The bacterium salmonella enteritidis silently infects the ovaries of healthy appearing hens and contaminates the eggs before the shells are formed.My questions are: If a small number of infected hens (at any given time) only lay a contaminated egg occasionally, then why are so many people getting sick? Could it be that they have $$ in their eyes?
The hen encounters the the bacteria in its environment. The bacteria invades the hen's reproductive and digestive systems.
Most types of salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of animals and birds and are transmitted to humans by contaminated foods of animal origin.
Stringent procedures for cleaning and inspecting eggs were implemented in the 1970s and have made salmonellosis caused by external fecal contamination of egg shells extremely rare.
The current epidemic is due to intact and disinfected grade A eggs.
Although most infected hens have been found in the northeastern United States, the infection also occurs in hens in other areas of the country. In the Northeast, approximately one in 10,000 eggs may be internally contaminated.
In other parts of the United States, contaminated eggs appear less common. A small number of hens seem to be infected at any given time, and an infected hen can lay many normal eggs while only occasionally laying an egg contaminated with the salmonella bacterium.
Showing posts with label hens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hens. Show all posts
Monday, August 23, 2010
How Do Eggs Get Contaminated?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say:
Saturday, February 6, 2010
More Results
We could only find two eggs this evening, so the experiment isn't panning out with great results but I will give it another day. We haven't had the hens on layer feed this winter because we have been feeding them something with more protein but got a new bag of Layer Crumbles today.
Our updated weather forecast is a brand new Winter Storm Watch for Tuesday, 3 - 7 inches of blowing and drifting snow with cold temps.
Our updated weather forecast is a brand new Winter Storm Watch for Tuesday, 3 - 7 inches of blowing and drifting snow with cold temps.
And The Results Are In
3.4 inches of snow for us. Much less than the predicted 6 to 12 inches we were suppose to have by this morning. We had just a dusting when we went to bed last night but sometime early this morning it got slightly serious.
Here is our next forecast:
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY AS A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. IN ADDITION BITTER WIND CHILLS FROM ZERO TO 5 BELOW ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.
I got 4 eggs on Thursday after feeding the hens Cayenne Pepper on Wednesday. I got 1 egg yesterday. Today should be the test but with the snow and high winds, I am afraid that they won't be able to make it out to the Chicken/Goat shed where their nests are. If they lay here in the barn, I probably won't be able to find them. Especially if they go to the loft.
Here is our next forecast:
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY AS A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. IN ADDITION BITTER WIND CHILLS FROM ZERO TO 5 BELOW ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.
I got 4 eggs on Thursday after feeding the hens Cayenne Pepper on Wednesday. I got 1 egg yesterday. Today should be the test but with the snow and high winds, I am afraid that they won't be able to make it out to the Chicken/Goat shed where their nests are. If they lay here in the barn, I probably won't be able to find them. Especially if they go to the loft.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Winter Storm Watch
Thanks to those who were concerned about me. December and January were not great months. December was lean in the pocketbook for us, plus I had the flu during the first part of the month then my DH got pretty sick towards the last part. I spent a couple of weeks on the couch with a pinched nerve in my back around the first of January. I think that I have had a little of the winter blues. Nothing much to write about and I just haven't been inspired.
However, I feel a little inspired today. As I sit here waiting on the big winter storm that is about to engulf Indiana tonight and tomorrow, I was thinking of Spring. Our groundhogs did not see their shadows and Spring is only a few snowstorms away. I know this because my hens have gotten back on their nests and gone to work this week. After months of one egg per day. We got two eggs, then six eggs, then zero eggs, then four eggs, then one egg. I can't wait to see how many eggs we get this evening.
The actual truth is that I had read somewhere that giving your hens Cayenne Pepper would make them start laying. I tried it and about three days later got six eggs. So, yesterday I fixed them up with some leftovers drowning in Cayenne Pepper. I will let you know how it goes.
Collette is huge but I don't think that she will have triplet doelings again this year. I think that she will probably have twin spotted doelings. I still have no idea when she will kid, but I do know now that the father is my black spotted young buck, Rancid. I didn't think he was tall enough or even knew what he was doing but where there is a will there is a way. He doesn't even stink yet!
I check Collette everyday when I milk Calico. She is getting ready to kid, losing her ligaments and has that dropped look, hollowing out in the flanks, carrying low. Still no udder to speak of though. She is waiting for just the right snow or ice storm or just the right sub-zero temperature.
My plans for the rest of today are to get prepared for a winter storm. I need to find a way to store some water. If our electricity goes out we have no water because we have a well with a pump. We do have a nice spring in case of emergencies but it is easier to store some from the well than hauling it to the house from the spring.
We do have heat from a ventless gas heater that provides our heat during the cold months. We do not have lights or a way to cook unless we run our generator. I miss having a woodstove because you always have heat and a way to cook. I suppose we could always build a campfire outside to cook on, I am a pretty good campfire cook.
However, I feel a little inspired today. As I sit here waiting on the big winter storm that is about to engulf Indiana tonight and tomorrow, I was thinking of Spring. Our groundhogs did not see their shadows and Spring is only a few snowstorms away. I know this because my hens have gotten back on their nests and gone to work this week. After months of one egg per day. We got two eggs, then six eggs, then zero eggs, then four eggs, then one egg. I can't wait to see how many eggs we get this evening.
The actual truth is that I had read somewhere that giving your hens Cayenne Pepper would make them start laying. I tried it and about three days later got six eggs. So, yesterday I fixed them up with some leftovers drowning in Cayenne Pepper. I will let you know how it goes.
Collette is huge but I don't think that she will have triplet doelings again this year. I think that she will probably have twin spotted doelings. I still have no idea when she will kid, but I do know now that the father is my black spotted young buck, Rancid. I didn't think he was tall enough or even knew what he was doing but where there is a will there is a way. He doesn't even stink yet!
