Colorado

[suncatcher]

Quote: X2

 

[trochefarm]

Hi, all. It's been a LONG time since I've had the time to hang out in my favorite social area. I had over 300 unread posts. Couldn't get through them all in one sitting.

Lots of new members, I see. Welcome all!

Anyone else hate how work seems to impose on life? 60 - 70 hour weeks for the last 3 or 4 weeks. I'm ready to be done with it.

Anyway! In the meantime, I've had at least four new layers. My Marans, Austra White, and Buff Orpington have been laying solidly for several weeks. Yesterday I got another little white egg. Looks like one of the Faverolles has started laying. Nice surprise.

I was afraid (and still not sure) I might have an egg eater. The new layers kept laying occasional soft shells, and I think some-chicken started looking at the nest boxes as a dining table. Can't find any tell-tale dried egg on any beaks or feathers, but I'll keep an eye out for that.

Mean time, I posted a similar question in the Backyard Brahma forum, Henri (remember my grandson's kindergarten hatching project) is about 14 weeks old now. I used to think she might be a Cochin because of how dark she was, and the fact that she came from a brown egg. I'm thinking, now, she may be a Brahma. Hatcher, of course.

Opinions? (Ok, you need to ignore the chicken poop! Remember...60-70 hour work weeks.)

Missed you all!

Preston, I haven't forgotten about you. I STILL want to tag up sometime. Things need to settle down.

 

[Chesterchook]

Howdy everyone! Trochefarm, I'm guessing Brahma based on the body shape and pea comb

 

[Chick N Mama]

Originally Posted by ShysCreations

After raising poultry 6 years, we had our first impacted crop. A cochin pullet who recently started laying. I'd noticed her front looking very full, and she appeared to have trouble walking. I helped her expel some of the liquid, holdin her downward. By afternoon her crop had broken open, full of grass and sand. The wound was so large, i hadnt a hope of stitching her up and avoid infection.


So Sorry! I, too, just had a loss. This was a good reminder to check crops so I don't have another sad day. Hope it gets easier.

 

[Chesterchook]

Is impacted crop a common thing? If it happens, is there anything you can do to prevent it rupturing?

 

[Pozees]

Is impacted crop a common thing? If it happens, is there anything you can do to prevent it rupturing?

I don't think it is common, and it can be really hard to catch - we expect our birds to fill their crops, and it can be hard to know whether they have emptied and been refilled if you aren't watching them a lot. When a bird has an impacted crop, you will usually see that it stops eating, often stops drinking, but the crop doesn't go down. I have not treated this myself so this is third-hand advice, but what I've seen recommended most often is trying to get some olive or vegetable oil into the crop and gently massage it. Sometimes just massaging will get things moving again. You can also turn the bird upside down while massaging and try to expel the contents of the crop, being extremely gentle so you don't cause something to puncture the crop with your massaging.

Your approach depends on your general philosophy and purpose regarding your birds. A bird with an impacted crop once, treated and recovered, and never has it again, is lucky you caught it and were successful. A bird who impacts again has an issue and will probably impact repeatedly, and unless you want to watch like a hawk and treat every time, it should be culled. That said, there may be a reason you prefer not to cull - emotional attachment, value as a breeder because it possesses unique characteristics, etc.

The issue might be that the bird isn't getting enough probiotics to maintain proper balance in the digestive system, it might be a physical deformity which prevents the crop from clearing correctly, and it might be that the bird lacks enough sense to avoid swallowing things that can't pass the crop. In all three cases, the bird may have trouble getting adequate nutrition. Supplementing with plain yogurt may help if the issue is one of proper bacterial balance, limiting the available feed to crumble and other tiny pieces of treats only may overcome a physical or common sense deficiency. It becomes a question of the level of accommodation you are willing and able to make.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Sorry ShysCreations for your loss due to an impacted crop. Losing anything to anything can be a very tragic loss.

I'm just happy because for the first time in over a year, one of my hens is starting to regrow feathers on her tail area!!!

She lost them due to some misbehaved ducks tearing her to shreds, and tried to regrow them before, but our overactive roo just stopped that form progressing. I don't even remember what she looks like with feathers back there, but I hope I will see this time (I managed to correct my duck's and roo's behavior, and they're still alive).

I am actually kinda awaiting winter/fall right now. At least as long as we get all of our firewood done (living in Colorado can get pretty busy). We have been working dawn till dusk on days that we can do firewood, and I'm ready to relax. At least one good thing is that after we finish our daily work, that's when it rains. Seems like we've got this down to a science.

 

[rj23]

[/IMG]
Today we discovered that our blue runner duck had bumblefoot. After a few hours we found out that no vet in my area would treat him. So we decided we needed to operate. After about 20 min i had all the infection removed and him bandaged up. The next 5 days i have to watch him to make sure he heals well. The picture is of all the calisized infection known as the kernel.

 

[Pozees]

[/URL]
Today we discovered that our blue runner duck had bumblefoot. After a few hours we found out that no vet in my area would treat him. So we decided we needed to operate. After about 20 min i had all the infection removed and him bandaged up. The next 5 days i have to watch him to make sure he heals well. The picture is of all the calisized infection known as the kernel.

Good job! Keep us posted on how it heals!

 

[rj23]

Thank you pozees. I will keep you all informed. And if anyone else faces this problem its not a hard thing to do, as long as your not squeamish and can handle a small small amount of blood. I saw on some bumblefoot threads that vets charged 300 + to do what i did for about $20.