tjordan2
Hatching
Hi there! This is my first post and my first chicken!
So, I rescued a broiler chick runt who was going to be slaughtered because of it's lack of growth. I think it's a hen so I'll just call it a she for now. She's around 2 months old. She now has a coop mate, an Ameraucana hen who is about 2 1/2 months. I've had a few problems already with the broiler and realize that they do usually come with health issues. I've done quite a bit of research and my head is starting to spin. And I'm trying to avoid vet bills!
For starters, she didn't start growing her feathers until less than a week ago because I finally realized that she had mites (I think) I treated both of them with a powder and it seems to have helped. It's starting to get cold here in central VA and I've been worried about her being too cold and predators (my neighbor feeds the raccoons) so I bring them in at night to a large dog kennel. I'm about to buy them a thermo-peep and further predator proof their coop so they can stay outside all night long.
About two weeks ago I went to let them out in the morning and I noticed her right side was swollen like a golf ball. I figured out it was the impacted crop. I've been working on that with probiotics (they also get electrolytes), adding chick grit to their starter feed, not giving 'treats', adding apple cider vinegar to their water. BUT, I've read they don't need extra grit if they're eating starter feed and free ranging. I can't free range them all day. They're not big enough to be unattended and I don't have a large run for them, just their coop. But I let them out as much as I can.
She hasn't had the 'golf ball' since then but has woken up a couple of times with her crop not being completely empty it seems. I've tried rationing their food but they act like they haven't eaten all week when I go to feed them so they scarf everything down as quickly as possible. I tried giving them a side dish of grit (about one tbsp) and now it's completely empty. Did they eat it all because they were still hungry? Someone who raises broilers told me they would only eat as much as they needed. And I've been worried about her gaining weight too quickly, considering her breed. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
As far as THE GREEN POO, it's intermittent. I was reading a thread on here about how that could mean worms. ??? Or is it just all the grass and clover she eats in the yard? I'm going crazy with all of this. I feel like the mother of a newborn again. I don't even know where to begin if it's worms. Should I post this in a different forum as well?
P.S. Both chickens seem healthy otherwise. They're not lethargic at all. They're pretty chipper and eager to follow me around the yard to look for bugs!
Thank you in advance for any advice!
So, I rescued a broiler chick runt who was going to be slaughtered because of it's lack of growth. I think it's a hen so I'll just call it a she for now. She's around 2 months old. She now has a coop mate, an Ameraucana hen who is about 2 1/2 months. I've had a few problems already with the broiler and realize that they do usually come with health issues. I've done quite a bit of research and my head is starting to spin. And I'm trying to avoid vet bills!
For starters, she didn't start growing her feathers until less than a week ago because I finally realized that she had mites (I think) I treated both of them with a powder and it seems to have helped. It's starting to get cold here in central VA and I've been worried about her being too cold and predators (my neighbor feeds the raccoons) so I bring them in at night to a large dog kennel. I'm about to buy them a thermo-peep and further predator proof their coop so they can stay outside all night long.
About two weeks ago I went to let them out in the morning and I noticed her right side was swollen like a golf ball. I figured out it was the impacted crop. I've been working on that with probiotics (they also get electrolytes), adding chick grit to their starter feed, not giving 'treats', adding apple cider vinegar to their water. BUT, I've read they don't need extra grit if they're eating starter feed and free ranging. I can't free range them all day. They're not big enough to be unattended and I don't have a large run for them, just their coop. But I let them out as much as I can.
She hasn't had the 'golf ball' since then but has woken up a couple of times with her crop not being completely empty it seems. I've tried rationing their food but they act like they haven't eaten all week when I go to feed them so they scarf everything down as quickly as possible. I tried giving them a side dish of grit (about one tbsp) and now it's completely empty. Did they eat it all because they were still hungry? Someone who raises broilers told me they would only eat as much as they needed. And I've been worried about her gaining weight too quickly, considering her breed. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
As far as THE GREEN POO, it's intermittent. I was reading a thread on here about how that could mean worms. ??? Or is it just all the grass and clover she eats in the yard? I'm going crazy with all of this. I feel like the mother of a newborn again. I don't even know where to begin if it's worms. Should I post this in a different forum as well?
P.S. Both chickens seem healthy otherwise. They're not lethargic at all. They're pretty chipper and eager to follow me around the yard to look for bugs!
Thank you in advance for any advice!