I check Collette everyday when I milk Calico. She is getting ready to kid, losing her ligaments and has that dropped look, hollowing out in the flanks, carrying low. Still no udder to speak of though. She is waiting for just the right snow or ice storm or just the right sub-zero temperature.
My plans for the rest of today are to get prepared for a winter storm. I need to find a way to store some water. If our electricity goes out we have no water because we have a well with a pump. We do have a nice spring in case of emergencies but it is easier to store some from the well than hauling it to the house from the spring.
We do have heat from a ventless gas heater that provides our heat during the cold months. We do not have lights or a way to cook unless we run our generator. I miss having a woodstove because you always have heat and a way to cook. I suppose we could always build a campfire outside to cook on, I am a pretty good campfire cook.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Secret Stash
We have been bad mouthing our hens for a few weeks. Some of them have been busy molting, that has been obvious. But the others had no excuse for not laying any eggs at all. We have gotten a couple of eggs every two or three days which was pretty bad for around 18 hens.
I was looking around the barn the other night, this was not the first time that I had looked for a hidden nest but this was the first time I found one. Underneath the big piece of cardboard that my DH uses to lay on under the truck when he changes the oil, I found their secret stash. This was on the same night that my DH was talking about getting rid of all of them and starting out fresh in the Spring.
It was a small but deep nest. The eggs at the very bottom were all broken. There were 18 unbroken eggs. The funny thing is that since I removed all of the eggs and cleaned the nest, they have not used that nest again. So we are back to getting one or two eggs every other day. I know that it is getting colder but we got eggs all during last winter.
I have slipped back into my non-blogging habit again, the truth is that I have been reading books. I bought several Tony Hillerman books last Christmas for my Step-Dad and for myself but hadn't read but a few of them. My Step-Dad gave me all of his when he was done with them.
I picked up one of them a few weeks ago and I have been obsessed ever since. I am on a reading marathon. It was really nice while I was sick to lay in bed and read but now that I am better, I can't get out of the habit.
I was looking around the barn the other night, this was not the first time that I had looked for a hidden nest but this was the first time I found one. Underneath the big piece of cardboard that my DH uses to lay on under the truck when he changes the oil, I found their secret stash. This was on the same night that my DH was talking about getting rid of all of them and starting out fresh in the Spring.
It was a small but deep nest. The eggs at the very bottom were all broken. There were 18 unbroken eggs. The funny thing is that since I removed all of the eggs and cleaned the nest, they have not used that nest again. So we are back to getting one or two eggs every other day. I know that it is getting colder but we got eggs all during last winter.
I have slipped back into my non-blogging habit again, the truth is that I have been reading books. I bought several Tony Hillerman books last Christmas for my Step-Dad and for myself but hadn't read but a few of them. My Step-Dad gave me all of his when he was done with them.
I picked up one of them a few weeks ago and I have been obsessed ever since. I am on a reading marathon. It was really nice while I was sick to lay in bed and read but now that I am better, I can't get out of the habit.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Ark Building
I know that I haven't blogged in quite awhile, which is what happens when you are so busy that you don't have time to turn around. I have been so busy building this ark, but the good news is that it is nearly ready. We are suppose to get a bunch more rain this morning and afternoon, so we will see if this thing will float.
I have had some type of flu-like thing again. I have had a really, really sore throat, fever, cough and pounding headache. I have been a good girl and have stayed home so that I do not spread the joy. But my Grandkids have all been here and I, of course, kissed them all good-bye each time they left. I felt terrible after they were gone and I realized what I had done. The truth be known, they probably gave it to me in the first place.
My two milk does have been moved into the barn stall, since they have completely quit respecting their goat lot boundaries. We asked a neighbor who was borrowing one of our electric fence chargers if we could have it back. Now we just have to get the thing hooked up on the goat lot. Our main fence charger is just running too many miles of fence to be effective.
I have lost two hens, one of my Rhode Island Reds to old age and one of my Silver Laced Wyandottes to our Grullo Stallion. The chickens always hang around where Badger is eating his grain. They like picking up the grain that he drops with his sloppy eating habits. He probably just accidentally stepped on the hen but since I wasn't there I don't know for sure what happened. She was just laying dead beside his feeder.
Other poultry news is that my hens have nearly quit laying. We are only getting one to two eggs every other day from 17 hens. This is pretty hard on us since milk and eggs are our main food source. My summer hatches are all D'Uccle bantams, who won't be laying at all this winter anyway even if they were mostly hens which they aren't. We do have some really fancy Mille Fleur D'Uccle Roosters for sale though.
My husband's sister called us up a few weeks ago, her neighbor had two bantam Cochin pullets to give away, sure, I would take them. When I got there to pick them up they were Frizzles, all the better. They were sweet and friendly but after a couple of days I noticed that my D'Uccle Cockerels were picking fights with them, then I noticed that the Frizzles were picking fights with the D'Uccles. Then my DH mentioned that my new pullets were trying to crow. Never take free pullets, chances are they aren't pullets at all.
I have had some type of flu-like thing again. I have had a really, really sore throat, fever, cough and pounding headache. I have been a good girl and have stayed home so that I do not spread the joy. But my Grandkids have all been here and I, of course, kissed them all good-bye each time they left. I felt terrible after they were gone and I realized what I had done. The truth be known, they probably gave it to me in the first place.
My two milk does have been moved into the barn stall, since they have completely quit respecting their goat lot boundaries. We asked a neighbor who was borrowing one of our electric fence chargers if we could have it back. Now we just have to get the thing hooked up on the goat lot. Our main fence charger is just running too many miles of fence to be effective.
I have lost two hens, one of my Rhode Island Reds to old age and one of my Silver Laced Wyandottes to our Grullo Stallion. The chickens always hang around where Badger is eating his grain. They like picking up the grain that he drops with his sloppy eating habits. He probably just accidentally stepped on the hen but since I wasn't there I don't know for sure what happened. She was just laying dead beside his feeder.
