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Bea, making progress I hope :0)

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before we got Bea, I asked Adele if she liked corn on the cob, meal worms and mixed corn and also if she ate mash. Adele said she ate all of those so when she arrived, we gave her mash but she didn't seem keen but she would gobble up meal worms and mixed corn.

 

She also ate a cple of chopped up grapes and some corn kernels off the cob.

 

I mailed Adele about her not eating the mash and Adele said she'd been fed pellets since coming out of the cage :?: So, maybe she didn't see that part of my e-mail. That was okay because we had some pellets in because we were, at one stage, trying to move our girls over to pellets so we gave Bea some. She's not eating those either :?

 

I mailed Adele again and she said that Bea "...loves seed food like split corn or mixed seeds. She never was a big eater though so don’t worry too much. Keep her on the mash as well as other bits and pieces to keep her interested. She is also probably a bit overawed with her palatial new quarters."

 

If we give her meal worms, mixed corn or grapes, she seems to eat those. She was given more corn yesterday than today and her crop was about the size of a golf ball yesterday The only things I've seen her eat today are a cple of grapes I gave her, some meal worms and a little bit of corn. Hardly anything at all! I realise that because she doesn't move around as much as the others, then she doesn't need as much food but she's very thin.

 

DH is of the opinion, if she's hungry then she'll eat and he wants me to stop giving her corn and meal worms as he said they should be JUST treats and we should just give her pellets but she isn't eating them!

 

She goes to bed really early too, about 4pm. I've just felt her crop and it's virtually empty. More empty than yesterday!

 

I've left a little pot of mixed corn next to her in the coop, in the hopes she eats some of it before it gets dark and I have to take the food in.

 

DH thinks I'm worrying too much and he gets annoyed with me for worrying so what do you think I should do about the situation?

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I have to say I agree with your DH. Why woudl she eat when she knows if she doesnt you'll give her the yummy stuff. Leave her for a bit and see if hunger gets the better of her.

 

my worry is, she's very thin already and her crop is virtually empty so she should be very hungry already and yet she still doesn't touch the pellets. I'm scared she'll starve to death.

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That's right....the treats won't contain the essential nutrients that she needs.

 

Withold treats until tea time. She'll soon get the hang of it.

 

that's what I did today and because she hadn't eaten anything all day, except a cple of grapes, I had to give her some corn and meal worms in the end.

 

If she had a bit more weight on her, I wouldn't worry about witholding treats but she's so skinny.

 

I'll see how it goes t'row and not give her any treats until the afternoon.

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Why don't you try making a warm, sloppy porridge out of the mash? Add warm water until it's a porridgey consistency then add a few treats like raisins, chopped grapes or mealworms. She is bound to get some of the mash porridge while picking the treats out, and I find that hens love anything porridgey anyway.

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Why don't you try making a warm, sloppy porridge out of the mash? Add warm water until it's a porridgey consistency then add a few treats like raisins, chopped grapes or mealworms. She is bound to get some of the mash porridge while picking the treats out, and I find that hens love anything porridgey anyway.

 

it's worth a try, I'll try that t'row, thanks :anxious:

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She wont starve to death. Try not to worry, the clever little thing probably knows that if she doesn't eat the mash then mummy will come along with something nicer. I would leave her tomorrow, I know its difficult, but try not to go out to her too much. Leave her to eat her mash, and give her treats in the evening, she will soon get into a routine. I wouldn't give your other girls treats in front of Bea, this will probably confuse her more.

 

Good luck!

 

xx

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I think she has probably learned that if she doesn't eat the proper food, you'll give her treats. They learn very quickly. I do know of others who have had to withdraw treats altogether for a while because their girls learnt that if they didn't eat pellets, they would get treats.

 

Unless she's ill, she will eventually eat her mash/pellets. I know she's underweight but one day without treats won't harm her and may just get her to eat her proper food. It will be very very hard for you to do because all you want to do is feed her up and look after her.

 

Is she laying at the mo :?::?: If she's not laying she won't eat as much as they do not need the energy ot make an egg.

 

Definitely try the mash porridge - i mix mash, pellets, oats, raisins, dries mealworms and a sprinkling of poultry spice with some warm water. My girls go mad for it :D:D

 

Hope she eats a bit more tomorrow - they are such a worry :anxious:

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no, she's not laying. I didn't think of that, thanks Pam!

 

I will try the pellet porridge t'row with some poultry spice in and then sit on my hands :?:cry:

 

thank you and thanks everyone else, I don't know what I'd do without you.

 

xxx

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Bea is eating even less than yesterday. She hasn’t come out of the coop today except for maybe a minute when I called her. I think she came over because she thought I had meal worms, when she found out I didn’t, she ate a VERY small amount of pellets, had 2 sips of water and went back in and huddled in a corner of the coop.

 

I tried the pellett porridge but she wasn't interested.

 

We’ve put some pellets in a heavy bowl on the floor, right next to the door of the coop so she wouldn't even have to come out if she didn't want to and raised the other feeder a little higher, just in case. But, she hasn’t been out to eat at all on her own.

