Unsecure chicken perches

[LES DUNNING]

Hi everyone. I have just joined the forum as I have recently got four hybrid hens. They are 17 weeks old and the first chickens I have ever had. Very new to all this, so please excuse the somewhat simple questions in the future .... my hens outside run is completely paved with slabs, which is great for keeping clean ... my question is, I know my birds would appreciate a dust bath, but should this be left in the run all of the time, as wondering if putting in, taking out etc would stress or upset the birds and upset their egg laying. Also, is just normal garden soil ok and should I always put some mite powder in for added benefit?

Edited August 22, 2010 by Guest

[LuckyChickenLover-]

They'll be fine if you keep it in there at all times, but I doubt that taking it in and out would strees them out, and it's highly unlikely that it would effect them so much that it effects egg production.

 

And um, next time you post you might want to make sure that caps locks is off. It makes it look like you're shouting!

Edited August 22, 2010 by Guest

[LES DUNNING]

Thanks for the quick reply,what are your thoughts about the soil and mite spray addition?

[chicken bark]

They won't be upset by a dust bath appearing or disappearing out of their run.

 

As you say add some mite/louse/diatom powder. The dust bath can be play sand, soil, compost, ash etc. Or you could just let them make big holes in your grass like mine do.

[LuckyChickenLover-]

Last edited by LuckyChickenLover- on Sun Aug 22, 2010 6:24 pm, edited 6 times in total.

What? I didn't edit it at all!

 

Anyway, yes like chicken bark said you can add diatom powder or whatever if you wish

Personally I just have a mixture on soil and play sand in mine without anything else, if mine ever developed a problem then I would just brush the red mite powder straight on them

[LES DUNNING]

Thanks thats great, will get that sorted for them 2mro. Also thinking of worming them all,just to be on the safe side. What wormer /mite powder would you recommend, as i hear that not all shop bought products are very reliable.

[chicken bark]

I think most people use Flubenvet. You can get the 1% easily on the internet - you just need to add it to their food for a week and there is no egg withdrawal.

 

If you know they are worm free then you could always use something like Verm-X which I don't use but a lot of people do.

 

You can actually use Diatom but my lot didn't like it.

[LuckyChickenLover-]

Thanks thats great, will get that sorted for them 2mro. Also thinking of worming them all,just to be on the safe side. What wormer /mite powder would you recommend, as i hear that not all shop bought products are very reliable.

 

This red mite powder from the Omlet Shop has got good reviews, although I can't speak from experience as I haven't used it myself.

 

As for worming, Verm-X and Flubenvet are good, although Flubenvet is a Prescription only Medicine, and you will not be able to buy it without a presciption from a vet.

 

Dug out some topics that You might find useful:

Flubenvet 1 2 3

General Worming Advice 1

General Parasite Info: 1

 

Hope that helps

 

-LCL

[LES DUNNING]

Thanks for the advice

[LES DUNNING]

Thanks thats great, will get that sorted for them 2mro. Also thinking of worming them all,just to be on the safe side. What wormer /mite powder would you recommend, as i hear that not all shop bought products are very reliable.

 

This red mite powder from the Omlet Shop has got good reviews, although I can't speak from experience as I haven't used it myself.

 

As for worming, Verm-X and Flubenvet are good, although Flubenvet is a Prescription only Medicine, and you will not be able to buy it without a presciption from a vet.

 

Dug out some topics that You might find useful:

Flubenvet 1 2 3

General Worming Advice 1

General Parasite Info: 1

 

Hope that helps

 

-LCL

Thanks so much for your help. I work for a mainly southern pet shop chain PAMPURRED PETS, in their warehouse, and they stock that red mite spray and the verm x wormer, so thats a result.........staffdiscount too

[grb944]

i read on here yesterday a great trick to worm your chocks..

putting vermx in the food doesn't ensure they all get some

 

some one posted yesterday..put it in grapes !!

how cool is that idea !!!!

[Olly]

It's a great idea, but now try ensuring that each chicken gets the grape intended for it, and that it isn't scoffed up by a neighbouring hen ... not as easy as you might think!

[chicken bark]

As for worming, Verm-X and Flubenvet are good, although Flubenvet is a Prescription only Medicine, and you will not be able to buy it without a presciption from a vet.

I got my Flubenvet without prescription. Do you now need a prescription for it?

