Nacktschnecken omlet Cube

[WitchHazel]

Steve I've posted a link to this post in the Nesting Box

http://s804.photobucket.com/user/bluemincool/media/20140728_172757.jpg.html

[Mr H]

Oh my lord I just looked up Pekin cockerel, we are probably looking at the same pics and I think you are right, my girl is a boy, he still has a lot of feathers that have wax tubes on further in so definitely young but his tail feathers are coming out vertically so when they grow bigger he will have a tail that shoots up? does that mean that when his throat gets better he will crow at the crack of dawn ? how flippin cool is that, I wonder if his little bantam crow sounds like a trumpet with a mute in the end coz he is small, thank god the kids grew up and left or they would go ape, this just gets better

[WitchHazel]

He does look a gorgeous chappie. And cockerels can be lovely, especially if they are well handled from a young age.

 

I've known one person who was able to keep a bantam cockerel in a built up are, she used to put him in a shed at night. Other bantam owners will be able to tell you their experiences.

 

You could always wait and see what his crow is like... Our chicks (which aren't bantams) start trying to crow at about 8 weeks, and it sounds like a kazoo at first.

 

If you're thinking of keeping him, you might want to wait and see what happens with the crowing before you get him any lady friends.

 

You may get some help and advice on the Pekin forum, I'm sure someone on here was a member, but I can't remember who. This is a link http://www.perfectpekins.co.uk/ You have to join to access the boards. If you don't want to keep him then I guess it's possible someone over there might be interested in him, but it is a long shot.

 

If you don't want to, or can't, keep him, then a chap called beegal on the practical poultry takes cockerels in. He acts as a bit of a clearing house, people looking for cockerels go to him too. Last I heard he required a bag of feed (or something like that, but I may be out of date with that info) for each cockerel.

 

Here's a link to his thread on the Practical Poultry forum - again, you probably have to register to read it

http://www.practicalpoultry.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1203174700/321#321

[Mr H]

He has only been here a week and already part of the family, follows me around in the garden and dives on anything I dig up, he pecks the weeds out of my path and jumps on my lap for a cuddle given any opportunity, he makes me fall about with laughter when he runs because of those massive feet so I think we can safely say he is staying. He had me at cluck (or halo in Bantam)

[The Dogmother]

Looks like a male to me too.... sorry.

[Beantree]

By co-incidence the first cockerel dumped on us was a young Pekin MrH. Thrown from a passing car he was. We managed to catch him and what a lovely little chap. Unfortunately we couldn't keep him for lack of space, but he went to a lovely home with hens and lived 3 years until a fox got the lot. Very talkative, liked cuddles and sunbathed on the kitchen windowsill. Called him Squeaky.

 

The next one was a rescue, all his hens having been killed by a fox and he was badly neglected with the worst case of scaly leg mite I have (still) ever seen. We bought Boris some matching girls and he stayed with us.

[Mr H]

UPDATE 29-7-14

For all of you that were good enough to help me in Pecks hour of need and for anyone with poorly birds as reference, I will be placing daily updates until He is back to full health, yes I said he, the general consensus is she is a little boy and once his throat heals we will find out for sure, I am not sorry at all, I feel like I have lost a daughter and gained an alarm clock.

Anyway the awful weezing from last night has stopped and Peck is holding his head up high, I say that because although I had nothing to compare it with before I now realise his head and neck were pretty horizontal previously in an almost constant gape, he ate a hearty breakfast this morning and is madly preening himself surrounded by an area of dandruff which appears to be the waxy covers he has pulled off his new feathers. He started the day with an empty crop (for those who thought the smell had something to do with a blockage in that area) whilst I cleaned and disinfected my window sill of what was once in said crop, my desk is just a small hop down from the window sill so I can keep an eye on his progress from there and although he can not go out he can still see the sun come up over his new garden home (Your are not in Kansas now Toto) I noticed he was already much stronger today when the application of this mornings 0.2ml of Baytril via syringe took on a more adversarial battle than yesterdays, he is feisty for a littleun and at this rate he will be a Ninja by Sundays last dose, I may have to rethink my application strategy by then and perhaps his name too, Ninja ? now that's a real boys name! we could both live with that.