 

Ian thinks she might be cold, as it is cold today. I don’t know what to do. Ian thinks I should just leave her alone and let nature take its course. I am worried that she doesn’t seem interested in eating or coming out. She’s got her back to the door and is huddled in a far corner.

 

I’ve tried leaving her alone, I’ve tried talking to her, I’ve tried letting the other girls out to give her some peace but nothing has worked.

 

I’m at a loss as to what to do now, apart from take her some meal worms which I think she would eat.

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Maybe she is a bit disorientated, being taken away from familiar surroundings.

 

Did you establish how big her appetite was normally with Adele?

 

Could be that she was never a bit eater.

 

Unless she looks really off colour, I wouldn't keep going out to her.

 

You will keep getting her hopes up re mealworms etc, and it will make the habit harder to break.

 

If, on the other, hand, you are convinced that she really is ill, a trip to the vets is the best thing to do.

 

If only they could talk.

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I’m at a loss as to what to do now, apart from take her some meal worms which I think she would eat.

Hi

I am definitely NOT an expert. I don't think dried meal worms have any nitritional content - I assume you mean dried ones ? - so these wouldn't actually do her any good. (no harm but no actual good)

 

I suspect as others have said, she won't eat 'boring' (but healthy) stuff if she knows you will cave in and give her treats.

 

It IS cold today, and my two are huddled up.

I'm afraid I would probably give in and mix some tinned corn with some pellets (the water seems to make pellets more tasty - I know there is a little salt/sugar) to tide her over.

 

If she eats this, then you KNOW there is nothing really wrong with her and you WILL have to be strict tomorrow.

 

Sorry, can't be more help, H

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.

 

Did you establish how big her appetite was normally with Adele?

 

.

 

hi Egluntine, I did, please see my original post and Adele's reply but I've just mailed her again to ask if it is normal for Bea to eat virtually nothing for a whole day and explained what we've tried so far.

 

:?

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I'm afraid I would probably give in and mix some tinned corn with some pellets (the water seems to make pellets more tasty - I know there is a little salt/sugar) to tide her over.

 

If she eats this, then you KNOW there is nothing really wrong with her and you WILL have to be strict tomorrow.

 

Sorry, can't be more help, H

 

we haven't got any sweetcorn in, I tried mixing some pellets with warm water this morning but she wouldn't touch it.

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Hi

Any grapes, raisins ??

 

i did put a few chopped up grapes in the porridge but she didn't eat them until i picked them out and fed them to her but it was only about 3 grapes, that wouldn't have flled her up.

 

I didn't mention it before in case anyone shouted at me, I just wanted her to have something :oops:

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okay, Adele said...

 

"Yes – she never seemed to eat much during the day with me either and putting her back to me was a common way with her when she wanted to be left alone. She may still be cold though as the temperature has dropped and not being the porkiest of birds, does not have much insulation – does she have a deep bed of straw in her bedroom during the day (even if she ignores it)? You could pad it up around the sides for extra warmth too and even put a hot water bottle underneath (not too hot though). I think you could start putting her in the others’ bedroom at night now anyway – they don’t tend to fight after dusk and it will help the merging process and they can huddle up together if it is colder. See how they react to her when you let them out in the morning and if she is being picked on, put her back behind the mesh again. Then before dusk tomorrow, give her some more time with the others before bed time. Keep them all occupied with treats (pasta etc) and then put them all to bed together again. Gradually extend the time they are together. It sounds a pain but should not be long before she is accepted and part of the pack."

 

I hope she wouldn't mind me posting her reply as it might help someone else in the same predicament.

 

I have just seen her pop her head out of the door and have a few pellets but no water. Once she'd gone back in, I shredded some paper (we don't have straw as we use aubiose) and filled my hot water bottle with semi boiled water and put the cover on it (I can always buy a new one) popped it in the corner by the door where she likes to sleep and made a make shift nest on top with shredded paper. Hope it does some good :?

 

We'll try putting her to bed with the others starting Saturday night.

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From the sounds of it its her normal behaviour. The fact that she is willing to eat treats off you shows she can eat and there is no underlying problem. You've given her warmth, I can't see theres much else you can do. I would honestly just leave her before you give yourself a breakdown.

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I don't think anyone wants to shout at you - its just that sometimes chickens are very clever when it comes to food. One thing we all know is that she won't be neglected by you, as you are a very caring chicken momma.

 

I have a rule that if I think something is wrong (and its nothing obvious like blood) I leave the chook concerned for at least 2 hours to see what happens, surreptitiously checking through the window of course.

 

Today it was one of my bantams lying down near the eglu - was she trying to lay an egg? did she have a softie? No, of course not, she just wanted to join in the broody game and there were already two on the nest. :evil:

 

I think Bea is feeling a bit odd because of her house move and it might take a week or more for her to feel at home. Might she even be a bit lonely/depressed as the others are all pals already? Keep an eye on her, try and make sure she is drinking, but leave her alone for a good length of time and then reassess the situation. I think you will know when (if) its time for a trip to the vets.

 

I am sure I am just telling you what you are doing already, so sorry if it does not feel much help. Is there anyone nearby who can look at Bea and give you a second (or third) opinion?

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