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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 7, 2011 12:52:12 GMT -5
It never ceases to amaze me how many good things happen. We "inherited" an upright freezer turned incubator... (dejavu... seems like I've typed this before...) A month ago, Mike loaded it with eggs. It's on the north side of the house and there have been freezes and of course the fire where it was only a few feet away from the torching propane tanks. I didn't think they had survived and I told Mike he should throw the eggs away, but he didn't have the heart.
So what was his good faith rewarded with? A teeny weeny hatchling that is peeping it's little heart out and wobbling about. WOW!! No evidence of pips on the other eggs... yet! But we'll wait 2 or 3 days before giving up. I sure hope the one has some siblings!
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 22, 2011 6:21:36 GMT -5
After the fire, when we went to Aydin in our first attempt at the yellow cabbage collards, we purchased a still air incubator and an automatic egg turner at AgSupply. We put a set of eggs to hatch the next day. Tomorrow is day 21. When I candled, on day 14, it looked to me as though all the eggs were viable. That doesn't match up with what I've read that these things have about 85% hatch rate, but then, who knows? IF we are indeed that successful, it will probably be because we only opened the box 3 times. Twice to add water and once to candle. By the way, what IS 85% of 41?
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Post by mnjrutherford on May 31, 2011 21:46:52 GMT -5
So, my son comes in from feeding the birdies this evening and he's scratching and saying, "I have to take a shower, I'm covered in chiggers."
"What do you mean covered? I think you are just imagining things."
I go to take a look and sure enough, the kid is covered with pin head sized bugs crawling all over him. As I type this, my skin is crawling.
Anyway, what are these things? They are a light beige skin tone color. Aren't chiggers red? Are they lice? What needs to be done to bring them under control? Will diatomatcious (so?) earth help?
I really didn't need to experience this right now... ::sigh::
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Post by flowerpower on Jun 1, 2011 6:27:46 GMT -5
why don't you start a thread on chiggers. You'll get more responses.
Did he get these bugs in the bird coop? Make sure the birds have some DE to dust around in-just in case.
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bertiefox
gardener
There's always tomorrow!
Posts: 236
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Post by bertiefox on Jun 4, 2011 4:04:57 GMT -5
Goose owners with experience? We have a very lonely old grey gander who attacks everyone who comes within range, especially our paying guests! After two years, we have decided to find him some 'luv' interest and have bought a six week old grey gosling. She is currently in a run but the gander has shown no aggression towards her; in fact, he sits next to the run doe-eyed and seems obviously smitten by Cupid's arrow. The serious question is, how long should we keep her shut up in the pen, and when will it be safe to allow her out without being attacked and killed by him (as can happen with geese). Is there a way of bringing them together in a gradual way, for example, what would happen if we put her in the house with him at night, bearing in mind the fact that geese don't really 'roost' like chickens? Meanwhile, our white geese have far too much time on their hands (webbed feet!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-AZ3i_tlnU
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Post by mnjrutherford on Jul 13, 2011 6:13:59 GMT -5
We are at the end of a hatch. There are; however, 2 birds (a keet and a chick) that have leg issues that we already know will end up in death. Previously, we've tried to keep the babies with these issues alive in the hopes that they would outgrow the condition. That somehow we could exercise their little legs into becoming useful. We were not successful.
Is there a better way to euthanize these tiny ones than simply not giving them access to food and water?
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Post by lavandulagirl on Jul 13, 2011 7:44:33 GMT -5
I've heard of people putting them in plastic ziploc bags and stting them in the freezer.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Jul 13, 2011 8:05:03 GMT -5
Gracious. That does sound fast and relatively painless. I could vacuum seal the bag as well... ::sigh:: the thought makes me cry.
MODIFICATION:
It's heartrendingly fast and easy.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Jul 15, 2011 10:18:55 GMT -5
HELP! I am TOTALLY FREAKED OUT!!!!
We have lost more than a dozen keets today. We've a couple of issues going on.
1. Couple days ago one of our newly hatched chicks (not a keet, a chick) fell over sickly. We thought perhaps he had eaten a whole kernel of corn. We noticed, for the first time, that there was a few whole kernels in the mash. We massaged his gullet and butt hoping it would help pass the blockage. We've also been feeding him olive oil for the same reason and plenty of water as well. He isn't pooping anything solid, but it certainly feels like there is something inside and he seems to be straining to poop.
Just now, I'm listening to him chirp and noticing how his butt seems to "throb" in time with the chirping. Then, I noticed that he isn't "chirping" the sound is coming FROM his butt! Is it possible there is another chick INSIDE this one?
2. The keets seem to have something "eating" their feet. JUST noticed this also.
I SO want to go to bed and start this day over again! I'm going to try to get some video up.
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Post by steev on Jul 15, 2011 10:48:20 GMT -5
Judging by your description of that chick's straining, yet producing nothing solid, and its chirping out its butt, it sounds like it's a baby politician.
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Post by lavandulagirl on Jul 15, 2011 13:40:56 GMT -5
Jo - could the sick chick have a perforation somewhere? Perhaps the noise you're hearing is an escaping air noise? As to the keets eating their feet, do you mean their OWN feet?! Or are they pecking at each other's feet? What is the protein percentage in the mash you are feeding them?
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Post by mnjrutherford on Jul 15, 2011 14:52:43 GMT -5
ok... so... I'm a tiny bit calmer.
The chick is NOT chirping from it's butt. THANK GOODNESS! I thought I was going a bit looney. The chirping does come from the throat but it IS (somehow) connecting with the anal contractions. Constipated? I don't think there is a perforation.
As for the keets, they are not eating their feet, there is some sort of "stuff" on their feet and appears that is "consuming" the feet from the toenails up.
I seem to recall a conversation about something like this MANY moons ago. I can't remember who was in the conversation though. The condition was called "something" feet?
Then, for the mass die off of the keets, it's suggested that it may be from the recent heat wave. We had the heat index up to 114 during the first part of the week and the commercial poultry houses have sustained massive losses. We took the bag of feed back to where we bought it and the owner checked it out and said that it looked like the miller's grind was off for that bag. It's fine for the larger birds, but not for the fuzzy little babies. We got a bag of chick starter. It is also possible that it's some sort of bacteria. So, we got a packet of "Duramycin" and we will add it to their water.
What a day.
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Post by 12540dumont on Jul 15, 2011 21:22:47 GMT -5
MNJ, Just found out the feral pig disconnected the hose to the hen house and I lost a beautiful laying hen. Thank God I noticed it before they all keeled over! I'm sorry for your keets.
Holly
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Post by lavandulagirl on Jul 15, 2011 21:29:45 GMT -5
Jo - they don't have scale mites on their feet, do they?
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Post by mnjrutherford on Jul 16, 2011 7:37:24 GMT -5
Sorry about your hen Holly. Seems the favs are the first to go. =o( But, you have a hose to the hen house? As in constantly running water? I'd like to know about that.
Not scale mites Lav. I found some pics... red sores on the legs right? This stuff looks like caked dung on their toes. But it can't be washed off.
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