that it's not Marek's, but it's not certain, especially since she's the right age for it. Good news is the symptoms are probably caused by parasites that came with the chickens (she's kind of dropsy, like she's hypoglycemic). The whole flock's being treated now. If that's all it is, the two larger birds will be fine. I'm feeding them all tons of treats to make sure their weight comes up, and they have all been eating well. The little sick one is quite badly affected though, so even with treatment she may die in the next few days. Or she may bounce back, but it's hard to tell at this point. So fingers crossed it's not Marek's, and fingers crossed the little one gets better. I'm keeping her separate from the others with her own food and water, making sure she's keeping warm and all that. Luckily she's the most docile pullet, so she's quite okay with all the handling. Unluckily she's the most docile pullet, and I really like her. And yeah, like ZT said, Marek's is vaccinated for when they're 1-day old. I don't think my hens are vaccinated, I got them older than that (less than a month ago, too...). Lesson learnt, treat all your older hens for parasites immediately after you get them, just in case. Mx. fucked around with this message at 13:14 on Dec 21, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2012 13:11
|
|
|
Ah, OK. I assume you mean internal parasites...? I'd check them over for external ones as well--mites to be exact. Look for grayish dust (mite poop/eggs) clinging to the base of fluffy body feathers, usually near and below the vent. If you see it, I'd treat for mites if your vet recommends it. Mites are opportunistic little assholes, and if a sick bird stops or mostly stops preening, the mite population on them can explode, then the mites weaken the bird very badly. Depending on the meds he's already given you, the meds may treat internal as well as external beasties. We've found that we have to worm our chickens twice a year without fail. Wild birds and other critters (like cats that poop in your yard) just carry in too many damned parasites, usually roundworms, that live on in the soil. Damned nuisance, but there ya go. Once they are wormed they should feel a LOT better, feed them some extra goodies to help them put on weight if they are skinny. When we worm we have to do it in 2 doses about 10 days apart to break the reproductive cycle of the worms. Did the vet think that the limping bird was just really weak from the infestation...? Or maybe she coincidentally hurt herself so that she had two things going on? Zeris, how is Angel? Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Dec 21, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2012 20:23
|
|
|
I've been checking them for mites, but they look fine. The vet checked the little one over for mites and didn't see any yesterday, but I'll dust them this weekend anyway, just in case. The little pullet died overnight without showing typical Marek's symptoms though (she was falling to one side, but both her legs were moving and she could stand with a normal posture). The other two are getting wormed and are on a special diet of "anything they want" and "lots of it". I've got more worming tablets for them, they'll get a few more does in the next two months, starting with another dose next week. They're still very active though, I had them running around on the grass while I cleaned absolutely everything, and they haven't stopped eating all morning. The vet did think it could just be the infestation, but he said there's still the possibility it's Marek's, so I'll see what happens.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2012 23:27
|
|
|
I'm sorry the pullet didn't make it, MissEchelon.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2012 02:48
|
|
|
Some henhoes wandered into my parent's yard today. Two fluffy white mini dinosaurs and one patterned brown one. Haven't a clue where they came from, but it was a blast seeing the other animals react. The colony of feral grey tabbies ignored them. The goats chased them around while a friend and I threw bread bits at them. The horse looked like it wanted to eat them. Unfortunately I didn't think to get my camera until after they'd wandered off into my grandparent's back yard, where no mortal dare venture for fear of the fluffy black terror, Frisky, who is my grandmother's spoiled housecat in her off time.
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2012 21:14
|
|
|
One of my girls laid their first egg yesterday  Exactly 5 months from the day they hatched. My father in law with one of my hens   I think she's gorgeous.
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2012 23:53
|
|
|
Greycious posted:One of my girls laid their first egg yesterday Really? that's amazing. Congratulations. Yours arrived a couple weeks before mine. I just assumed that I wouldn't get anything until the days started getting significantly longer like February or March. Hopefully I get start getting some in a few weeks too.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 00:07
|
|
|
Zeta Taskforce posted:Really? that's amazing. Congratulations. If you have heavy laying breeds, especially cold hardy ones like mine (wyandottes, orpingtons, and white rocks) you'll have them start laying even though it is cold/there are short days. It does probably help they have a clear plexi-glass window in their coop for some light to come in there, so it's not completely dark inside. I switched mine to layer feed about two/three weeks ago.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 00:42
|
|
|
Congratulations Greycious! She is a very pretty gal. Once they lay an egg do they go from pullet to full fledged hen status? Is she top of the pecking order?
