How Quickly Does Albendazole Work?

[Karen]

Hi,

 

Matthew and I have been keeping chickens for nearly 4 years now and have had a whole variety of experiences with them - good and bad.

 

A year ago we increased our flock of four (two gingernut rangers and two pepperpots) to Ten, adding 3 white stars and 3 speckledys. Everything was fine for the first six months, but over the last six months we have had an increasing problem with 'pecking'. We have tried everything - bumper bits, ukadex, purple spray. We have recently been informed that this can happen when different breeds of hens are kept together and simply don't get on. Our original hens are largely unaffected.

 

In the last few weeks we have lost two hens because of excessive pecking and we are feeling really upset about this. The remaining four - two white and two speckledy are in good condition, but we are very worried that it will happen again. they clearly picked on the two weakest hens, who were also pecking themselves. It's all very distressing.

 

We have decided that the only real solution to this is to try to find new homes for the hens - one for the two white stars and one for the two speckledys. They are lovely hens and lay brilliantly. We love our mixed flock, but something is clearly wrong and we need to find a solution in fairness to the birds - and to ourselves.

 

We live in North London and would be prepared to transport hens within reasonable distance this weekend.

 

If anyone can help - please respond to this post. I think my email address is probably available on the course link as I run hen parties.

 

Thanks,

 

karen

[Karen Pimlott]

do they have plenty of room? or shut together for long periods?

there is no reason why these breeds wont get on we rear them all together and have done for many years with no problem.

once a chicken pecks and draws blood you must remove the injured bird at once as chickens will peck to the death once they see blood.

do not put the injured bird back until fully healed and re introduce very carefully, as with all new introductions do it at night when exising birds are roosting...not in the day light as you are asking for trouble,

you find that usually you only have feather pecking when there are too many hens in a limited space.

 

you also say they are pecking themselves, have you checked for parasites?

 

karen

[Karen]

Thanks Karen,

 

They live in a large pen - 20ft by 8ft, and have an eglu cube to sleep in. We can't let them free range as we have a serious fox problem here - though if i am in the garden I do let them out for periods of time - try to do so most days.

 

The problem seems to be between the white stars and speckledys.

 

We do also have a mark 2 eglu and run, so can move hens out, but this experience has been very distressing and we really don't want it to happen again, so would rather find new homes for them if possible.

[Sheilaz]

Are you sure, Karen? Wouldn't you rather put one pair in the mark 2 & hope that this is the solution? I'm sorry to hear you've had this horrible experience. Maybe it's more from having had 10 in a Cube than the mixture of breeds?

 

Otherwise, I'd be delighted to adopt the whitestars as I have one already, they'll never notice there are 3, just think it's the one moving quickly (& whitestars do move quickly don't they!) If necessary I can separate, you'll see what I have already from my sig. They live the life of Riley in an enormous Fort Knox hen garden.

 

Do you remember we met at Kew? I'll pm you my moble no. if you wish to contact in the morning as I won't be back on the forum tomorrow. I'd be at home lunchtime onwards, early afternoon being best, if you'd like a trip out on Bank. Hol. Monday, it's not very far.

[Sheilaz]

Just to update. When you left at 2pm Karen, I took the girls out for another cuddle. They then had a feast of pellet, mixed corn, shell & bran "porridge" & plenty of water.

 

This all took place in the kitchen. Fine, until I realised I was going to have real trouble catching them!

 

So, I've left them just pottering & getting used to me for another hour. Now I have them temporarily "fenced" in a small corner of the kitchen & they are very happy & settled.

 

I now have a plan to get them back in the box when my son returns (but before LSH ) so I'm confident the rest of the day will go smoothly. I'm going to settle them into a mark one tonight, and I'll be at home tomorrow so will have time to play with them all.

 

Please assume if you don't hear anything for a couple of days that it is still going well. I need to go & see to daughter for a while & can't spend long on the computer during the day. I'll report back when I can, rest assured they have a happy home here.

 

Best wishes to you & family xx

[Sheilaz]

You'll never believe what has happened in the last 2 hours.....

 

 

 

.....I managed the towel method to pick up both girls & decided to go for the all or nothing approach with the introduction to hen garden, as I have with previous 2 intros of newvies, ready to intervene & change plans if necessary......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...........I placed Chole & Jude on the mark 1 platform, the former trotted down to investigate pellets, the latter darted into an Eglu but came out & joined her sister 2 mins later.

 

For nearly 2 hours all 10 hens have been quietly feeding, foraging, standing & roosting together. No squawking, chasing or anything. All 10 just pottering etc.

 

I can't quite believe it but it's true. I'm hoping my theory of "they'll never notice another whitestar, they'll assume they're all the same one" is working. As for Posy Whitestar, she looked a bit surprised but no other reaction. Weird, but great.

 

Of course tonight & morning will be a real test, I'll be watching!

[Christian]

Great news Sheila, glad they are settling in well.

 

Maybe Posy thinks you have put a mirror in the run?

 

Nice to know they are settled in their new home. Hope tomorrow is easy too.

[Egluntyne]

Well done Sheila and congratulations.

 

There is a school of thought that reckons feather pecking and bullying is muh more prevelant in mixed flocks.

 

Looks like you have proved it right.

[Karen & co.]

There is a school of thought that reckons feather pecking and bullying is muh more prevelant in mixed flocks.

