WARNING --chicken safety lesson

The Classroom @ The Coop: Poultry Management: WARNING --chicken safety lesson
By Eggsforme on Saturday, February 16, 2002 - 11:52 pm:

I have made a terrible mistake and I want to warn everyone what NOT to do.Until this morning,I had 3 beautiful laying hens in full production and in good health.When I got up this morning and opened the back door,only one chicken came running,not three as usual.I found my buff orpington and my silver laced wyandotte laying dead in the back yard.( I let them free range inside 100'x75' fenced yard)It seems that I inadvertently left the shed door a little bit open last night,and early this morning the two hens went inside and ate some diazinon pellets I had for killing fire ants.The stuff is pretty good for fire ants,but works even better for chickens---they were dead within 1 hour.People please take a moment to look around and secure anything that might harm your birds-if I save the life of even 1 chicken I will feel a little better.Be safe and love your chickens!

By Teamcornaga on Sunday, February 17, 2002 - 07:57 pm:

My heartfelt condolences.

By HannahH on Monday, February 18, 2002 - 07:56 pm:

Thanks for sharing your experience. You may have saved a bird or two by taking the time. Sorry you lost your birds, I lost one in January due to snow sitting on pressure treated lumber.

My best Sultan pullet ate some of the snow (that's what I believe happened) and she displayed all the symptoms of poisoning. Drank lots of water, off her feed, died in the streched out prone position. Found out later that pressure treated lumber is soaked in arsenic for bug control. All my birds live in pens with that lumber where it contacts the ground, with no problems. Not till the water in the fonts froze and snow laid on the boards. She must have gotten thirsty and that was that. So I know how your feeling. Pretty bad I know, but you'll never make that mistake again.

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