Aussie living in France and clueless hen owner

[brad0198]

Wello,

thought I'd introduce myself briefly - my husband and I recently moved to France and we have two (we started off with four......) whiter Leghorn hens that are six months old called Nanna Stubs (who was a runt and died for no reason R.IP. stubsy), Blackfoot (who we had to cull from severe prolapse) and remaining survivors Agda and Rosie. I have no idea what I am doing other than what I have been able to ascertain from months of trawling BYC threads every time I have had a question or problem. On her second day of laying Agda just laid a huge duck sized egg and has been sitting in her box with her eyes shut panting trying to squeeze out another?

Well, that's me in a nuttshell

 

[N F C]

Have you been to the Learning Center yet? There are a lot of articles covering all sorts of poultry care topics there and they can really get you off to a good start.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

I'm sorry for you losses. As for Agda, it could be a case of prolapse due to laying an extremely large egg. An egg that is too large can cause the oviduct to protrude through the vent. You can try treating it but it usually does reoccur. For now, separate her from the flock , apply Preparation H or honey internally & externally. Apply pressure on her vent for about 10 minutes. Put some electrolytes in her drinking water You don't want her laying again right away so keep her in a darkened area for all but about 12 hours of the day for the next several days. You'll want to keep an eye on her from here on out to see if she shows any more signs of prolapse.

If you need more help with Agda, post under the emergency thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

 

[NickyKnack]

Hello!

Welcome to BYC and the coop! There's a lot of great peeps here! Feel free to ask lots of questions. But most of all, make yourself at home. I'm so glad you decided to joined the BYC family. I look forward to seeing you around BYC.

 

[brad0198]

Hi there - thanks for the welcome and the response! Unfortunatly we had to cull her a few days ago :-( but now I have another-one passing away on only its second day of laying. I have her in her box in my living room right now in a warm quiet spot. Turns out you need to feed your chooks Oyster Shell!? I had no idea until today and now have only one out of the four chooks left. What a sh***y owner I am :-(

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[NickyKnack]

Hi there - thanks for the welcome and the response! Unfortunatly we had to cull her a few days ago :-( but now I have another-one passing away on only its second day of laying. I have her in her box in my living room right now in a warm quiet spot. Turns out you need to feed your chooks Oyster Shell!? I had no idea until today and now have only one out of the four chooks left. What a sh***y owner I am :-(

So sorry for your loss.
Don't be like that. In life, it's live and learn. Traditionally, most egglayer rations have calcium in them. So oyster shells are optional. Does you chicken feed have calcium?

 

[brad0198]

Hey! Thanks for responding - yeah, I just feel guilty that I'm responsible for them but couldn't keep them alive. But you're right - I'll deff be learning to be more diligent when they are laying! I'm not sure because I don't speak French but I'll ask mu hubby to ring tomorrow and ask. Otherwise I'm off first thing tomorrow to buy oyster shell.

 

[drumstick diva]

Everyone starts out as a newbie . Learn from mistakes and don't repeat them. You might want to check out the Learning Center. Please don't beat yourself up - now you have Backyard Chickens to come to . Welcome to the Backyard chickens flock - we've got your back ,now.

 

[trailrider330]

Welcome to the BYC flock! We are glad you joined us!