I'm Gonna Cry! (long discription)

[Chickaroo!]

Okay, here it goes...'cause I need some advice!!

Back in Oct. I got four chickens (my first ever) from an older gentleman who was looking to downsize his flock. (I'm not sure what kind they are, but they're all hens) My dad and I built them a cute coop, resembling an outhouse, with a completely covered run. About a week after having them, I noticed that one was drinking alot of water and then reguritating it. Took her to the vet and got her a worm shot. Then, another actually began having worms in her poo. Took her to the vet...roundworm! She got a wormer shot and then I began worming them with Wazine 34 on a regular schedule. Now, two of them have diarrhea! Ones poo is sometimes almost clear and very watery and the others looks like melted peanut butter! (I don't have a camera that I can post pics.) They eat a crumble with 2 grain scatch that I get from Southern States. I give them fresh, clean water every day and clean their coop every morning. I occasionally pick weeds for them from my yard (I don't let them free range...hawks around here). I've tried the brown rice, garlic, carrot thing and also the yogurt. Oh yeah, for the past mo. I've been raking their run almost every other day and spreading DE occasionally.

I feel like I've failed my poor babies and I worry about them! What am I doing wrong!!! I'm gonna cry!!

 

[karri25]

I am not sure what's wrong. I feel like I'm still a newby. Someone who knows everything like Speckled Hen or DLHUNICORN will be by soon and help you I'm sure. I'm sorry about your birds

Ps gp by Dlhunicorns page and there is a link to a VERY informative page about diseases and such. That might help!

 

[SpottedCrow]

After you wormed them the first time, did you have another faecal done?

You have to stop the life cycle of the worms.

Stop with the scratch!
Scratch should be an occasional treat, not an everyday thing.

Chickens have two types of droppings: the solid with the white caps and the liquid cecal droppings which smell really awful.

 

[dlhunicorn]

worms are very hard on the intestines (that is why ppl who have their birds as pets and not to eat the eggs often worm with a broad spectrum wormer regularly and do not wait till they actually see worms in the poo)... when their intestines have been damaged by worms or cocci then malabsorption of nutrients will occur. I suggest you give a good supplement like Avia Charge 2000 (this is one of the few COMPLETE supplements I know of and you can purchase this online from McMurray or Strombergs) ... also offer a live culture probiotic plain yogurt daily free choice. Do you have them on a LAYER ration feed? This is also very important as well as offering them free choice oyster shell. You must also make sure that the "weeds" you have been offering them are not poisonous ... if you want to give them greens then sprout seeds! This is very nutricious.
Be careful with the garlic (only put a clove of garlic in their waterer occasionally and ensure it is fresh daily) ... same with the ACV. Do not give ACV in the water when you are medicating.

 

[Chickaroo!]

SpottedCrow,

I haven't had another fecal done b/c my vet said that I should worm them on a monthly schedule now. Should I stop that too?

So, I should be only feeding them the crumbles? OMG! I feel like such an idiot. I didn't know.

How often should I be giving them the scratch? Does it have to be the cracked corn scratch or something else like oyster shell? I thought I did my homework before getting my chickens, but I guess not quite enough!

I LOVE BYC!

Everyone is sooo nice and helpful! I honestly think I get more "free advice" from here then the "$80.00 a pop advice" I get from my vet!!

dlhunicorn,

I give them whatever feed the man I got them from was giving them. He just said it was crumbles with 2grain scratch, so when I get them food, that's what I ask for. So, no, I guess not. If I switch them to layer feed, do I need to do it gradually, like you do with a dog?

 

[Lunachick]

Just put the layer feed out for them and fresh water daily - when they're hungry they'll eat. I don't know if this is the same thing - but one of my hens drink alot of water then upchucks it. I think she is just a heavy drinker.

I have a Ruby too!

Good luck with your flock.

 

[Chickaroo!]

Thanks Lunachick. I went to Tractor Supply this afternoon and bought some layer crumbles. I have a seperate bowl that I put crushed oyster shell and crushed granite in so they can eat it when they want, but should I mix it in with their food? Do I need to occasionally still give them the old type of food they were eating?

I thought having chickens was suppose to be easy

Oh well, I love them anyway and still would like to get some more.

eventually.

Tell Ruby that Ruby said "bok bok"!

 

[SpottedCrow]

I hope I didn't sound like I was biting your head off...if so I certainly do apologize...

I wouldn't worm unless I actually saw worms, but that's me...Too much medication can be just as bad as having the worms...
For a natural wormer, you can use DE and pumpkin seeds...
but again, not all the time.

Depending on how old they are the layer feed will be fine...usually we start layer feed around 20 weeks old.

Oyster shell I give if I feel like there might be a problem with the birds laying eggs, like at the beginning or ending of a laying cycle...and I put Apple Cider Vinegar in the water because that helps with the absorption of the calcium.

I'd switch gradually also, just for like you said with a dog or cat and their new food.

We all had to start somewhere. None of us were hatched

with chicken knowledge coming out of our ears...

 

[silkiechicken]

Just keep the shell and granite seperate and they will eat it when they need to. Hang the layer feed in the coop and for special treats, give maybe a handful of scratch once a day IF it is cold out. They dont need their old food if they have their new food. Good luck.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I hope I have not made an error in thinking these were adult birds of laying age??? Layer rations should only be given to birds of laying age ...if they are not then please disregard what I said about layer feed!