4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Scoobs]

I posted a message for help about blood and white fluid coming from the vent. Took the chicken to the vets today to be told she had a kidney infection and as we only got them from omlet in late July and they were young this should not have happened and it was our fault for not keeping them properly. Basically he said we should have a wooden house, off the floor with a cover and lots of room 8 x 10 ft even for just 2 chickens. I don't know what to believe now. I tried to explain what we had but he wasn't interested. I know everyone has their views but I obviously don't want any animals to get sick.

 

We have had 3 chickens from omlet in an eglu, lost one just 6 weeks after because the others pecked her and she had too much trauma to cope so was put to sleep. I clean them out every couple of days, give them cider apple vinegar, garlic powder etc. I've a dog, two cats and have had a variety of rabbits over 9 years and they have all been alright so feel a bit mortified that within 4 months I've had two sick chickens.

 

The vet suggests that we keep them off the soil for winter and fully covered. I was going to cover them up anyway but will they be ok on the patio for the winter with hemcore or sawdust? There isn't going to be much opportunity for free ranging in the week with the dark nights?

[Redwing]

Honestly! your vet has never gone to charm school then

 

They will be fine on the patio with hemcore but you dont NEED to move them off the garden, many people put their chickens on a hard surface over winter to avoid the mud in the run/get them nearer the house/keep them drier but whilst its good to have that option its not the end of the world if they stay on the garden

 

A run bigger than the Eglu one would be great but not everyone has that option. If you only have the standard run then I would stick with two chickens though

 

Unless you have been remiss with your watering of the hens which I very much doubt you would or you have done something silly like give them salty snacks then I would think it most unlikely that you caused your hens kidney problems (if thats what it is)

[Plum]

That must have been hard to hear. Hope she picks up quick now.

 

You know that as long as you follow omlet guidelines for keeping chickens they are fine in an eglu and you haven't caused it. Some people see pictures and not the actual thing so don't know how well ventilated and clean it is and a reasonable size. Try not to take it personally, your vet just hasn't met one.

[Scoobs]

Thank you so much for your support. They haven't had any salty snacks, just sweetcorn, greens a few grapes and some odd bits of herbs that are around the garden. We were thinking of building them a larger house as the pictures on the web of others look fab and I'm sure they would love it and I think we will go ahead with this anyway though if we end up with one chicken it will be buckingham palace! I've done so much reading up before I kept chickens that I felt the eglu for 2-3 was the best option and kept the top of the garden free for them to scratch around in when I was around.

 

Agatha the poorly one is still drinking and eating a bit and the vet has given her antibiotics in her water which she is taking so fingers crossed otherwise I am left with 1 chicken who is a fiend, with a bumper bit and absolutely manic, it could be the most expensive eggs I've ever bought!

[Redwing]

The Eglu itself can sleep at least four hens, some of us have five in one

 

If you put the Eglu inside a home made (or bought) run this is the perfect combination I reckon - check out the run inspiration thread in the FAQ section of the forum

 

here is mine:

[Scoobs]

Your house looks fab. That's what my partner was looking to build, I think we will do that. Funny enough we have the greenhouse and the veg patch beds too! What have you got on the floor?

[Redwing]

Its woodchip from B&Q mixed with Bedmax flakey wood shavings

[Saronne]

Vets can be so annoying, can't they?

 

 

 

Tasha, did you make a special base for your eglu?

 

 

 

Saronne x

[Redwing]

 

 

 

Tasha, did you make a special base for your eglu?

 

 

 

 

Its a couple of budget shelves on a frame to make a table

[Egluntyne]

I'd change your vet. She might well have a kidney infection, and he might well be treating it correctly....but if he thinks your management of her has caused it, he needs to go back to his books.

 

Sorry you have been upset by this opinionated individual.

[Scoobs]

It was difficult enough trying to find a vet for chickens our usual one had no-one for 'exotic' pet vet on duty for 2 days so I went to an alternative. He has given her antibiotics in the water. She is drinking a bit and I put some sweetcorn in the bottom of a shallow ramakin so when she picked them out she hopefully got the medicine into her system. Her bottom looks very mucky with chalky white fluid just dripping out of it but her skin also looks blue round her bum.

 

She has had a pick at her food now and again but wondering whether to try her on weetabix as others have suggested on the forum? Also live yoghurt?

 

Agatha

Myrtle

1 dog and 2 cats

[House MD 221B]

We tried Weetabix with the yoghurt and Weetabix with milk and AviPro mixed in. By all means wait for someone better educated than myself, as I am a first time chicken owner, but I don't see how it could hurt.

[Egluntyne]

It certainly won't do any harm. As this stage, you just want her to eat.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Milly wasn't keen to eat when she had sour crop so I used a kids medicine syringe to squirt bio yogurt with Avipro onto the side of her beak. She started to eat it (to get it off her beak, I suspect!) and I got a lot down her that way.

[Hen Watch]

Scoobs, your vet probably hasn't ever seen an eglu and may be a bit 'old school' in their approach. Don't worry.

 

I have 4 hybrid hens in an eglu (with extended run) and they've lived there quite happily for 2 and a half years.

 

With regard to Winter..... I have experience of 2 winters. First winter I had them on grass with Auboise in run. Got quite soggy (especially as I have clay soil).

 

2nd winter, I put the eglu on my patio, used Aubiose in run again, and it was great as patio is right outside my back door so no trudging down the soggy garden in winter.

 

My 3rd winter approaches and in a few weeks time they will be moved from garden to patio again.

 

Chin up and fingers crossed for your hen. Pellets and warm water with a dollop of live bio yogurt make a nice treat too. Hopefully antibiotics will kick in soon.

[Scoobs]

Thanks for your help. Agatha seems to be eating ok, layers mash and some bits of sweetcorn. Just got to try to clean her bum now - it's yucky. Matted white and yellow dried on round her vent. She certainly doesn't like me doing it it must be painful as it's caked on as she is continually dripping. I'll keep at it in small stages trying to loosen it with warm water and perhaps a toothbrush. What joy pets are!

 

I've moved the eglu onto the patio, my other chicken Myrtle just has to get used to the patio door opening and shutting she looks alarmed everytime she hears it.

[Janty]

Don't worry about what the vet said. I have only ever had eglus and cubes and in two years of chicken keeping, my first sniffly hen was encountered last night.

[Olly]

I'm shocked that your vet said this - as others have said, he's probably never seen an Eglu.

 

You can tell from the posts on here that many of us have kept hens in Eglus without ANY health problems for years - I've still got one of my original Omlet hens from February 07. Unfortunately hens are not the most robust of animals, and they can fall ill and go downhill very quickly, but I doubt very much if it was either your care of them or the Eglu that they are living in. If Eglus and Cubes caused health problems, it would be very well documented by now. So sorry that you've had these problems, and I hope Agatha perks up.

[cluckingmad]

Hi petal,

 

Hows Agatha doing? I agree with the others, sounds like your vet has never seen an eglu. The only reason they need to be off the ground is due to predators, however as they can roost and are totally pretected against the elements I'd say there's no problem - in fact, my livestock vet has commended the eglu before now for its ease of keeping a high level of cleanliness for the hens.

 

Carolyn x