Locking Bar Eglu Classic

[mimi5]

Pixiedust, how is your girlie today? I hope she's on the mend! If she's not eating much, nutridrops are good

[PixieDust]

She certainly has a good chance Beantree, but never say never.....

 

Still no egg and she is sitting down still but this time at the front of the run. Weather very bad so can't really sit out and watch her. So hoping this egg passes out of her soon. Poor girlie. Also yesterday must have been such a stressful day for her - imagine having someone poke right up to feel where your eggs are

 

Still need to have fingers crossed.

[clucker1]

Pixie dust, where is your vet? It would be handy for me to know, living in deepest Surrey, especially as they seem to know what they are talking about. Thank you

[mullethunter]

Any sign of it yet?

[PixieDust]

No egg but she has been in the nest box twice today, the second time was bed time and the other 2 seemed perplexed she was there.

 

She raced around eating mealworms earlier in the day and she ate yoghurt whilst sitting in the nest box this afternoon.

 

I am just hoping something happens soon.

[mullethunter]

It doesn't sound like she's feeling too bad. My fingers are crossed.

[PixieDust]

Still no egg!

 

She is eating, drinking and pooping fine. She is slower and not so friendly but goes ballistic for mealworms. Apparently she pushed everyone out of the way to get out first this morning but you know when you know something isn't right?

 

Well I know. But I don't know what.

 

Will lock the screaming hound away and give her another sitz bath a bit later and see if that helps.

[PixieDust]

She has had a sitz bath, a small bit of cheese and some yoghurt. She is eating, drinking and pooping fine still. Don't know what else to do

[mimi5]

I guess you could try putting her in a cat carrier or such in a dark quiet place to see if that helps? Maybe also just with a little water?

 

Recently my Polly was "off" colour like this and I brought her in and gave her a steamed bottom rather than full blown bath. I kept her in over night and she laid her egg in the morning. It had a weak shell & she was struggling to pass it (I thought she was a gonner) her sister died from laying softies But I found her eating it!! I believe they do check their own eggs and eat those which would not be viable to hatch (recycling)

 

She's laying normally now & thankfully not eaten any other of her eggs (she's the only one laying at the mo)

 

So difficult when we can only guess at what to do to help

 

Hope for good news

[PixieDust]

Just seen Winnie getting worried at a cat. We have suddenly been inundated with cats here, next door has 4 and the people next door to them who have just moved in have 2. I know there is at least 3 toms in that lot. They are distressing the dog and it's just a thought, could they distress the chickens?

[Cat tails]

Yes.

 

Can't really make more off it... I have a cat and an overly friendly neighbours tom. Ladies aren't very worried about my own anymore. She is sort of a wuss and isn't at all interested in the chickens. The tom used to chase the chickens, but a well placed and timed slap on the butt sorted that out. They are still more wary of the tom, but not too bothered anymore.

[PixieDust]

We have to do something to deter the cats as they are getting to be a menace and we have to keep doors and curtains to the courtyard closed because the dog is getting an obsession with crying and barking at them, even if they are not there. Neither of us hate or would harm a cat but they are becoming a pest. We are going to put something slippery on the courtyard wall to stop them walking along it. We are going to try a sonic deterrent out where the chickens are.

 

To be honest when next door first moved in they had 2 which we never saw. One got run over and they rescued a mum and 2 male kittens. That was last summer. Suddenly there are cats everywhere since the people next door to them moved in with I think 2 cats. We never saw cats til a couple of weeks ago.

 

I digress. No egg yet.

[Luvachicken]

Could you try one of those water squirters that are motion sensitive ?

I think they are quite expensive but could be worth a try ?

[Cat tails]

My guess is that your 4 neighbour cats had the garden on the other side as part of their territory. Now with the 2 new ones, they can't use it anymore, so are forced to move towards your garden.

 

Cats don't like unsafe environment. A few weeks of going at them with a squirt gun should easily do the trick. You could also use your dog to scare them away, by going after them with the dog on the leash. But that won't be helping your dog in any way and might make him even more focussed on cats.

 

Sharp gravel and unsteady surfaces sometimes work too. So a loose board or plank on top of a wall and they won't trust to jump up on it. They also hate the smell of citrus fruits, but those don't really keep their smell for very long outside.

Don't clean anything with bleach or ammonia, they love the smell of that.

[PixieDust]

Ok still no egg.

 

It is possible she has had a softy which has been eaten but I see no evidence of this. Vet has suggested as she is eating, drinking and pooping ok that she should just be left for now. He feels like I now do that she has gone off lay for some reason.

 

Anyhow, I will keep you informed. Fingers crossed.

[Alis girls]

Hope your girlie is ok - I am a mum of 3 cats and the next door but one spends all his time in our garden trying to get into my house to eat their food. I have found him locked in our garage. Our new neighbours have a small yappy dog so I suspect the cats wont go over there so at least they cant complain about them. I like to think they keep the vermin down and hopefully if I get "where theres chickens theres rats" thrown at me I can say hand on heart I have never seen one. Hope you find a happy solution and your hen is back in good health soon.

[PixieDust]

OH constructing a humane obstacle course on the back wall. Some cd's hung up in the garden might help.

 

We never had these issues when I lived in a flat

[mullethunter]

You know what else you never had!

 

How is the patient?

[PixieDust]

A little quieter than normal but appears ok. I think this is just going to be a wait and see scenario.

[Alis girls]

I saw something called silent roar advertised to dispel cats - based on lion dung No idea if works but keep reading about it.

[PixieDust]

We are looking into citronella which will be 2 fold. Keep the cats away from the fence and the dog from trying to dig under it in the courtyard and some around the WIR to keep dog away primarily but also the cat.

 

Cat had to be shooed out of the sun room this afternoon.

 

Anyhow, the patient seemed much brighter this afternoon - even landed on me which she hasn't done in a while.

 

Still no egg.

[PixieDust]

OK 10 days since Winnie has laid an egg. She is full of beans and basically her usual chatty self except she just isn't laying any eggs.

 

They FR'ed yesterday:

 

 

 

 

 

And this is one of the humane cat deterrants which, touch wood, seem to be working:

 

[gongladosh]

good stuff, she sounds much better!

[Alis girls]

Nice lawn Pixie - that wont last long. And lovely girls.

[PixieDust]

I have a professional gardener as an OH - I have no choice for it to last which is why FRing is not all day every day. And by letting them have an hour or 2 in the whole garden rather than just in one area, they don't concentrate all their pecking and scratching to one spot.