MJ's little flock

[ManueB]

If you want some but can't find it, let me know and I'll send a box to you. However, I'm thinking you should be able to buy it from their website.

Thank you so much. I don't know if this kind of powdered food exist for chickens here, I will look if I can find something equivalent nearer to me. It seems that can be useful to have on hand.

It’s hot today, suddenly. Nyssa is moulting. Can chooks moult when it’s really hot? I would have thought they could, but I’m worried there’s an underlying problem. There was a greenish poop and I don’t know if it is from lots of grass or an infection. And Snowy did a small poop that looks like there’s a bit of intestinal lining. Too much stress!

I've also read on BYC that moulting can happen at different times in the year. One of my ex-batts Blanche molted in late spring, it was a bit of an issue, she didn't molt normally and it lasted for months. But Nyssa could be molting normally and just having strange poops from the molt, or the grass.
I find it very difficult when chickens are molting to say if they are unwell because of the molt or because of another underlying problem.
I was sure I would loose my hen Cannelle when she started being very unwell about a month before her molt, mid August, but now her molt is over she's come back to perfectly normal.

I hope Nyssa and Snowy get better. It is stressful not knowing!

 

[LozzyR]

Thank you so much. I don't know if this kind of powdered food exist for chickens here, I will look if I can find something equivalent nearer to me. It seems that can be useful to have on hand.

I've also read on BYC that moulting can happen at different times in the year. One of my ex-batts Blanche molted in late spring, it was a bit of an issue, she didn't molt normally and it lasted for months. But Nyssa could be molting normally and just having strange poops from the molt, or the grass.
I find it very difficult when chickens are molting to say if they are unwell because of the molt or because of another underlying problem.
I was sure I would loose my hen Cannelle when she started being very unwell about a month before her molt, mid August, but now her molt is over she's come back to perfectly normal.

I hope Nyssa and Snowy get better. It is stressful not knowing!

Thanks Manue.

 

[MaryJanet]

The patient has gone outside with her friends, and she's resting in the mild sunshine while Edie suns herself and Katie digs for tasties under the hibiscus.

 

[RoyalChick]

She's become very good at sitting in the lunch box to be weighed.

After weighing, I move her into a big wicker box that I usually use to accumulate the recycling, which I've lined with a big scarf. The scarf is wrapped around her to keep her from flapping. Then the worst part starts, lifting her head and placing the needle-like thingy into her beak and down the side into her crop, checking with my other fingertip to make sure it's in the right place, like Mark showed me. I push the syringe until it doesn't want to be pushed any more (it's been filled to 10mls of quite thick liquid food, like a thick soup) and then draw the needle thing out of her as fast as possible without hurting her. Then I make myself feel better by telling her how brave she is and how sorry I am before releasing her back to her friends. The whole process is getting quicker and quicker, this morning from picking her up to releasing her was maybe 3 minutes.

Does that sound like I'm doing it right?

Yes.
I use a tube rather than a crop needle, but same process.
One thing I also did is lubricate the tube with coconut oil to be extra sure I didn't make her sore when placing the tube.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you so much. I don't know if this kind of powdered food exist for chickens here, I will look if I can find something equivalent nearer to me. It seems that can be useful to have on hand.

I've also read on BYC that moulting can happen at different times in the year. One of my ex-batts Blanche molted in late spring, it was a bit of an issue, she didn't molt normally and it lasted for months. But Nyssa could be molting normally and just having strange poops from the molt, or the grass.
I find it very difficult when chickens are molting to say if they are unwell because of the molt or because of another underlying problem.
I was sure I would loose my hen Cannelle when she started being very unwell about a month before her molt, mid August, but now her molt is over she's come back to perfectly normal.

I hope Nyssa and Snowy get better. It is stressful not knowing!

In the US the brand name is Kaytee - it is not specific for chickens - it is a baby bird rehab product. That is probably a US-only brand, but I am sure there must be EU baby bird rehab products under different names.

 

[MaryJanet]

One thing I also did is lubricate the tube with coconut oil to be extra sure I didn't make her sore when placing the tube.

That's a great idea! Would olive oil be ok?

 

[RoyalChick]

That's a great idea! Would olive oil be ok?

Don’t see why not. Just it is very drippy. Coconut oil has the benefit of being solid at room temperature.
Butter or lard might be better than runny olive oil. It almost certainly isn’t really necessary to use anything.

 

[MaryJanet]

850g!!!

 

[MaryJanet]

Such a peaceful evening.

 

[MaryJanet]