I have tried in my time on BYC to do what I can to undermine the propaganda that would have us all believing that keeping chickens is just one big barrel of fun. It isn't, especially for those who have not had the experience to fully understand that getting the right chickens from the right place in the right condition is going to make a massive difference to the long term health of the chicken and the greatly reduce the stress and heartache of the keeper.
It really is worth spending a few months if necessary researching where to get ones chickens and which breeds are less likely to have serious health problems early in life.
The keel bone test is very misleading. Don't bother with it. There is not a chicken here that would pass such a test but they live, and from what I've read on this forum at least, live a lot longer than most.
If you want to keep track of whether a chicken is losing or gaining weight then you have to weight them. A chicken could lose a considerable amount of body weight and you would not know from feeling their keel bone.

You can do this Lozzy. Like everything else in life it's a learning curve. The unfortunate part is the penalty for not learning fast enough is very painful for those who care about the birds they acquire.

There is imo and in the opinion of those who keep chickens who I respect and can demonstrate good outcomes some very basic concepts that do unfortunately contradict just about everything that one can read on most chicken forums.

1) Chicken do not fare well in confinement. Their ancestors the jungle fowl will occupy up to 4 acres per tribe. Providing 10 square feet per bird and believing one has done enough to ensure their welfare is ridiculous. Yes, it's better than a cage, but to me it's rather like the child beater who states they have reformed because they only beat their child on weekends now.
2) Nature is far better at ensuring the best genetics go forward than humans are. Whenever possible leave matters of health to nature. I'm struggling with this one with Fat Bird at the moment.
3) Chicken are omnivorous and most commercial feeds are designed to provide the bare minimum to support a short life. Whenever possible free range your chickens. They have a much better idea of what they need to eat than you or I do.
4) I've read people getting a very hard time over this one but even reputable vets will say much the same. For many of the serious health problems, particularly with the high production breeds, it is far better to provide a quick and easy death for the chicken than it is to try and save their lives. I know many will not agree with this and many will cite success stories of intervention. Apart from the expense involved there is the stress and trauma for the chicken and owner. In most case terminal health problems are exactly that, terminal.

None of the above really helps you now I know. Not much of it helps me after ten years of caring for the chickens here and years caring for chickens on my uncles farm. This doesn't mean the rules/advice is wrong. It is however imo a set of considerations that anyone who keeps chickens and cares about their welfare should have in the back of their mind. It's how wee keep and breed the chickens we have that is killing them, not some inherent weakness in the species.

You contribute to these three threads Lozzy and just by that marker I know you can do this and learn in the process.:hugs
It is this perspective that makes you so valuable to us all. I hope that you will be with us for years to come.
 
I wasn't trying to be critical but we are doing very well because of all the testing. I think it is best if everyone understands that many companies, not just ours, are turning a tidy profit on testing and vaccines. We are not giving them away.

I will stop there as this is a chicken thread. Sorry everyone for the diversion. Hopefully this makes up for it.

Chicken Tax
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Of course someone is making money off of it, I didn’t take it as a criticism.
I do feel a bit stupid actually in a way. It’s because that from the earliest I can remember so much of our healthcare system has been subsidised (I had to have an emergency surgical procedure done 18 months ago (full gen anaesthesia and it only cost me in total the $9 medication to take prior to the op) so I work, pay taxes and it’s just what it is.
I guess hearing you guys over there need to shell out for ‘x, y and z’ is stunning to me and I realise how much I take our system for granted.
I know I haven’t articulated this well, I’m really drained, and worried. Easter holidays can’t come soon enough
 
So with the wormer, serve it ‘neat’ individually?
I already know I can’t syringe it directly, so any suggestions as to what could I put it into for each dose for each bird? Bread wouldn’t hide the flavour and I think that’s the issue.
I mix the meds that I don't syringe into the chicken with a liquid vitamin supplement. It's sweet and hides the taste.
Failing that crush/drip the meds into a yoghurt and honey mixture assuming your chickens like yoghurt. Only make a small quantity; 2 or 3 centilitres if possible. Dip and soak pieces of bread in the liquid and hand feed.

I've been using something like this for many years in preference to tube feeding or direct syringing for anything that can be given in a liquid form; that includes crushed pills.
The tip is from a mastic tube. You can but the tubes separately in most building suppliers. Make a diagonal cut at one end and one the appropriate diameter for the syringe nozzle at the other. It need to be tight to prevent leaks. The large open end is wide enough to slide over the birds beak, but in general, if the contents are tasty the bird will feed from the open end at their own pace.
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P3310815.JPG
 
I mix the meds that I don't syringe into the chicken with a liquid vitamin supplement. It's sweet and hides the taste.
Failing that crush/drip the meds into a yoghurt and honey mixture assuming your chickens like yoghurt. Only make a small quantity; 2 or 3 centilitres if possible. Dip and soak pieces of bread in the liquid and hand feed.

I've been using something like this for many years in preference to tube feeding or direct syringing for anything that can be given in a liquid form; that includes crushed pills.
The tip is from a mastic tube. You can but the tubes separately in most building suppliers. Make a diagonal cut at one end and one the appropriate diameter for the syringe nozzle at the other. It need to be tight to prevent leaks. The large open end is wide enough to slide over the birds beak, but in general, if the contents are tasty the bird will feed from the open end at their own pace.
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Thanks Shad 💜
 
Of course someone is making money off of it, I didn’t take it as a criticism.
I do feel a bit stupid actually in a way. It’s because that from the earliest I can remember so much of our healthcare system has been subsidised (I had to have an emergency surgical procedure done 18 months ago (full gen anaesthesia and it only cost me in total the $9 medication to take prior to the op) so I work, pay taxes and it’s just what it is.
I guess hearing you guys over there need to shell out for ‘x, y and z’ is stunning to me and I realise how much I take our system for granted.
I know I haven’t articulated this well, I’m really drained, and worried. Easter holidays can’t come soon enough
It is a very different system here. I am not going down the rabbit hole of which approach is better. I imagine it is a bit of a shock to realize how different. That is one of the thrilling things about this thread. I have learned much about how other parts of the world operate that I would not have any other way. I love that. It's easy better than the old pen pal system. Especially with how poorly the post operates these days!

Chicken tax (this conversation is getting expensive 😆)
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I worry about Blanche. She lays a big beautiful egg every single day! I mean EVERY DAY. I find myself wishing she could have a break.
She will lay every day. Hopefully you get lucky and she makes it through the laying stage of her life safely. It does happen and I know of leghorns that have lived over 5 years, well past their effective laying time.

It is not hopeless. :hugs
 
I mix the meds that I don't syringe into the chicken with a liquid vitamin supplement. It's sweet and hides the taste.
Failing that crush/drip the meds into a yoghurt and honey mixture assuming your chickens like yoghurt. Only make a small quantity; 2 or 3 centilitres if possible. Dip and soak pieces of bread in the liquid and hand feed.

I've been using something like this for many years in preference to tube feeding or direct syringing for anything that can be given in a liquid form; that includes crushed pills.
The tip is from a mastic tube. You can but the tubes separately in most building suppliers. Make a diagonal cut at one end and one the appropriate diameter for the syringe nozzle at the other. It need to be tight to prevent leaks. The large open end is wide enough to slide over the birds beak, but in general, if the contents are tasty the bird will feed from the open end at their own pace.
View attachment 2592981View attachment 2592982
This is very helpful! Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup
 

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