Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[babyfoot]

Merry Christmas to everyone

 

[Fancychooklady]

Merry Christmas to everyone

And to you too. We haven't had any lunch, but we are going to have feast at 4 when family and friends arrive, just waiting on the turkey to finish browning. It's a magic day here in Tassie. Perfect 25' c , so were eating out on the verandah. Hubby just spotted a tiger snake. Those things make me nervous, they will kill a horse in no time. The chickens are going to eat well tonight, fruit salad and their favorite, water melon.

 

[Bens-Hens]

We had a great day, shared some good times and great food. Hope you all did too.

Alicia gave me a gift only a chicken lover could appreciate and our girls also did too!

I tried to find one of these for ages a while ago and struck out everywhere local. Alicia ordered this in from the UK.......plus the girls delivered on 5 goodies too!

 

[Wrightsx4]

What a great gift! My kids each received one of these in their stocking

lol, it's just regular lip balm.
Here's what Christmas looks like here in Michigan

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[chicksurreal]

What a great gift! My kids each received one of these in their stocking
lol, it's just regular lip balm.
Here's what Christmas looks like here in Michigan

Merry Christmas everyone!

I love that stuff! Lavender is one of my favorite scents, and it works really well too!

Beautiful pictures, thanks!

 

[Bens-Hens]

Wow...look how thick the snow is on your outside table!

Amazing, Merry Christmas all, hope you have a great time, we are heading out for Boxing Day, Round 2!

 

[NovaAman]

HEY YOU!!

 

[ozexpat]

Happy new year!!

 

[Fancychooklady]

Happy new year, oz and nova.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Hi team, sorry things have been quiet on here since Christmas, other than being quite busy I have also been restricted to phone internet only. Only just got the net back on at home.

Firstly, Happy New Year!!!

Secondly, Story time.

We did not have a very good poultry New Year experience (family time and other stuff has been great though)

Firstly, we thought we may have had Mareks again in our flock. Alicia noticed a (vaccinated) Araucana limping. She went into isolation straight away and was under close observation. She got her own penthouse, chick feed plus her won water with ACV. I was heart broken seeing her struggle to walk, and honestly I was ready to de-flock the property and go try tomatoes or fish.

Alicia thought it was just a sore foot (we do have a fair few birds in the grow out pen and they do tend to climb on each other when there is some food or a scare) I knew the look and thought "tomorrow I am buying a new hatchet"

The next morning, I checked on her and watched her hobble to the feeder, Alicia pleaded to make sure there was nothing else it may be before I bought that hatchet. I searched and searched and could not find much other than a physical injury (which I could not see) or a possible vitamin deficiency, otherwise it's classic BIG M! So, that day I bought some toddler vitamins without iron, focusing on the B range and gave her a few drops in the afternoon. She had one day to show improvement. I know it sounds harsh, but I just don't have it in me to have more chickens in some form of extra care, we have enough going on, let alone one that had the potential to wipe out the rest of our flock if it had not already spread.

I checked on her the next morning, she seemed a bit better, but still limped, and would drop a wing tip to balance. SHe stayed sitting most of the time. I gave her the medicine and then decided enough was enough and left for work via the hardware store.

Got home from work something like 8-9 hours later, did the main flock rounds, checked the chicks, Rosie's the broody mum and her babies, changed the Coro's chicks water, sharpened the hatchet (was a cheap one that would struggle with butter) and then went to the little Araucana. WHo was standing looking at me like "are you going to let me out now? I promptly hid the hatchet behind me back, lent over and tapped the wire. SHe flinched and walked away, not perfect but no wing drop, no half walking. Just stood on two feet and sort of walked away, almost normally.

I gave her more medicine instead of removing her all important top bit, the next day she was pretty much back to normal. I have kept her aside to make sure she gets her strength back and is back to normal before joining the others, but it seems she was lacking in vitamins. We have never had a bird come back from MD, and we have not had a symptom in nearly a year so I was pretty devastated to go through this.

But that's not all, after this I spent quite some time sitting and watching the younger birds, looking for limps, who was trying to eat the wrong stuff, who was being chased off the food etc. Somehow, we have not noticed a chick (BAxARA) has crooked tail, well not exactly crooked, more sideways growing. This was at the same time as the other one was removed for observations. I thought "just great, we are not very good at this"

I was in a real slump, a chicken funk that was very hard to climb out from. Seeing that little Ara walk away from me changed the tide, I even laughed thinking "I just paid $15 for this bloomin hatched and had to sharpen it myself!" Hahahaha

Turns out the side tail is called 'Wry Tail' and does not hard the bird, can lay and live a normal life, just not attractive to look at.

In gender news it does not look very good either, both Coro's are 99% certainly males, while one of the rocks is 99% certainly a male, the other is like 75% chance of being a roo too. Also a bit depressing raising birds I am most likely not going to be able to keep.

We also have a early crower, thinking it's the Dark Blues Brother but not sure as he is hard to catch at this point.

I am well overdue a picture update so I will see what I can get in the next day or so.

Photo's soon