Chickens !!!!

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Zasso Nouka
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Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Man they are sooooo cute when they are that age, what breed do you have ?

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Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by DocDoesFarming »

They're Momiji.
The constant chirping is great, I've sort of avoided the urge to pick them up and pet them as I don't want to put them under any stress.
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Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by Zasso Nouka »

They'll soon get used to being handled if you can't resist the urge :lol:

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Re: Chickens !!!!

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Chicken update, although it is to be expected about 6 or so the chicks have passed from this realm.
Now I thought this might just be a normal thing however I've noticed a few of them before dying weren't really standing properly on both feet either standing on one leg mostly or just lying on the ground and tended to have a swollen toe.
So after a bit of googling I might have found the cause to some of their deaths, Bumblefoot.

Some of the causes of Bumblefoot are:

1. Sharp or rough edges on roosts, nest boxes or perches.
1. Damp, dirty coops and runs.
2. Route of infection like an existing injury to the foot.
3. Accumulation of faeces.
4. Hard, compacted or muddy run surface.
5. Poor diet and vitamin deficiency, particularly vitamin A.
6. Genetic foot or leg malformations.
7. Fighting or aggression.
8. Overgrown toe nails due to inactivity.
9. Fat or out of condition chickens that may have suffered from another condition.
10. Chickens that have had Bumblefoot before are more likely to get a recurrence.
11. Scaly leg mites make Bumblefoot more likely.

Well I have a feeling that 2, 3 and possibly 4 might have been the problem so I'll have to scrape and redo the flooring in the sleeping area to soften it up and clear some of the poo and also replace the wet straw near the water bowls.

Not really sure what to do with regards to any I find with Bumblefoot, I've seen some home treatments with and without a knife.

Anyone here have any experience with Bumblefoot?
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Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by Zasso Nouka »

I've not had bumblefoot in any of our chickens but seem to remember reading somewhere that chicks are somewhat more susceptible to it than older birds but can't find that source so could well be wrong.

I think if you can eliminate any areas that might cause scratches to their feet that can go a long way towards preventing any further outbreaks. Obviously little chick feet are softer than older hens.

Were your chicks vaccinated at the hatchery before you got them ?

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Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by DocDoesFarming »

Zasso Nouka wrote:
Sat Apr 18, 2020 5:31 am
Were your chicks vaccinated at the hatchery before you got them ?
I need to check with the wife, I hope they have been.

I just did some cleaning inside their area so hopefully that might help somewhat, I can't really see anything sharp like that might hurt their feet unless it was just the compacted ground in the sleeping area which has happened from time to time.
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Re: Chickens !!!!

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Zasso Nouka wrote:
Sat Apr 18, 2020 5:31 am
Were your chicks vaccinated at the hatchery before you got them ?
Looks like we went for unvaccinated as we want to go 100% natural. Although we're losing a chick a day which shouldn't be right.
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Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by Zasso Nouka »

You might want to check with your local health authority as here in Chiba you aren't allowed to sell eggs from unvaccinated chickens because there is a fair risk of making customers sick if they eat raw or lightly cooked eggs. For older folk and young kids salmonella can be a bit iffy. Some of the vaccinations are given in drinking water and are quite easy to administer, others require an injection.

If you are losing a chick a day that sounds like it might be worth calling a vet in, seems like quite a high mortality rate. I don't think we've ever lost a chick to disease. You can find a farm vet through your local animal health authority, quite likely the department will be shared across several cities so they might not be located in your city. Here in Chiba you need to be registered with them to legally sell eggs and they can offer advice and let you know when there are any cases of bird flu or other transmissible diseases nearby so you can tighten up your quarantine procedures till it has been eliminated. Our vet is quite good, he comes around once a year to inspect the area and chickens (another legal requirement) and to bring us the vaccine for Newcastle Disease as it has to be done every year. If he comes on the weekend then he normally books lunch in the cafe for him and his wife.

We've actually stopped buying chicks and now buy pullets as it works out cheaper on feed as we don't have to feed them for six months before we get a single egg. Also pullets are less likely to get killed if one escapes into the main part with the adult chickens, sadly we lost a few chicks that way as they are master escape artists.

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Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by DocDoesFarming »

I'm just wondering if there's some things we should have done to prevent these deaths, I mean I only just found out you're supposed to give the chicks room temperature water as cold water messes with their body temp. Also trying to keep the water clean is a must, usually they like to walk about in it and dirty it up, I was only changing it every other day.
So that's fuck up number 1 and probably 2.

You're supposed to keep the general area nice and dry, only until recently did I actually start replacing the straw as it was damp and soggy around the water bowls. Fuck up 3.

As you're supposed to slowly decrease the temperature weekly in the sleeping I decided to stop using the little light bulb as the heat source a few days back. As a result that might have caused them to huddle together for warmth and smother 1 or 2 of them. Fuck up 4.

I'm starting to think that I'm probably the cause of the deaths. I feel like a prize plum.

Also I need to double check the vaccine situation as the local guy who's showing us the ropes actually ordered the chicks for us. He's only lost 3 and we got them all together in the same order.

To sort out issue 2 and 3 I've ordered some chicken nipples so they always get clean water and it keeps the area dry, probably too late for this lot but might help for future chicks.
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Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by DocDoesFarming »

This might be worth watching for future chicken owners.

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