3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[nolalola1]

Hi, I would be very grateful for any advice.

 

I have two chickens, a gingernut ranger and a miss pepperpot (Cissy and Ada).

I have had them for a year and ten months. In that time, they have never moulted or stopped laying. The gingernut ranger (Ada) has laid almost constantly. She has not laid now for about a month but is not moulting. We assumed she was having a well deserved rest. However in the last week or so she has seemed really under the weather.

Her tail is down and she is less active. I picked her up to examine her and she sat on my lap and went to sleep! This is totally unheard of. She is the dominant chicken and very feisty. She normally flaps and complains like mad if she's picked up.

She does not seem to have any parasites on her, they have regularly been treated with verm-x for worms, her vent is clean, her comb is still quite red and she is still eating.

She has perked up a little but she is still not herself.

 

Any ideas?

Thankyou in advance.

[Daphne]

I would try worming her with flubenvet. It is what many of us use and have found to be the most effective. Try that first - hopefully she will perk up as a high worm burden is very draining on a bird and will stop her laying; this warm weather won't have helped an under the weather chook. But also, do watch out for any other signs in case its more serious. Fingers crossed and let us know how you get on

[Chucky Mama]

If you have only ever given her Verm-x they will need worming with Flubenvet. If she is otherwise eating and there are no obvious signs of illness (see basic health check for chickensHere then perhaps that is the first thing to do. If in doubt, pop her along to a vet.

[Jools]

That's an awfully long time to keep laying without a break for her moult! I had a very prolific layer who literally wore herself out.

 

I'd certainly suggest some kind of tonic, such as Lifegard, in case she's lacking anything.

 

Re Verm-x, I've been using it successfully for several years without resorting to chemical wormers. What are Ada's droppings like? Birds with a worm burden tend to have green-ish diarrhoea.

[nolalola1]

Hi there,

 

thanks to everyone for the advice.

 

I thought I'd give an update on Ada: She perked up over the course of about three days after my original posting. There was nothing unusual with her droppings or appetite. She did lose a few feathers so I thought her moult had begun. She did not lose many though and is nowhere near bald. She has now started laying again and has "produced" every day for nearly a week now.

 

I can only assume that she needed a rest and is now back on form -they really are great birds!

 

regards

Norah

[SusieB123]

That is really good news. I am pleased she seems to be back to herself

[Daphne]

marvellous