[WitchHazel]

He's a very lucky boy.

[Mr H]

By co-incidence the first cockerel dumped on us was a young Pekin MrH. Thrown from a passing car he was. We managed to catch him and what a lovely little chap. Unfortunately we couldn't keep him for lack of space, but he went to a lovely home with hens and lived 3 years until a fox got the lot. Very talkative, liked cuddles and sunbathed on the kitchen windowsill. Called him Squeaky.

 

The next one was a rescue, all his hens having been killed by a fox and he was badly neglected with the worst case of scaly leg mite I have (still) ever seen. We bought Boris some matching girls and he stayed with us.

 

Wow that's an eye opener I cant imagine what sort of pig could throw any animal from a car window in the middle of nowhere because they could not keep a boy, when I found Ninja (that's his new macho name) he ran to start with but not far so I sat down and waited and he came over to me eventually seeming relieved to be rescued and falling asleep on my lap on the drive home, I think he found survival in the wild exhausting, Oh and Squeaky ? not a cool name! Boris on the other hand is bang-on "Boris the blade" AKA "Boris the bullet dodger" Yup that has a real ring to it I bet those new girls were smitten.

[Mr H]

He's a very lucky boy.

 

I think we both are, this is already very rewarding and can only get better as he does, little sod has just discovered a nectarine in the fruit bowl on my desk and is demolishing it as we speak, didn't realise he would like that I have two laden plumb trees in the garden he is going to enjoy as they fall

[WitchHazel]

Treats are good - but as he's young, don't overdo them. He needs proper nutrients so that he grows up healthy and strong.

 

As he's young, you might want to see if you can get some Growers Pellets for him, These are designed for chicks from about 6 weeks onwards for boys, and 6 weeks until egg laying for girls (when the Girls get switched to layers).

 

Growers pellets will contain the correct nutrients in the correct balance to help him develp a strong skeleton etc. Layers pellets are not good for chicks, They are designed to help girls pump out eggs and have extra calcium in. This can have an adverse effect on bone development in chicks. People running a grown cockerel with a flock of girls will not be too worried about the cockerel having a layers pellets diet).

 

Chick crumb is an alternative, until you can find growers. We use Smallholder feeds, I;m sure others will be along with recommendations as well.

 

Horse feed suppliers often stock chicken feed.

 

If you can give the name of your nearest town, or roughly where you are (don't be exact), I'm sure someone will be able to give you the name of a supplier.

[Beantree]

Squeaky was short for 'pip-squeak', because compared to 12lbs Wyandottes and Orpingtons, that's exactly what he was. We had never seen such a small cockerel.

[Mr H]

Squeaky was short for 'pip-squeak', because compared to 12lbs Wyandottes and Orpingtons, that's exactly what he was. We had never seen such a small cockerel.

 

If Ninjas anything to go by I bet he made up for his small size in personality and attitude though, this little Pekin has certainly made his presence felt

[Mr H]

Treats are good - but as he's young, don't overdo them. He needs proper nutrients so that he grows up healthy and strong.

 

As he's young, you might want to see if you can get some Growers Pellets for him, These are designed for chicks from about 6 weeks onwards for boys, and 6 weeks until egg laying for girls (when the Girls get switched to layers).

 

Growers pellets will contain the correct nutrients in the correct balance to help him develp a strong skeleton etc. Layers pellets are not good for chicks, They are designed to help girls pump out eggs and have extra calcium in. This can have an adverse effect on bone development in chicks. People running a grown cockerel with a flock of girls will not be too worried about the cockerel having a layers pellets diet).

 

Chick crumb is an alternative, until you can find growers. We use Smallholder feeds, I;m sure others will be along with recommendations as well.

 

Horse feed suppliers often stock chicken feed.

 

If you can give the name of your nearest town, or roughly where you are (don't be exact), I'm sure someone will be able to give you the name of a supplier.

