Solitary chicken - need advice

[bruce]

hi hen people, we need some advice, our five hens have been in residence for nearly a year, they are laying well and are lively, lately they have diarrhoea we have tried vermx for a few days but it does not seem to be effective, they are kept sweet and clean, earlier

this year we had a very aggressive feather pecking maran but she is now in the naughty pen. and that problem is lessened. We have the two marans a cream legbar and two rhode island/sussex crosses, perhaps it was a mistake to mix the breeds. Their pen is 20feet x 24 feet so they are not crowded and we let them onto the grassy part of the garden now and then, yes they all have names, all advice gratefully received thanks Bruce and Tracyann in deepest norfolk.

[Clur]

Hello Bruce and Tracyann in deepest Norfolk

 

I suspect your chooks have worms. I didn't find VermX very good - I think it's more preventative but not that great if they already have worms. Can you get hold of some Flubenvet wormer? A lot of people (including me) find it much more effective.

 

Also, if you can get some bokashi bran and mix it with natural yoghurt, that should help them get back on track.

 

Don't worry about mixing the breeds, that wouldn't cause any problems like this. It's nice to have a range of breeds - more interesting to look at!

[Egluntyne]

I agree. I would worm them with Flubenvet and follow the advice re bokashi bran which does help firm up runny poos.

 

I would also hold off with the greens for a while.

[Jools]

What colour is the diarrhoea? It does make a difference as to what might be wrong with them. Green diarrhoea (and listlessness/hunched/fluffed up) is a sign of a worm infestation.

 

How long have they had the diarrhoea and has their diet (or anything else) changed at all?

 

If you want to get droppings obsessed, have a look at this

[bruce]

Many thanks guys to egluntine and clur, also jools whose graphic photos of unimaginable poo left us informed but not wanting any dinner! we have ordered flubenvet but are concerned that they say in the destructions one cannot sell any eggs to others. As we are getting 20--24 a week this is going to be a problem? will that be a risk for the friends who take our eggs?

[Jools]

I believe that is the new restriction that has made 2.5% Flubenvet available to Joe Public again. As far as I understand it, you can only be supplied with Flubenvet 2.5% (without a mixing license) if the eggs (and chickens if they're meat birds) are for your own consumption.

 

I don't think that restriction applies to the 1% Flubenvet, but maybe Chucky Mama can advise??

 

Even if it is the case, it's only the week of treatment and one week for egg withdrawal (I think). I guess it just means lots of omelettes and scrambled eggs for you!

[Chucky Mama]

As far as I am aware the restrictions are as follows:

 

Flubenvet 1% -

Domestic poultry: eggs may only be presented for human consumption during and after treatment when dosed at the recommended inclusion rate.

 

Flubenvet 2.5% -

Chickens: eggs may only be presented for human consumption during and after treatment when dosed at the rate of 30 ppm in feed.Turkeys, geese, pheasants, partridges: eggs may be presented for human consumption only after 7 days from the end of treatment.

 

Any changes in these restrictions should be in the data sheet which will be enclosed with the Flubenvet and as of 11/12/09 I am unable to find any changes to the data sheet. As ever please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

[Jools]

I don't have anything official, just what I read on P P (stevenmarie's post in the Flubenvet discussion thread). Apparantly they were told by the Flubenvet people at the National that if you are a "hobby breeder", ie you dont sell eggs or birds for human consumption, then you can still purchase the 240g tub for mixing into feed at your premises.

 

HTH