I will be lucky to have any chickens left

[unbaked pegga]

I created a thread several days ago by the title “this has me stumped” . It is about one of my 3 orpington hens that has a bald bulging non tender soft area beneath her vent. She has had it for months and it has me puzzled as to what is causing it. Plus poo sticks to it and that really bothers me. I got a lot of excellent comments and suggestions. One poster said to explore fatty liver syndrome. Which I did. I know one of the other chickens is obese. She doesn’t seem to eat any more than the others but she is fat just the same. One of the symptoms of a fatty liver is obesity. Plus decreased egg laying. She has not laid an egg since spring. Now this is not the hen that I originally posted about, it is a different one. Over a period of 4 years I have purchased 6 Orpington pullets. 2 at a time. I have lost 3 of them (not all at once) one died within the first year from coccoidosis. But this last spring and summer I have lost 2 I don’t know the actual cause and have taken them to vet to be treated, checked out, to get them well, and at an unbelievably high cost. But lost them anyway 3 months apart. This has ruined my summer and I have grieved over those chickens like you would not fathom. The first hen that died had just gotten apathetic, off her feed, had not laid an egg in several months. The first time I took her, the doctor said she had a bacterial infection. He gave her antibiotics and sent some home with me which I gave to her. She got better for a little while and then got worse again. I took her back to the vet, he said her lungs sounded bad. He gave her steroids and antibiotics home to give to her over a seven day period. Which I did. She did not get any better I took her back and she died in the vets office! That really set me back on my heels. The last one I lost was one of my favorites and has just devastated me. She had respiratory issues for a couple of years, and had been treated multiple times. The doctor never told me what the respiratory issue was and I was too stupid to ask him. He would just give me antibiotics, send her home and she would get better until she was stressed and then it would flare up again. This scenario was repeated several times over the last couple of years. The others seem to have respiratory problems as well. Not remotely close to extent that she did, but from time to time they sneeze and have a wet sounding “cluck. So, I have 3 chickens left. One who is obese, hasn’t laid in a couple of months. She may/may not have fatty liver. Another one has this strange growth beneath her vent. It is not open, not draining, no odor. The other hen, well I guess she would be considered overweight as well. I have come to realize that apparently I have been feeding them all wrong. , I give them treats, game bird food which is 23% protein, which is not the right thing to do. I only started doing that because I read on a chicken forum that 16% protein which is what the regular laying feed has and is the minimum protein that a bird needs. And that this person had been feeding his chickens game bird food since they were born and they were five years old. So I thought since I wanted them to be as healthy as possible I switched to this feed about two or three months ago. They have not gained any weight on this. They are all in the process of having a soft molt. I change their water every day, 2x a day in the summer. I alternate acv in water one day then 6 drops of oxine the next. I do give them oat and honey granola bars a day as a treat which I now know was probably one of the worst things I could do for them. I also give them a hand full of scratch a day, and a hand full of raw oats a day. So in reading all of the responses to the thread I started a week ago I must be an incompetent owner. Yet the family next-door has 12 chickens, they feed them table scraps every day, the cheapest rations, (they said -not my opinion) the chickens live in less than good conditions and are in a pen, while mine free range. They have not lost one single chicken. I have bought six and lost three. So this where I am. On the internet trying to find out what is wrong with my chickens for the last 3 hours. The cats are yowling to be fed, I have chores to do and I haven’t even let the girls out of their run. Hopefully they are all still alive

 

[Sara Ranch]

*hugs*

Wow. I am so sad with you. I bawl when I loose any animal!

You are doing the best that you can with your girls. Don't berate yourself. Keep learning and asking for help.

TAKE A DEEP BREATHE and hit the reset button.

Some questions...

How much food do you give the girls?

Do they have access to food all day? All night?

Would you consider alternatives to running to the vet each time there might be something wrong with your chicken?

What's in the coop on the floor? (I use sand.)

Have you ever treated for worms?

Have you ever treated for coccidious?