Other poultry news is that my hens have nearly quit laying. We are only getting one to two eggs every other day from 17 hens. This is pretty hard on us since milk and eggs are our main food source. My summer hatches are all D'Uccle bantams, who won't be laying at all this winter anyway even if they were mostly hens which they aren't. We do have some really fancy Mille Fleur D'Uccle Roosters for sale though.
My husband's sister called us up a few weeks ago, her neighbor had two bantam Cochin pullets to give away, sure, I would take them. When I got there to pick them up they were Frizzles, all the better. They were sweet and friendly but after a couple of days I noticed that my D'Uccle Cockerels were picking fights with them, then I noticed that the Frizzles were picking fights with the D'Uccles. Then my DH mentioned that my new pullets were trying to crow. Never take free pullets, chances are they aren't pullets at all.
Friday, September 11, 2009
2009 Hatchlings
I have ended up this hatching season with three hens who successfully incubated their eggs. The first standard sized hen hatched out nine bantam chicks only smashing one of them. Her eight remaining D'Uccle chicks are now nearly adult size and five of those eight are roosters, four of the five roosters are turning Mille Fleur. I am currently trying to find them new homes.
The other two hens were both D'Uccles, one hatched six chicks and the other hatched three. These chicks are all D'Uccles as well, but are still little balls of fluff, so I don't know if they are pullets or cockerels.
Egg production has dropped drastically in the last few weeks. When we were getting plenty of eggs, no one wanted to buy them, now we have a waiting list. I guess fresh farm eggs are getting harder to find because of the season. This is hard on our dogs who are use to getting a few eggs everyday.
I am glad to report no chicken losses other than one smashed chick. Having Great Pyrenees can cut your chicken losses as long as it isn't your Great Pyrenees who are killing your chickens. My older dog does chase them a little bit when she is feeling frisky and my cat does too, but neither has ever hurt one of them.
I am really impressed with my cat, Garfield, he kills birds, mice, chipmunks and rabbits but the little tiny chicks can walk right over his front paws and he only twitches. I have been afraid that he will snap one day, but so far so good.
The other two hens were both D'Uccles, one hatched six chicks and the other hatched three. These chicks are all D'Uccles as well, but are still little balls of fluff, so I don't know if they are pullets or cockerels.
Egg production has dropped drastically in the last few weeks. When we were getting plenty of eggs, no one wanted to buy them, now we have a waiting list. I guess fresh farm eggs are getting harder to find because of the season. This is hard on our dogs who are use to getting a few eggs everyday.
I am glad to report no chicken losses other than one smashed chick. Having Great Pyrenees can cut your chicken losses as long as it isn't your Great Pyrenees who are killing your chickens. My older dog does chase them a little bit when she is feeling frisky and my cat does too, but neither has ever hurt one of them.
I am really impressed with my cat, Garfield, he kills birds, mice, chipmunks and rabbits but the little tiny chicks can walk right over his front paws and he only twitches. I have been afraid that he will snap one day, but so far so good.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Hatchlings
I don't think that I have posted about my Rhode Island Red hen going broody. I know that I have complained about none of my hens feeling motherly this year, well one finally did. She is a big, old RIR and she decided to start a family around 21 days ago. Dingy me forgot to write down the date that she started setting. So I have been checking her nest everyday to see if there are any chicks. I thought that her time should be about up.
I set 6 large eggs and 12 banty eggs under her. I know that my banty eggs are fertilized but am not sure about the standard eggs. Rocky still isn't doing his job. Last night I checked and had one banty chick that was all hatched out, fluffy and cute. I haven't checked her today yet.
I am going to have to move her and the nest to a safer location because the nest is so high and the chicklets can fall out.
I set 6 large eggs and 12 banty eggs under her. I know that my banty eggs are fertilized but am not sure about the standard eggs. Rocky still isn't doing his job. Last night I checked and had one banty chick that was all hatched out, fluffy and cute. I haven't checked her today yet.
I am going to have to move her and the nest to a safer location because the nest is so high and the chicklets can fall out.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wrinkled Egg
I found this egg Saturday, I would call it a wrinkled egg. I have found similar eggs before but not as bad as this one. This can be caused by Infectious Bronchitis in hens which is caused by the Coronavirus. There are other things that can cause wrinkled eggs too but I am thinking that this hen has had IB in her past and she has permanent damage to her oviduct.
Since I don't have any chickens with respiratory problems right now or runny eyes, I think that this was in her past. The good news is that once they have it, they have permanent immunity to it. This is probably just one hen because there is always one very long brown egg that is occasionally misshaped.
Our Chickens are currently giving us 12 to 17 eggs per day. All of my bantams are finally laying. So far no one has gone broody, if I weren't wanting baby chicks they would all be hiding nests and setting.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Roosters, Angus and a Jailbreak
Meanwhile back at the ranch, life has settled down somewhat and returning to normal. I had been keeping my D'uccles in a large dog taxi for the cold winter months. They don't do cold weather very well.
During those months the mutt red banty rooster continued to harass and otherwise torment Rudy my D'uccle rooster. He was always challenging him at the door of the taxi. There was nothing Rudy could do about it but tell him that though he was caged he still had the prettiest hens caged with him.
The worm has turned, I have finally released Rudy and his two D'uccle hens. I put the mutt and Elvis in cages, so there is no chance of them fertilizing any eggs that any of my hens might go broody over. It is now Rudy's turn to challenge and otherwise torment the mutt and he has been doing just that all morning.
Angus is doing very well and growing, he stays in our foaling stall at night and in the goat lot on sunny days. Sometimes we just turn him loose and he goes where he wants to go, which is usually around Cooter's dog kennel.
Speaking of Cooter's dog kennel, I never knew what a billy goat could do with his bare teeth. For those who don't know, goats only have bottom teeth in the front like cattle, with no teeth in the front top gums. So when they bite you it doesn't hurt that bad unless they are like Calico who has learned to scrape with those bottom teeth. Her mother always did the same thing, if she bit you she meant it to hurt.
