My eco solution to rat problems

[The Brown Clan]

My Betty is not well, she has had her tail down all day and keeps swishing it , she just sits or lays down with her eyes closed , she was fine when they were freeranging but as soon as back in eglu run this is how she is i think she passed a softie in the run earlier ( they ate it before I got to them) , and on top of this worrie peebles has found out how to pull feathers out of wilma ( whilst wearing a bumperbit ) so has been chasing her into the eglu when in they have been outside for about 5 hours today !! .

 

and on top of this the kids are on holiday I think Im gonna be carted off to the funny farm !!

 

seriously though am really worried about my Betty any advice would be really appreciated . and as for Peebles why do I get the chicken who can still bully whilst wearing a anti pecking device ? must of upset someone

 

Many thanks

 

Mel x

Edited August 17, 2008 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

They do feel ill when working up to passing a softie. Now that it has been laid she might feel better.

 

It might have just been a blip. If she does it regularly she might need some extra calcium ie limestone flour added to her pellets.

 

How about some anti peck spray on Wilma to stop Pebbles paying her unwanted attention.

[The Brown Clan]

Thank you for the reply Egluntine, I hope that is all it is, she has been eating and drinking , this morning so hopefully she is on the mend ,

I will watch her today and post later if not improved ,

 

As for My Pecker !!, Wilma has been drowned in anti peck spray I think Peebles is attracted to it !!! ( dosn't work)

will put out some extra food and water today for Wilma as she is now being denied access to it , I think its a dominence thing, unless it gets frenzied or she draws blood I will just have to leave them to get on with it . But it winds me up no end as My poor Wilma and Betty look a bit flea bitten Whereas Peebles looks like a prime example of a chicken

[The Brown Clan]

Well its been nearly a week now and she is eating and drinking and much more like herself although her tail is still down and hasn't laid an egg since.

 

I have had a feel to see if I can feel one but can't so thats good I think.

 

have also started a course of flubenvet just incase its worms ( although not seen any in poo )

 

Peebles still eating wilmas feathers though so no improvement there

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Glad to hear she's getting back to her old self. Hopefully she'll get back to laying soon too!

 

Sorry about the feather pulling - don't know what to advise there .

[The Brown Clan]

Update on betty and questions?

 

Well good news is she is back to her old self , eating drinking running for treats but is still being pecked and has lost quite a lot of feathers now the question

 

on her back where being pecked her skin has a few scabs ( have used purple spray) however when i picked her up today her underside is bald and the insides of her legs and under her wings and frilly knickers not so frilly as droopy but looks like the feathers have just fell out as now cuts etc.. have checked her for lice but cannnot see anything , could this be a mini moult or is it still bullying ?

 

am still waiting for ucadex spray ( ordered thurs) and paid 6.95 for next day delivery !!!!

 

P.S. she has new growth of feathers coming on back don't think she is broody as although not laid for 11 days she hasn't gone near the nesting box .

 

 

any advice would be appreciated Many Thanks

 

Mel x

[stoice]

I would guess at a moult - one of my ex-batt girls is moulting at the mo (as is one of my mums) My mums girl, Alice, had a few broken quils that bled and we think they became a target to be pecked at by the other girls. She kept an eye on her and no further pecking ensued once the blood was washed away). Both our girls were never fully feathered since being rescued in April so it'll be nice to see them look less bedraggled. Shame they have to look worse before they get better. Both of them are flashing their baldy pink botties at the mo too. (A great pulsating target for the other girls to peck at. Babs knows this to her cost)

 

All I'm doing is observing closely, offering lots of distracting treats like hanging up a pecka block (Ignored) , corn on the cob and cabbage. I'm also spraying the balding patches with anti peck spray (Not got Ukadex yet) or gentian violet if needed. As well as that I've fed the girls some rinsed tuna in their porridge with poultry spice to help them through their moult as best they can.

[The Brown Clan]

Thanks for the advice stoice,

 

I also have a peck a block which is ignored !!!

a cabbage, extra treats ( sweetcorn ,mixed corn ,grapes ) will give the poultry spice a go ( got to order pellets anyway) , have recieved e mail today to say my ukadex has been despatched !!!! horray, am running out of purple spray , hopefully some of the feather loss is due to a moult but she is only about 6 months old is this normal !!!

 

Thanx Mel x

[Hen Watch]

As the first time for me since I've had my girls, 2 of them have bald undersides and a few missing neck feathers. Bit of a decline in eggs too. So I have assumed this is a partial moult, or even leading to full moult as they are 18 months old and not had one yet.

 

Really good article in this month's Sept 2008 Practical Poultry magazine on moulting.

 

It says:

Annual moult - late summer or early autumn.

6-12 weeks duration.

May notice headgear shrivelling slightly, less red.

Head and neck feathers go first, then breast, then body, lastly wings.

Stressful for birds. May loose weight.

Give extra suppliments to help them through it.

 

Partial moult - only head and neck feathers lost.

[The Brown Clan]

Thanks for that henwatch ,Obviously not a moult then blooming bullys can't wait for my ukadex ( can't belive i said that the smell is supposed to be repulsive)

 

probably stopped laying due to stress of being pecked !!!!

 

My poor Betty

[Karen Pimlott]

moult will depend on when the bird was hatched. Weather can affect moulting too.

at 10 months ish a bird will usually moult. they will also moult roughly the same time each year.

we have birds that moult in november.

 

K

[The Brown Clan]

Thank you karen,

 

I don't think it is a moult then as i only got them in june from omlet ,

 

blooming bullys , I thought it was a moult as not seen them peck her there but they're are feathers in the eglu in the morning .

 

Don't know what else to do now hopfully the ukadex will work as everything else is failing , have extra food and water stations now as well although they were not stopping her from eating she had to wait until they had finished ,

 

the bullying has got worse since she stopped laying do you think she could have an underlying illness? as i've read that they will often pick on a sick hen

[AMO]

,

 

the bullying has got worse since she stopped laying do you think she could have an underlying illness? as i've read that they will often pick on a sick hen

 

You could be right there - hens are very good at disguising when they are ill but the others will sense there is something wrong.

 

I hope things work out soon.

[The Brown Clan]

so do I amo,

 

I hope she hasn't got an underlying illness as I say she is back to her old self ( apart from laying) I suppose its just a waiting game until anything becomes apparent .

 

Well the ukadex showed up MY GOD IT SMELLS AWFUL!!! and the smell clings to anything and everything !!! ,

 

How often do i have to repeat spraying them with it ,

I thought i was gonna have to do them again today as the heavens opened but when i went out to them it was still rather pungent ( thank god)

 

Would like to do that as little as possible !!!!