James came to me with a crop the size of a gala melon two or three months ago. Vet could find no obvious reason for it, and put it down to the stress of rescue. Several months on and she's still wearing her support harness. However, she lays just fine and has acted normally up until this...
I'm looking for something suitable to feed to three layers and one girl who isn't laying. She's been on layers feed (Allen & Page, bought direct so nice and fresh) but hasn't laid since late January. Hoped she'd start up again come spring, but she's developed ascites, so that's unlikely. She...
Quick bit of background. When I use Flubenvet (Flubendazole), I have always previously just bought the food premixed (Haygate, for UK folk). But it's more costly than buying a pot of 1% and mixing it myself, in the long run, so this time I bought a pot and mixed what I needed.
However, I got no...
Maggie is nearly 2, a good layer, big hybrid who lays BIG eggs, though some are quite wrinkly.
She hadn't laid for a couple of days, but the days are drawing in, so I thought nothing of it. Yesterday she was first out of the coop as usual, squawking for food. A couple of hours later I looked...
I just need to rant, really.
I adopted four ex-commercial (not battery or cage, either barn or FR) hens two months ago. Now, obviously I expected them to have some health issues, and was prepared for at least one to pass away because that's not uncommon in rehoming. One is in great shape and...
Tl;dr: rescue hen laying shell less eggs, on antibiotics for possible infection, could do with gaining weight, don't want to separate at this juncture but she feeds from my hand. Can't be farmed animal protein or dried mealworms due to UK regulations (though have given her half a boiled egg...
I found what looked to be a dead roundworm in the overnight droppings two days ago. Just one. I've seen nothing since (and I am obsessed with poop checks). The girls were supposedly wormed by the rescue (honestly not sure I trust their word), who had them for five days, and I've had them for two...
I got four 12-18 month old ex-commercial hens on Saturday. See thread; https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-day-has-arrived-i-got-my-rescue-girls.1247926/
They had all been vet checked (though one has slightly long claws that should have been picked up by a half competent vet...
Got up early this morning to set up everything nice for them, put the food in the trough, fill the waterer, put up the parasol (shed sits in full sun for part of the day, but should be shaded next year by some willows). And then we went out and picked them up.
They've come from a free range...
They also only sent one waterer but anyhow...
Will adults be okay with chick grit, and just grind through it faster, or should I get another bag? There's plenty of grit in the garden, from me digging to plant the trees, so I could shovel some up? It ranges in size from the same as the chick...
Been lurking here for a while, mostly reading through threads on illness and feeding. I've been researching and prepping for the arrival of my girls. I'll be adopting some ex-cage hens (12-18 months old) some time in the next few weeks, whenever the business owner decides they've dropped...