Unsecure chicken perches

[-Chookaroo-]

Hi,

 

Can anyone help me please?!

 

I've had 3 hens since late September 2010 and in the past 4 or 5 weeks to have begun to lay daily. (due to the hideous weather we had in Scotland there were no layers for all that time).

 

However, 1 is not laying, trying to figure out which one. I'm guessing it may be the 1 who should be laying pale blue eggs - the others lay brown- but again it was never going to be a given that she would lay blue, just a high possibility due to her mixed breed.

 

Added to this is the fact that 1 of them has had diarrhoea since we got her...And has got worse. Putting 2 and 2 together I'm guessing it's the same hen, but again, not sure. New to hens, it's all a bit airy fairy!

 

1 of the hens has very yellowy ear lobe things...Not exactly a wattle but up on either side of her head, whereas the other 2 have red bits. Again, don't know if that's just a breed thing. But it's the girl who should be laying blue eggs.

 

All hens appear to be eating normally, behaving normally, etc. But if any 1 were a bit different I'd say it was the one who has pale bits, who should be laying blues and is possibly the one with the squitty bum! She tends to be by herself a wee bit more than the others.

 

I give them pellets from a hopper, and no more than a small handful of grain between them daily. (I've been careful not to give to much in the way of grain as I've heard that too much fat and they won't lay) In the afternoon they sometimes get porridge or cabbage or another tasty treat...And when the wet weather subsides I plan to give them a trough with yummy leftovers. It's just a bit messy and soggy out there just now though.

 

They get out for a few hours into the garden every other day, to peck in the beds and generally poke around. I have a run which is about 8x10ft and a nice wee coop, don't think there's a problem there. And they have access to a water hopper which gets fresh water every 3 days.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I really don't want to have to have the problemed hen put down, I just want her better and laying and doing normal poos!!!

 

Thank you!!

 

(ps: sorry about the rant, just wanted to give as much info as possible!)

[sandyhas3chucks]

send poo sample to retfords. Several things will reduce/stop them laying

[Lewis]

Welcome to the forum

 

Have you wormed them with Flubenvet yet? Thats always a start and may help firm up poos.

 

She's still not all that old so may not be laying yet - guessing she's a Cream Legbar. I got one last summer and she's still not laying!!

Different coloured ear lobes are normal too - just the breed, they may get a silvery blue tinge to them

[Frankie Dicken]

I know what you are going through. I have had 3 hybrid hens since last Novr. and two of them have had intermittent diarrhoea. They have been through a terrible winter and one lost all the feathers from her back and chest just before the weeks of heavy snow. I feed them layers pellets and give them about a cupful of boiled up veggies and porage oats in the afternoon. They are in a similar sized are to yours and are out in the main garden for a few hours daily.

 

I have wormed them three times in the past year and was just wondering if I should do so again but they've had such a bad time weatherwise. (one of them had a chest infection too) and I don't want to stress them further.

 

One hen has laid daily all year, and the one who moulted badly has just started laying again, but the little one who was chesty spends more time on her own and hasn't started to lay again yet.

 

I wish I could get to the 'bottom' (sorry!) of the diarrhoea problem as I don't want anything nasty getting into the ground although I do clear up poo daily and skim the ground in the enclosure monthly.

 

The hens themselves don't seem bothered!!

 

Good Luck

 

Frankie Dicken

[sandyhas3chucks]

send sample to retfords see what is causing it and get right treatment. easy and not expensive

[The Dogmother]

Firstly worm them all with Flubenvet as Lewis has said.

 

Feed them only pellets, no greens, nothing else. Mix up a bowl of Bokashi Bran and natural live yoghurt and give them 1 bowl per day for 3 days.

 

Add both Apple Cider Vinegar (not the pasteurised one from supermarkets but the horsey one that is 'live') and Avipro to their water for the next week.

 

That ought to sort it; if it doesn't then get your vet (or Retfords) to check a few random poo samples.