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likeastar--x

yet another problem...does she have blackhead?

By likeastar--x, in Chicken Clinic

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likeastar--x Frequent Layer

likeastar--x

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suprise suprise, yet ANOTHER problem. ever since we got her minnie hasnt been that social, mainly keeping to herself, but we assumed that was just her. then i made her come out today, and she was walking very slowly, and make a poor effort to run away when i went to pick her up. she didnt flap or anything as she normally does. she looks very healthy, but when i got her out today she had whitish liquid poop with some bits of pink in it...could this be blood? also there was something that looked like a mealworm (an undigested mealworm or another bit of poo) or is it worms?

 

it wasnt exactly yellow and foamy like the description for blackhead, but it doesnt look good. ill take her to the vets with willow and see if they have any wormer, as we do have some but we were advised to give it once a year in the spring and we havent had a spring yet with the chickens. the wormer we have is vermX and apparently after what ive read its not very good. should i give that to her anyway? if the vet isnt a poultry vet will it have a wormer?

my parents will NOT be impressed with this.

 

(Bluebelle)

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Egluntyne Eggsistentialist

Egluntyne

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I think you would be very unlucky indeed to have cases of mycoplasma (if that it what Willow has) and blackhead in the flock at the same time.

 

I would take Minnie to the vet at the same time as Willow, though, as you are obviously concerned about her and it might save another journey later.

 

I would ring the breeder about these hens though, as Claret suggested, as it does look as if you might have been fobbed off with sick hens, and that is unacceptable.

 

On the other hand the breeder may be unaware that there is sickness in his/her flock and might prefer to be notified so that s/he can take appropriate action.

 

I would push for a contribution to the vet's bill if I were you.

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sandyhas3chucks Feathery Fanatic

sandyhas3chucks

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you can buy flubenvet yourself on line. you don't need a vet. don't throw away the vermex, just don't rely on it. I read twice a year spring & autumn to worm. The wet summer was good for worms not chooks & may need to do more often (I Did after 2 months AND THERE WERE DEAD WORMS IN THE POOH!)

Best get the vet to check them t then get parent to phone where you bought them, once the vet has said what might be wrong. Re read the advice then about contacting breeder :!:

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likeastar--x Frequent Layer

likeastar--x

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with regards to the breeder, what are they bound to do? ours are from http://www.smilersfarmpoultry.co.uk/ and it says they are fully vaccinated and that the birds are 'guaranteed healthy'. they are also pretty far away from us so i cant pop in and see them face to face. should they have to pay the vets bill, or just offer a replacement/money back on original?

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The Dogmother Eggsistentialist

The Dogmother

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with regards to the breeder, what are they bound to do? ours are from http://www.smilersfarmpoultry.co.uk/ and it says they are fully vaccinated and that the birds are 'guaranteed healthy'. they are also pretty far away from us so i cant pop in and see them face to face. should they have to pay the vets bill, or just offer a replacement/money back on original?

 

Then the 'goods' are not as per the description and also not 'fit for purpose'.. trading standards would have a field day. Did you pick the hens yourself, or were these ones offered to you? I don't want to sound militant, but it really is more than just bad luck that you have two newly acquired and poorly hens :?

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chelsea SUPER CHICKEN!!!

chelsea

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If they guaranteed "birds are healthy" and yours are not then you clearly have a case with the breeder. I would definitely raise the issue with the breeder, even by phone if you can get to them in person. Its not your fault and this is causing unnecesary stress to you, your hens and costing you money :( .

 

How are they kept at the breeders? is it clean? well kept happy lively hens with lots of space?

 

poor you, sounds like you have been very unlucky....either with a "bad batch" or something is infecting the hens on site possibly. :think:

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likeastar--x Frequent Layer

likeastar--x

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They were in reasonable standards, though they were living on straw, which i didnt think was great. We chose them ourselves, but, now i come to think of it, we did choose those two only because they were the last lavendar and white bantams left. we had problems with them before, another bantam we got from there had a dislocated leg. there werent any vet costs except consultation, so we didnt tell the breeders. its quite a large, comercial place with a stables and buildings, so it is possible it could have been overlooked, but im not impressed at all to be honest. after these two have been sorted out we will definatly kicking up a fuss with smilers farm.

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quickcluck Effusive Egg Layer

quickcluck

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Hi LAS

 

It's seems you've been very unlucky!!

 

Can I ask what area you are in? I also know of Smilers, and I know someone on here has got her hens from there.......... but after going there for a look about I wouldn't get any girls from there....

 

There are others places not a million miles away which you may have better luck with....

 

good luck at the vets....

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Nicola O All Knowing Superchicken

Nicola O

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I also know of Smilers, and I know someone on here has got her hens from there

 

Oh, do you mean me, quickcluck ?? I got four chooks from there last year, and I know I spoke to someone on the forum about them, was it you :think::?:

 

I was surprised by their set-up, I presumed the chooks would be running about in fields, but they were in stables, pens and cages - but I wanted Skylines for green eggs and they were the only place I could find them at the time. The lady I saw was really nice and helpful, but I can't comment on their customer service for 'after care' as I had no problems and did not need to go back to them. But having said that, with the problems that poor Likeastar-x is having I probably wouldn't go back to them.

 

 

LAS - I hope you get your poorly chooks sorted at the vets, and do contact Smilers Farm - they should at least know about the problems their chooks have caused you and IMO contribute to the vet bills.

 

Nicola

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likeastar--x Frequent Layer

likeastar--x

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Ive only been to two breeders ever as they are scarce in Essex for the breeds I like, and one place (Hensforhomes) was more of a farm breeders and had a lot of chickens running around and the ones she was selling were in coops and chicken houses. She had scarce selection though, and I wanted a skyline and some bantams so i went to smilers and it was very clean and orgainised with all the chickens in cages with no indoor area and just basically ground with feeders and a few perches. I didnt think it was too bad at the time but ive not had much to compare it to! I thought that the more modern and orgainised establishments would provide a better quality of healthy happy chickens but maybe the more conventional breeders are actually the best? :think:

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Nicola O All Knowing Superchicken

Nicola O

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I went to smilers and it was very clean and orgainised with all the chickens in cages with no indoor area and just basically ground with feeders and a few perches. I didnt think it was too bad at the time but ive not had much to compare it to!/quote]

 

SNAP !! They were all in cages / pens but were clean and well looked after. I thought I was just being naive when I thought that they would all be running about in fields :lol: but like you had nothing to compare it with.

 

Nicola

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quickcluck Effusive Egg Layer

quickcluck

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Thornes Poultry CentreStotfold Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 4JR

 

p: 01462675767

 

Try there, from reading on here it seems that lots of people rave about them, so must be worth giving them a call to see what they have in. I think they have a wide range....

 

Nicola O is was you I was thinking of :D Well done for remembering!!! You helped me loads when I first got going, so thanks very much!!!!

 

Let us know if you have any joy with them, I like to be nosey! :D:D

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