I'll share with you what I do. It might work for you...

I give everyone fermented feed. Some of my chickens eat the recommended amount (1/2 cup of feed) per day and others eat way more or way less. [Fermented feed allows them to absorb more of the nutrition from the feed & reduces feed waste than giving dry feed.]

I soak rolled or whole oats that I buy at Tractor Supply. I add that in separately.

I occasionally will scramble eggs or add tuna to the feed.

Everyone has access to free range. My babies and my layers are in open fenced pastures. Everyone else is totally free range.

Everyone has access to the gardens. They self medicate as needed. I saw a chicken eating spearmint yesterday.

The chickens will eat fresh veggies and herbs from the garden and eat fresh fruit from the orchard.

I don't give scratch - it's a treat and not very nutritious in the big picture.

I don't give table food - I don't have leftovers.

** When you add something else (food) in that has a lower protein content, you are lowering the overall protein content your chicken has for the day. When I add in the oats to my fermented feed, I am lowering the protein content of the feed. I do this on purpose. (Email me if you want to know why.)

I add acv to the water. Sometimes I will mix it up with vitamins. For my groups that are not big water drinkers, I add it to the fermented feed.

I use sand in the animal houses and try to clean daily. I open the windows and the people doors so the places can air out.

I talk to my animals. I cuddle with those that want to cuddle.

I know what you mean about others doing much less and having success with their chickens. And here I am, doing the best to give them the most natural life I can, wanting them to be happy and healthy...

 

[PennyM]

I am so sorry about the loss of your chickens and sorry that I can't help you. I just wanted to offer my sympathies. I'm new to chicken raising since this spring, had 6 pullets and lost one 3 months after we got them. It was still heartbreaking (she was my sister's favorite). I spoil my girls though not with treats (I read on here only 10% of their daily intake?). Since I can't let them free-range I pick clover and some grasses for them! And they have toys! Anyway, I hope someone here can give you some solutions.

 

[unbaked pegga]

*hugs*

Wow. I am so sad with you. I bawl when I loose any animal!

You are doing the best that you can with your girls. Don't berate yourself. Keep learning and asking for help.

TAKE A DEEP BREATHE and hit the reset button.

Some questions...

How much food do you give the girls?

Do they have access to food all day? All night?

Would you consider alternatives to running to the vet each time there might be something wrong with your chicken?

What's in the coop on the floor? (I use sand.)

Have you ever treated for worms?

Have you ever treated for coccidious?

I'll share with you what I do. It might work for you...

I give everyone fermented feed. Some of my chickens eat the recommended amount (1/2 cup of feed) per day and others eat way more or way less. [Fermented feed allows them to absorb more of the nutrition from the feed & reduces feed waste than giving dry feed.]

I soak rolled or whole oats that I buy at Tractor Supply. I add that in separately.

I occasionally will scramble eggs or add tuna to the feed.

Everyone has access to free range. My babies and my layers are in open fenced pastures. Everyone else is totally free range.

Everyone has access to the gardens. They self medicate as needed. I saw a chicken eating spearmint yesterday.

The chickens will eat fresh veggies and herbs from the garden and eat fresh fruit from the orchard.

I don't give scratch - it's a treat and not very nutritious in the big picture.

I don't give table food - I don't have leftovers.

** When you add something else (food) in that has a lower protein content, you are lowering the overall protein content your chicken has for the day. When I add in the oats to my fermented feed, I am lowering the protein content of the feed. I do this on purpose. (Email me if you want to know why.)

I add acv to the water. Sometimes I will mix it up with vitamins. For my groups that are not big water drinkers, I add it to the fermented feed.

I use sand in the animal houses and try to clean daily. I open the windows and the people doors so the places can air out.

I talk to my animals. I cuddle with those that want to cuddle.

I know what you mean about others doing much less and having success with their chickens. And here I am, doing the best to give them the most natural life I can, wanting them to be happy and healthy...

