beach chick Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 aarrgghh! day 1 and 2: Mum, we dont like these pellets, we can tell you've put stuff in them day 3: Mum, this mash is yummy! day 4: Mum, we dont like mash anymore, and we reckon there's something healthy in it anyway. day 5: Muuuuuuum, just give us the normal pellets ok? we're not going to eat the ones you put in the grubs, and the mash is just disgusting. and by the way, you've only had 3 or 4 eggs a day instead of 6 or 7 because we dont want to eat this muck and we're going on strike. day 6: Mum if you put the doctored pellets into yesterday's mash bowls we'll just sniff at it. but quite frankly we're hungry and we want some proper food. gissus some corn wont you? ok, so this afternoon I will try Plan B: normal pellets in the grubs, and some doctored grapes - tho how the h*ll I make sure the greedy guts dont overdose and the shy ones get anything at all, I have no idea. I really dont know if they've had enough Flubenvet or not, I just know that they seem to be pretty good at going on hunger strike!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 I know everyone talks about dipping grapes in the powder but I am too stingy to give expensive grapes to the chooks! I sprinkled the powder on a plate and dipped pieces of bread in it. Once I had a good-sized pile I went out and fed by hand / threw strategically the pieces of bread making sure everyone got a piece. They still got their normal food in the morning and silly chooks that they are - thought this was an afternoon treat! Worked ok for our girls. I wouldn't try to put it in their food - too drastic if they notice and go on hunger strike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted October 21, 2008 Author Share Posted October 21, 2008 talk about contrary Marys!!! I have just given them grapes chopped up and dosed with Flubenvet. Paris got about 4 times as much as everyone else top chick and all that. then I tipped the dosed pellets from the grubs into the bowls that held yesterdays mash, and topped up the grubs with 'clean' pellets. so which are they more interested in? - yup, thats right, picking the dosed pellets out of the mash bowls. I despair! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 It's amazing how they know isn't it. I ended up using rasins as 3 of my girls have a serious addiction problem with them. Luckily I've taught them to jump for individual raisins so I could tell who was getting the dosed ones. The lady who doesn't like them got some meal worms rolled in it that I fed to her while I was holding her so the others couldn't steal them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 For a couple of days hubby and I must have looked like a right couple of wotsits trying to administer the Flubenvet to our ladies! By day 3 we were pros however! Hubby had a magic pot of sweetcorn and I had 7 little yellow gems in a dish dipped in a dab of the little white powder...The strategy is....Hubby distracts the swarm of delirious ladies with his sprinklings of corn and I single out each one for her own special treat avec Flubenvet!! Even if I say so myself!! Troy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 I usually do the grape method (which is not too difficult with just 3 hens) but this time I put a tiny amount in with a weetabix soaked in water and let them have it that way. I figured as long as I mixed it well they'd all get a bit Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandychick Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 I mixed the fubenvet with a handful of sweetcorn. If it's scattered about they all get to eat it and they don't stop to think about eating anything that is yellow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 there are some lovely images flashinmg through my mind. my non chicken friends think I am a potty old chicken lady now. but I know "i am NOT alone" (I do grapes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I use half a grape per chicken. I pick each girl up and give her the dosed piece of grape. No one gets double, no one misses out. I know it doesn't work for everyone, and it does take a few minutes to do one chicken at a time, but it works for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathybc Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh but couldn't help myself giggling. A new take on giving a cat a tablet ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I do grapes too I let one chook out of the run and shut the door on the other one. Then I feed a half grape to the girl outside and chuck the other grape into the girl inside the run. This is the new plan since one of them 'beaked' the two grapes the other day and she overdosed herself! But I only have two chooks. May have to change tactics if (when!) I get more!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Kettle Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Can I ask a supplementary question? Do you give them a grape a day for a week, or just do it the once? