Storms and chickens

[Guest]

shalott was not her usual bouncy self this morning when i let them out and she isn't eating as much as normal although i have seen her drink and eat a little bit of mash.

 

When i checked the nest box for eggs, one of them seems to have excreted a large amount of poo in there overnight, it looks a bit 'loose' and the aubiose around it looks wet.

 

She seems to be perking up a little bit although she's still not eating as much as she normally would so i'm keeping an eye on her.

 

She doesn't have a dirty bottom and I haven't seen her poo yet so i don't know what her poo is like today yet. It might not even have been her that did the loose poo???

 

all the others look fine and none of them have dirty bums either.

 

she is constantly pecking the outside of the feeding trough but not really eating as much as normal.

 

i just wondered, can chickens get tummy upsets sometimes and is it something to worry about, what other signs shouls i be looking for?

 

i did ask my BHWT about worming when we got them and she said they haven't been in an environment where they could have picked up worms and not to bother for 6 months so, what should i do do you think?

[chelsea]

if it were me I would worm them. 6months is a long time to go without worming them and giving them wormer isnt going to do any harm.

 

My lot sometimes get runny poos if they overdo treats, but maybe just keep an eye on your chook and if she doesnt perk up - maybe there is something else wrong that needs further investigation. As long as she is eating and drinking, but hens can catch things so easily/quickly ( as I have discovered over the past month! )

[ktdot]

Priscilla was the same about a month ago. Moped all day and hardly ate a thing. 24hrs later she was fine. I thought perhaps she ate something in the garden that disagreed with her.

 

She's done this twice now.

 

Just keep an eye on Shallot, hopefully she'll be fine tomorrow.

[Chickaboo]

Phoebe had a bit of an upset tummy a few weeks ago. I just gave her layers for 48hrs and fresh water and she was fine.

[Westie]

Hi

 

I would worm them. I use Verm-X every 4 to 6 weeks. To make sure they all get there fair share I put it in their porridge which immediately dissappears. Putting it on their layers I was never sure how much each of them have had.

 

Westie

[Guest]

thank you all for the replies so far. I'll have a think about worming them, is every 4 to 6 necessary? I thought (and was told) that it was every 6 months

 

Does anyone else worm their chooks more regularly than that?

 

I'm not criticisning the fact that you do do it every 4-6 weeks, just trying to get a balanced view so i can make a decision. I really appreciate any advice given to me but just want to double check, no offence

[Guest]

Hi

 

I put it in their porridge which immediately dissappears. Putting it on their layers I was never sure how much each of them have had.

 

Westie

 

trouble with that in my case is that shalott doesn't eat treats, she only eats the mash.

 

At first she used to eat them but hasn't for about a week or so now, but she is eating her mash.

 

any ideas how i can make sure she gets her dose properly?

[Christian]

As vermx is a natural chemical free wormer, it is recommended to be done every 4 weeks.

 

Thats what I do. Flubenvet is a chemical wormer and needs to be done less often.

(haven't used it yet, but think its every 3-6 months)???

[Guest]

p.s. i think she's had it rough wherever she came from as i think she might be a bit mentally scarred too as well as being in the poorest condition, she does act a bit odd on occasion and it breaks my heart but it's usually 'high spirited' oddness, and strange crowing noises. She's very funny, poor little girl.

 

she's been quite quiet today but she's eaten and drunk and i managed to get a look at one of her poos and it was mostly white with a mustardy bit so may have been one of those clearout poos but at least it wasn't liquid!

[Guest]

thanks for all the advice, I think we're going to get some flubenvet as that's what our BHWT contact advised us to use and I've been reading about it in the chicken clinic sticky- shalott does like worms and digging so hope she hasn't picked up a parasite but we'll worm them all to be on the safe side.

 

it's hard to know what to do for the best and with them having had such a tough time in the past, I want to do the very best I can for them.

 

any more thoughts/advice very welcome, thanks again for the replies so far.

[Hilly]

when Pugsley was poorly i gave her, well all of the girls really, some un-dyed maggots(from a fishing shop) mixed with "live" yogurt, they all loved them and pugs was much brighter the next day.