Your post is very encouraging. I was born and raised in the city and these last few years are the first time I have ever seen a chicken and I just love them and their personalities. My girls free range. There is a privacy fence going around the property but there are varmits around, fence or no. They have a sturdy chicken coop that is elevated off the ground. There is a 12 foot run but I don’t confine them except at night or if the weather is bad. I have sand in the run, on the coop floor and one of the nest boxes because they all sleep in one nest box together. I clean the coop every day. The have access to food all of the time. I change their water daily 2x a day in the summer. I put acv in their water alternating with oxine 6 drops/gallon of water. I don’t have a garden though. And talk to them? Why when I am outside, which is all day long every day in the summer, I talk to them, I sing to them, they have my undivided attention. The ones I just lost were SO affectionate. They would cluck and coo whenever I was close. They jumped up on my lap, on my shoulders and once even on top of my head. The remaining 3 are skittish. Each one of them has been at the bottom of the pecking order at one time or the other. They just have a more reserved nature I guess. It make the loss of the other 2 more acute though. I got all of my hens as juveniles and I do think that might have affected the bonding they have to me. But I got all of them as juveniles and 2 of them really cottoned to me while the others less so. . I have been intimidated by getting a chick. I want them to have a little bit of a head start. By getting a juvenile, thy are grown more quickly and I can blend them in to the existing flock more quickly. But I think it makes them more aloof.
No I do not like to and I would prefer not to be taking them to the vet every time they get sick. Vets are as expensive as an MD. With this respiratory condition that descended on my hens I got really concerned when they would start mouth breathing because I know they are in distress and could decompensate quickly. I have tried fermenting their feed. They might take a bite or two but do not eat it like they do the dry rations. I tried it for about a week before I ran up the white flag. I am a feeder and nurturer by nature and it makes me crazy to think they might be hungry. I do not give them table scraps. I was putting rooster booster in their feed but stopped when I switched over to the game bird feed. What is your opinion on that? Rather than scramble an egg for them it seems like it would help them to have a higher protein content in the ration. I do keep out oyster shell for them. Some posters on BYC say it is ok, good for when they are molting or they could eat It all the time. Lots of different opinions about it. Yesterday was the day I was to stop giving treats. I gave them about 2 bites apiece. Today I won’t give any. I want really bad to try and salvage these 3 little hens. And as for bathing them I have put them in cool water in the summer to stop the broodiness and it did not go well at all. I couldn’t get them to settle down. I tried every technique from talking baby talk to them to being more firm. They weren’t having it. And I didn’t just try this once, I did this 2 or 3 times .I want them to be clean and fluffy all of the time but of the 3 There is only one that looks clean on her backside. The other 2 with those swollen areas have dirty feathers back there but no drainage no discharge, nothing open. And no obvious foul odor. Just so no poo is not blocking their vent I am trying to not obsess over it and it is in my nature to have everything “just right” so I try not to micromanage everything. I am treating them for lice and mites . I need to give the last treatment with Ivermectin on Friday (to kill any eggs left). I have treated for coccoidosis about a year ago. I didn’t actually know they had it but they had a lot of the symptoms. I cannot bring them in the house to bathe them because I have 2 indoor cats and I don’t think that would work for the hen or the cats. And to try to blow them dry with a dryer, I am in awe of anyone who can and a chicken that would allow, that to happen.
Bathing them in cool weather wouldn’t seem wise. All of this lets me know how much I am really ignorant about. But I love my “girls” and want to be able to keep them. This is a picture I just took of them
.

 

[Sara Ranch]

Lots of information to process.....but one bite at a time.

How much food do you give the girls? --- If I understand correctly, there is a feeder out for the girls. The best way to calculate how much the girls are eating is to measure how much feed you go through in a day or a week. The recommended amount of feed, for a non foraging chicken, is 1/2 cup. Obviously, a bantam chicken would eat a little less and a broiler bird will eat a lot more. If they are foraging, they should be eating less feed, more bugs, grass, leaves, and seeds.

