Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Minette23

Hi OP,

I just went to the vet's and said that i wanted a treatment to put in their water for killing internal parasites, i can't find the bottle now i'm sorry, but i bought it over the counter at the vet's, it wasnt very expensive and i didnt take the chicken or anything. And i also added some soluable vitamins which perked them up abit, but this is just a perventative measure, it wont cure them, but definetly try the parasite medecine. And do the garlic and cider vinegar thing until you can get to the vets.

I would keep the last hen indoors tonight as the bites in the necks could be predators, even if thats not whats killing them in the first place.

Minette

Minette23

Don't feel guilty either, these things do happen, as my very wise dad always says... if you've got livestock, you'll inevitably have dead stock. It's just a fact of keeping animals like chickens, they're very vulnerable.

Minette23

Yes parafin oil must be liquid parafin, i believe it's used for releiving constipation in humans! We used an old tooth brush to apply the liquid to their feet and legs.

I tried vaseline, and it did work slightly, we mixed it with some mite powder, but it wasnt completely efficient. So that's why i looked for another solution. Though the problem does keep coming back, we treated the hen house an everything, i think that some types of chickens are more inclined to get this problem.

newleaf

Definitely sounds like a predator. Bring in your last girl, until you have sealed off any entry points for skinny little stoaty things, and you will also now need to introduce some other hens for company or she will pine and die. I recommend at least two.

lostinrates

Never seen this, sorry.

but...the one that just dropped dead, aren't we still meant to be reporting unexplained deaths? (Sadly all my bird deaths are explained so I've not faced the quandry since bird flu).

Rotwein44

Minette23 wrote: »

Yes parafin oil must be liquid parafin, i believe it's used for releiving constipation in humans! We used an old tooth brush to apply the liquid to their feet and legs.

I tried vaseline, and it did work slightly, we mixed it with some mite powder, but it wasnt completely efficient. So that's why i looked for another solution. Though the problem does keep coming back, we treated the hen house an everything, i think that some types of chickens are more inclined to get this problem.

Thanks Minette, my Polish has this and I have tried vaseline but its so sticky, will get some of this tomorrow!

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi, my OH says he is fairly certain this is a stoat. They can kill randomly for no apparent reason. There is likely to be a family of them living nearby and they will keep returning. They can also squeeze through tiny holes.

We get them in our bird aviary - they are incredibly cunning and seem to almost kill for the fun of it. I feel desperately sorry for you and I am sure this isnt what you want to hear. We lost one of our sons gineau pigs to a stoat. The only way to stop them is to trap them and humanely dispose of them - but its not easy.

Minette23

Rotwein44 wrote: »

Thanks Minette, my Polish has this and I have tried vaseline but its so sticky, will get some of this tomorrow!

Yeh do try the parafin oil, we did it for a few days in a row, then left them to dry out abit, then the scabs started falling off, lovely. Sorry hope no ones eating their tea whilst reading this.

Best of luck!

wammy77

Princess - so sorry about your chickens

I've not heard of this so can't really offer any advice. I think if it was me i'd take the chicken(s) to your local vet or maybe local farm and ask if they recognise the damage the birds necks - I'd want to know what it was so I could prevent it happening again.

My hen house is on legs with a wooden floor to try to minimise entry from predators, also we have meshed up the vent holes to stop mice etc getting in.

Join the thread suggested below as there maybe someone there who can help?

xx

tru wrote: »

Hi Princess, we have a chicken thread HERE. I've posted a link on that thread to here, hopefully someone will be able to help.

wammy77

sorry for 2 posts, but just found this: http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=248157 sounds like the same thing you had happen.

:grouphug: