Keeping hens and ducks chat.

thriftwizard

That's worrying, Edwink. It's not usually good news when they go quiet... but it's good that the vet couldn't find anything obvious. Maybe she's just - depressed? anxious? - if that's not a ridiculous suggestion.

edwink

Hi everyone

No, it is not a ridiculous suggestion thriftwizard at all, hens can get anxious and depressed. Especially rescue girls before they are rehomed, bless them. I've had several here over the years and you only have to take one look at them to see how they are feeling. It is heartbreaking to see them looking that way but they soon pick up when they are allowed to act like hens naturally act and most of all allowing them to be themselves. 


Update on little poorly hen:- I have spoken with the vet again and all tests were fine, thankfully.  But, that leaves us guessing what is happening with her right now. So the vet has said to keep her quiet and see how she goes with extra TLC and of course to get her back out with my others if she perks up considerably.  To be honest it doesn't look like that is going to happen any time soon as she is sleeping a lot and has eaten less than she had done yesterday but she is drinking which is good.  I have put some poultry tonic in her water and a few drops of it on the sweetcorn, porridge, and grapes I've been feeding her on. I have also given her some mealworms as hens love those and she has eaten some of those which I am pleased about.  I'll update again on how she is doing, bless her.


Hope everyone and their feathered friends are doing ok and are not too chilly in this freezing cold weather. Blimey it is so cold outside today.  Right, I've already lost the first post I typed out half an hour ago so better stop waffling and get this one posted before I lose this one too

Edwink x

edwink

Hi everyone

Sad news here today, our little hen died at lunchtime all tucked up warm in her indoor box.  She never picked up properly after going very quiet a couple of weeks ago although she was eating and drinking but not as much as she normally would have done.  Like the vet said there didn't appear to be anything wrong with her and the blood test results were good and didn't show any infection.  I guess it was just an old age thing (for ex-battery hens) with her and maybe she was worn out, bless her.  She was nearly 4 years old so pretty good for a rehomed hen I keep reminding myself.  I hate it when any of them go as you know.

I did my best for her and was pleased that the vet commented on how healthy she looked and that her feathers were in great condition. 

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Aw edwink, I'm so sorry about your little hen, how very sad 😢 Yes, it's always awful when they go, but you absolutely did your best for her, she had such a good free time with you xxx

edwink

More in the news regarding Bird Flu

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59585618

Edwink

thriftwizard

Scary news from the bird reserves in Scotland today: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-59669263. I haven't yet put my footbath into action but I'm not too far from a biggish river & it might be a sensible precaution now. I'd only need to enter the bantams' little tunnel in case of emergency, so I don't think I need one there, but I have to go in & out of the big girls' run to shut them in at night & feed & let them out in the mornings. 

What with Omicron too, it's going to be a winter to remember, and not necessarily in a good way...

edwink

thriftwizard said:

Scary news from the bird reserves in Scotland today: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-59669263. I haven't yet put my footbath into action but I'm not too far from a biggish river & it might be a sensible precaution now. I'd only need to enter the bantams' little tunnel in case of emergency, so I don't think I need one there, but I have to go in & out of the big girls' run to shut them in at night & feed & let them out in the mornings. 

What with Omicron too, it's going to be a winter to remember, and not necessarily in a good way...

Aww, bless you thriftwizard for posting the link.  I've had a busy day today so only just been on to the BBC NEWS online and saw that article myself so came on here to post the link. Thank you 😊

It is definitely a worrying/scary time for all poultry keepers because the Avian Flu appears worse this year than in the last two years. 

Hope you manage to get your footpath into action soon.  Don't forget to add a boot dip at the entrance of the hens run.  I use a couple of the rubber-type builders buckets with disinfectant in them, one for the hens entrance and one for Hoppys (duck) entrance.  It is so hard standing in that huge bucket in my wellies trying to get through the hens run door because all they want to do is to is run out through my legs. bless them! Food and treats normally stop them though so not all is lost. 

As you say what with Omicron as well it's definitely going to be one to remember. I do think that my girls have helped me through the pandemic though, to be honest. They are a breath of fresh air when I think about what is happening all over the world right now.  I lose myself when I am in the run with them, mainly because all they want to do is climb all over me for some reason.  Maybe it's because I always have treats in my pockets somewhere 🤣🤣🤣 Funny little creatures they are.

Hope all is ok with you Cheery as I know you have had so much going on these past few months. Hope the mixing of your new girls has gone ok.

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Thanks for those links thriftwizard. Horrifying news all round. It certainly does feel like it's going to be a winter to remember - for all the wrong reasons 🙄

Thanks for asking about our ladies edwink 😊 touch wood, they all seem to have settled into a flock together, thank goodness. It's worked much better this time than previously - the main difference being we kept them separate to each other (in the same run) for quite a bit longer (although actually I think the individual personalities of the existing ones helped - two are quite jumpy and afraid of everything, and the other is dear old Bessie, who lost her best buddy only a week or so before the new ones arrived and just wants a quiet life).

Anyway, there was only a VERY minimal amount of pecking, and now they all seem to get on fine! Poppy hasn't quite got the hang of going to bed with the others... she often just sits down somewhere else and we have to lift her in later. She has done it a couple of times herself so she knows where it is! I'm sure she'll get there.

We actually stayed away overnight last night and left them - i think we've only had a total of about 3 nights away since we moved here 4 years ago! They were, of course, absolutely fine 😂 

I went to buy bedding this morning and the feed store didn't have any of my usual stuff (Dengie fresh bed, which is dust-extracted chopped straw). I used to buy from BHWT, but it's over £5 cheaper a bag locally (oddly, food is cheaper from BHWT so I order that in).

I've ordered bedding online, but in the meantime grabbed a bag of Snowflake dust extracted wood shavings, which it says is suitable for poultry (and horses). Have any of you used wood shavings? they were actually a lot cheaper so if we get on OK I'll switch - £7.50 for a big bag instead of £17 for the Dengie stuff 😮

edwink

Hi Cheery

So glad your girls have settled in to one flock together. That's definitely good to know. 

We use the Dengie bedding and pay £11 for their big bag. We have used straw in the past, in fact, that was all we used for years here and then changed to the Denigie bedding as we found it clumps up really well and is less messy to use. I like the scent of the Dengie bedding too with its slight pine aroma.   Have never used wood shavings so would be interested to know how it goes with that. 

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, where do you get it from at £11 a bag?! Is that for 100 litres? It's £17 locally here, and £23 from BHWT! 

Going to change it over in the next couple of days so I'll keep you posted...