Do they have access to food all day? All night? --- I didn't see a reply to this question. Some people leave food in the coop during the night. I choose not to. The coop is for sleeping in and for sheltering during bad weather, if they want to.

Would you consider alternatives to running to the vet each time there might be something wrong with your chicken? --- Fermented feed is one alternative. (Email me and we can talk about it.) ACV in the water. Planting herbs where the chickens can access the plants is another alternative. Epsom salt baths is another.

What's in the coop on the floor? (I use sand.) --- You should encourage the girls to sleep on a roosting bar. All the girls together in a nesting box makes it super easy for their poo to make them dirty. You mentioned wanting the girls to be clean. I have one flock that has had their coop remodeled/winterized. Every night when I close up and do head count, I have to pick up the regular chickens and move them to the roost. The first night it was every single chicken. Last night, there were five (of sixteen) on the roost already. It does take time to train them. The roost bar, in my opinion, should be level, not angled/slanted. The roost bar, in my opinion, should be higher than the nesting boxes, but easily accessible for the chickens. Some chickens can jump/fly well and others can't. It shouldn't be too high off the ground.

You stated there is sand in the enclosed run. Are there any patches of dirt? Leaves, grass - that sorta thing? There should be. Without seeing a picture of the coop and the run, it would be hard to make suggestions. The above mentioned coop flock shares fenced pastures with the cornie flock (cornie flock are Cornish Rocks). They tear the ground up. I rotate pastures.

Have you ever treated for worms? --- I didn't see a reply to this question.

Have you ever treated for coccidious? --- I didn't see a reply to this question.

It's great that you are cutting back on the treats.

Please remember it's us humans that want to/need to cuddle with chickens. It's OUR need, not theirs.

Some of us are blessed that some of our chickens will talk with us, hop onto our lap, perch on our shoulder, and just overall be super friendly and sometimes affectionate. Don't take it personally when a chicken doesn't want to be best friends.

The age of the chicken -- in my opinion -- doesn't not really affect the friendly mode. It's a whole lot of other things. I adopt animals at all stages in their lives - from babies to senior citizens. Some immediately seek me and others take awhile to warm up to me. At the end of the day, we have a mutually respectful relationship.

Dust bathing -- I have some that choose to dust bath in the coop in the sand, some that choose to make a dirt hole and dust bath outside, and others that just love my mulch in the landscape beds or under the trees.

Variety -- Chickens need it too. When I scramble up some eggs for me, I might make extra for the animals. They love it. It's a treat - it's something different. In the pastures and the common area, I move stuff around. Just makes it a little more interesting for the chickens. For those in fenced pastures, I rotate pastures. (I do that for variety and to save the ground.) I offer everyone access to fresh herbs and to garden greens and to orchard fruit.

What else? Ask questions, share ideas....there are a lot of kind, knowledgeable people participating on this site. Not everyone shares the same opinions and that's ok. What worked for one person may not work for another.

We learn what we can.

We do the best that we can.

We try.

We love.

 

[unbaked pegga]

Lots of information to process.....but one bite at a time.

How much food do you give the girls? --- If I understand correctly, there is a feeder out for the girls. The best way to calculate how much the girls are eating is to measure how much feed you go through in a day or a week. The recommended amount of feed, for a non foraging chicken, is 1/2 cup. Obviously, a bantam chicken would eat a little less and a broiler bird will eat a lot more. If they are foraging, they should be eating less feed, more bugs, grass, leaves, and seeds.

Do they have access to food all day? All night? --- I didn't see a reply to this question. Some people leave food in the coop during the night. I choose not to. The coop is for sleeping in and for sheltering during bad weather, if they want to.

Would you consider alternatives to running to the vet each time there might be something wrong with your chicken? --- Fermented feed is one alternative. (Email me and we can talk about it.) ACV in the water. Planting herbs where the chickens can access the plants is another alternative. Epsom salt baths is another.

