Need some reassurance and advice - Page 2

Even my friendliest hens do not want to be touched when they are molting.  They do seem to appreciate a little extra protein at this time, (this helps win over even the shyest of my hens). Scrambled egg, tuna cat food, a fresh whole spinach leaves are favorites. Warning, a lot of fish may make the first few eggs when they resume laying taste like a seafood omelet, not bad, just different.        I have one hen that shakes her head when I come into the coop. I do not notice her doing it in the run or when she free ranges.  For her it maybe a sign she is a little stressed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mouzekin 

Pics for reference added



Also do they look like RiR to you or something else?
The mixes seem to have cleared the eye thing on their own I think.

Is that the nesting box under the roost?  If it if, I *absolutely* would move the roost, because you will never keep the nesting boxes clean with the roost right there................

I was wondering about the "had all their shots" too.  ???  I would go BOSS and protein boost to help with the feathereing, and of course, unrestricted access to food and water.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mouzekin 


It's just in front of the boxes... I'd say about 4 inches... But I will move it more if you think that is a good idea.
Boss? I bought some Greek yogurt and will be sharing it with them(17g protein per serving) and also might get some cat food.
I asked the illness forum about the silchins and they said probably upper repatory infection. A friend recommended tylan 50 but when I called tractor supply the people were clueless on what I was talking about. I told them it was an antibiotic for swine... And the guy said they don't carry much pig items. And then I said it was for chickens and then he said they has something with a B name.. Bactryine? No idea can't remember. Any advice there... I can't spend a lot and hubby is of the mindset that he isnt shelling out any more money on bum chickens.( not exactly compassionate I know, please don't flame me I'm trying my best)
Edit: and the RIR are losing even more feathers... One has alread lost much of her tail feathers. Will they lose all of their feathers or in just some areas?

I would move it so no matter where they are on the roost, they CAN'T poop in the nesting box.  It's less hassle in the long run........

BOSS= black oil sunflower seeds.  I think cat food is not the best option,especially if they are already runny.  It's ok as a really rare deal, but it's prolly best not to use it as a staple, when there are so many other, better options.  Just my .02, fwiw.

Unless they are showing signs of respiratory distress, I would not give them antibiotics.  They are probably really stressed out with the move.  I would start with diet and see how they do the next few days before giving any medications, unless there are active signs of illness and they are distressed.

It could be a molt out of season, I suppose, but wouldn't think that's likely.  I would up their protein in their feed- you can do a mix of 20% protein and their regular layer ration.  With the BOSS boost, too, you should see new feathers soon.  I had one BO with a completely bare butt on a Tuesday, and by Friday, she was pretty well feathered out.

I would do those things and add apple cider vinegar to their water and give them a few days....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mouzekin 

 

 

About how much ACV and where can I buy BOSS? And how much do I give them...and furthermore HOW do i give it to them? is it like regulate sunflower seeds?

 

Sorry for the naive questions

 ACV= 1 tbs per 1 gallon  http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/78403/apple-cider-vinegar; plastic waterers, not metal

BOSS- where ever bird seed is sold- I can get it at the hardware store, even, or Walmart; TSC, etc.  It's the normal sunflower seeds you get for birds, but I like to make sure the bag has the "black oil" bit. 

I give it to mine in a bowl, or you can pitch some on the ground which will keep them busy for a while.  Obviously, this is a boost, so it can count like a treat.  Until you get them settled, I would give them some every day as a treat, so long as they were eating their regular food, too. 'Course, you could hand feed it to them, too, to get them used to you........

Keep us posted!  Good luck!

PS- keep asking!  There are no dumb questions, and really, it's a sign of being a caring chicken parent. 

You can get Black Oil sunflower seeds at any feed store, in the section for wild bird seed.

One tablespoon ACV to a gallon of clean water.

I agree that you should hold off trying to medicate your chickens until you are certain they're sick. You will need to cook and feed their eggs back to them, since they won't be fit for human consumption for a certain period following antibiotic treatment. Should you need to obtain medicine for your chickens, kvvet.com is a great outlet for reliable and reasonably priced drugs. I just bought some all purpose "Fish" antibiotics from them, free shipping. (Fish medicine can be administered to any animal.) They do carry medicine to treat chicken respiratory ailments, though. Make sure you do a thorough diagnosis using the stickies at the top of the forum on illnesses and injuries, and get help from the pros who monitor that forum to help people like yourself. They can recommend what to treat your chickens with.

It's normal for a chicken to lose considerable weight as they go through molt. They gain it back rapidly upon completion of molt. They molt in isolated areas, but occasionally they will molt all over at once. That's a very pathetic sight. 

If you don't mind my making the observation - you're much like a brand new parent, thinking every sneeze and cry in the baby is cause to call the pediatrician! You need to relax and enjoy your lovely chickens, and soon you'll come to know them so well, you'll be able to tell at a glance if they're well or sick or even having an off day. It won't take long for you to become as nuts about your chickens as the rest of us are about ours!