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 02:16
|
|
|
piscesbobbie posted:Congratulations Greycious! She is a very pretty gal. Once they lay an egg do they go from pullet to full fledged hen status? Is she top of the pecking order? I don't know if that is the one that laid or not. Unfortunately I've been too sick with my pregnancy to look after my chickens, my husband has been doing that for me. So I haven't been watching them enough to see how the pecking order is going. Before though the white rocks always seemed to be a bit higher ranking. Always the first ones to come out of the run when I'd let them out etc. I really miss being able to care for them, and grab them to snuggle. Hopefully I'll be feeling better soon though..
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 02:56
|
|
|
Greycious posted:I don't know if that is the one that laid or not. Simple. Chickens are very portable, have your husband bring you one. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 05:06
|
|
|
... out of all the chicken I've raised , Waffle is the only one who loves to jump on my lap on her own. Only Spaghetti liked to be held, now I got another lap chicken *sniff*
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 05:33
|
|
|
Velvet Sparrow posted:Simple. Chickens are very portable, have your husband bring you one. Oh I've thought of it! I almost ordered a chicken diaper for that very purpose. He's done so much for me though I hate to ask more of him... But...today is christmas. Maybe I'll see if I can have him bring one in for a little bit.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 15:27
|
|
|
Greycious posted:But...today is christmas. Maybe I'll see if I can have him bring one in for a little bit. I'm sure the lucky chicken would enjoy coming inside to get warm and have treats and pets. Just put a towel under her. Hope you feel a bit better today, Greycious. Merry Christmas everyone!
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 16:01
|
|
|
Greycious posted:Oh I've thought of it! I almost ordered a chicken diaper for that very purpose. He's done so much for me though I hate to ask more of him... You are expecting! How exciting for you. Just remember safety first! Are there any precautions a pregnant woman should take around poultry? I've heard of not handling cats/cat litter while expecting a child.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 17:43
|
|
|
piscesbobbie posted:You are expecting! How exciting for you. Just remember safety first! Are there any precautions a pregnant woman should take around poultry? I've heard of not handling cats/cat litter while expecting a child. Another mom in this thread told me I should avoid cleaning out the coop, and poop, just like cats, so yeah my husband has been taking care of that. I figure I could get in snuggles safely so long as I wash my hands well afterward. I told my husband of my xmas request he seemed fine with it, I'll snap a couple pictures when I get around to it. Still feeling pretty queasy today. ...I wonder if we have a tiny santa hat anywhere...
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 19:48
|
|
|
Greycious posted:...I wonder if we have a tiny santa hat anywhere... Haha! Chicken costumes are always so great! Hey Chido! Do you think that the Build-A-Bear shop might have a Santa outfit on sale after Christmas? 
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 20:07
|
|
|
You guys do me a favor and recreate something my friend's family used to do when we were kids: take one chicken inside the house and put it on the floor with several different bowls of popcorn - each bowl has a different fortune for the coming year and whichever bowl the chicken eats out of is the fortune for 2013. Yes they were crazy hippies, now do it! Please? TIA
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 20:18
|
|
|
Sorry I don't think we had any random tiny santa hats..but I had a bow! That had lost its sticky-ness.  She was such a good sweet girl inside with me. I cuddled her for a good 30-40 minutes. And fed her some grapes which she'd never had before. VIDEO! http://youtu.be/-Ca32bYF9B0 Sorry for the random chatter, most of it's me..and my father in law who also likes chickens. She found Ned's barking very entertaining, apparently. And ignore my lazy pj garb. 
UltraGrey fucked around with this message at 00:35 on Dec 26, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2012 00:32
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 09:06 |
|
|
Greycious, LOVED that video! Thank you so much for sharing, she is beautiful in the photos and the video. Your father-in-law seems like a great guy! Glad you got to spend time with your hen!
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2012 01:56
|
|