What's in the coop on the floor? (I use sand.) --- You should encourage the girls to sleep on a roosting bar. All the girls together in a nesting box makes it super easy for their poo to make them dirty. You mentioned wanting the girls to be clean. I have one flock that has had their coop remodeled/winterized. Every night when I close up and do head count, I have to pick up the regular chickens and move them to the roost. The first night it was every single chicken. Last night, there were five (of sixteen) on the roost already. It does take time to train them. The roost bar, in my opinion, should be level, not angled/slanted. The roost bar, in my opinion, should be higher than the nesting boxes, but easily accessible for the chickens. Some chickens can jump/fly well and others can't. It shouldn't be too high off the ground.

You stated there is sand in the enclosed run. Are there any patches of dirt? Leaves, grass - that sorta thing? There should be. Without seeing a picture of the coop and the run, it would be hard to make suggestions. The above mentioned coop flock shares fenced pastures with the cornie flock (cornie flock are Cornish Rocks). They tear the ground up. I rotate pastures.

Have you ever treated for worms? --- I didn't see a reply to this question.

Have you ever treated for coccidious? --- I didn't see a reply to this question.

It's great that you are cutting back on the treats.

Please remember it's us humans that want to/need to cuddle with chickens. It's OUR need, not theirs.

Some of us are blessed that some of our chickens will talk with us, hop onto our lap, perch on our shoulder, and just overall be super friendly and sometimes affectionate. Don't take it personally when a chicken doesn't want to be best friends.

The age of the chicken -- in my opinion -- doesn't not really affect the friendly mode. It's a whole lot of other things. I adopt animals at all stages in their lives - from babies to senior citizens. Some immediately seek me and others take awhile to warm up to me. At the end of the day, we have a mutually respectful relationship.

Dust bathing -- I have some that choose to dust bath in the coop in the sand, some that choose to make a dirt hole and dust bath outside, and others that just love my mulch in the landscape beds or under the trees.

Variety -- Chickens need it too. When I scramble up some eggs for me, I might make extra for the animals. They love it. It's a treat - it's something different. In the pastures and the common area, I move stuff around. Just makes it a little more interesting for the chickens. For those in fenced pastures, I rotate pastures. (I do that for variety and to save the ground.) I offer everyone access to fresh herbs and to garden greens and to orchard fruit.

What else? Ask questions, share ideas....there are a lot of kind, knowledgeable people participating on this site. Not everyone shares the same opinions and that's ok. What worked for one person may not work for another.

We learn what we can.

We do the best that we can.

We try.

We love.

Part of my previous post got cut off. Maybe it was 2 long. I am treating the girls for lice, mites right now. I give ivermectin

Lots of information to process.....but one bite at a time.

How much food do you give the girls? --- If I understand correctly, there is a feeder out for the girls. The best way to calculate how much the girls are eating is to measure how much feed you go through in a day or a week. The recommended amount of feed, for a non foraging chicken, is 1/2 cup. Obviously, a bantam chicken would eat a little less and a broiler bird will eat a lot more. If they are foraging, they should be eating less feed, more bugs, grass, leaves, and seeds.

Do they have access to food all day? All night? --- I didn't see a reply to this question. Some people leave food in the coop during the night. I choose not to. The coop is for sleeping in and for sheltering during bad weather, if they want to.

Would you consider alternatives to running to the vet each time there might be something wrong with your chicken? --- Fermented feed is one alternative. (Email me and we can talk about it.) ACV in the water. Planting herbs where the chickens can access the plants is another alternative. Epsom salt baths is another.

What's in the coop on the floor? (I use sand.) --- You should encourage the girls to sleep on a roosting bar. All the girls together in a nesting box makes it super easy for their poo to make them dirty. You mentioned wanting the girls to be clean. I have one flock that has had their coop remodeled/winterized. Every night when I close up and do head count, I have to pick up the regular chickens and move them to the roost. The first night it was every single chicken. Last night, there were five (of sixteen) on the roost already. It does take time to train them. The roost bar, in my opinion, should be level, not angled/slanted. The roost bar, in my opinion, should be higher than the nesting boxes, but easily accessible for the chickens. Some chickens can jump/fly well and others can't. It shouldn't be too high off the ground.

