HELP aggressive chicken

[Guest]

this morning, after they'd been feeding for about 2 hours or so, Mariana looked like she had a lump in her neck and she was making puking type movements and her neck was a bit twisted to one side- I freaked, ran upstairs to throw some clothes on- as I'd been sitting in the conservatory having breakfast and watching them and didn't want to try and catch a chicken wearing my nightie!- when I got back down, the lump had seemed to move down to her crop and she seemed okay.

 

Because they're so featherless around their neck/crop area it was very noticeable.

 

Does this happen a lot, food not going down properly sometimes?

 

I nearly had a seisure thinking I'd have to dash her to the vets or something!

[chickencam]

We had a chicken with crop problems who used to do this sometimes, and I have seen a couple of the others do it when they have something stuck. If they continue to do it and look unhappy you might need the vet.

 

Long grass can cause problems.

[Guest]

hi, thanks- they don't free range as such so haven't eathen any tough or long grass, we've given them some grass grown in a seed tray, they'll have never had grass before so we'll lay off giving it to them for a few days now. I managed to get hold of her and her crops seems very full and hard to the touch- is this right?

 

Is it possible for a chicken to overeat? I'm wondering if she's full up but she's still trying to eat and there's no room for more food or something?

Edited October 19, 2007 by Guest

[chickencam]

I think that they do sometimes over eat and some can cope with it better than others. We gave our too much corn a couple of times when we first got them, we now only give them a little in the late afternoon.

[Guest]

we did use some hay to line the nest boxes, she won't have eaten that will she?

 

also, we don't measure out the mash, we just make sure they always have some- should we be rationing it? The reason we didn't is in case the smaller hens didn't get a look in.

[chickencam]

Your's are ex bat's aren't they? I don't know how they feed battery chickens I presume they have food available all the time.

 

I think that there may be something on here about hay being bad for chickens because of certain moulds it has on it and that straw is better, it might be worth doing a forum search, or maybe someone else can enlighten us.

[Guest]

out comes the hay then!

 

will have to put it on freecycle

[Egluntyne]

Yep....hay isn't a good idea....It tangles up in the crop in the same way that long grass does.

 

Are you giving them mixed poultry grit? They need that to grind food up in their gizzard, and for absorption of calcium too.

[Guest]

yes, there's grit scattered on the floor of the outside run and some in with the mash.

 

She seems okay at the moment, acting normally- should I just keep an eye on her and check her crop first thing in the morning or should I be doing something now?

 

I'm worried.

[Egluntyne]

It won't harm to have a look see in the morning...but don't obsess about it....I know it's all a bit overwhelming at first.

 

If her crop feels empty in the morning...than she is fine.

[Guest]

do you think it would do any harm to give her crop a massage anyway, just in case? How do I do it and can I do it without giving her any oil first?

[Egluntyne]

No harm whatsoever....she might enjoy it....and it will get her used to being handled.

 

Any excuse for a cuddle.

[Guest]

No harm whatsoever....she might enjoy it....and it will get her used to being handled.

 

Any excuse for a cuddle.

 

when I picked her up before to examine her she didn't like it and made a break for it- they're bloomin strong little tinkers! My jumper and me got a nice splattering of poop. I was sat in the conservatory later, thinking I'd washed my hands properly, wondering why I could smell the chickens. My chin was resting on the palm of my hand and I had poop on the side of my hand- nice!

 

DH will have to have a go when he gets home, I'm a bit squeamish, I didn't want to hurt her.