Cooter has been planning a jail break for quite a while but he was waiting for just the right time. He wanted us to be away from home when he took off. He got his chance last night, he knew that we would be away for several hours so he put his evil plan into action.
There were signs that something was in the works...
But he looked so innocent, like it was all just an accident.
When I caught him in the act, he started chewing on something else to make me think he was only chewing because he was bored.
When the work got hard he thought about trying to jump but his big, muscular body just couldn't get off of the ground. 
The awful truth was staring me right in the eye but I refused to believe it.
Then when we came home last night something just didn't look right.
You are probably thinking that he got out just to visit his girlfriends but you would be wrong. He was partying with the horses at the hay ring again.
During those months the mutt red banty rooster continued to harass and otherwise torment Rudy my D'uccle rooster. He was always challenging him at the door of the taxi. There was nothing Rudy could do about it but tell him that though he was caged he still had the prettiest hens caged with him.
The worm has turned, I have finally released Rudy and his two D'uccle hens. I put the mutt and Elvis in cages, so there is no chance of them fertilizing any eggs that any of my hens might go broody over. It is now Rudy's turn to challenge and otherwise torment the mutt and he has been doing just that all morning.
Angus is doing very well and growing, he stays in our foaling stall at night and in the goat lot on sunny days. Sometimes we just turn him loose and he goes where he wants to go, which is usually around Cooter's dog kennel.
Speaking of Cooter's dog kennel, I never knew what a billy goat could do with his bare teeth. For those who don't know, goats only have bottom teeth in the front like cattle, with no teeth in the front top gums. So when they bite you it doesn't hurt that bad unless they are like Calico who has learned to scrape with those bottom teeth. Her mother always did the same thing, if she bit you she meant it to hurt.
Cooter has been planning a jail break for quite a while but he was waiting for just the right time. He wanted us to be away from home when he took off. He got his chance last night, he knew that we would be away for several hours so he put his evil plan into action.
There were signs that something was in the works...
But he looked so innocent, like it was all just an accident.
When I caught him in the act, he started chewing on something else to make me think he was only chewing because he was bored.
When the work got hard he thought about trying to jump but his big, muscular body just couldn't get off of the ground. 
The awful truth was staring me right in the eye but I refused to believe it.
Then when we came home last night something just didn't look right.
You are probably thinking that he got out just to visit his girlfriends but you would be wrong. He was partying with the horses at the hay ring again.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Second Day
After my successful ride on Tuesday and feeling so well Tuesday evening, I was afraid that getting out of bed on Wednesday would be hard, it wasn't. However, this morning was a different story. I was sore in all of the places that you get sore after riding a horse for the first time in a long time.
My last long ride was in the summer of 2004, we took an 8 hour ride and I was quite sore after that, today wasn't that bad but I sure am feeling it. I hope that the weather permits us to ride for at least another 3 hours next week and hopefully even a little bit longer.
We have some neighbors with horses now who ride nearly every Sunday. They have been making some trails that are very convenient for us. We don't have to ride on the road for very long and we don't have to trailer our horses anywhere.
And now back to the farm news...I lost another Silver Lace Wyandotte hen. She just died on the roost like the last one. I hate losing them without knowing why but I don't know how old they are. The rest of the hens are giving us at least a dozen eggs a day and sometimes fourteen. I haven't had any hens go broody yet, so I guess they aren't convinced that Spring has sprung.
Calico continues to grow wider, as does Paris. Everyone who sees them say that they both must be bred but I am still not convinced about Paris, we will see in a few weeks. She has still not shown any signs of heat, so hopefully she is.
Angus is growing and getting a little too smart for his own good. We may have to confine him to his own area soon. He still has the run of the farm and we couldn't find him the other night at feeding time. He had made his way through the electric fence and was in the goat/chicken shed settled in with the goats.
When he gets to feeling his wild oats, he takes a run out into the big horse pasture. He loves being chased by our curious young horses, I guess it gets his adrenalin pumping like it does mine. He can outrun them now but I told him that as he gets bigger he won't be able to run that fast and then what is he going to do when they catch him?
My last long ride was in the summer of 2004, we took an 8 hour ride and I was quite sore after that, today wasn't that bad but I sure am feeling it. I hope that the weather permits us to ride for at least another 3 hours next week and hopefully even a little bit longer.
We have some neighbors with horses now who ride nearly every Sunday. They have been making some trails that are very convenient for us. We don't have to ride on the road for very long and we don't have to trailer our horses anywhere.
And now back to the farm news...I lost another Silver Lace Wyandotte hen. She just died on the roost like the last one. I hate losing them without knowing why but I don't know how old they are. The rest of the hens are giving us at least a dozen eggs a day and sometimes fourteen. I haven't had any hens go broody yet, so I guess they aren't convinced that Spring has sprung.
Calico continues to grow wider, as does Paris. Everyone who sees them say that they both must be bred but I am still not convinced about Paris, we will see in a few weeks. She has still not shown any signs of heat, so hopefully she is.
Angus is growing and getting a little too smart for his own good. We may have to confine him to his own area soon. He still has the run of the farm and we couldn't find him the other night at feeding time. He had made his way through the electric fence and was in the goat/chicken shed settled in with the goats.
When he gets to feeling his wild oats, he takes a run out into the big horse pasture. He loves being chased by our curious young horses, I guess it gets his adrenalin pumping like it does mine. He can outrun them now but I told him that as he gets bigger he won't be able to run that fast and then what is he going to do when they catch him?
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Calico Update
Do you think that she might be pregnant? Since her due date was not March 9th, I am guessing that her little rendezvous with Cooter on November 11th has paid off for her. So her official due date is now April 10th.
Paris looks somewhat pregnant but I am still not sure with her. It will still be wait and see. I have never had a single, so I don't know what a doe looks like when pregnant with a single.