 

lol:

 

I didn't know that It sounds like your introductions are going like clockwork Glad the new girls are happy making themselves at home

 

Karen x

[Karen]

Dear Lovely Sheila,

 

Thank you so much for having our girls, and for settling them in so well, and taking the trouble to let me know. I am sure they will have a lovely life with you and their new home looked so exciting for them. I can't believe that they settled in with so little trouble - it must be a good omen. Perhaps Posy will like having a couple of similar looking chums.

 

We really miss them - the pen looks very strange without the little whitestars darting around, but our other hens seem quite settled, so maybe the whole flock will settle down now and when we increase it again we will go for pepperpots or gingernut rangers. I loved the white hens and the white eggs, but in the end their welfare is more important. We think it may have been the particular combination of White Stars and Pepperpots that wasn't working for us. We shall see.

 

We can't thank you enough for responding to our dilemma and enabling us to move quickly.

 

I will be looking out for updates, and hope to hear that they are getting on well. One of them lays very large eggs!

 

With much love and thanks,

[Karen]

PS

 

Sheila could you let me know where you got your metal feeder from - Matt really liked it.... Thanks,

[Sheilaz]

I think it was www.solwayfeeders.com. It's been very worthwhile. I'll be making sure that Chloe & Jude know what to do but there's usually plenty of food knocked down by the fast ones & eaten by all of them. Plus, I always take "porridge", corn & handpicked grass when I can just in case anyone is still hungry later.

 

They've all gone to bed! The whites weren't last in so they must feel at home. I'll wait a bit & take the torch to see who's in which dormitory!

 

I know it will be strange for you without them, but it was a thoughtful decision.

 

I have a good view from the house & they were all pottering until dusk.

 

PS... Checked beds; Chuckles & Posy together; Petrova & Lavender (cuckoo maran) together.

Then, in the cube Chloe & Jude, snuggled up with little Tots and Bluebelle.

The other 2 s were hidden behind someone, but a good bedtime sorted out by themselves.

[Karen]

Thank you Sheila,

 

It's good to know they have gone to bed safely and seem to have settled in so well. We never really had any trouble with them, but with Floppy getting so badly hurt, and evidence of some feather loss on the other two, we didn't want to go through that again.

 

Love Karen

[Sheilaz]

Maybe Posy thinks you have put a mirror in the run?

 

Yes, it was the look of sheer surprise & confusion on her face, I've never seen anything like it... "if that's me over there, who am I? If I'm me, then how did I get over there too? Er, I have magic powers to be in 3 places at once, ooh, my brain hurts"

 

Up at 5.45 today I'm a bit worried about the neighbours & LSH because it was all vocal, but hopefully they'll forget soon. Nothing at all that would be a problem for the hens or me, no pecking or chasing (incredible isn't it?) just the noise. It wasn't even much, just so loud for the time of day, please don't find your voices!

 

Their calling wasn't panic or squawking, just simply telling a story.

I've always known that the 2 youngest plus Chuckles (the biggest, oldest but softest hen) & Posy were the lowest in the order here, with the 2 greys just above.

Reg hasn't even noticed the difference yet "there's that white one again, and again, and again" but it was the other 3, then joined by Lavender.

I think it was for my benefit..."Mum, something odd here, come & look, please come & see what we found in the Cube today, how did they get there, Mum, come & look!"

It was just the noise to call me (I'm Top Hen), nothing I'd be concerned about if it wasn't for the neighbours.

 

 

It's great observing all this, it's the lowest in the pecking order noticing while the top ones haven't reacted at all, just not bothered.

 

I have a good view from the computer. Chloe & Jude had sensibly gone to rest in the Cube while the others had post breakfast roost in their spot, unfortunately near the Cube ladder.

 

I wondered how they would dare come out, but I've seen Bluebelle go in, presumably lay, & come out again right past them without a murmur! Then, Chloe followed her down to the food, followed by Jude. No reaction from the others, it's brilliant!

 

Karen, Lavender is a Cuckoo Maran & therefore a Maran cross. She has those lovely marked feathers similar to Speckledys who are also Maran crosses.

I think it was wise not to have the speckledys here, the top hens would have felt threatened as well as the others, whereas little whites seem to be accepted as being lowly & no threat, who already know their place.

 

Also, being white & with their purple I can see clearly who is doing what. Lavender & the s are harder to distinguish from this distance.

 

Well, 2 hours into the morning and they are all 10 pottering silently, ten happy hens!

[Lesley]

I'm glad it has all worked out nicely Sheila - apart from the noise!

 

We've always had mixed flocks and not noticed any problems

[WitchHazel]

Well done Sheila and congratulations.

 

There is a school of thought that reckons feather pecking and bullying is muh more prevelant in mixed flocks.

 

Looks like you have proved it right.

 

I read about this a while ago, and (from memory) the belief is that is a problem where the individuals concerned have been raised only with others of the same breed as themselves, ie they have never seen a hen of a different colour.

 

Where chicks have been raised in an environment where they are in contact with birds of different feather colouring then they are much more accepting of other breeds.

[Karen]

That's very interesting Hazel, and would account for the differing opinions on this.

 

In our case it was the White stars and Speckledys who didn't like each other very much - neither seemed bothered by the gingernut rangers or pepperpots - or vice versa. Anyway, it looks as though it might be sorted now - the white stars have a fabulous new home and will be well looked after, and we will see if the speckledys settle down now.

 

karen