emmalou Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 How do you all cope with broody hens if you have someone looking after your hens during holidays. We have a hen that is prone to broodiness and will be sods law that before or during a holiday she will become broody, I just know it! Is this normally an issue as I do not want our neighbour having issues with hens if we are away. I know they can lose their condition quite quick if they brood for too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 Depends if they go broody while you are away of if they are already broody as to how difficult it will be Emmalou. Depends on the experience of your neighbour. You may just have to leave them in the nest box, because separation brings its own problems. It will be several weeks before they lose their condition, because they would be incubating for three weeks anyway. You will then need a programme to bring them back to full health. I would say the most important thing is to worm them with Flubenvet before you go. Not only will that stop them losing condition but it reduces aggression as well. The times we have been away we've never had a problem, which is lucky because our friend didn't have a clue. But because we now have so many we no longer go away at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmalou Posted October 20, 2016 Author Share Posted October 20, 2016 That is very helpful thank you. I thought they lost their condition really quickly. That puts my mind at rest a little anyway. The worming sounds a good idea. Atm they are jut having ACV and a wormer pellet every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 To have any effect on worms ACV must be given one week in four, otherwise the worms evolve immunity to the higher acid levels in the gut Emmalou. We use Flubenvet every 6 months, with Verm-X in-between. Don't know what you can get in France, but we never use ACV now as it didn't seem to do anything except stop them drinking enough? As such it is counter-productive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 Verm-X is only a herbal remedy with no proven effectiveness against worms... it's like sticking a teabag on a broken leg. Doesn't harm them in any way, but doesn't help much either. I've given up on ACV too. Especially in summer, they don't really seem to drink enough. Flubenvet is hard to get in the Netherlands. I use a spot on treatment for birds or bird dewormer of Beaphar (liquid drops that you put in their beak). Downside is that I worm myself in the process to with those squirmy chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmalou Posted October 20, 2016 Author Share Posted October 20, 2016 Does flubenvet need to be bought from a vet? I presume that is pellets too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 Don't think so. Not in the UK anyway. It's a powder you add to your own pellets or buy premixed. Marriages apparently does a premix. But the shelf life of pellets with flubenvet isn't long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