My hens are blessing us everyday with 12 to 14 eggs. My little Fleur banty hen has started crowing. She is laying eggs and crowing, I don't know what is up with that. If anyone has any information about why a laying hen crows, I would love to hear it.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Night Glitter
To update my previous post, all of my hens came home wagging their tails behind them. I don't know where they have been the last few days but they seem to be fine. I would imagine that they were just under a shelter of some sort. Then the snow piled up around them and they couldn't escape until the sun came out today and warmed things up.
I had a most amazing walk that I was going to blog about and forgot. It got really cold last night and after I got all of my feeding and milking done and had gone into my toasty house for the night. I remembered that I had forgotten to feed Angel and Abby. Well, there was no hurry, I warmed up and did a few things inside. Later I wrapped back up, fixed their food and went back out into the frigid night.
I had my headlight on which gives you a new prospective on things in the night, all of the animals eyes glow because you have this bright light so close to your own eyes. But what was so amazing about last night was that there was a freezing fog.
Oh my, it was the most beautiful thing. The air temperature was so cold that the fog was freezing into tiny, sparkling ice particles floating in the air. Wow! It was like walking through suspended glitter and it was everywhere. I could have stayed out all night if it hadn't been so cold, but if it hadn't been so cold it wouldn't have been such a glittery world. And to think that I would never had experienced it if I had just had a flashlight in my hand.
I had a most amazing walk that I was going to blog about and forgot. It got really cold last night and after I got all of my feeding and milking done and had gone into my toasty house for the night. I remembered that I had forgotten to feed Angel and Abby. Well, there was no hurry, I warmed up and did a few things inside. Later I wrapped back up, fixed their food and went back out into the frigid night.
I had my headlight on which gives you a new prospective on things in the night, all of the animals eyes glow because you have this bright light so close to your own eyes. But what was so amazing about last night was that there was a freezing fog.
Oh my, it was the most beautiful thing. The air temperature was so cold that the fog was freezing into tiny, sparkling ice particles floating in the air. Wow! It was like walking through suspended glitter and it was everywhere. I could have stayed out all night if it hadn't been so cold, but if it hadn't been so cold it wouldn't have been such a glittery world. And to think that I would never had experienced it if I had just had a flashlight in my hand.
Thawing Chicken
Awhile back my Hubby thought that I had some missing hens but it turned out that they were all here. This time I hate to say that it is true. On the night of the big snow and ice storm the chickens had been in the barn all day. That evening my DH herded them out of the barn and sent them on their way to the goat/chicken shed. We were on our way to the neighbor's for supper.
They always go to the goat/chicken shed without any problems, so we didn't think to check on them to make sure that they all had made it. I really don't know why they didn't make it to the shed but we didn't know there was a problem until the next day.
My Son came to get one of our blazers and when they dug it out of the snow, started it and moved it into the driveway, a Barred Rock Hen ran out from under it. Her feathers were ruffled and she was covered in ice. My Husband caught her and took her to the shed and placed her on the roost.
A short time later my Grandson was out playing in the snow when he came running into the house saying that Elvis, my Polish Rooster was in trouble, he thought he was dying or dead. My DH went out and found him lying in the snow barely alive. He brought him to the house and he had so much ice on his head that his neck could not support it. He would not have survived much longer.
My Husband discovered that he might have missed his calling, maybe he should have been a chicken stylist.
After Elvis was thoroughly thawed out, he was immediately back to his old self and jumped on a hen.
After the Barred Rock Hen was thawed out with the hair dryer as well, I went to count heads. We were missing a Silver Laced Wyandotte Hen, we searched under everything that we thought a hen might hide under from the freezing rain and sleet. As you can see, it was hard to look everywhere.
I guess that when they had tried to make it back to the goat/chicken shed that night they just chickened out and didn't want to walk through the freezing rain and sleet, so they just hid under something, then the snow that night trapped them.
I counted heads again last night and one of my Golden Comets is missing too. I must have overlooked her the other night when I counted. I guess we won't find them until the snow and ice melts, there might yet be hope if they are under the goat/chicken shed because grain falls through the cracks in the floor.
This morning my Mille Fleur Bantam Hen was bleeding profusely from her toe. I brought her in the house and her toenail as well as the tip of her toe was hanging loose. I tore it the rest of the way off and tried to stop the bleeding but it was hard to get stopped.
The temperature was -10 here this morning. I am thinking that her foot must have gotten frozen to the roost last night. After about 30 minutes of bleeding I finally got some cobwebs, wadded them up and applied them to the toe and that did the job.
-10 this morning and 45 degrees this afternoon, this must be Indiana. Angus is doing very well, he has a wonderful appetite now and I am trying my best to keep him from scouring. He keeps wanting me to play with him and I am just not up to it.
They always go to the goat/chicken shed without any problems, so we didn't think to check on them to make sure that they all had made it. I really don't know why they didn't make it to the shed but we didn't know there was a problem until the next day.
My Son came to get one of our blazers and when they dug it out of the snow, started it and moved it into the driveway, a Barred Rock Hen ran out from under it. Her feathers were ruffled and she was covered in ice. My Husband caught her and took her to the shed and placed her on the roost.
A short time later my Grandson was out playing in the snow when he came running into the house saying that Elvis, my Polish Rooster was in trouble, he thought he was dying or dead. My DH went out and found him lying in the snow barely alive. He brought him to the house and he had so much ice on his head that his neck could not support it. He would not have survived much longer.
My Husband discovered that he might have missed his calling, maybe he should have been a chicken stylist.
After Elvis was thoroughly thawed out, he was immediately back to his old self and jumped on a hen.
After the Barred Rock Hen was thawed out with the hair dryer as well, I went to count heads. We were missing a Silver Laced Wyandotte Hen, we searched under everything that we thought a hen might hide under from the freezing rain and sleet. As you can see, it was hard to look everywhere.
I guess that when they had tried to make it back to the goat/chicken shed that night they just chickened out and didn't want to walk through the freezing rain and sleet, so they just hid under something, then the snow that night trapped them.
