Arizona Chickens

[maryhysong]

Yes, a bag a day, but that is just for the chicks! Turkeys and roosters go through 2 bags a week, layers about 4 bags a week. So I guess 2 bags a day total or something like that.

I have often considered a livestock guardian dog, but I know I just don't have the time to train one. Plus Victor is not a dog person. You are right, you have to watch them all the time.

I need more chick grow out pens. Not sure how I can accomplish it though. I think I have come down with Valley Fever. Dry cough and fatigue plus all the time I spend working outside on windy days, it just fits. Doesn't make sense to see a doc, he would just tell me what I already know.

That is a lot of feed!

Well so far we are doing pretty good. Pup stays in a chainlink kennel out with the chickens when I am not home. Amazing for a pup he does not try to chase them at all, the older birds freak when he comes in the coops with me tho and he's actually a little scared of them when they are squaking and flapping and carrying on and usually goes back outside. When I'm home he has the run of the place and hangs around where ever I am at. At night he goes back in the kennel for now since he's still small enough to be a coyote snack. He is smart and catching onto things pretty quick. Second time out walking on a leash he was getting the hang of 'heel'. It is a lot of extra work, but figure it will be worth in in the long run.

Well take care of yourself! We had a staff last year that got valley fever and it went to her heart; 3 months in the hospital and now she has to be extra careful because of the heart damage.

 

[Arizona Son]

I think I have come down with Valley Fever. Dry cough and fatigue plus all the time I spend working outside on windy days, it just fits. Doesn't make sense to see a doc, he would just tell me what I already know.

Ugh, that sucks! Are you going to treat it with Difluconazol? Do you need a prescription for that? That valley fever is some nasty stuff. My next door neighbor and one of their dogs got it, they were sick for a very long time, and the dog finally succumbed to it. Thankfully the neighbor made a full recovery.

 

[desertmarcy]

Ugh, that sucks! Are you going to treat it with Difluconazol? Do you need a prescription for that? That valley fever is some nasty stuff. My next door neighbor and one of their dogs got it, they were sick for a very long time, and the dog finally succumbed to it. Thankfully the neighbor made a full recovery.

I worked as a clinical microbiologist until I retired. We diagnosed the fungus in the lab. I am quite familiar with it and how nasty it can be. People can die from it, usually if they have some underlying problem that affects their immune system though, like cancer, AIDS. One of the Infectious Disease docs at the VA hospital was/is (don't know if he is retired or not) an expert on the disease. He used to come over to our lab and chat with us when he was checking on patient cultures. I found an extensive review of treatment options on line that he co-authored. There didn't used to be any treatment for it before they developed the antifungals, like fluconazole (generic name for what you referred to). 95% of patients resolved with no treatment. If the symptoms are mild, they don't recommend treatment. It is expensive and not without side affects. And yes, need a prescription. I am in the wait and see mode to see if it gets any worse. I have fatigue, but I can still function. The tickle in my lungs is irritating, but not something I can't deal with. Some people get completely down and out from fatigue and can't even work. It can be hard to make a definitive diagnosis. I am not up for a bunch of tests at this point. Hopefully I am in that 95% that resolves.

Yes, dogs can get it bad, especially the breeds with short snouts. In dogs, it tends to get in the bones. Bad news.

 

[Demosthine]

Marcia, are you taking all the homeopathic steps to give your body a better chance of fighting it? Eating high doses of the antifungal foods like garlic, raw honey, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar and coconut oil. Add in some good dosages of probiotics and immune system vitamins. Cut out dairy, refined sugars and processed foods.

Another thing to note, for those who don't know, is that there is no cure for Valley Fever. It goes in to a state of remission, and a proper lifestyle including diet keeps it in check.

I hope you get better soon, though! If I wasn't so far away, I'd offer to come help out some.

 

[carnivore]

Wierdness. Haven't been getting any notifications, figured everybody was busy. Checked my subscriptions this morning, and Arizona Chickens was no longer on my list?

 

[City farm]

 
wowsers Marcy a bag a day! I thought I had it bad last year with a bag every four days! You are right it is hard to keep track when you are feeding a lot of chicks. Right now I'm real close to a bag of chick feed a week, figured by the end of June it will probably be doubled so ordered accordingly. A lot easier to calculate for the layers because there is not much change there most months.

I actually hope that I can have all the first round culls out of here by the end of June and be sorting out for the second round. The hardest part is having so many different age groups. I hatched weekly during Feb, March, until mid April and most groups are a week apart, still I have 6 pens of chicks and now the oldest boys are getting bossy and need to be separated. But I have a new hoop coop about half finished to sort out two groups of boys into, so the girls will have more space. As soon as it's finished I need to work on some perimeter fencing, then will add onto that coop, when finished will be just under 7 feet wide, about 6 1/2 feet tall and about 32 feet long, divided into four sections.

Picked up my Maremma pup last weekend; he's a hoot, very smart but can already see the stubborn streak coming. But I have forgotten how much work babies are; can't take my eyes off him for a minute! There are pics of him and the new coop up on my blog.

Yes, a bag a day, but that is just for the chicks! Turkeys and roosters go through 2 bags a week, layers about 4 bags a week. So I guess 2 bags a day total or something like that.

I have often considered a livestock guardian dog, but I know I just don't have the time to train one. Plus Victor is not a dog  person. You are right, you have to watch them all the time.

I need more chick grow out pens. Not sure how I can accomplish it though. I think I have come down with Valley Fever. Dry cough and fatigue plus all the time I spend working outside on windy days, it just fits. Doesn't make sense to see a doc, he would just tell me what I already know.

For valley fever use...

Might i add, it is only about $8 @ your local pharmacy. .
2 tablespoons 2x a day for??? Shoot 2-3 days. Let me check on that..

 

[desertmarcy]

For valley fever use...

Might i add, it is only about $8 @ your local pharmacy. .
2 tablespoons 2x a day for??? Shoot 2-3 days. Let me check on that..

I would sure like to see some references showing that actually works. That is a mighty lot of sulfur to take.

 

[Demosthine]

For valley fever use...

Might i add, it is only about $8 @ your local pharmacy. .
2 tablespoons 2x a day for??? Shoot 2-3 days. Let me check on that..

Never take Flower of Sulphur internally. Aside from being a highly explosive compound, it is highly toxic to the body. If you look at the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) required to be available in corporate environments, you'll find the amount of side effects is huge and very problematic. Metabolic Acidosis is a very concerned one, since it can cause death fairly easily. See page five for the full list of side effects on humans.

: Edited For MSDS Link.

 

[Arizona Son]

Wierdness. Haven't been getting any notifications, figured everybody was busy. Checked my subscriptions this morning, and Arizona Chickens was no longer on my list?

Yeah, this website occasionally has glitches. Just make sure under your "subscriptions" that this thread is currently listed. If not, then you may need to re-subscribe to it.

 

[Timskins]

Ugh, that sucks! Are you going to treat it with Difluconazol? Do you need a prescription for that? That valley fever is some nasty stuff. My next door neighbor and one of their dogs got it, they were sick for a very long time, and the dog finally succumbed to it. Thankfully the neighbor made a full recovery.

Sorry to hear that Marcia. I have had non stop wind at my house for the past month or more and not just breezes. It has been super annoying trying to get my coop done and other outdoor poultry projects. I just gave in and now wear a face mask every time I'm working outside. I look a little funny but it made a big difference in my sinuses.

On another note I finally got the Turkey coop done and got your poults moved in. The poults are doing well and growing fast.