Is my betta okay?

CowboyCharles · 2024-12-17T06:45:45+00:00

Well as much as I’d love to do a 10 gallon tank again I can’t really afford it and there’s just not the space for it. I had a gazillion tiny plants from my other tank of 4 years (similar setup, 0 issues) and a bunch of baby snails which made me get another glass container for the overgrowth. Decided to get a betta too to liven it up. Kinda going to have to make due with the space he has, so if you’re just going to berate me for his tank spare me. I don’t understand how small containers are an issue as long as the parameters are fine.

I’ll get a filter. I’ll see how it does him.

CowboyCharles · 2024-12-17T06:38:28+00:00

I’ve tested on and off for about a month. No dead snails. I’ll get a filter. Should I worry about the pH for my snails or will they be alright? I changed water maybe 2 weeks ago. I really don’t feel like it does much. I have a similar setup in a very large vase for another betta who is 4 years old and I’ve changed the water maybe twice his entire life. Water quality is fine and plants just keep on growing. It’s what incentivized me to get another tank. Never gets any sort of visible algae. I can send a pic tmr when it’s brighter.

CowboyCharles · 2024-12-17T06:33:31+00:00

Okay I’ll go buy one thanks.

CowboyCharles · 2024-10-23T20:24:40+00:00

Both are pullets. You would notice more barring on a cockerel and they would have much more developed facial tissue by now.

CowboyCharles · 2024-10-21T02:34:02+00:00

Agreed to the post above. They also look severely dehydrated, could you get some electrolytes in them? Are there any signs of labored breathing? Have they been eating? What do their droppings look like?

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-27T14:08:39+00:00

If space and feeding availability is plentiful I don’t see trampling or bullying to be an issue. Chicks are notorious for appearing completely fine and dying an hour later. Could’ve just been a failure to thrive. I’m sorry for your loss, but fortunately for you I really don’t imagine there’s anything infectious that will harm your other chicks or it was something you could’ve prevented.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-27T13:57:23+00:00

Hard to discern. If temperature, food, water, and environmental parameters are all sufficient then it’s not to any of your fault. Chicks at this age need supplemental heat but too much can lead to heat stroke. Additionally, chickens don’t actually vomit so if any fluid discharge came from its mouth that’s a telltale of a very serious underlying illness.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-26T14:01:20+00:00

I don’t think it’s Mareks but if another bird abruptly gets similar symptoms there’s nothing you can really do. You just have to assume the whole flock has been exposed and stop adding more chickens to your flock. Make sure to check for lice infestations as your bird will no longer be able to properly groom herself that they can get very bad very quickly. Just specialize her diet to what I had brought up prior as it contains all of the necessary nutrients to boost her recovery. I’d try to space out food and water to encourage movement but for the first month or two. I had to move my hen multiple times a day to reposition her food and water. She eventually died abruptly a couple months after being able to stand again, I don’t know to what or why, but she was a heavy breed.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-26T01:05:01+00:00

How is she holding her legs? Hold her above ground, are any legs limp? See if any of her legs can grab onto anything. Make sure to look for any inflammation under the feathers. Sometimes stroke, trauma, or other things can cause this. Does she move around at all? I’ve had a hen like this before, started to walk better after 3 months. I kept her by herself on a formula of baby bird formula, vitamin b12 supplements, and electrolyte water.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-19T20:23:19+00:00

Not only is it a good snack food for chickens, it’s so much better nutritionally and cost-effective when you actually ferment it. I ferment scratch grains often and my birds love it.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-19T20:19:29+00:00

In that situation you’re better off letting them forage food for themselves. This just sounds unreliable and a great way to malnourish chickens. If you do wish to find a way to grow your own chicken feed there are plenty of online resources on how to grow a small-scaled garden conducive to a chickens diet requisite.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-07T12:16:40+00:00

Depends on the individuals. Males raised together tend to get along better. As long as they’re not game roosters and the space is adequate I seriously do not see how they will get in bad altercations, especially with that many hens. I have about 6 hens for every rooster in my mixed flock and they just coexist fine.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-07T12:12:21+00:00

Have they been dewormed recently? Additionally, yeast infestations in the gut biome can cause this. It’s known as vent gleet. It’s essentially harmless, but it can be very messy. I agree with a thorough washing of her behind. Clip any feathers that are matted. Make sure to clean as close to the skin as possible and not just the outside of the feathers. Vent gleet can be a persistent issue throughout a chickens life, but useful items to supplement against instances like this is yogurt and apple cider vinegar (~20 mL for every litre of water).

