TWO DIFFERENT CHICKENS

2014 KIDS

LOOK WHAT I FOUND IN A GOAT HOUSE

Less than 21 days we will have new chicks. We had two hens sit on eggs a couple of years ago. When they came off the nest with the babies we gathered them up and gave them all to one hen to raise. We learned that when the hen comes off sitting she wants protein, lots of protein.  One egg was just starting to hatch when the hen left the nest.  We brought that egg in the house and placed it on a hot pad and watched it hatch.  That took hours and was amazing to watch.  A shortened time video of the egg hatching is on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_xZsyqVL8Y

New Chickens

We Added 5 New Hens to Our Coop :-)

THE SPARROW BATTLE RAGES

All my native birds are gone my chicken feed is being eaten dispite our great efforts to keep these sparrows out.  They carry disease that effect my chickens and my goats. 

Chlamydiosis (Chlamydia, Enzootic Abortion)

Chlamydiosis, commonly known as chlamydia, is the most frequent cause of abortion in goats in North America. It is associated with pneumonia, pink eye, inflammation of epididymis (a part of the buck's reproductive system), and inflammation of the joints. It can be transmitted to does through the direct contact of feces from infected pigeons and sparrows. Chlamydia can be also transmitted to goats by ticks or other bloodsucking insects.
Chlamydia multiplies in the blood and is located in the reproductive organs of the doe. In pregnant does, this microorganism can be found in the fetus and placenta, leading to an inflammation of the placenta that prevents normal transfer of nutrients from the doe to the fetus. It can also lead to miscarriage or abortion. Abortions can occur any time between days 100 and 130 of gestation. Does may show no symptoms other than a bloody vaginal discharge two to three days prior to aborting. During the first three weeks after abortion has occurred, the doe will have uterine discharge containing chlamydia. If chlamydia is not diagnosed and treated, the infection will persist and the infected doe may abort again during the next pregnancy.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of chlamydiosis is based on the history of the herd, clinical signs, and characteristics of the placenta. When chlamydiosis is suspected, aborted fetuses and fresh placenta should be packed in ice, marked with correct identification of the doe, and sent to a lab for positive diagnosis. Up to three days after abortion, a vaginal swab should be taken by a veterinarian and sent to a diagnostic laboratory for isolation of the microorganism. Serum samples from the aborting doe can also be used for immunological tests, such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or the indirect inclusion fluorescence antibody (IIFA) tests for diagnosis.
The presence of chlamydial antigens in ground placenta or vaginal swabs collected just after abortion may be detected by ELISA with diagnostic kits developed for humanC. trachomatis infections. In human medicine, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or its variation, ligase chain reaction (LCR), are considered to be the most sensitive diagnostic methods available for diagnosis of chlamydia. But this is expensive.

Treatment and Prevention

Infected does should be treated with tetracycline, oxytetracycline, and chlortetracycline. The injection of 20 mg/kg of oxytetracycline given by intramuscular route at 105 and 120 days of pregnancy can prevent abortion but cannot prevent chlamydial shedding at kidding. Tetracyclines affect the replication of chlamydia and can be effective in preventing abortions. Chlamydia psittaciare susceptible to chlortetracycline. In an infected herd, abortion can be prevented by administrating 80 mg/head/day during pregnancy. In an outbreak, 250 mg/head/day for 3 weeks has been recommended and appears to be effective.

They are nasty nasty birds!!!!!

I tried this trap for four weeks and caught nothing.  Noticed mice were getting in it so placed mice poison and found many dead sparrows so I know they are getting in and out.  After all they go through 1" chicken wire, through any little hole under the fence and in and out the chicken's door way.  DON'T BUY THIS TRAP!!!

Ordering this cage below and going to give it a try, it is made so the sparrows can not get back out.  Wish us blessings in our battle of the nasty birds.

UP DATE:  LOVE THIS CAGE! BEEN CATCHING SPARROWS BY THE DOZEN

Second update:  Fist flock of Sparrows all most eradicated, just had another large flock of sparrows come in this week; the battle continues, the trap is working great catching sparrows everyday 24/7 Thinking I may purchase another one to speed up the trapping.

Second flock eradicated

6/17/2015 trap still working 24/7, not so many to catch but I get a half dozen every week when sparrows are fledglings. 

https://www.sparrowtraps.net/why_trap_sparrows.htm

DO BUY THIS TRAP!!!

Why Trap Sparrows?

Why trap sparrows? The English House sparrow is a non-native, invasive species imported from England in the mid 1800s. As invasive species, the English House Sparrow, as well as the European Starling and Pigeon are NOT protected by the laws that protect our native birds. Disposition of the House Sparrow and the Starling is not only legal, but in many cases encouraged.

Like many other invasive species, it has had a dramatic impact on the ecology where it has thrived. And it has thrived most everywhere it’s been introduced. The House Sparrow is a very hardy species and does well in nearly any area and climate. It is especially adaptable to human activity and does well anywhere it finds a source of food. From livestock feed and spilled grain on farms, to restaurant garbage in urban areas, to the yards of suburban bird feeders who buy cheap birdseed that is nothing but junk. By junk, I mean inexpensive seed that is attractive to House Sparrows, but not to native birds. Unfortunately, because price alone seems to be the deciding factor for many people buying birdseed, much of the birdseed sold today is just that, house sparrow food.

The English House Sparrow is a primary reason for the decline of the Bluebird as well as the Purple Martin populations in North America. The House Sparrow is very aggressive and competes for nesting cavities. Not only does this displace the natives from chosen nesting sites, but when the natives leave their nest unattended, the sparrow will often enter the nest and destroy the eggs and/or kill the nestlings. If an adult Bluebird is unlucky enough to be caught in a nest box by a House Sparrow, the sparrow will use its powerful beak to peck a hole in its rival's skull thus killing it. The House Sparrow has done untold damage to the native populations of cavity nesters in North America and, in fact, as early as 1903 in his book The Birds of Ohio, W.L. Dawson said "Without question the most deplorable event in the history of American ornithology was the introduction of the English Sparrow."

I Love The Garden

The garden has been so slow growing this year but it is starting to take off.

Picking strawberries.  Didn't think we would get any because the goats got in the garden early this summer and ate all the tops off.

We got raspberries planted which the goats also ate, but we were able to replant, notice the great use of the cattle panels.

 I do pretty intense planting so the strawberries have watermellon growing with them and the raspberries have cantalope growing with them.

We let one of the hens sit on eggs, so they are now our garden guest.  We fixed the fence around the garden so NO MORE GOATS can get in.

Steers and Chickens

Building great hindquarters.  I think he has been around the goats to long. 

Did you know that a laying hen has multiple eggs forming at the same time?  This hen was caught eating eggs.  So she became dinner and a great education for the grandchildren and adults.  Notice the little bitty orange beginnings of eggs.   All of the eggs without the shell were just yoke.  Do you know that the yoke is not what becomes the baby chick...the baby chick absorbs the yoke just before it is born. A baby chick doesn't have to eat or drink for three days after it hatches.