my aruacana whats wrong??? UPDATE*pics!!!*

[angelmarie]

For the past few days bandit(thats her name) has been very distant from the rest of the flock, she seems depressed and is only happy when i hold her and stroke her feathers, she also hasn't laid in 2 days. Is she egg-bound, i always worry about that with my chickens. Any suggestions?

 

[Wynette]

How old is she? How many others is she in with, and what are the living arrangements (coop, run, etc.)? What type of feed is she on? Has there been any change in feed lately? Is her poo "normal" looking - i.e., is it runny of off-colored? Is her comb pale? Do you know if she's eating/drinking? The more info. you can give, the better we can help you to help her.

 

[angelmarie]

shes about a year old lives with 6 other chickens and 1 duck 1 guienea they been eating multi-grain bread til' my grandpa can buy us laying mash, chick feed ect. Luckly this month is the last month for truck payments so hopefully they won't have to live off people food ever again maybe thats what it is

 

[Wynette]

That seems like it could most definitely be the issue. Grain blends that are processed by a commercial manufacturer have everything they need for chickens in them; most of us supplement with treats of bread on occasion, but too much bread is not good for them. Plus, it won't have all the nutrients they need. Most likely, she's lacking in some nutrient. Layer mash isn't that expensive - especially for just a few. If you can, try to scrape together enough cash for a bag. I recall that when I had 6 chickens, a bag of layer mash would last me almost a month, and I feed it free choice. I fear that if you don't get them on something with more nutrients, you will have serious issues soon.

Try to be creative - I know how it can be rough at times with this economy, but look around the house, your yard, your barn....maybe you can find something you could sell for a few bucks. If you live in a state with a bottle/can deposit, look around for empty cans/bottles if you have to. If you really look around, you'd be surprised at what you can find to sell! Good luck with your Bandit!

 

[angelmarie]

i've actually been doing that but people think i'm scamming them on here so i had to right an apology on my post does anyone want a playstation. I wanted them to understand what was going on. But i've been feeding them meats eggs anything i can

 

[Wynette]

Well, please don't take this the wrong way, but if you've gotten into a situation where you can't take care of your chickens, it might be a good idea to think about selling or giving them away to someone who can. Again, please don't misunderstand me - I've been through some very rough times myself and have had to make lots of sacrifices; however, as a pet owner, you have a responsibility to care fo ryour animals. If you cannot do so, it's unfair to the critters - we need to think of what's best for them.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the VERY best of luck!!

 

[angelmarie]

thanks

 

[farmgirlie1031]

Quote:
I agree. My family has been thorugh very hard times. But if you can't feed the critters correctly they need homes where they can be fed. I stopped eating lunch for a week so I could buy my dog her food when I was the only one working because my father was unemployed and my mother can't work. So it was their daughter taking care of them for awhile. I understand you are in hard times but I also think your chickens will die if they aren't fed correctly. And you don't want that do you? Sorry. I don't want a fight I'm just saying.

 

[Wynette]

It's a hard decision to make, we all understand. I'd be heartbroken if I had to give away or sell my chickens, as I find them to be my "therapy" after a hard day, and I often take a chair into my chicken run just to sit & spend time with them. My DH thinks I'm crazy, but I'm sure he's glad I have a way to find peace in this world that can at times be crazy! But, I guess when it's all said and done, we often do have difficult choices to make, and we need to do right by the critters that we care for.

Like I said, look around and see if you can find something to sell; my husband once sold a cherished set of golf clubs due to needing an expensive part for his car. He hated to part with the clubs, but he had to have a mode of transpo. to get to & from work. At that time, getting to work was more important. Anyhow, make the right decision by them, and you'll sleep well at night! Good luck!

 

[angelmarie]

shes still sick, they all have plaenty of feed, but no improvement. Shes distant from the flock, isn't really active, has diarea, and the oddested syptom, keeps her tail down, its not up like the rest of my chickens.