i somehow acquired 2 runaways and i have questions. please help

[pollipazzi]

Mine are not at all keen on wind and are generally less active at the moment weather and moulting).
They go to bed early too.

do you find they're changing what they like to eat?

 

[alinas2010]

Mine are also a lot less active right now with molt and chilly weather. I try to get them out into the yard for sunshine and they stand in covered/shaded areas of the yard anyways they don’t move around and graze and get into things nearly as much as in the summer.

They’re also eating significantly less than during summer, which makes sense with not having to produce eggs. And not feeling the best during molt. If I feel their crops are completely flat at bedtime I hold up a bowl of mushy feed and scrambled eggs or tuna or some other protein for them to eat on. With doing that usually I can get them to eat until their crops are about half full at least. It takes me a while of standing there passing a bowl around but I don’t want them to get cold going to bed with empty crops. Food must taste better at bed time I guess.

 

[pollipazzi]

Mine are also a lot less active right now with molt and chilly weather. I try to get them out into the yard for sunshine and they stand in covered/shaded areas of the yard anyways they don’t move around and graze and get into things nearly as much as in the summer.

They’re also eating significantly less than during summer, which makes sense with not having to produce eggs. And not feeling the best during molt. If I feel their crops are completely flat at bedtime I hold up a bowl of mushy feed and scrambled eggs or tuna or some other protein for them to eat on. With doing that usually I can get them to eat until their crops are about half full at least. It takes me a while of standing there passing a bowl around but I don’t want them to get cold going to bed with empty crops. Food must taste better at bed time I guess.

that's good to know too! thanks!

 

[BDutch]

do you find they're changing what they like to eat?

Mine shift their feed preferences too. They eat less chick crumble now and more layer pellets. Strange bc none of them lay eggs at the moment.

I never check their crops. Chickens surely know when they need food. Feed is available 24/7. I give mixed grains and a few mealworms before or around roost time. To be sure they can go to roost with a full crop. Late autumn and winter a bit more mealworms, in summer way less. Sometimes they get simple left overs including cheese crust, rice, spaghetti, bread, cooked veggies.

The feed I buy is organic feed, because this is healthier than ordinary cheap feed. More expensive but I don’t spend any money on extra eggs, tuna or any other expensive not-meant-for-chickens feed.

 

[RoyalChick]

do you find they're changing what they like to eat?

I have often had hens that changed their eating habits during moult, but at the moment I can't say that is the case.

 

[pollipazzi]

today was the first day that wasn't windy, so the bird flu fort wasn't making flapping sounds.
yesterday i cleaned the bedding in the coop and chucked the old stuff in the fort. they spent hours in there scratching around today. they were so excited.
poor thelma is still losing some feathers. louise has slowed down but has a bunch of pins on her bum.

 

[pollipazzi]

i just saw a news article saying a fourth outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed. it's a turkey farm.
all four outbreaks have been turkey farms.
does it seem odd to anyone else that they are all turkey farms? and they are culling thousands and thousands of turkeys leading up to christmas... where everyone in ireland buys
turkeys.
i don't know.
i read about a bunch of swans dying recently too, but they aren't counting them in the "outbreaks"
i want to trust that i'm doing the right thing, but i am getting a little skeptical.

 

[BDutch]

i want to trust that i'm doing the right thing, but i am getting a little skeptical.

People with only a couple of chickens often aren’t sure about the right thing. Some follow the rules, some do the same as usual. We all make very different choices.

One thing I know for sure. I don’t trust the authorities in making the right choices for hobbyists/ my flock. They tend to listen and make the rules for the poultry industry and barely listen to the arguments of the BYC associations.

The contaminated wild birds are everywhere, especially around water. so i think it’s pointless to lock my chickens in a cage to prevent further spreading of AI.
Furthermore I don’t want to cage my girls in a dead environment for the duration of 7 months every year. I like to believe my chickens have more chances to survive if they can scratch in a green run, free range a bit on a daily basis and are happy as usual.

 

[pollipazzi]

People with only a couple of chickens often aren’t sure about the right thing. Some follow the rules, some do the same as usual. We all make very different choices.

One thing I know for sure. I don’t trust the authorities in making the right choices for hobbyists/ my flock. They tend to listen and make the rules for the poultry industry and barely listen to the arguments of the BYC associations.

The contaminated wild birds are everywhere, especially around water. so i think it’s pointless to lock my chickens in a cage to prevent further spreading of AI.
Furthermore I don’t want to cage my girls in a dead environment for the duration of 7 months every year. I like to believe my chickens have more chances to survive if they can scratch in a green run, free range a bit on a daily basis and are happy as usual.

yes! how are big turkey farms getting it if they are housed and are supposedly following the biosecurity rules? it doesn't make sense. if they are inside and still getting it, why are we keeping them inside?
like covid forks.

 

[kattabelly]

yes! how are big turkey farms getting it if they are housed and are supposedly following the biosecurity rules?

The previous three outbreaks were all before the housing order (or whatever it's called) came into place on November 10th.