You stated there is sand in the enclosed run. Are there any patches of dirt? Leaves, grass - that sorta thing? There should be. Without seeing a picture of the coop and the run, it would be hard to make suggestions. The above mentioned coop flock shares fenced pastures with the cornie flock (cornie flock are Cornish Rocks). They tear the ground up. I rotate pastures.

Have you ever treated for worms? --- I didn't see a reply to this question.

Have you ever treated for coccidious? --- I didn't see a reply to this question.

It's great that you are cutting back on the treats.

Please remember it's us humans that want to/need to cuddle with chickens. It's OUR need, not theirs.

Some of us are blessed that some of our chickens will talk with us, hop onto our lap, perch on our shoulder, and just overall be super friendly and sometimes affectionate. Don't take it personally when a chicken doesn't want to be best friends.

The age of the chicken -- in my opinion -- doesn't not really affect the friendly mode. It's a whole lot of other things. I adopt animals at all stages in their lives - from babies to senior citizens. Some immediately seek me and others take awhile to warm up to me. At the end of the day, we have a mutually respectful relationship.

Dust bathing -- I have some that choose to dust bath in the coop in the sand, some that choose to make a dirt hole and dust bath outside, and others that just love my mulch in the landscape beds or under the trees.

Variety -- Chickens need it too. When I scramble up some eggs for me, I might make extra for the animals. They love it. It's a treat - it's something different. In the pastures and the common area, I move stuff around. Just makes it a little more interesting for the chickens. For those in fenced pastures, I rotate pastures. (I do that for variety and to save the ground.) I offer everyone access to fresh herbs and to garden greens and to orchard fruit.

What else? Ask questions, share ideas....there are a lot of kind, knowledgeable people participating on this site. Not everyone shares the same opinions and that's ok. What worked for one person may not work for another.

We learn what we can.

We do the best that we can.

We try.

We love.

Part of my post is missing. It may have been too long. I did answer everything tho. The girls do have 24 hour access to their food. I will take some measurements to see how much they are eating but they don’t eat an excessive amount I don’t believe. I haven’t had to add feed to their feeder in a week or more.

I am enclosing a picture of the hen house and the run. You can believe me when I tell you that I tried for months to get them to roost. They squawked and flapped their wings until I finally gave up. They did not want to do it and I could not make them. I don’t know if they were raised in cages or what but I have been unable to get them to do my will. Only one would. And she’s gone now. Occasionally a blade of grass will grow up in the run but since they free range would that be an issue? I treated them for coccoidosis about a year ago. When I had the little hen that died to the vet 3 weeks ago he tested a stool sample and didn’t say anything about coccidia. That is when he told me she had lice and mites and gave me Ivermectin to treat the others with. They had one dose (topical application) and I re-treat them Friday. The have an area they dust bathe in and I have put 100# sand in there and add poultry dust from time to time. I got a pack of corn on the cob at the grocery today and they had acorn squash on special so I got a couple of them. I can’t afford everything I would like to get them

*hugs*

Wow. I am so sad with you. I bawl when I loose any animal!

You are doing the best that you can with your girls. Don't berate yourself. Keep learning and asking for help.

TAKE A DEEP BREATHE and hit the reset button.

Some questions...

How much food do you give the girls?

Do they have access to food all day? All night?

Would you consider alternatives to running to the vet each time there might be something wrong with your chicken?

What's in the coop on the floor? (I use sand.)

Have you ever treated for worms?

Have you ever treated for coccidious?

I'll share with you what I do. It might work for you...

