Elderly cat breathing difficulties when purring

[Cyber Chook]

I've had my five lovely ladies for a month now, and I do love them and have spent many happy hours gazing at them, thinking about them, dreaming about them, etc etc. But, every now and then, I feel a bit overwhelmed with the responsibility of these five little lives - does anyone else find this?

 

And I haven't got masses of energy, having had cancer 2 years ago and chemotherapy, and sometimes the poo-picking and run-raking (I do this daily and weekly, respectively) leaves me a bit pooped (excuse the pun). I seem to have spent this first month finding out what my girls need that I didn't have, and finding a good spot for the cube and netting run, etc, so I'm hoping things will get easier from now on.

Has that been people's experience? I don't think I was prepared for how much work there is, although that is getting better, as I get used to things and get a routine in place.

 

Finally (!), the weather hasn't helped, I think, because the London clay bed that our garden sits on means that the area they're in turns to mud so fast it's unbelievable. Then I get a bit worried, thinking how on earth is it going to be when it's autumn, and wet underfoot for days and days?

I don't feel like this all the time, but every now and then I wonder if I've taken too much on, and maybe I should have started with an eglu and 3 chickens rather than a cube and five chickens.

 

Any advice/opinions/words of wisdom would really help. Thanks!

 

Caroline

[Egluntyne]

All perfectly normal...I can remember feeling exactly the same a short while after I had got mine.

 

I felt the same after I had had my first baby too!

 

My garden is also very heavy clay soil.

 

In the end I put the Eglus on paving slabs and found it made a huge difference. I put a layer of Aubiose in the runs and covered them with clear shower curtains. I only had to give the run a major clean every 4-6 weeks then, depending on how often the hens had been able to free range. Maybe you could do similar with your cube.

 

I'm not sure that a cube and 5 chickens is significantly more work than an Eglu and 3 chickens tbh, having had both.

 

Could you pay/persuade a friendly teenager to help you with the big clean out?

 

When the better weather comes, you will feel quite different.

 

Nil desperandum.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Poor you . I think you should give yourself a break - do you need to poo pick every day? I don't . If I see a humungous poo within reach of the run door, I remove it but otherwise the poos are left to disappear in the Hemcore (and they do, somehow).

 

I do a basic clean out of my eglu once a week, with a "take apart & wash down" every few weeks and, like Egluntine, I only clean out my run every 6 weeks or so.

 

The corrugated plastic keeps my run totally dry so I have no worries about mud. Could you move your run onto slabs? People say that's easier to clean.

 

Sorry you're feeling down - I'm sure if you just relax a bit and try to stop worrying (not easy with our little feathered friends, I know ) it will seem more manageable.

[hils78]

Hey you, I think its natural to feel about wobbly about taking on an extra responsibility. Just try not to get too head locked into it. I had cancer 3 years ago too & it does take it out of you, don't underestimate that. Remember if you can survive the big C then 5 chooks is no challenge!

Only worry about them when you really have to - set yourself 10 mins a day to worry. Chickens are born survivers too (think what they endure in the battery cages & survive), I'm sure yours will be fine in a cube even if the ground beneath is a little soggy under foot.

 

Keep your chin up

Sending white light

Hx

[my fat hen]

I agree with the others -you need to relax and enjoy them more! I am exactly the same when I get any new addition to the family and tend to worry over every little thing making up scenarios that haven't even happened

 

Once I've had them a while I soon get used to everything though and then I enjoy rather than worry I find that once I get a bit fitter chores become easier, if it's leaving you tired then I'm sure a daily clean isn't necessary.

[Chickens@61]

your feelings sound perfectly understandable to me

 

it is a big responsibility/steep learning curve taking on chickens, but now you are all set up and establishing a routine i am sure things will seem easier! like others have suggested, maybe you could cut down on the jobs here and there? or enlist the help of somebody once in a while (maybe in exchange for some yummy fresh eggs!)

 

hope you feel better for getting your worries off your chest, and that you can start to relax and enjoy your girls

 

xx

[frenchlayer]

Poor you. I know with the weather being rotten that doesn't help at all.

 

It is just like depression after having a baby, the initial excitement has passed and you think about the responsibility of it all. Like all the others here say, don't worry the odd bit of poo will be fine, take the time to miss a couple of days cleaning and sit there watching them with a cup of tea (and umbrella).

 

I know I was feeling depressed at the weekend. Marvelling at how efficient they are at eating everything that moves and doesn't, and my husband said 'do you know I think they would kill each other for food', I that really depressed me, especially as I didn't know what bumpa bits were and had read some of the old posts the day before.

 

So chin up, they are happy and alive, and along as you find the time to feed them and tidy them once a week or so they will be fine.

