Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Steel_2

LAM2011 - is her crop full first thing in the morning? If it is then she has a blockage somewhere and, as ljonski said, she'll need some oil and crop massage. Sometimes a good long massage can help break up the stuff anyway. I always give that a good go first before I do the oil as I'm so bad at getting it into them! I oil everything around the place but the chicken.

Jenny wren - what red mite killer did you use? I think once the fabric of a wood coop starts to break down there's just too many places for them to hide to really clean them out well. Some people swear by creosote/creosote substitute - once year really soaking the coop down inside and out with it, but you do have to find somewhere else for the chickens to live for a few days until it's dry and the smell has gone.

The green frog one grew on me when I realised how simple it was to pull apart and clean. I still have red mite in the plastic one but the !!!!!!s can't hide from me now. Me and wet wipe go on mini expeditions together. Immensely satisfying.

Jennyjelly - the debeaked one will start to grow her beak but it will never grow back right. It may become ragged and uneven at the sides, which will give her more problems, so you may have to clip the excess at the sides back a little more.

UPDATE - Little Miss Prolapse has been "IN" for six days. The big Day Seven is tomorrow. She laid one egg yesterday and managed to escape again, this time during her exercise period where she broke INTO the chicken pen. We searched the garden for ages at dusk before thinking of looking in the coop inside the locked pen with chicken wire guard up to 7ft. Still do not know how she got back in. Out she came and back in the shed. But thanks to these mini houdini efforts she's perked up and is really filling up her crop with lots of food so I'm quite pleased

ionahenor2

I thought debeaking was bannned by DEFRA now? Jodie that helped me with my little poorly Blackrock said it is causing big problems with breeders not debeaking. I must admit my Marron has a wonky beak and finds eating from a hard surface difficult so I always give her oats in my hand otherwise the other 2 have eaten them while she struggles to peck one bit off the driveway.

Fingers crossed for day 7 and beyond STEEL.

LAM2011

Steel wrote: »

LAM2011 - is her crop full first thing in the morning? If it is then she has a blockage somewhere and, as ljonski said, she'll need some oil and crop massage. Sometimes a good long massage can help break up the stuff anyway. I always give that a good go first before I do the oil as I'm so bad at getting it into them! I oil everything around the place but the chicken.

UPDATE - Little Miss Prolapse has been "IN" for six days. The big Day Seven is tomorrow. She laid one egg yesterday and managed to escape again, this time during her exercise period where she broke INTO the chicken pen. We searched the garden for ages at dusk before thinking of looking in the coop inside the locked pen with chicken wire guard up to 7ft. Still do not know how she got back in. Out she came and back in the shed. But thanks to these mini houdini efforts she's perked up and is really filling up her crop with lots of food so I'm quite pleased

Glad to hear your chickydoodle is getting better. Sounds like you might have cracked it now.

I forgot the oil (even after special trip to shop)! So gave it a good massage and have been watching her closely - it doesnt seem as swollen in the morning and so I think she is ok. My mum (who lives with us) has a habit of giving them lots of bread so have asked her to lay off the bread for a while. She is eating well although have not had enough time to follow her around to check if she is going to toilet. She does seem much happier this morning as she gave me a mouthful (of noise) when I went to check before she left the coop

Thanks for the advice and support.

Steel_2

LAM2011 wrote: »

My mum (who lives with us) has a habit of giving them lots of bread so have asked her to lay off the bread for a while. She is eating well although have not had enough time to follow her around to check if she is going to toilet. She does seem much happier this morning as she gave me a mouthful (of noise) when I went to check before she left the coop

The bread might be causing it.

If I give mine bread as a treat, I usually dip it briely in water first.


Ok...so...do I let Marybelle out of confinement this evening and let her mingle in the garden with the rest of them and go to bed with them?

Or do I keep her in and build her up for another few days? She's still pretty thin for my liking and it's tough to get extra food to her when she's in with the others.

ljonski

I took the bully away for a day and let Chuck find her feet.

Steel_2

Ljonski - the only bully is domainant hen. Last time Marybelle went back in after the first prolapse had cleared, she jumped two notches in the pecking order, so I've high hopes she'll be ok.

Just 'motherly' worry I guess

Ok...kind of decided to let her out this evening along with the others so the gang can roam free before bed. I'll keep an eye on them.

But in a few days I will buy Battles Poultry Drink (which has iron in it and is supposed to good to give them following a red mite infestation) and Net-Tex Poultry Nutri-Drops, which will give an instant nutrient boost to Marybelle. I'll also start adding apple cider vinegar to their water.

I already give them Poultry Spice, but irregularly so I'll do that every morning now.

I might as well give them all a boost at the same time.

RacyRed

Just had to share, I'm so happy.
:j:j:j:j:j:j

Got my very first 4 ex-bat girls today. One is quite bare-backed but on the whole they look pretty good!

Such a shame the weather is so vile for them this weekend. I hope they get some dry spells to explore their run tomorrow.

Churchmouse

RacyRed wrote: »

Just had to share, I'm so happy.
:j:j:j:j:j:j

Got my very first 4 ex-bat girls today. One is quite bare-backed but on the whole they look pretty good!

Such a shame the weather is so vile for them this weekend. I hope they get some dry spells to explore their run tomorrow.

Lovely to see your post ( from the biggest absentee ever ) Hope your *girls* settle quickly I am forbidden by the terms of my deeds from keeping chickens, bullocks and horses :eek::eek::eek: Presumably I could keep a milking cow if I so wished :rotfl:

RacyRed

Many thanks for the welcome back Churchmouse

Ok, new hen keeper here. Day 1 question 1

The coop I got has an integrated run, with a roof. This morning I opened the pop hole but as it is absolutely teaming with rain the girls are understandably reluctant to come out. Their feeder and waterer are in the run and are quite large.

I put some feed in some small bowls inside the house for them, which they have demolished. I also put a bowl of water in, which they promply spilt.

As the ex battery girls are not fuly feathered yet I'm happy for them to stay in the coop but am worried about them getting food and water. If I put the feeders in there it will pretty much restrict the girls to the nest boxes (which is where they slept last night from the look of things).

Would you put the feeders in there with them, even though they take up a lot of their room?

Gigervamp

No, I'd put the food and water outside. If the run has a covered roof, it will give them some protection.