New owner to 3 hens

[Chickadee11]

Hi, I'm in the UK and have taken on 3 hens. I've been busy attending to them but have come to realise they r just messy lol. I am a bit concerned and the clumps of bedding/ food/ mud on their feet and some of the runny poos I have found. They are still settling in and seem very happy especially when having a dust bath. I've had some eggs with very thin shells and one that just seemed to be soft shell and not much else. They've got grit and oyster shell.

The vet has seen them and said one seems s bit thin but she's eating well.

Just getting used to all this!

Sarah

 

[Kevin565]

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

 

[n8ivetxn]

Hi Sarah! Welcome!

If you feel comfortable with it, you can take a dry towel or old rag and wipe the feet off. - If the egg shells are thin or non-existant, they need calcium. Usually given in the form of crushed oyster shells just in a dish or added to feed, liberally, they'll eat what they need. It seems like these girls may be malnurished.... I have a hen who lays eggs without a shell. She's young. I give her some cottage cheese a couple times a week, just a little - they all love that stuff.

The runny poo may just be because of stress/moving, etc. Did the vet suggest de-worming them? I wouldn't worry too much about runny poo unless it has blood or it continues.....

 

[NonnasBabies]

Welcome!!

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Hi and from Ohio. So glad you joined.

 

[Fierlin1182]

Hello and

Glad to have you here!
Chickens will sometimes do runny poos to clean things out. As long as it's not all the time you should be ok. As for the soft shells, they're usually a sign of calcium deficiency (are your chickens eating the oyster shell?) but we also had a chicken who just laid soft shelled eggs because there was something awry with her, and there wasn't much we could do to help.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions you might have, and enjoy the site.

 

[sumi]

Hello and

 

[Buckhunter76]

Hello and

from Ohio