 

Take care of yourself.

[Egluntyne]

I like the name of your DD's hen!

[Seagazer]

Hello, everytime I get a new pet I always worry like mad at first. I think its perfectly natural. I started clearing the poo everyday but the effort of getting in and out of the cube soon stopped that.

 

Be kind to yourself and try not to worry about them, they'll survive. As the others say - make a cup of tea and just sit and watch them. Normally cheers me up no end.

 

Hope you feel better about them soon.

[Gallina]

I found it hard with my first Eglu and just two hens getting used to everything, and it was all pretty difficult until I decided to put them on a permanent site.

 

Five hens can be overwhelming: all those little energetic bodies doing what they want to do rather than what you want them to do.

 

It all gets easier once you have decided where the run is going to stay, and you have a settled routine.

 

In winter, put a plastic cover over the run to keep it dry. Winter is actually easier than summer: the hens are quieter when there isn't much light and get up late and go to bed early. You don't get so much fun out of them, but they are definitely less work.

 

And don't assume that everyone jet-washes their Cube every week and scrubs it every day, or rakes out the run all the time. Some of us console ourselves with the fact that hens are grubby creatures and don't need a spotless environment. Trinny & Susannah could come and film a "How clean is your hen house?" at my place. But no hen of mine has died from cholera or the other things we would get from dirty water etc. -- they are very tough.

 

I do the minimum necessary, which is empty the poo tray regularly (though not every day); wipe out the nest box if it is dirty; and occasionally scrub the bars (not necessarily even taking them out to do this). I have discovered that if you don't wash the bars too thoroughly the Diatom remains in the crevices at the ends and you don't have to keep replacing it. That is how lazy I am.

 

And mine don't get all the food supplements people on this forum talk about. They get pellets and a treat only if they are lucky. I like them to have something green every day, but they do not seem to suffer on the days when I don't have anything for them.

 

Caring for hens is more difficult in very wet weather, and we have had a lot of it recently. When it gets hot, the poo dries up immediately and everything is more cheerful.

[Tessa the Duchess]

Hi Caroline, I am sorry to hear you are feeling overwhelmed sometimes with chickenkeeping. I second everything everybody else has said, and I particularly agree with Gallina. I am also a lazy chickenkeeper, as long as they have water, and a full Grub I consider my work done I clean the Eglu once a week and if it is raining when the cleaning day comes round I leave it another day. I don't poo pick either unless I see a huge one, I rake the run on cleaning day and remove any old cabbage leaves etc. I completely change the Hemcore in the run every 6 weeks or so. Apart from red mite powder and worming them every three months mine don't get any of the supplements that other people use. As far as I can see, they lay an egg every day, my chickens are healthy and happy Benign neglect is my motto with chickens and children Seriously, I do hope you get into a routine and feel more able to relax and enjoy them. You are always very welcome to come and visit for a cup of tea and some chicken chat

 

Tessa

[cluckbok]

Hi ya,

 

I agree with what Egluntine says, perhaps try the run on slabs, at least that would stop the mud. We don't do daily poo picks. Only the odd poo blast with the hose on the jet setting! if there are lots of them on the path etc. Other than that we don't do much else except the big clean once a fortnight/month, daily food & water. I hope you feel better soon, keep your chin up, the sun hopefully will come out sometime this week. Know how you feel I hate this horrible weather.

[cathybc]

so sorry to hear you are finding things hard.

 

Mine only get cleaned out once a week and seem to be fine. I do a massive clean usually on a Sunday, the chooks, 4 bunnies and cat kennel (!). Sometimes I romp through it all at once, other days I do a bit, then sit down for an hour or two in front of the telly with a brew and biscuit. It has been known to be Tuesday before it is finished if I am having a bad week....

 

I have only had my girls a couple of months, but believe it or not, yesterday was the first day I have don it in the rain (and yes, I am in Manchester!) - I agree it is more difficult but I did my best, that is all any of us can possible do.

 

So just do a bit at a time, as Tessa said, so long as they have food and water, a bit of poop can wait until you feel up to it.

 

x

[Abbey Road Girl]

Hi Caroline,

 

Chemotheraphy will have attacked every cell in your body so it's no wonder that you're not at 100% yet. It would have been a very positive decision to take on the care and feeding of chickens, so give yourself credit for that.

 

The reality can sometimes be difficult (right now I'm dodging the afternoon free ranging), but be sure to enjoy what you do accomplish.

 

I think we all are depressed by what seems to be endless wet and gloomy weather which seems to symbolise our out-of-order planet. Hens may not be literal rays of sunshine, but they are small steps to undo some corporate wrongs.

 

Big hugs!!!!!!