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Can I ask a supplementary question? Do you give them a grape a day for a week, or just do it the once? I think most give 1/2 - 1 grape dipped in flubenvet every day for 7 days Mrs Kettle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 I do one half of a grape dipped in the flubenvet and one without. Had to do this as Butch was very suspicious and wouldn't try the medicine one so tempted her with the plain one first. By day 2 they were lining up for the grapes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louisdog Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 If mine won't eat the pellets with Flubenvet, I just mix in a couple of tablespoons of live strawberry yoghurt into their day's ration. It makes it tasty enough to eat up, but not so delicious that they fight over it or the top bird wolfs the lot. hth alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Worming my girls is also proving to be a bit of a carry on! None of mine will allow me to pick them up, for a start. Have done 2 days of dosed grapes so far. Yesterday "Ooops, word censored!"ody wanted them, and looked at me as if to say 'yeah, right', eventually all the grapes disappeared, but I have no idea who ate them - suspect they may all have been eaten by the same bird. Today 3 birds have scoffed the lot and one definitely did without. Process not helped by foul weather. 5 more doses to get into them somehow. Can't wait for tomorrow's installment. Also realised today that from next week, when clocks have gone back, I will not be able to clean out cube & run in daylight on 4 days of the week. Roll on summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 weeellll... I think I've got SOMETHING into everyone over the course of the week, but no idea who has overdosed and who has gone without! plus they are now highly suspicious of their normal pellets and dont seem to be eating so much. hopefully, this is a sign that the Flubenvet has worked - if the/any worms have gone they might not be so voracious? having said that, we are off to Crete at crack of dawn tomorrow and leaving them in the hands of the neighbours and my Mum for 8 days, so hopefully they will be good worm-free girls... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I'm sure they'll be fine. Have a great time in Crete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I just mix the pellets up with water, but add a touch of poultry spice, or a few specs of corn so they do not notice the flubenvet - they think I am giving them a treat. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 My 3 all went off the dosed pellets - ate them eventually though; not much choice when they were run-bound & hungry !! Had much more success with layers mash; bowl in the morning (from the dosed box) and bowl in the evening, also from dosed box with a handful of corn for treatiness. Mostly snaffled by bedtime. Couldn't believe how much the gannets actually do eat. I have never measured/thought about it before & as I normally alternate pellets with the occasional bowl of mash, it came as a surprise when they devoured most of the 2 kg I dosed up within the 7 days!! Goodness only knows if they were over or under dosed over the 7 day period, but at least they all had some Now they prefer the mash to pellets, although the peanut feeder has always got pellets in. I was told in the shop that mash is better for them than pellets - any ideas why? Sha x p.s. they do like a warm bowl of mash in the morning - especially when it's all crispy underfoot! This morning it was still dark when they decided they wanted to come out & see the girls - they were very confused, but still made a sterling effort at finishing the mash in record time!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louisdog Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I tried mine on mash and they were not keen, even though it's basically the same stuff, just that the mash is ground finer. I think some say mash is better because it takes them longer to eat so keeps them busier, so stops them being bored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Mine are fed on pellets in their grub but each evening I give them a small bowl of layers mash with bokashi. They love it and think it's a treat, it keeps them occupied for at least half an hour or so. You can get it from Wiggly Wigglers, my favourite site I could spend a fortune on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Last time I dosed my little monsters, I used the grape method and got very good at hiding grapes and scouting around to find the right beaks to put them in. This time, due to lack of daylight, I've put it in their porridge. So far they've been far too greedy to do anything but eat it all, though the addition of cat food may have helped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I use half a grape per chicken. I pick each girl up and give her the dosed piece of grape. No one gets double, no one misses out. I know it doesn't work for everyone, and it does take a few minutes to do one chicken at a time, but it works for me. I do the same method, always have done and works fine. I use a raisin instead of a grape though and conceal the flubenvet inside so they have no idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I can't pick mine up yet - they would run a mile! I've got better at dispensing the dosed grapes over the week though, and they just have one more dose to go in the morning. They've decided they do all like grapes after all (although Gilda was very slow to catch on, silly bird!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