I counted heads again last night and one of my Golden Comets is missing too. I must have overlooked her the other night when I counted. I guess we won't find them until the snow and ice melts, there might yet be hope if they are under the goat/chicken shed because grain falls through the cracks in the floor.
This morning my Mille Fleur Bantam Hen was bleeding profusely from her toe. I brought her in the house and her toenail as well as the tip of her toe was hanging loose. I tore it the rest of the way off and tried to stop the bleeding but it was hard to get stopped.
The temperature was -10 here this morning. I am thinking that her foot must have gotten frozen to the roost last night. After about 30 minutes of bleeding I finally got some cobwebs, wadded them up and applied them to the toe and that did the job.
-10 this morning and 45 degrees this afternoon, this must be Indiana. Angus is doing very well, he has a wonderful appetite now and I am trying my best to keep him from scouring. He keeps wanting me to play with him and I am just not up to it.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Mouse Follow-Up
I knew that my last post would provoke feelings of sympathy in folks of a more gentle nature. The comment was made that mice have a purpose, this is true and I can even tell you what those purposes are.
Mice provide protein for other living creatures, they are on my cat Garfield's preferred delicacy menu. Followed closely by beautiful song birds. Mice also provide nutrition for snakes, foxes and hawks to name only a few.
They are also used in research for diseases, product, pharmaceutical and food safety, they are sacrificed for our well being and the well being of our pets.
You could say that the mouse is a very useful creation, he is also noble to give up his life for the benefit of others.
That said, I do not condone the use of mice or the killing of mice strictly for human entertainment, even though I do admit to laughing when the chickens are fighting over one.
I have not been able to photograph the feeding frenzy that a group of chickens will lower themselves to when one catches a mouse. It is just too comical to see the owner of the mouse run for it's life with 25 other chickens in hot pursuit.
The mouse is usually stripped away several times and the pursuit changes direction with each steal, the pursuers sometimes lose track of who they are suppose to be chasing. It reminds me of a football game.
I have been able to snap a picture of the capture of a frog but when a hen is running for it's life, it is very difficult to get the shot while running with the rest of the chickens, they don't play fair, they try to trip you.
Mice provide protein for other living creatures, they are on my cat Garfield's preferred delicacy menu. Followed closely by beautiful song birds. Mice also provide nutrition for snakes, foxes and hawks to name only a few.
They are also used in research for diseases, product, pharmaceutical and food safety, they are sacrificed for our well being and the well being of our pets.
You could say that the mouse is a very useful creation, he is also noble to give up his life for the benefit of others.
That said, I do not condone the use of mice or the killing of mice strictly for human entertainment, even though I do admit to laughing when the chickens are fighting over one.
I have not been able to photograph the feeding frenzy that a group of chickens will lower themselves to when one catches a mouse. It is just too comical to see the owner of the mouse run for it's life with 25 other chickens in hot pursuit.
The mouse is usually stripped away several times and the pursuit changes direction with each steal, the pursuers sometimes lose track of who they are suppose to be chasing. It reminds me of a football game.
I have been able to snap a picture of the capture of a frog but when a hen is running for it's life, it is very difficult to get the shot while running with the rest of the chickens, they don't play fair, they try to trip you.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Missing Hens?
My Husband came in last night after feeding my Buck and gathering eggs to say that he thought that perhaps we had a chicken thief. He proceeded to give me a head count. I believe he suspected Barney Google, at least that is what he said.
That set me to wondering, is Barney Google where "Google" got it's name? I have tried to think of any similarities and wasn't able to come up with much. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I wasn't even sure that Barney Google was a chicken thief. I believe that it was his cousin Snuffy Smith that is the chicken thief and moonshiner. But wait, I don't even think that they are cousins, maybe just friends? If I really cared at all, I would just Google them, but I don't really care.
I do care about my chicken population, so, how to figure out if any chickens are missing? I do not keep a written record of how many chickens I have and since many of them look alike, they don't have names. Some do have unique features that I recognize and a few lay odd eggs that I miss in my egg basket at the end of the day but it would be hard for me to say that this certain hen is missing.
Ahhh.... I know how to figure out if any hens are missing! I don't have to Google for the answer, I just have to go back through my old blogs. Sure enough there is a blog with the number of each breed of chicken that I have. Though one has died of natural causes and I have given some away.
I will update my numbers here, so that if this question ever comes up again, I will have a record. 2 Rhode Island Red Hens, 3 Golden Comet Hens, 6 Barred Rock Hens, 7 Silver Laced Wyandotte Hens, 2 Mutt Bantam Hens, 2 D'Uccle Hens, 1 Barred Rock Rooster, 1 Polish Rooster, 1 D'Uccle Rooster and 1 Mutt Bantam Rooster.
I am happy to say that all hens and roosters are present and accounted for. I really didn't think that anything could steal my chickens with Angel and Abby on guard 24/7. My DH even commented the other day on what keen eyesight they have, they can spot a squirrel a mile away. They even watch the sky and bark at birds. They do tend to be a little intimidated by the military jets that fly low over the farm though.
I know what you are thinking, why does she have so many roosters?? You were thinking that, weren't you? This is a question that my DH asks me quite often. I keep Rocky, the barred rock, to father future generations. I keep Rudy, the D'Uccle, for the same purpose. I keep Elvis, the polish, just for fun and I don't have a clue why I keep the bantam mutt but he does have a great banty rooster attitude, I suppose I should name him or give him away. Anyone want a tiny red banty rooster? I might have to do one of those blog giveaways or a contest of some sort.
That set me to wondering, is Barney Google where "Google" got it's name? I have tried to think of any similarities and wasn't able to come up with much. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I wasn't even sure that Barney Google was a chicken thief. I believe that it was his cousin Snuffy Smith that is the chicken thief and moonshiner. But wait, I don't even think that they are cousins, maybe just friends? If I really cared at all, I would just Google them, but I don't really care.
