Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[chickendreams24]

Hi all sorry I don't have time to get caught up today this is kind of urgent.
One of my friends on the Illinois thread has a sister in the hospital that's in the ICU in critical condition. She's septic. Please for those of you that pray pray and if not please keep her in your thoughts.

@Faraday40

Thank you all. I know most of you on here have been through illness and hardship, some of you recently. This is a wonderful family that really just needs some hugs sent there way.

Thanks again guys. I'm glad to have found such a wonderful group of people.

I know what septic is, in 2005 my best friend ended up in the hospital with it. he went into a coma for 32 days. 
while he was out, his wife had to decide if they should do an operation.  she opted for yes, to save his life.
when he woke up, all of his fingers had been removed plus both of his legs just below the knees.
he adjusted very well and is leading somewhat a normal life.
there is an ad on TV for Walkabout prosthetics.  It has Dave coming out of the door and walking away on his iron legs.

.......jiminwisc....... 

Oh goodness what a horrible experience but such a strong man to go on and live so well and adapt to his losses so well. Good for him.

Yep Prayers sent their way cd!

Yep cw, those are actually the size Light Brahama Roo's that you end up with Mark Peterson's line that I talk about now and then.....mine was that big, tell it got into the moldy sunflower heads that tipped over and I was to lazy to worry about.....in caution for those of you that grow sunflowers, if the large plants get blown over, don't allow the heads to lay there and become moldy....with the birds just trying some of them, it can end up bad for the birds that try them.

  bigz

Thank you big z!

@Faraday40
Her sister is awake, but still out of it, thanks to emergency dialysis. She is being allowed ice chips today. They are still doing tests to try and determine what all is going on and what the cause was. Prayers continue for a complete and speedy recovery.

For a full update head on over to the Illinois thread.

Thanks again guys.

Here it is 2" mud then 3-4 inches of frost, buried a chicken the other day.

Kids(young) were with me the other day when I found our first pet chicken casualty, accidental death, she found a way to get her head stick at a gap in the roost barrier I put on top of the nestbox.

Once I got thru the frost we found some worms for the chickens, that cheered the kids back up some.

Sorry to hear about the loss. Although we haven't had terribly many freak things we've had a few they're always the worst in my opinion. Although I hate predator losses it at least gives you something to focus on rather than if a bird dies in a freak way. Then again at least a freak accident isn't likely to happen again.

 

[bigzio]

Not a problem to give thanks and ask for help cd....

Yep, the longer you raise poultry, the more the reality of losses show their faces.....I thought I'd show Mother Nature how things need to be done....hands on management was going to show her that losses won't occur until old age...Well, I was taught a lesson fore long.....but, still...the close eye on things in the coop is the only way to keep everything under control....in my opinion...if you want to keep things under control. It's kinda sad that the worst treated animal is the chicken.....heck, give them a break...they do appreciate every thing you do for them...


bigz

 

[chickendreams24]

Last week's quail hatch was pretty terrible. Only two hatched and only one survived. Odd since the hatch before in the same incubator with eggs from the same birds being fed the same things hatched in the same incubator with the same readings was 100%.

Last Thursday we were able after a couple days with a lonely little quail to find a local person who has a tested flock and purchased 5 buddies for our little one. I'm so glad it's got some friends. Although the size difference for them being a half week older is insane! Our tiny little one looks so itty bitty next to them.

His adults were much larger than ours and I'm hoping to add that size to our quail breeding group(s).



So idk if I've mentioned it on this thread but we have had a chick since December that at first seemed a failure to thrive now I'm not sure.

It has grown slowly but steadily. She has never been thin before but has not even finished feathering and part of her underside is naked. She has in fact had quite a lot of breast meat.

At this age she is about the size of an average 8 week old chick. Despite this she has been completely healthy. She is a chocolate cuckoo English Orpington. At this point I feel sure it's a pullet although her small size and such could of course make a cockeral develop slower.

Mid last week she began holding one eye slightly closed. We looked and it appeared okay but we did treat it with terramycin opthalmic ointment. By Friday her eye was extremely swollen and she wasn't eating or drinking on Friday that we saw. Because of this we immediately pulled her into the house.

