Veg
Randall's Friend (800-1999)
Posts: 1,550
|
Post by Veg on Jul 13, 2005 21:26:15 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by pitbulllady on Jul 13, 2005 21:54:04 GMT -5
Sorry to hear that, Veg. Baby chicks are delicate creatures, and this time of year, they are VERY prone to a potentially lethal intestinal parasite called Coccidiocis, which can kill them very quickly. What kind of heat source were you providing for him/her, by the way? They do need to be kept very warm until they fledge out completely, and by warm I mean they need a "hot spot" close to 100 degrees F., with room to move out from under it if they feel too hot. To prevent Coccidiocis, chicken breeders usually periodically dissolve medicine in the drinking water. You can get that from an agriculture supply place. It makes no difference whether the chickens are "free-range" or not, Coccidiocis is a big killer of baby chicks, especially in the summer.
pitbulllady
|
|
|
|
Post by lizardgirl on Jul 14, 2005 10:40:03 GMT -5
Awww, I'm sorry to hear that. He/she sounded lovely.
|
|
|
|
Post by RandallBoggs on Jul 14, 2005 10:59:25 GMT -5
Sorry....
"Wait.....you had a pet chicken?"
Ran...
"What?"
|
|
|
|
Post by lizardgirl on Jul 14, 2005 12:03:48 GMT -5
Chicken's are lovely pets.
|
|
|
|
Post by pitbulllady on Jul 14, 2005 12:24:51 GMT -5
Chickens are also one of the few animals, besides armadillos and giant anteaters, which will dig up fire ant mounds and eat the queen and larvae. ANYTHING that eats fire ants, if you live in the South, is a good thing to have around. They also eat ticks. They are messy, but then all birds are. They aren't the brightest birds either, especially when compared to crows or parrots, but they are smarter than Guinea Fowl, and much easier on the eye!
pitbulllady
|
|
|
|
Post by RandallBoggs on Jul 15, 2005 12:20:12 GMT -5
".....Well.....It's not like I'm an expert on chickens or anything....."
Eesh...
|
|
|
|
Post by lizardgirl on Jul 16, 2005 9:35:42 GMT -5
Chickens are also one of the few animals, besides armadillos and giant anteaters, which will dig up fire ant mounds and eat the queen and larvae. ANYTHING that eats fire ants, if you live in the South, is a good thing to have around. They also eat ticks. They are messy, but then all birds are. They aren't the brightest birds either, especially when compared to crows or parrots, but they are smarter than Guinea Fowl, and much easier on the eye! pitbulllady I saw a program about those fire ants! They looked horrible, and at one point, during the night, they actually ended up EATING some of the farm animals this tribe of people owned in a rainforest. |
|
|
|
Post by fairlyoddnewyorker on Jul 16, 2005 10:23:38 GMT -5
My aunt lives in Virginia and I saw a fireant when I was about five ... I can't really recall how it looked, but I'm pretty sure it was red and hairy with a black stripe down it's back. My uncle was stamping on them with his shoe. They're freaky  |
|
|
|
Post by RandallBoggs on Jul 16, 2005 12:30:56 GMT -5
I think I've seen some before....don't know really....nasty little buggers...
|
|
Veg
Randall's Friend (800-1999)
Posts: 1,550
|
Post by Veg on Jul 16, 2005 21:07:01 GMT -5
My chick used to eat ants that are a little bigger than normal black ants. *bawls louder*
|
|
|
|
Post by pitbulllady on Jul 16, 2005 21:24:25 GMT -5
My aunt lives in Virginia and I saw a fireant when I was about five ... I can't really recall how it looked, but I'm pretty sure it was red and hairy with a black stripe down it's back. My uncle was stamping on them with his shoe. They're freaky Nope, that's NOT a fire ant-there are no fire ants in Virginia. What you saw is a "Red Velvet ant", which actually isn't even an ant at all, but a wingless fuzzy wasp! We have those here, too. People here call 'em "Cow Killers" due to the belief that the sting is painful enough to kill a cow! I don't know about that, but I'd guess it would hurt! Fire ants aren't even that big, not much bigger than your normal run-of-the-mill ants. They're not red, either, but a brownish color with a reddish head. What makes them so dangerous is that they live in these huge colonies, creating large mound nests that extend several yards underground, and they are savagely aggressive, attacking ANYTHING that disturbs their nest or gets in their way when they are out foraging. They are extremely prolific breeders, and multiply their populations literally by the millions in just a few weeks, especially in wet weather. They have a potent, extemely painful venomous sting, and one person in four is allergic to the point of needing medical assistance if stung. The stings, even in a non-allergic person, form large painful pustules that take weeks to dry up, and leave permanent scars. Fire ants are voracious predators, and will attack and kill anything that can't get away from them, such as slow-moving or baby animals. I have seen them literally skeletonize a large snake overnight. Not only this, but for some unknown reason, they are attracted to electrical equipment, like air conditioner units and computers, and they get inside and chew through the wires and block conductors, creating short-circuits and malfunctions. Fire ants aren't native to the US, so our wildlife has no natural defenses against them, and they have no natural predators here, except for armadillos in parts of their range. pitbulllady |
|
|
|
Post by RandallBoggs on Jul 17, 2005 11:32:01 GMT -5
They may not be big, but that doesn't mean their not annoying.
|
|
|
|
Post by lizardgirl on Jul 18, 2005 10:33:20 GMT -5
Lol, the ants we get over here are pathetic compared to what you guys are talking about. ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by RandallBoggs on Jul 18, 2005 10:33:44 GMT -5
^_^
|
|
