***EE in trouble please help

[Cetawin]

Never sprinkle food or treats on the shavings directly...especially with young ones. They grab shavings and all and swallow them. She could easily have a piece of shaving stuck in her crop...massaging that would be painful and I am not sure how long it will take to get worked out if that is the case.

Are you providing grit for them? You can get chick grit at the feed store, they need that to help grind their food in the crop until they can get out and pick up grit from the ground.

Regarding the dust....invest in some painters/surgical masks. Wear them when you are clean the brooder or need to observe them for long periods. If the dust is that bad for you, imagine what it is like for them at their level. Try cleaning it before the dust builds up so much, scoop it daily with a kitter litter scoop and added some fresh shavings to the top. That really helped keep my dust down. Do a complete empty and refill weekly if possible.

An empty crop if just that empty. You run your hand down the birds breast area and you will not feel the bulge or it will be very soft small and pliable. When it is full it is noticeably larger and harder.


Good luck with your little one.

 

[Qi Chicken]

Thank you so much Cetawin for your thoughtful reply.

I'll try to answer in order. I thought that too about sprinkling on the shavings but I can hardly feed them anymore they jump on top of the long feeder that is screwed to 2 1 x6's when I put it back in with food in it. I have almost crushed ones underneath with it's weight (with 4 chickens on top) and was trying to distract them. I'll keep it in a bowl from now on. Thanks.

I gave them a big bucket of sand. I took it out yesterday because they tipped it but was planning to put it back in.

I have a mask that I use for cleaning but if you have asthma anything over your mouth and nose for very long makes it feel like you can't breath and I don't like to wear it. I used to sit in there for hours at night. Now I sit with the door open but can't sit for long. I don't know how to sift out dust. I do completely empty the brooder weekly and usually add new shavings mid week.

On a lighter note, I have finished priming (3 gallons worth) and bought lavender paint. We are going to get them in the coop at the beginning of next week come ...well come anything!

Thanks again! Anne