[Nature Chick]

Now you are set up and once you are all in a routine you can start to enjoy them, it is a responsibility but as long as you try your best it will be so rewarding!

And I think the others are right, once you have a couple of hens it isn't much extra work to have 5!

Goodluck!

[Pinkybijou]

Could I be added to the list of lazy chicken keeper also! It sounds to me as though you are spoiling your chooks, bless them! Mine get the poo tray emptied once a week, and once a month the whole lot gets dismantled and hosed down with fresh wood chippings etc. Any huge poos might get picked, but generally I find the poo magically disappears into our gress. As someone else has said, you have survived much more than keeping a few chooks, so just try to chill and go with the flow. hugs Kris

[Chickvic]

I'll be a lazy chicken keeper too! Once a week for the poop tray and a hose down. I'd much rather be out there watching them roam... They're too distracting!!

[MariaB]

Hi there,

 

I can totally sympathise with you. I spent months deciding on house and run and number of chickens which was so exciting. I got the girls and then reality kicked in and I thought Oh! they seem to need more work than I had realised. The following week I had to have an operation and then I got a post op infection so have been quite low for most of the time we have had them. I was also completely nutty about poo picking to the point of doing it three times a day. i have now calmed down a bit on that front and do it once a day now. And to top it all we lost a chicken this week. However in spite of all this I do love having the girls in the garden and particularly our little clover who is the sweetest hen in the world. A little chat to her each day makes it all worth it and I wouldn't not have them. And the fresh eggs are just great. Just try to make life as easy as possible so the slab idea is worth doing if you can. Our girls are on concrete for ease of cleaning. And just listen to your body and if you can't do something one day , don't worry. I am sure your girls won't mind. Just try to enjoy having them.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

OK, in the interests of making you feel better I'm going to admit to being a really bad chicken mum .

 

I didn't empty the poo tray for 2 weeks . It usually gets empted once a week. They get bokashi bran and garlic (and citronella in the poo tray) and I can honestly say the eglu didn't smell at all. The tray was quite full but the bars were fairly clean as I do push poos through the bars regularly.

 

There! I feel totally embarrassed but hope you feel that you can allow yourself to be a bit more relaxed (and lazy!) .

[Cyber Chook]

Oh my goodness! How fantastic to find everyone's messages, and all so warm and encouraging. I can't tell you how much better I feel for reading them and feeling the good chicken vibes winging ( ) their way to me from you all.

 

It hasn't stopped raining practically since I wrote, but despite there being a small moat developing around my princesses' castle, I'm now being much more philosophical and hanging out for brighter days.

 

I've asked for more help around the house from the resident teenagers, and everything's feeling less overwhelming.

 

Plus I treated myself to one of those Eggxact egg weighing and timing gadgets (while husb away), which means I have to keep the chooks now!

 

Thank you for the lovely support

 

Caroline

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Glad you're feeling more positive . (And too right those teenagers should be helping you )

[Seagazer]

Its good you're feeling happier

[Janty]

I clean my run out and replace the aubiose once every school holidays. The aubiose magically absorbs the poo...it's wonderful.

 

I also have the run completely covered so that the aubiose doesn't get wet when it continuously rains.

[Olly]

Another lazy chicken-keeper here, Gallina is my role model! I don't poo-pick - never have. Get some aubiose or hemcore, use that in the run, and the poo will magically disappear. Yes, it needs raking out every so often, but you can perhaps get help with that, or do it on a day when you're feeling good.

 

I was terrified when I first got my chickens, I was convinced they were going to keel over and die in the night, and several times I thought 'what on earth have I done - I can't keep on top of things anyway, why on earth have I taken on more responsibility?' It was after a few months when I'd relaxed a bit, and realised how easy they are to look after, that I decided to get more chickens! You are certainly not alone in feeling overwhelmed at first, though.

 

You will feel easier with them as you get more experienced, but don't stress about the cleaning - they really don't mind a bit of dirt. I feel guilty because mine don't free-range as much as I'd like - but they are healthy and happy, and I've learned not to beat myself up if, like tonight, I am too tired and it's too wet out there. I hope you can enjoy your chickens, and don't forget to come here when you need a bit of support or advice.

[Jules.]

Cyber Chook firstly I'm glad that you have had successful cancer treatment

My girls only get cleaned out every 5-6 days ( & by that I mean the poo tray emptied & the nest box shredded paper replaced- in fact I'm going to try & do it this evening if I'm feeling up to it).

The reason that both you & I chose an eglu/cube is the ease of cleaning it, and unless the weather has been really vile it doesn't get all that dirty.

My way of thinking is this-I think about how chooks that wander about farmyards live, if they can stay healthy amongst all the mud, slutch & poo then so can mine, & my run would never get as dirty as a farm yard!