How Quickly Does Albendazole Work?

[Tara.F]

We have a mixed flock ranging in age from three and a half years down to fifteen weeks.

Our 'old girls' (hybrids) no longer lay very often.....once or twice a week and our wyandotte is now winding down for winter. The babies haven't started yet.

So, I've got all of them on growers pellets so that the big girls have a well earned rest and the littluns don't come into lay too soon.

What want to know is, do growers pellets have everything grown up chooks need?

Should I add oyster shell or will that set them all off laying again?

We get maybe two or three eggs a week still and none have been soft shelled yet (they've not had layers for about two weeks now)

 

Thanks, Tara xxx

[jos]

I don't know if growers pellets have enough for your old girls, hopefuly someone more knowledgeable will come along soon,.... my old girls are on layers pellets but are only laying sporadically now. They also have a good handful or two of treats (fruit/mealworms etc) and remain happy and in good health.

J

[Jools]

I'm not sure about a difference in calcium content, but growers contain more protein than layers, so they won't do your older ladies any harm during winter.

 

If you're worried you could put some oystershell in a little container for them, but it's unlikely they'll need it if they're hardly laying.

 

My oldest lady, over 10!!!, still lays me one egg every year. Trouble is, it's always a softie now and she eats it before I can. Now that really is taking the mick!!

[cluckingmad]

Good grief Jools, 10?! What a chicken, which one is it?! Obviously a tribute to your care for them that she's happy and healthy at such a grand age.... whats your secret?!

[Jools]

I know, she just keeps on going. She was at least three when I got her and she's gone from being top of the heap (hence her name Boss) to the very bottom now she's an old lady. I often separate her when the others pick on her frailty, she's not very aware of what's going on around her, a bit blind and deaf I suspect. For the past couple of years, I've been hoping she'll fall asleep in the sun one day and not wake up, then every winter I wonder how much longer she can go on, but go on she does.

 

She tried to commit suicide yesterday. She gets her own private supply of corn in the afternoon, on the top of the compost bin. She hops up there and waits for me. I suspect she hopped a bit further and onto the fence, then did a bit of tightrope walking and decided to explore the garden. Now one of my terriers decided to be helpful and to "catch" her, but fortunately he's the only JRT in the whole world that doesn't actually kill what he catches. My poor old lady was in such shock and she's lost a load of feathers, but apart from that, she's hardly marked. She spent the night in a pet carrier in the spare room and I fully expected to find her gone in the morning, but nope, she was up and chucking her mealworms around.

 

I think they made chickens of strong stuff in those days!! Here's a pic of her from last summer....

 

 

 

Whoops, edited to resize the photo and to say that's my JRT you can see in the background ... just keeping an eye on chickens lol!!

[cluckingmad]

Shes lovely! love the idea of her getting her own corn supply, not sure who came off worst from the encounter, her of the jacky!!