blakep82
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 09:57 AM |
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anyone here keep or know about chickens?
i had three chickens until last week 
2 are about 9 months old, and the one that died was about 3 and a half years old. for about her last month or so, see walked around the garden tail
down and sleeping. figured she was old for a hen, and that was that
got two more on thursday, so now got 4. now one of the older two is up the top of the garden, tail down and eyes closed. we got her at 10 weeks old in
october, so shes not old, but i don't know whats wrong with her. don't want her to be sick and not know what to do for her.
yesterday she 'laid' an egg with no shell too. they've got all the food they need, chicken pellets and meal. oyster shell grit,
bugs, worms, and anything else we can give them
anyone know? vets here don't deal with many hens
[Edited on 30/5/11 by blakep82]
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norfolkluego
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 10:26 AM |
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Luego junior keeps chickens, he's away today but I'll ask him to drop you a line later
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thunderace
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 10:33 AM |
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calcium deficient
Just make sure you give them proper food. Best if you buy commercial feed as it comes with additional supplements.
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carlknight1982
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 11:11 AM |
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PUT oyster shell in with there feed.
Logic will get you from a A to B
Imagination will take you everywhere.
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blakep82
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 12:07 PM |
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just spent the last little while powdering the oyster shell (which has been in with their food, but quite big lumps, so they easily missed it) and
mixing it with all sorts of other stuff they like. layers pellets and meal, mixed corn, oats and wild bird seed that they seem to love. mixed all that
up and put it in their feeder and threw some handfuls of grass in their run. she's standing next to her water thing, drinking loads, she's
not really eating anything though. she had a nibble at the grass though. hopefully she'll eat soon, theres loads of oyster shell in there.
i've also mixed them up a load of food like that for the next few days. fingers crossed she'll be back to normal soon.
she did a lot of shouting the day before yesterday as i was cutting down a tree, so all 4 of them were kept in their house 2 days after the little
ones arrived, so they weren't best pleased. don't know if she's a little stressed with the new ones, but they were all cuddled up
last night, so don't think she's really bothered by them now
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blakep82
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 01:31 PM |
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doing some investigating, seen something about possible blocked crop? they can get it from eating stuff like wood chips and stuff. now i have been
cutting down a lot of trees with the chainsaw, so perhaps shes been eating the chip/shavings that came from that?
her crop does feel quite full, and while i don't know what it normally feels like, its kinda like i can actually feel grain and seed in her
crop? is that normal?
saw something that said about massaging the crop. don't know exactly how hard to do it, so i gave it a rub and a gentle sort of squeeze and rub,
but i don't know if i'm doing it right. will have to go to tesco for shopping, so while i'm there i'll get some vegetable oil
for her (apparently this helps?) and as much other stuff as i can think of that she'd like
i don't like this i don't really know how their insides work so its not easy
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spiderman
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 02:08 PM |
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I would suggest you change your vet for a start. Chickens can be susceptable to lice and if the feed thing does not work out, it maybe lice
infestation (you can,t see them) but a good vet will advise. I live on a farm and the chickens here just find their own grit, oyster shell seems a bit
excessive to me, just let them find their own grubs/grit ect and just feed them a little chicken feed (layers pellets) to get them to come in at
night. If you want to feed them extra git use the egg shells from the eggs you have used, it's natural and less expensive than oyster shell.
[Edited on 30/5/11 by spiderman]
Spider
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karlak
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 02:08 PM |
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U2U sent
MK Indy - 2litre Duratec - Omex 600 - Jenvey throttle bodies - ETB DigiDash2
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blakep82
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 02:25 PM |
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^ replied thank you 
quote:
Originally posted by spiderman
I would suggest you change your vet for a start. Chickens can be susceptable to lice and if the feed thing does not work out, it maybe lice
infestation (you can,t see them) but a good vet will advise. I live on a farm and the chickens here just find their own grit, oyster shell seems a bit
excessive to me, just let them find their own grubs/grit ect and just feed them a little chicken feed (layers pellets) to get them to come in at
night. If you want to feed them extra git use the egg shells from the eggs you have used, it's natural and less expensive than oyster shell.
there is a vet who deal with horses i think, they're a bit further away. found them after the last chicken illness a few years ago.
they've got a better emergency system, so we do use them sometimes.
we bought the oyster shell last year, i read somewhere its good to give to them, but never really bothered with it, but its in the shed, so will stick
with it just now. the rest of the time they're out and about, so quite ok finding whatever they like to eat.
was going to go out and rub her crop again at half three, looked out the window before writing this, and she's walking in the run, and the tails
up for the first time today, so seems alright, but wouldn't surprise me if it went back down again. will go out and see her in a few minutes to
have another rub.
also changed her water for a mix of olive oil and water for unblocking the crop, if that is her problem. its quite full, but i've not noticed
her eating today, so not too sure. will check her first thing tomorrow and see it ifs any different if it doesn't go down by tonight
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907
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 04:33 PM |
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I agree with the need for grit.
Quote from the net:-
"A bird swallows small bits of gravel that act as 'teeth' in the gizzard, breaking down hard food such as seeds
and thus helping digestion."
The egg shell thing is also good. Crush them with a rolling pin, the egg shells, not the chickens. 
For the grit try doing a spot of road side verge sweeping. The bottom of a hill (country road) is a good spot
as rain washes it down and it collects at the bottom.
A shovel full in the corner of the run should do it.
Cheers,
Paul G
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JoelP
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 04:54 PM |
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it always amazes me what animals can get away with. Can you imagine what it would do to you if you tried to eat a load of gravel from the bottom of a
hill?!
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blakep82
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 05:02 PM |
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we're definitely not short of grit here theres sand all over the garden from various building projects, and open bags, also across the road
theres a small dip before the drain, it gathers everything so they do get that in there sometimes too.
i let her back out to the garden earlier so she gets some of the day out there. she was walking around, tail up for a bit, but now perching on the
back of a bench with one of the others. neither have their tails up, but they don't really when perching there. don't know if it helps
balance. if shes no better tomorrow morning, then a trip to the vet i think
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Rod Ends
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 posted on 30/5/11 at 05:17 PM |
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Inevitably
...
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mcerd1
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 05:34 PM |
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I know a vet in maybole that does alot of livestock (mainly large animals i think, but they deal with a bit of everything)
but I guess thats a bit too far away from you
quote:
Originally posted by Rod Ends
Inevitably ...
I prefer this version
 