I give everyone fermented feed. Some of my chickens eat the recommended amount (1/2 cup of feed) per day and others eat way more or way less. [Fermented feed allows them to absorb more of the nutrition from the feed & reduces feed waste than giving dry feed.]

I soak rolled or whole oats that I buy at Tractor Supply. I add that in separately.

I occasionally will scramble eggs or add tuna to the feed.

Everyone has access to free range. My babies and my layers are in open fenced pastures. Everyone else is totally free range.

Everyone has access to the gardens. They self medicate as needed. I saw a chicken eating spearmint yesterday.

The chickens will eat fresh veggies and herbs from the garden and eat fresh fruit from the orchard.

I don't give scratch - it's a treat and not very nutritious in the big picture.

I don't give table food - I don't have leftovers.

** When you add something else (food) in that has a lower protein content, you are lowering the overall protein content your chicken has for the day. When I add in the oats to my fermented feed, I am lowering the protein content of the feed. I do this on purpose. (Email me if you want to know why.)

I add acv to the water. Sometimes I will mix it up with vitamins. For my groups that are not big water drinkers, I add it to the fermented feed.

I use sand in the animal houses and try to clean daily. I open the windows and the people doors so the places can air out.

I talk to my animals. I cuddle with those that want to cuddle.

I know what you mean about others doing much less and having success with their chickens. And here I am, doing the best to give them the most natural life I can, wanting them to be happy and healthy...

 

[Sara Ranch]

Thanks for coming back with more information.

No worries about the grass occasionally growing in the run - it appears that they have the whole outside yard to roam in during the day?

I would be a little concerned about adding new feed once a week. With the food being in the container that long, there is a chance that moisture would get in and cause the food to go bad, in a bad for the chicken's health way.

Lol - I know. It's silly, weird, off the wall to be ok to give them fermented feed - which is food gone bad in a special way, but not ok to give them food that has gone bad in a different way. If there is moisture in the feeder could cause mold/bacteria to grow. (Which could contribute or cause death. Fermented feed, if done incorrectly, could also contribute or cause death. The chickens don't do well with some bacteria, mold, or mildew.)

I would give them enough food for one or two days at most in the feeder. For my chickens, it's the fermented feed 1-3x a day, depending on the circumstances. The dish comes in and gets washed.

I would also bring in the feeder. When the chickens go into the coop for the night, they (in my opinion) are there JUST to sleep, not to have a midnight snack and an all girl's stay up all night slumber party.

My animals - all of them - do just fine without water and food in the coop.

Grocery store food, garden food, and table scraps are ok in moderation. You don't have to feed the girls the same foods you eat. Corn is a treat with little to no nutritional value for the chicken. (Same for humans.) Squash and squash seeds are great for chickens. I harvest the ones from the garden, sometimes cut the squash open (sometimes not, depending on whether it's a winter or a summer squash), and give to the chickens. They go to town on it. I don't cook the squash.

The roosting thing is not a big deal. I have a rule, especially for my Roo Barn, that no chicken will be on the sand floor. Every rooster is on the roost in one of the rooms in the barn. Period. They know that. Same with the coops. When I leave after closing up, doing head count, and saying goodnight, everyone is on the roost. That doesn't mean they stay there during the night...but they are getting the message. If you don't want me to pick you up and move you, then get yourself on the roost yourself. It's the best I can do.

The coop looks well built. Is that a light or a heater in the coop? Do you have plans to insulate the coop?

Please remember you are doing a lot of things right by your chickens. It's obvious you love and care for them.

Do you have any ideas, thoughts, or questions?

 

[chickens really]

Hello,
I have Orpington also....My Birds also have respiratory disease that flares up under stress...My favourite Hen had to be Culled a few weeks back. Her respiratory disease got too bad...
I do not feed my Birds many treats...My feed is at 18%..I feed Grower and Oyster shell in a separate bowl....Sometimes I will toss out some scratch for them or give left over cooked veggies from our Supper.....I will cook up a spaghetti squash and give half to my Chickens and the other half to my Call Ducks...My Birds only free range an hour a day....Too much fat on a Hen shortens their lives and causes health issues..
Sorry this happened to you and the Birds....
Best wishes....