 

I visited the local supplier on the way back from finding him and bought a bag of Dodson & Horrell Growers pellets which he has available at all times but he does like to help himself to supplements, even sampled the dogs food earlier, until Jess stepped up and Ninja did a runner

[WitchHazel]

Well done on getting the pellets.

 

They are rather partial to cat and dog food... probably not good for them as a regular thing (and,apart from anything else, a large constituent of any cat/dog food - irrespective of assigned 'flavour' - will be chicken).

 

Sounds like he's having a whale of a time, he's got you exactly where he wants you,

 

Before you know it, your life will revolve around him, and you won't be able to remember the BC years.

[Chickabee]

I love this story. Ninja is a great name

[Mr H]

I love this story. Ninja is a great name

 

Yeah I thought so and you would see why if you could see me fighting to get those drops in his beak this morning, he was like Hong Kong Flippin Fuey !

[Beantree]

Wrap a towel around him to keep the wings down MrH. Then give him the drops. I trap ours between my legs so I can use two hands.

[Mr H]

I love this story. Ninja is a great name

 

Its just lucky Russell has returned to the wild in the last month and only pops by for food or he would have a Duck fit to see his Dad looking after another baby !

[Mr H]

If you look closely at the hole in the tree stump you will see Ninja keeping cool out of the mid day sun before he became really poorly

http://s804.photobucket.com/user/bluemincool/media/20140721_113052.jpg.html?sort=3&o=3

 

http://s804.photobucket.com/user/bluemincool/media/20140721_113052-1.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4

 

He will get a surprise in autumn when the hedgehog comes back to hibernate though

[WitchHazel]

You have a gorgeous garden. I bet Ninja has to pinch himself to make sure he isn't dreaming.

 

Regarding flapping, wrapping a towel is a great idea, especually if you are operating alone. As he's quite small though, you might be able to manage by just laying one hand across his back so he can't open his wings. You don't need to press hard or anything. If you can train him from a young age like this, it means you can use the same technique when he becomes a sulky teenager and a grown male.

 

Looking forward to hearing how he gets on

[Mr H]

Wrap a towel around him to keep the wings down MrH. Then give him the drops. I trap ours between my legs so I can use two hands.

 

Good idea although I am thinking of dripping it onto a piece of bread and tricking him into eating it that way, it should still have the same effect on shouldn't it ?

[Mr H]

You have a gorgeous garden. I bet Ninja has to pinch himself to make sure he isn't dreaming.

 

Regarding flapping, wrapping a towel is a great idea, especually if you are operating alone. As he's quite small though, you might be able to manage by just laying one hand across his back so he can't open his wings. You don't need to press hard or anything. If you can train him from a young age like this, it means you can use the same technique when he becomes a sulky teenager and a grown male.

 

Looking forward to hearing how he gets on

 

Well if all goes to plan by Monday and he is up to it I think the next thread will be to find him some company, I wonder if would like a couple of those fluffy Silkies to play with ? I hear they are great Mums

[WitchHazel]

If you do that, best to make sure the bread is moist.

 

Lots of people feed dry bread to their birds without problem, but it isn't a good idea. Dry bread can soak up liquid from the crop, stopping the crop from working properly. Small amounts of moist bread would probably be OK.

 

If you do go for squirting down the throat, just squirt a little at a time into the beak and let the bird swallow before doing another dose. The feed tube and the windpipe are very close together in the throat, and its easy to give your bird pneumonia by squirting liquid into the lungs by mistake.

 

(Sorry to keep listing all things that can go wrong).

[Mr H]

If you do that, best to make sure the bread is moist.

 

Lots of people feed dry bread to their birds without problem, but it isn't a good idea. Dry bread can soak up liquid from the crop, stopping the crop from working properly. Small amounts of moist bread would probably be OK.

 

If you do go for squirting down the throat, just squirt a little at a time into the beak and let the bird swallow before doing another dose. The feed tube and the windpipe are very close together in the throat, and its easy to give your bird pneumonia by squirting liquid into the lungs by mistake.

 

(Sorry to keep listing all things that can go wrong).

 

Don't be sorry if my ignorance could make him worse I need to know animals cant live on good intentions without knowledge of their needs first regards steve