Hens
[Edited on 30/5/2011 by mcerd1]
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 05:38 PM |
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I like the name of the Haynes manual author - very appropriate...
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blakep82
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 05:52 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
I know a vet in maybole that does alot of livestock (mainly large animals i think, but they deal with a bit of everything)
but I guess thats a bit too far away from you
quote:
Originally posted by Rod Ends
Inevitably ...
I prefer this version
Hens
aww i'd like to race chickens
er, anyways, ahem, yeah, maybole's a bit far. just went out for milk, she's in the garden tail up walking about, and pecking away at stuff
again, wide awake, so hopefully was just feeling a bit off, or my attempts at massaging her crop in case of bloackage might have helped? will
obviously keep an eye on her incase she's trying to pretend to feel better. fingers crossed
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 06:09 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
I know a vet in maybole that does alot of livestock (mainly large animals i think, but they deal with a bit of everything)
but I guess thats a bit too far away from you
quote:
Originally posted by Rod Ends
Inevitably ...
I prefer this version
Hens
aww i'd like to race chickens
They are not gesigned for track use, I've heard the big 'ens go.
[Edited on 30/5/11 by Confused but excited.]
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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steve m
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| posted on 30/5/11 at 06:18 PM |
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They are good with chips
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Norfolkluegojnr
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| posted on 6/6/11 at 08:24 AM |
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Sorry for chiming in late - not been paying attention.
I'd recommend having getting a copy of the Haynes Manual, it has answered loads of questions for me.
Sounds like you are doing the basics right - problem is with chickens they're quite highly strung, and can suffer with lots of different
illnesses.
Get a copy of the manual, it talks you through loads of ailments (common and not so) and at least it will rule out any of the big nasties for you.
We thought ours were suffering terribly with mites - turned out they were just malting massively. Sometimes you can worry to much about the pets! keep
an eye on them, and post up some pics.
What breed are they?
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Benzine
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| posted on 6/6/11 at 08:37 AM |
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hope your chickens are 'happy as larry' ASAP m8
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blakep82
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| posted on 6/6/11 at 10:28 AM |
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oops, thought i'd posted on here she seems ok now! yeah shes fine now. not sure what her problem was, but kept her apart from the others, rubbed
her crop for her in case of blockage, and gave her all sorts of tasty stuff to eat
i've got 4 now,
i've got tracy, a marran rock
 
Description
polly-anna, a black rock
 
Description
becky, a specledy
 
Description
and susan, a light sussex
 
Description
becky and susan are only a few weeks old, about 11 weeks i think, so they'll grow into their feathers soon
they're all quite happy now, although tracy's still not laying, but i think it was just with them two turning up, she got a bit stressed
with it
[Edited on 6/6/11 by blakep82]
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02GF74
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| posted on 6/6/11 at 02:35 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Norfolkluegojnr
We thought ours were suffering terribly with mites - turned out they were just malting massively. Sometimes you can worry to much about the
pets! keep an eye on them, and post up some pics.
Imagine that, beer producing chickens!!!
Perhaps you meant moulting???
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Norfolkluegojnr
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| posted on 6/6/11 at 03:35 PM |
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Imagine that, beer producing chickens!!!
Perhaps you meant moulting???
no, no, malting.
special breed........ 
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