[Guest]

when Pugsley was poorly i gave her, well all of the girls really, some un-dyed maggots(from a fishing shop) mixed with "live" yogurt, they all loved them and pugs was much brighter the next day.

 

hi hilly, when you say she was "poorly" did she have the same symptoms as my girl and how long did you wait before giving her the maggots/yoghurt?

 

what was the purpose of the maggots, do they have special digestive properties?

[Snowy]

I believe the maggots are particularly useful if there might be any obstruction, particularly in the crop area. The maggots are swallowed whole and will eat any obstruction/putrefying material in the crop so clearing the blockage, before being digested themselves.

[Guest]

I believe the maggots are particularly useful if there might be any obstruction, particularly in the crop area. The maggots are swallowed whole and will eat any obstruction/putrefying material in the crop so clearing the blockage, before being digested themselves.

 

would mixing them with yoghurt drown them? how many should I give them and for how long? Do i just give them once or for a few days?

 

would say 2 tbsps of yoghurt and 1 tbsp of maggots for 4 chooks do the job or should it be more or less?

 

what do I do with the leftover maggots? Should I just give them the whole box full? if they don't want them, how do I dispose of them? (the maggots that is, not the chickens!)

 

I feel ill with all this talk of maggots,

 

[Snowy]

So confusing isn't it! I don't think there is a specific dosage, so it's a bit hit and miss! The yoghurt is to try to improve the flora in the gut I believe. Doesn't seem to affect how the maggots function though. And dose of maggots is probably similar for a treat of mealworms, say a small handful each (a very small handful in your case Poet!) Erm, any surplus maggots are usually kept in a (sealed) tub in the fridge Maggots are really OK as a treat anytime though, not just when ill, but they are supposed to be very effective for sour crop.

[Egluntyne]

The maggots are also high in protein. (not the dried ones though)

 

WARNING:

 

Don't do what I once did.

 

My son goes fishing.......and once he brought back some maggots and didn't remember to put them in the fridge. I came upon this box in the garage about 10 days later and could hear a strange humming sound.....so I took the lid off and was engulfed by a swarm of green flies. It was like a scene out if a horror movie....

 

 

Put them in the fridge (they will still form "casters" (?sp) but more slowly) or in a sealed bag in the bin if you don't need them all.

[xScrunchee]

[Guest]

thanks guys and all i have to say to the below is......

 

blaaaaaauuuuuuuurrrrggghhhhhh!!!!!

 

 

 

The maggots are also high in protein. (not the dried ones though)

 

WARNING:

 

Don't do what I once did.

 

My son goes fishing.......and once he brought back some maggots and didn't remember to put them in the fridge. I came upon this box in the garage about 10 days later and could hear a strange humming sound.....so I took the lid off and was engulfed by a swarm of green flies. It was like a scene out if a horror movie....

 

 

Put them in the fridge (they will still form "casters" (?sp) but more slowly) or in a sealed bag in the bin if you don't need them all.

[Rona]

or in a sealed bag in the bin if you don't need them all.

Or you could just put any surplus out for the wild birds, I'm sure they'll make short work of them at this time of year.

[Guest]

or in a sealed bag in the bin if you don't need them all.

Or you could just put any surplus out for the wild birds, I'm sure they'll make short work of them at this time of year.

 

we tried with meal worms for the wild birds once and they didn't eat them so now we just give them seed.

(ungrateful lot)

 

Also don't fancy that as I've got visions of them finding their way from the bird table to my house!

 

a person who used to post on a poetry forum that i used to post on (a nasty, trolly sort of person) said he once poured a pint of maggots thru the letterbox of somebody he hated.

 

He said it took the person weeks to get rid of them all as they were all over the house! It's sort of given me the eebie jeebies about maggots ever since.

 

[The Dogmother]

I once heard something similar as a jape when friends were away on their honeymoon - he poured mustard and cress seeds through their letter box and then some water....

[Snowy]

Eeeeuuuugh! Glad They weren't my friends! (either of 'em)