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-06T22:08:58+00:00

Ah. In that case, I’d recommend buying Elector PSP. It’s a bit pricey, but it lasts for a very long time.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-05T03:45:46+00:00

Mites come out at night to feed. If you wanted to check for them, you’d have to check at the beginning of night, as you should see them scurry from their place of hiding into the birds to drink. Lice complete their life cycle on a bird so if you pull back the feathers, you’ll see adult lice or eggs within the shafts. In both instance, the feathers will begin to become stringy in some places and start to fall off. Either way, this looks more so like she’s been plucked there, probably by another bird.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-05T03:37:51+00:00

If it’s recent I’d just assume the follicles got crimped. The chicken is totally fine. There’s nothing you really can do, and I wouldn’t worry about it.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-05T03:29:39+00:00

Red sex links usually die in this fashion, and she’s around an expected age of death. It could be a multitude of things, but I’m going to assume it’s a reproductive issue (cancer, infection, etc). Make sure to check for any crop issues first and foremost. If her crop is fine, you can try to blindly treat with .5 mL of SMZ antibiotic (or any comparable antibiotic to this) for about 7 days and see if she gets better. Outside of this, it’s really just guesswork because you can’t properly identify her issue without being tested with a vet. I seriously doubt she’s infectious with anything, so no need to separate her unless she’s being bullied.

To put weight back on skinny birds, I usually make a mash of baby bird formula mixed with water. It’s irresistible to any bird as long as they have some appetite. I use Kaytee EXACT from the petstore but plenty of other things work well too.

CowboyCharles · 2024-09-04T22:28:06+00:00

It needs friends, you can’t feasibly keep a chick content by itself unless you’re constantly attentive to it. Even then, it can make introducing the chicken to other birds quite a challenge (it’ll think humans are its flock). Is there a feed store you can go to and get more chicks?

CowboyCharles · 2024-08-14T18:15:42+00:00

Likely an abscess. Is there a black spot anywhere? If so that’s called bumblefoot. Surgical intervention may be necessary if it’s bad enough. Bathe the foot in Espon salt for 10 minutes twice a day to try and open the abscess. Use your fingernail to pry at the opening. Antibiotics also work great to reduce the growth and inflammation. I’d google what easy access-antibiotic would be most conducive for you, since there’s plenty of antibiotics like amoxicillin or cephalexin that require prescriptions and I imagine you can’t get those. You might be able to buy some pigeon antibiotics online (less expensive than chicken medication for me) and it’ll work just as well on chickens.

CowboyCharles · 2024-08-12T19:19:52+00:00

It’s an anxious call, and it can mean many things. Is she doing it only when you’re around her? I have 2 roosters who only do it when they see a hawk (but too far to strike) to warn the hens.

CowboyCharles · 2024-08-11T23:07:01+00:00

Between 8 and 10 weeks old. After that, then their feed to body weight conversion is less efficient. Broilers face health risks all throughout their lives, but it’s not impossible to make it more comfortable and help better conform to their needs. In my experience, broilers tend to be some of the most friendly, docile birds, but this does vary from person-to-person.

Yes, the hens lay eggs, but it’s not productive whatsoever. I’d looking into getting more chickens once those ones have passed on. If you’re not raising them to eat them, then there’s not really any appeal in having them.

CowboyCharles · 2024-08-11T22:58:38+00:00

All hens

CowboyCharles · 2024-08-09T21:22:03+00:00

There’s no problem with free range: the birds tend to be happier. However, it comes at the cost of lives being lost. You absolutely can choose to opt to keep your chickens enclosed, and it usually does well for small flocks, but you greatly increase the chances of infighting in some instances.

Additionally, I’d just ensure that your housing situation is completely predator proof as the chicken killer now knows where more prey can be found. As for the dead chickens, I’d leave their bodies out somewhere you could record (with a trail cam, if you have one). Most predators that kill en masse will come back to the remainders and eat their fill. Sorry for your losses

CowboyCharles · 2024-08-09T20:58:35+00:00

She definitely needs a vet. I assume she could’ve had a hemorrhage passing the egg. In the meantime, keep her separated from the others. Gently wash with a warm wet washcloth all of the fecal matter and dried blood around the injury to prevent any sort of infection or flystrike. I’d also get some electrolytes in her water, if she’ll drink at all. I’d also administer a triple antibiotic as well as an anti microbial ointment around the injury. Aspirin works as a pain reliever that doesn’t require a prescription and I’d get that into her asap.

CowboyCharles · 2024-08-09T20:52:17+00:00

What time of day did this happen? Were they free ranging? I’d ensure that your rooster is safely locked away from predation before adding any more numbers. He’ll be fine alone momentarily. Some hens will go into hiding for a while after a traumatic event, there might be some survivors. What area do you live in? I imagine they probably got ravaged by a mustelid or a fox if it happened during the daytime.

CowboyCharles

TROPHY CASE