I do care about my chicken population, so, how to figure out if any chickens are missing? I do not keep a written record of how many chickens I have and since many of them look alike, they don't have names. Some do have unique features that I recognize and a few lay odd eggs that I miss in my egg basket at the end of the day but it would be hard for me to say that this certain hen is missing.
Ahhh.... I know how to figure out if any hens are missing! I don't have to Google for the answer, I just have to go back through my old blogs. Sure enough there is a blog with the number of each breed of chicken that I have. Though one has died of natural causes and I have given some away.
I will update my numbers here, so that if this question ever comes up again, I will have a record. 2 Rhode Island Red Hens, 3 Golden Comet Hens, 6 Barred Rock Hens, 7 Silver Laced Wyandotte Hens, 2 Mutt Bantam Hens, 2 D'Uccle Hens, 1 Barred Rock Rooster, 1 Polish Rooster, 1 D'Uccle Rooster and 1 Mutt Bantam Rooster.
I am happy to say that all hens and roosters are present and accounted for. I really didn't think that anything could steal my chickens with Angel and Abby on guard 24/7. My DH even commented the other day on what keen eyesight they have, they can spot a squirrel a mile away. They even watch the sky and bark at birds. They do tend to be a little intimidated by the military jets that fly low over the farm though.
I know what you are thinking, why does she have so many roosters?? You were thinking that, weren't you? This is a question that my DH asks me quite often. I keep Rocky, the barred rock, to father future generations. I keep Rudy, the D'Uccle, for the same purpose. I keep Elvis, the polish, just for fun and I don't have a clue why I keep the bantam mutt but he does have a great banty rooster attitude, I suppose I should name him or give him away. Anyone want a tiny red banty rooster? I might have to do one of those blog giveaways or a contest of some sort.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Production Up
I don't know what is going on around here but both egg and milk production has gone up. We have gone from 5 eggs per day to 8 eggs per day. I have also been getting more milk from my doe. I don't know what has changed other than the year. Perhaps my hens and doe made New Year's resolutions to provide more for the humans that feed and care for them.
I milk using a hand spray nozzle, if you didn't read my blog about it back in June of 2008, here it is: Easy Goat Milker. I sold the goat that I was milking at the time of that blog. She gave more milk than we could use and we had to hobble her because she would occasionally kick up a hind foot.
I am milking her daughter now, who is a dream to milk. She had been giving around one and a half quarts of milk per day. She would give more if I milked twice per day but I am lazy and don't need the extra milk anyway. But for some reason she is giving a full two quarts now.
I have gone through two spray nozzles since I started milking with this milker. They just eventually wear out. The last one wore out last week and when my DH went into town to pick up a new one he couldn't find a good quality one. So he brought home a cheap, small one.
I didn't think that it would work but since I didn't have another choice, I hooked it up. It doesn't have enough suction to start the flow of milk but if I hand squeeze the syringe full of milk before attaching it, it works just fine, in other words it has to be primed each time, whereas the better quality nozzle is a self-primer.
It also takes me twice as long to milk with this new nozzle because it doesn't have the same long draw that the better one has. It shoots the milk out in shorter streams. My fingers are getting some arthritis in them and hand milking is hard for me but the main reason that I like this milker is because I can keep the milk clean.
Calico gives extremely good tasting milk like her mother did. I have tasted milk from some goats that just wasn't good. I know that milk flavor can change with diet or even with milk handling but I also believe that different goats can produce a variety of flavors because of fat content.
I am having a glass of milk while I am typing this and it is perfect. However a few days ago I had to give a whole milking to the dogs because the taste was off. It was the first time I had ever had to do that with Calico's milk. I have no idea what went wrong with that batch other than we had changed feed brands. Needless to say, the horses got the rest of that sack and we went back to the old brand for Calico.
I milk using a hand spray nozzle, if you didn't read my blog about it back in June of 2008, here it is: Easy Goat Milker. I sold the goat that I was milking at the time of that blog. She gave more milk than we could use and we had to hobble her because she would occasionally kick up a hind foot.
I am milking her daughter now, who is a dream to milk. She had been giving around one and a half quarts of milk per day. She would give more if I milked twice per day but I am lazy and don't need the extra milk anyway. But for some reason she is giving a full two quarts now.
I have gone through two spray nozzles since I started milking with this milker. They just eventually wear out. The last one wore out last week and when my DH went into town to pick up a new one he couldn't find a good quality one. So he brought home a cheap, small one.
I didn't think that it would work but since I didn't have another choice, I hooked it up. It doesn't have enough suction to start the flow of milk but if I hand squeeze the syringe full of milk before attaching it, it works just fine, in other words it has to be primed each time, whereas the better quality nozzle is a self-primer.
It also takes me twice as long to milk with this new nozzle because it doesn't have the same long draw that the better one has. It shoots the milk out in shorter streams. My fingers are getting some arthritis in them and hand milking is hard for me but the main reason that I like this milker is because I can keep the milk clean.
Calico gives extremely good tasting milk like her mother did. I have tasted milk from some goats that just wasn't good. I know that milk flavor can change with diet or even with milk handling but I also believe that different goats can produce a variety of flavors because of fat content.
I am having a glass of milk while I am typing this and it is perfect. However a few days ago I had to give a whole milking to the dogs because the taste was off. It was the first time I had ever had to do that with Calico's milk. I have no idea what went wrong with that batch other than we had changed feed brands. Needless to say, the horses got the rest of that sack and we went back to the old brand for Calico.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A New Year
We made it through December! My DH loves to sing that song all through December, then on January 1st announce that we have made it. I tell him that December isn't the hardest month for us. He gets really down in February, because by then he is tired of feeding hay and our hay supply is getting low. It is either really cold or really muddy in February and he gets very anxious for Spring.
The old year went out on a bad note for me. I was sick all day yesterday. I ran a fever and was so weak that I couldn't even set up to read a book. My dear, dear, wonderful Husband had to hold a glass of sprite with a straw for me because my arms were so weak that I couldn't even hold the glass. I don't have any idea what the problem was but I couldn't eat anything until late afternoon and then I could only eat chicken soup.
