Colorado

[Ashdoes]

She's started making a gurgling/hacking sound about 6 days ago. I just finished 5 days of Corid for everyone and it hasn't improved her. She's still very active and inquisitive, running around and eating fine. I just know that that noise isn't normal since she hadn't made it before and no one else is making it. It's about time for the second round of deworming this weekend, but I'm going to wait until this vet sees her to start that.

Yeah, my flock aren't for eggs or meat or anything other than just hanging around like the horses, dogs, and rabbits, so if I can't treat them on my own I'll sacrifice the money to have someone qualified treat them. Hell, since my accident, I don't ever feel hungry so it's not like I'm making major changes not eating or eating Ramen. Also, a $200+ investment is worth having a professional check up to me, but, again, I'm apparently looney toons according to these boards.

Everyone has those certain things they don't mind spending money on, it's not bad at all. I mean, I have a dog that eats 8-10 cups of food a day, and it is not cheap food either, I order it special online...without a second thought. Most of our family think we're crazy, but we just love him to pieces. And yes, when you pay a fortune for an animal, no matter the species, you pay to keep it alive as well.
I hope you figure out what's up with your girl

Our hens are almost done molting, finally. We get about 6 eggs a day, from 8 possible. I did have to put them back on the Feather Fixer, and they get extra protein every couple of days. Only one is still pretty bald on her back, even her little wing tips.
Our Faverolles are growing quickly, at that ugly phase right now. One of the boys is kind of aggressive, which I didn't think this breed was like that? Think it's due to the age? They're four weeks today.

 

[intangible04]

Earlier in the week I had posted that I thought one of my younger chicks had started crowing. Well I figured I better start keeping tabs on who it might be. I decided that the next time I hear it again I better investigate. My alarm goes off this morning and seconds later I hear a crow. I debate for a minute, jump out of bed and rush outside so I can find who the culprit is. I stand next to where the young ones sleep and I hear a crow coming from the bush where the older ones sleep. Much to my surprise I run over to them and hear it again. I thought maybe one of the young ones was in the bush. Nope, my 3 older hens come jumping down and out. I couldn't pinpoint the exact one but sure enough, one ifof my older girls is having an identity crisis! There's still hope that my order is all pullets. Yay!

 

[uzisuzuki]

Uzi,
You are not the only one that would take them to a vet if they are sick. There are a lot of people in the emergencies thread always looking to treat a sick chicken. I am certain more would take them in if they could find a vet.

I would take a peahen to a vet for sure.
I took a 3 dollar goose once. He worked on her for hours and only charged me 50 bucks. She had eaten a long nylon twine off of someones hay bale that had blown into the pen. There was about 8 inches sticking out her mouth when I found her. He worked the other 5 feet out of her crop.That was many years ago and it was the animal emergency vet in Longmont.

She lived and hatched many goslings out that more than made up for the cost of her treatment.

So if you are loony so am I.

Part of me wonders if the zoo has a list of bird vets since they have peacocks running around.

I almost contacted the zoo to see if they knew of any vets I could go to! I was getting pretty desperate trying to treat for anything I could think of/had available (she started showing signs of worms 2wks before payday) and not getting any results. I might contact them about it later just in case. I was also thinking of contacting the NPIP cert person for CO about it, too. I've read that peafowl people are a little more stringent about having sellers be NPIP certified, so if I want to make them work for me in a couple years I need to get in contact with that person anyhow.

I don't want anyone to think I take offense to being seen as excessive for my birds. I don't. I know of people who don't take pets or themselves into the doctor for stuff. So, yeah. Everyone has a different This Is Important scale. Just wanted to share the link in case anyone out there that was like me or doing 4H/fair work needed a vet.

 

[Phoenixsw]

I will admit that I'm one of the crazy chicken people who would take their birds to a vet. In fact, I did the research and found a vet in COS that treats chickens before I even had my first babies. As I only have 5 girls, they are my pets and I will do what I can for them. But I also understand the people who raise them in large numbers for food and as livestock and can't really take every sick or injured chicken to a vet.
Good luck!

 

[suncatcher]

Yep, to each his own. I do hope she gets better!!!! Have you tried antibiotics yet??? Duramycin can be bought on Ebay and Amazon, and may be at some animal supply shops, just a thought....... I always keep in on hand now, and have only had to use it once in three years.

 

[uzisuzuki]

Yep, to each his own.  I do hope she gets better!!!!  Have you tried antibiotics yet???  Duramycin can be bought on Ebay and Amazon, and may be at some animal supply shops, just a thought.......  I always keep in on hand now, and have only had to use it once in three years.

I had not tried that yet, but I'm glad I took her in this afternoon. Turns out that she was just super mucus-y! The vet took a bunch of samples to verify parasites & to double check the mucus, but she surprised me & told me I was doing the right stuff. I was just winging it off the worms I knew she definitely had. The vet said it was probably because the nights have been drastically colder than the days & that she should get over the cough on her own.
From everything y'all have shared here, I felt pretty sure it wasn't respiratory (she was eating/active & the only bird coughing), but I wanted to be 100% again from everything y'all shared here. Should find out tomorrow what kind, if any, parasites she still has & it didn't cost anymore than when I take my dogs in for their check ups.

So, if anyone was looking for a bird vet in the Northglenn/Thornton/Westminster/Broomfield area, I would highly recommend Broomfield Vet Hospital. Staff was great, Dr. Miller was great & informative & even went out of her way to not stress out Richmond. Richmond wasn't all that pleased about the trip & Dalton had a toddler sized fit the entire time we were gone, but piece of mind that neither she nor the rest of my flock are passing along a respiratory infection.

Plus, I finally got a couple pictures of her! I haven't been able to get close ups since I bought them!

 

[Mtn Margie]

Yay Uzi! Glad it is all working out for your bird.
Rainy and cold, around 34 degrees, but at least we don't have the high fire danger any more, well for a week or so anyway.
My sheep are growing their woolies real fast!

 

[ftpagain]

Anyone around colorado springs wants a SFH or a speckled sussex rooster? If you do message me they are about 4 mo

 

[21hens-incharge]

Glad to know she is going to heal up Uzi. Good news is awesome to get!

Getting colder here too. We had a brief rain yesterday evening. Not enough to actually water anything. Hoping I get the other flowers I ordered soon so I can get done with that bed.

Still waiting on about a hundred and forty bulbs. I also placed an order for a coworker since I had the coupon in my e-mail. Those got pushed out another 2 weeks dang it.

No sign of molting on the elderly leghorn that went bald last November. Kinda bummed about that for her. Not wanting another naked cold month since she is so old.

 

[yawningreyhound]

Maggie, it is not stupid to feel sad, it is a very real feeling. You spend all your time watching them grow and protecting them and feeding them and then all of a sudden, it becomes time to process them. That is a reality, but a necessary one for those who are not loaded with money or space. Most hens have laid over 75% of their lifetime eggs around age three. I have two hens that we named and they are 6/7 and they are still here. Their job is to show the young ones how to deal with snow, hail, predators and wind and how to come when called. Very important!
Give them your "Thanks Blessing" and know that you have done the right thing by not wasting them and you now have the opportunity to learn about other chickens and gain even more knowledge.
It is tough, you are not being a wimp, you are being honest with yourself and you will have the same respect for your food and pride in yourself as with the meaties.

Such a nice post. My eyes are leaking.