 

[unbaked pegga]

Thank you for your response. I love my Orpingtons. As an owner I have done the best I could with my limited knowledge. I am trying to absorb all of the advice given here. Feeding them the wrong food seems to be my biggest problem. The respiratory problem is particularly worrisome. But the vet says unless you could avoid wild birds flying over your yard and pooing there was no way to protect them from the respiratory problems mine have been plagued with. Apparently the virus is shed by the wild birds in their droppings. I have always kept them and their area very clean. They free range all day but there is a wood privacy fence and the yard is completely enclosed. I am retired and I am out there with them all day long in the summer. They are not the sturdy little farm animals I thought they were

 

[unbaked pegga]

Thanks for coming back with more information.

No worries about the grass occasionally growing in the run - it appears that they have the whole outside yard to roam in during the day?

I would be a little concerned about adding new feed once a week. With the food being in the container that long, there is a chance that moisture would get in and cause the food to go bad, in a bad for the chicken's health way.

Lol - I know. It's silly, weird, off the wall to be ok to give them fermented feed - which is food gone bad in a special way, but not ok to give them food that has gone bad in a different way. If there is moisture in the feeder could cause mold/bacteria to grow. (Which could contribute or cause death. Fermented feed, if done incorrectly, could also contribute or cause death. The chickens don't do well with some bacteria, mold, or mildew.)

I would give them enough food for one or two days at most in the feeder. For my chickens, it's the fermented feed 1-3x a day, depending on the circumstances. The dish comes in and gets washed.

I would also bring in the feeder. When the chickens go into the coop for the night, they (in my opinion) are there JUST to sleep, not to have a midnight snack and an all girl's stay up all night slumber party.

My animals - all of them - do just fine without water and food in the coop.

Grocery store food, garden food, and table scraps are ok in moderation. You don't have to feed the girls the same foods you eat. Corn is a treat with little to no nutritional value for the chicken. (Same for humans.) Squash and squash seeds are great for chickens. I harvest the ones from the garden, sometimes cut the squash open (sometimes not, depending on whether it's a winter or a summer squash), and give to the chickens. They go to town on it. I don't cook the squash.

The roosting thing is not a big deal. I have a rule, especially for my Roo Barn, that no chicken will be on the sand floor. Every rooster is on the roost in one of the rooms in the barn. Period. They know that. Same with the coops. When I leave after closing up, doing head count, and saying goodnight, everyone is on the roost. That doesn't mean they stay there during the night...but they are getting the message. If you don't want me to pick you up and move you, then get yourself on the roost yourself. It's the best I can do.

The coop looks well built. Is that a light or a heater in the coop? Do you have plans to insulate the coop?

Please remember you are doing a lot of things right by your chickens. It's obvious you love and care for them.

Do you have any ideas, thoughts, or questions?

Well thank you again for the information you have shared. While I do always make sure the food stays dry I don’t wash the container so I should be doing that. How often should I wash it? I usually keep the feeder about 1/3 full. I emptied it last night and put in 3 cups and will see how long it takes them to eat it. I give them an ear of corn every now and again. Other than one oat and honey bar which couldn’t be over 4” long the amt each one would get would be minimal. I have cut out scratch completely just giving the a handful of whole oats daily. I don’t use a heater in the winter. That is a small fan in the picture. In the summer which is hot and humid and with their respiratory problems they pant and I try to keep the air moving. I do insulate the coop as best I know how in the winter. I cover the run completely with clear, 20 mm clear tarp. And use weather stripping around the doors and windows. I also cover the doors, the nest box and windows with cut to fit heavy tarps. All I can do is try to keep them as healthy as I know how. They are not the sturdy little farm animals I thought they were. Also if you could please just let me know how you ferment your feed. I must have not done the process right before. Thanks again