My hen won't eat the feed, only treats.......

[dweder]

I have never wormed them. The topic is very controversial, especially with such a small flock like I have.

I have Wazine on hand. I guess I could give that a try......

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Please note that it is generally recommended on BYC to toss the eggs "egg withdrawal time" for a specified amount of time after worming with Wazine.

Also please note that if your hen is ill for another reason, worming them is additional stress on them and might kill them according to some threads I have read on BYC. It is a judgement call on your part. I have no idea what to recommend for you in this situation, as I have never had to deal with frostbite or worms.

Edited to add: I'm going into lurking mode on this thread- I just had to tell you about tossing the eggs in case you didn't know- sorry but I just feel that it's above and beyond my expertise level....

I hope your hen gets better!

 

[chuckzoo]

I would mix a tiny bit of her treats in with her layer food. If she likes yogurt mix it in to make a course crumbly feed. Or you could try buttermilk until she becomes accustomed to eating her layer feed.

Good luck.

 

[dweder]

So....how do I begin to determine if she has worms?

 

[chuckzoo]

You could take a fresh stool sample to your vets office to have a fecal done. Mine cost $26.

I personally don't think it's a good idea to "hit them when they are down". If she is not doing great right now worming could exacerbate this as Chickensaresweet said. I know a lot of people are worming now as they are not getting many eggs anyway but, with the stress that the cold puts on them at this time of the year I am uninclined to do it now. Many will disagree with me, so remember this is my own personal feeling about the issue.

I would concentrate on trying to build her up at this stage.

 

[linmar]

Treats

I've been around the kitchen more than usual and cooking more and so, producing more food scraps. Everything goes to the hens AND they have been producing more eggs that are tastier than ever.

Real food is a varied diet--not just a treat.

They eat grass in the summer, but now there is way over a foot of snow here. So they need that veggie matter. Today when I bought layer pellets I also bought a bale of hay to place in their snowy fenced-in area. They love the hay.


Lebanon, NH