- Nov 14, 2009
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Hello everyone....just found this place...what a gem!
We have 10 hens, mixed breeds (2 Buffs, 5 RI Reds, 3 Doms and 1 Roo, Aracauna mix) of different ages. I let them out of their pen every afternoon a couple of hours before dark to graze. A week ago, the oldest Dom hen (and she looks old) didn't come back. We searched everywhere but did not find her. It isn't really cold here yet at night (NE Louisiana - 50's). A couple days later we found some Dom feathers in the backyard, which is uphill from the pen and they don't usually come this far up, preferring the area of grass around the pen. After looking intensely we figured she either gave up the ghost or something got her. And we generally don't have problems with things getting after them.
Yesterday our son went down to the shop and something caught his eye and standing over in the corner was the old Dom hen! The doors are only sometimes closed to the shop so we don't know if she wandered in there or just happened to be in there yesterday. He picked her up and took her back to the pen (which is just behind the shop). I looked later to let them out to graze and the old hen is hunched down, neck isn't up, not walking fast, comb is bluish-pale. Tail is down and wants to crouch behind something. She ate well, but did not leave the pen with the others. Could not jump up to the roost so I made her a nest on the floor of the coop. This morning she was still on the ground. I gave her a syringe of colloidal silver/water and she appeared to enjoy it as if she was thirsty. She went over and began to eat heartily at the cauliflower head I had put out for them. Did not actually see her eating any of the scratch, although she was standing in front of the dish of pellets.
I use organic ACV in their water, along with a powerful liquid probiotic, and their scraps and treats are all organic. But it has been a week or more since she was into any of this. I thought I would follow up with GSE later today, in their water also. Should I separate her from the others?
Not sure what is going on. Anyone have any ideas? I would be most appreciative!
We have 10 hens, mixed breeds (2 Buffs, 5 RI Reds, 3 Doms and 1 Roo, Aracauna mix) of different ages. I let them out of their pen every afternoon a couple of hours before dark to graze. A week ago, the oldest Dom hen (and she looks old) didn't come back. We searched everywhere but did not find her. It isn't really cold here yet at night (NE Louisiana - 50's). A couple days later we found some Dom feathers in the backyard, which is uphill from the pen and they don't usually come this far up, preferring the area of grass around the pen. After looking intensely we figured she either gave up the ghost or something got her. And we generally don't have problems with things getting after them.
Yesterday our son went down to the shop and something caught his eye and standing over in the corner was the old Dom hen! The doors are only sometimes closed to the shop so we don't know if she wandered in there or just happened to be in there yesterday. He picked her up and took her back to the pen (which is just behind the shop). I looked later to let them out to graze and the old hen is hunched down, neck isn't up, not walking fast, comb is bluish-pale. Tail is down and wants to crouch behind something. She ate well, but did not leave the pen with the others. Could not jump up to the roost so I made her a nest on the floor of the coop. This morning she was still on the ground. I gave her a syringe of colloidal silver/water and she appeared to enjoy it as if she was thirsty. She went over and began to eat heartily at the cauliflower head I had put out for them. Did not actually see her eating any of the scratch, although she was standing in front of the dish of pellets.
I use organic ACV in their water, along with a powerful liquid probiotic, and their scraps and treats are all organic. But it has been a week or more since she was into any of this. I thought I would follow up with GSE later today, in their water also. Should I separate her from the others?
Not sure what is going on. Anyone have any ideas? I would be most appreciative!