I chilled and kept covered up all day until about 11:30 last night when all of the sudden my fever broke and I started sweating. As soon as my fever broke, I felt so much better but even after sleeping all day yesterday, I still slept well last night.
Things are looking better for 2009, we got 8 eggs each of the last two days. It got down to 17 degrees last night, so I don't know how egg production will be today.
The old year went out on a bad note for me. I was sick all day yesterday. I ran a fever and was so weak that I couldn't even set up to read a book. My dear, dear, wonderful Husband had to hold a glass of sprite with a straw for me because my arms were so weak that I couldn't even hold the glass. I don't have any idea what the problem was but I couldn't eat anything until late afternoon and then I could only eat chicken soup.
I chilled and kept covered up all day until about 11:30 last night when all of the sudden my fever broke and I started sweating. As soon as my fever broke, I felt so much better but even after sleeping all day yesterday, I still slept well last night.
Things are looking better for 2009, we got 8 eggs each of the last two days. It got down to 17 degrees last night, so I don't know how egg production will be today.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Animal Cruelty
The warm weather is over for us. I brought Bootstrap back to the barn and put him in a cage with lots of straw. He just was not strong enough to deal with the cruelty of the rest of the chickens. I put him back in the goat/chicken shed and they ran him out, got him down and were trying to kill him when I rescued him. It wasn't only the roosters that attacked him but also the hens.
If you listen to those who say that humans are the only animal that kills for sport or that humans are more cruel than any other species, you can pretty well bet that they have not had much animal experience.
Dogs, Coyotes, Wolves and big Cats with go into a pen with animals that have no way of escape and kill everything there and not eat anything. The excuse that they are given is that they are teaching their young to kill, but that doesn't hold true when it is just one dog, coyote or wolf.
I have heard of a pen full of pigs being killed by a pack of adult dogs with nothing being eaten. The same thing happened to several Alpacas that I read about and I know of goats being attacked and severely injured by well fed neighborhood dogs.
Chickens have no compassion, they simply eliminate the weakest among them. A hen will peck another hen's chicks to death for no good reason.
Goats will injure each other with or without horns. Many does miscarry after being butted hard by another doe. A doe with newborn kids can be horribly vicious to another doe's newborn kids even injuring or killing them.
Horses are brutal to each other. We had a mare who was close to foaling kick another mare's newborn foal as hard as she could, the poor little guy went rolling head over heels but somehow was not injured. I even saw a friend's mare kick her own young foal after biting it several times, she kicked her so hard that it was a miracle that she didn't have broken bones, just because she tried to eat some grain with her mother.
If you are still not convinced that animals can be cruel, just watch your kitty cat with a mouse, bird, chipmunk, baby rabbit or squirrel. They love to torture before the kill.
If you listen to those who say that humans are the only animal that kills for sport or that humans are more cruel than any other species, you can pretty well bet that they have not had much animal experience.
Dogs, Coyotes, Wolves and big Cats with go into a pen with animals that have no way of escape and kill everything there and not eat anything. The excuse that they are given is that they are teaching their young to kill, but that doesn't hold true when it is just one dog, coyote or wolf.
I have heard of a pen full of pigs being killed by a pack of adult dogs with nothing being eaten. The same thing happened to several Alpacas that I read about and I know of goats being attacked and severely injured by well fed neighborhood dogs.
Chickens have no compassion, they simply eliminate the weakest among them. A hen will peck another hen's chicks to death for no good reason.
Goats will injure each other with or without horns. Many does miscarry after being butted hard by another doe. A doe with newborn kids can be horribly vicious to another doe's newborn kids even injuring or killing them.
Horses are brutal to each other. We had a mare who was close to foaling kick another mare's newborn foal as hard as she could, the poor little guy went rolling head over heels but somehow was not injured. I even saw a friend's mare kick her own young foal after biting it several times, she kicked her so hard that it was a miracle that she didn't have broken bones, just because she tried to eat some grain with her mother.
If you are still not convinced that animals can be cruel, just watch your kitty cat with a mouse, bird, chipmunk, baby rabbit or squirrel. They love to torture before the kill.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Catching Some Rays
The sun is shining, it is warm and beautiful. A perfect time to put Bootstrap out to get some sunshine. However, he escaped his cage and was viciously attacked by the hens and other roosters. He has always been able to hold his own and was second in command, second only to my huge Barred Rock Rooster, Rocky. He was hiding and cowering under my little red wagon, I picked him up and put him back in his cage and patched the hole.
He still isn't 100%, I think that he has some problems with his feet, they were pretty frozen when we found him. I sat here at the computer with him in my lap and massaged his feet until they loosened up some. His comb is nearly all black and he is still pretty weak.
I also put Cooter in the dog kennel for the day, so that I could put Calico and Paris in the goat lot for some sun.
Calico and Paris both enjoyed the sunshine. Angel enjoyed the sunshine as well but Abby is staying in the chicken/goat shed for some unknown reason.
And finally, the horses... I think that I counted 16 horses DOWN in this one pasture, the sad part is that we have four other pastures. Don't even ask how many we have.
And for no reason at all, here is a picture of Rocky and a few of his choice hens.
He still isn't 100%, I think that he has some problems with his feet, they were pretty frozen when we found him. I sat here at the computer with him in my lap and massaged his feet until they loosened up some. His comb is nearly all black and he is still pretty weak.
I also put Cooter in the dog kennel for the day, so that I could put Calico and Paris in the goat lot for some sun.
Calico and Paris both enjoyed the sunshine. Angel enjoyed the sunshine as well but Abby is staying in the chicken/goat shed for some unknown reason.
And finally, the horses... I think that I counted 16 horses DOWN in this one pasture, the sad part is that we have four other pastures. Don't even ask how many we have.
And for no reason at all, here is a picture of Rocky and a few of his choice hens.
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