[LuckyChickenLover-]

I got my Flubenvet without prescription. Do you now need a prescription for it?

 

Sorry, don't know. I haven't used Flubenvet myself, I was just repeating what I had read here I'm sure one of the mods will be able to tell you more if you PM them.

 

From what I gather, it means that it's illegal to administer Flubenvet if you do not have a vet's prescription. If this is the case then I don't know how you would have managed to get some without a prescription in the first place. Where did you get it from?

[Purplemaniacs]

I didn't need a prescription on the occasions that I have bought Flubenvet, they do ask for your address. I hope it is not illegal.

 

I got it from an animal store in Market Harborough.

 

I have used the grape method twice which is fine if you just have a couple of friendly chickens, if you have more it is very tricky one ends up with none and the friendly greedy one gets too much.

 

I put it in the food now.

 

Chrissie

[Chicken shack]

Hi I am new to chickens but if you also lift a couple of paving slabs they will also enjoy scratching around in that.

[chicken bark]

I got my Flubenvet without prescription. Do you now need a prescription for it?

 

Sorry, don't know. I haven't used Flubenvet myself, I was just repeating what I had read here I'm sure one of the mods will be able to tell you more if you PM them.

 

From what I gather, it means that it's illegal to administer Flubenvet if you do not have a vet's prescription. If this is the case then I don't know how you would have managed to get some without a prescription in the first place. Where did you get it from?

 

You can get the 1% from lots of places on line. I think I got mine from Animal medicines. The 2.5% (which is cheaper in the long run) used to be a problem as you needed a mixing license from Defra to use it. You can now get that too but, if I remember correctly, it affects whether you can sell your hens and eggs or something. Sorry I am being vague.

 

To cut a long waffle short - you can buy the 1% from tonnes of places online. There is no egg withdrawal and it is widely used by chicken keepers as it is effective at killing worms and not just preventing them.

[LuckyChickenLover-]

You can get the 1% from lots of places on line. I think I got mine from Animal medicines. The 2.5% (which is cheaper in the long run) used to be a problem as you needed a mixing license from Defra to use it. You can now get that too but, if I remember correctly, it affects whether you can sell your hens and eggs or something. Sorry I am being vague.

 

To cut a long waffle short - you can buy the 1% from tonnes of places online. There is no egg withdrawal and it is widely used by chicken keepers as it is effective at killing worms and not just preventing them.

 

Whats the 1% ? Is it like a really small ammount of it?

[Bexibex]

I use the Flubenvet and didn't even think to look online for it as I presumed you had to get it from the vet. Will check the internet out if it is cheaper.

 

As for dust baths, I just bought some top soil and filled up two large cat litter trays - my girls love it.

[Stedic]

I bought my Flubenvet online, it was about £14 for a tub that looks like it'd last ages. Mixing it up seems a bit daunting to start with, but its actually really simple. Legality wise, if you order it online you'll be asked to confirm your address and that you're using it for the thing its supposed to be used for. Its a similar situation to some of the behind the counter medications at a chemists.

 

I bought my girls a dust bath about a week ago. It was a nice cat litter tray and I even went to the trouble of buying "bird sand" from the pet shop too. Did they use it? Did they heck! They both examined it, gave me a contemptuous look and then dug a hole in the run. I'll keep it though as I'm slabbing the area in preparation for a WIR, then they'll come crawling back, you'll see....

[chicken bark]

 

Whats the 1% ? Is it like a really small ammount of it?

 

It's just the strength of it. It comes in 1% strength or 2.5% strength. So the stronger it is the less of it you use hence why the 2.5% would work out cheaper as it would last longer. It is a tiny bit more complicated to work out how much to give your hens if you buy the 2.5%. For the 1% I seem to remember it is 6g per 2kg of feed.

[LuckyChickenLover-]

 

It's just the strength of it. It comes in 1% strength or 2.5% strength. So the stronger it is the less of it you use hence why the 2.5% would work out cheaper as it would last longer. It is a tiny bit more complicated to work out how much to give your hens if you buy the 2.5%. For the 1% I seem to remember it is 6g per 2kg of feed.

 

Thanks

[scruff]

Hi I have got 3 hens in a run in the back garden. I was wanting to ask if anyone knows if my hens would come to any harm eating their sand that contains louse powder that is the dust bath.They have a good supply of oysyer chicken grit to eat at lib.