We began supportive therapy including force feeding water and electrolytes and then Friday night after we had rehydrated her with a syringe we did the same with feed.
Her eye in spite of the treatment had become massively swollen and ulcerated. Her eye was shut but not goopy on Friday and Saturday. Saturday she showed a little interest in drinking on her own and even in wanting the syringe of feed. She had been very lethargic on Friday so I was thrilled.

She has no symptoms of respiratory illness that we've seen and now has her bad eye open. It was extremely hot to the touch on Friday and especially Saturday. We have been giving her shots of tylan 50 in addition to the eye ointment.

There is no smell. Her bad eye appears to have some scar tissue or something on the lower half of it and I'm wondering if she was injured somehow or of this is a symptom to an illness that we need to worry about.

Her other eye is now also being treated (completely separate so as not to cross contaminate it from the other) as she is holding it partially closed. It is not swollen nor red, hot, or oozing either. The first eye is still swollen and very red but not so hot as it was. I am worried she may have been having such trouble because she was half blind from her eye and that is why she rapidly lost a lot of weight between last Wednesday and last Friday.
She is being fed a soaked wet show bird game bird starter for the high protein level with a small amount of applesauce in the mix for ease of eating. I mix this up and then handfeed it to her with a spoon. I mix it very moist to supplement her water intake as she isn't currently drinking on her own she has problems finding it.

Two of her hatch mates have died in the last month or two from unknown causes. Both very large healthy chicks. One had no symptoms we saw until she was suddenly dead. The other was unable to stand but not paralyzed and rapidly lost weight but continued to eat and drink until the end. Neither of them had any respiratory or eye involvement.

We have never had any experience with Marek's disease, but it doesn't seem to fit to me. Help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Also none of the rest of the flock have any symptoms of anything going on. Also the rest of the juveniles she was raised with are entirely healthy and active.

 

[birds4kids]

Chickendreams24, the nest box was pulled immediately and fixed. These are my first chickens and made it almost 2 years before we had a loss like this. Early on we lost 2 chicks, then we lost two cornishX last spring. Culled some cockerels. This was the first adult pet/layer, kids took it pretty well, some tears but not a lot.unless you buy a parrot at age 30 you are likely to outlive kids need to understand people outlive nearly all pets and livestock.

 

[bigzio]

While I'm not about to suggest what the problems could be, because chickens are so hard to diagnose what the ailment is....sometimes some of the rare causes show their face. The smallish chicken, that should be adult size reminds me of runting syndrome (virus)...very rare....but explanations for symptoms would be nice for sure.....avian vets are few and far between, and cost is a fatal issue also.

We just do the best we can.

bigz

 

[jvls1942]

good morning,
those birds will find a way to kill themselves, no matter how we try to avoid it.

I had a set of roosts that was used by hundreds of birds over the years. then along comes a Spanish black turkey and she managed to hang herself. siht happens.

I have one of the nest boxes in the house and all washed out. it is almost identical to the box I was going to build.

why build a box when you already have 10 of them, eh ?

the chickens use only 4 out of the 10 anyway.

.......jiminwisc.......

 

[bigzio]

Yep, that's kinda funny how they decide which boxes are the favorite ones, then argue when it's time to lay, instead of just taking a empty nest...silly hens.

Time to head out and get something done before noon.

bigz

 

[jvls1942]

good afternoon,

12 eggs today.

I got the shroom farm put together. I had to remove all the electrical guts from the LG. the thermostat hung too low into the dirt.

I also had to take everything upstairs. the temp in the basement is 63F. I think that is a little too low.
on the floor upstairs it is about 70F.
In two weeks we will see how this works.

I didn't take any pictures because all it is is a box of dirt in
a LG bator. If and when I get shrooms, then I will take some pictures..

.......jiminwisc........

 

[birds4kids]

I figure our hen that died did so bickering over a nest box, they only ever laid in one opening despite having more options, and her broody sibling was pecking at me as I removed the dead one.........

They seem to prefer to lay on the ground than in the "wrong" empty box.

 

[corewassen87]

boy getting done at 2 is friggin sweet. I've been so productive it's crazy. I get my piglets Sunday morning. Pictures to follow then!