Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[gavclojak]

Can anyone suggest anything, Barbara my oldest girl has always been a bit toddery on her feet, she is a big girl with very short dumpy legs. I noticed her limping Yesterday, she does lots of sitting as she is very old and I have checked her feet and leg but there is nothing obvious. Shall I keep her in a crate and rest it for a few days or go straight to the vet? I have some new girls so didn't really want to take her out of the mix and stress her out. She is eating/drinking/pooing and looks happy enough although I realise that doesn't always mean much.

[Beantree]

Could simply be a minor hip injury Gavclojak, especially as she is otherwise OK. Assume none of her joints feel warmer than the rest? All you can do is let her rest it and rather than separate her have a look for places she could have over-exerted herself. We had a problem with a high perch that one hen tried to jump off and at the same time turn through the pop-hole. It was 6 weeks before she was back to normal. Jumping down onto hard surfaces can be another source of problems.

[gavclojak]

Thanks beantree, I think your right. She won't use the ladder of the cube and as she is the least agile bird I have ever seen. She literately throws herself out on to the ground!

When we got the cube we added a more user friendly ladder but it made no difference.

Nothing feels warmer and I have been lifting her in and out of the cube and will continue for another week and see if there is any improvement otherwise it's a trip to the vet.

 

she is very much the top hen and I am introducing 3 new ex-commercials at the moment of whom she ignores so I don't want the dynamics to change again by removing her unless it's best for her.

[gavclojak]

So Barbara was still limping after two weeks of resting her so off to the vets we went. She has arthritis, she is on metacam to see if she is in pain, if there is an improvement while in the mess then we assume it's sore if the meds make no difference then we will assume it's just the range of movement that's the problem. She is an old girl (nearly 4) and I want her to have every chance as long as she is behaving like a hen and is not in pain. She is still top hen too

[Beantree]

Two things we have done for aged hips is 0.5mL per Kg bodyweight of Cod liver oil with multivits. That's no more often than once every 2 weeks. We have occasionally, on vets advice, given half a small aspirin (the 300 size not 500) and the effect can be quite dramatic. Seems it just gives them that pain free period to get themselves re-orientated.

[gavclojak]

Thanks beantree, that's really helpful.

[The Dogmother]

I have a hen of about 9 or 10, she gets a little stiff now and then. I add Gold Label Four Oils to their feed every day (dogs and cats get it too) and feed her an Arnica pillule, which she seems to love. She is a lot better, and no drugs needed.

 

Hope that you get it sorted

[gavclojak]

Thanks DM, the vet commented on what fantastic condition she's in, she is beautiful and a good weight too @ 2.5KG's so as long as she is pain free I'm happy. I don't like giving her drugs but to be honest she is such an old girl that if I can give her 6 months of painfree foraging I will be ok with that.