One hen has diarrhea, another is missing feathers...

[Prairie Orca]

I tried tracking down water soluble vitamins/electrolytes, but both the feed stores I've spoken to were being very unhelpful and I am still empty-handed on that note.

Those further descriptions of what emaciation is like and what to look for in regards to lice and mites help a great deal, Zoey.

Bad as it may sound, I need to avoid veterinary care; my parents will flip out and have a big rant about how we can't afford such a thing.

I'm all for taking them to the vet, but they wouldn't even consider it and they'll somehow guilt trip me into giving up on the thought of it.

I finally got a head of cabbage, some broccoli, and yogurt last night. Today I mixed some yogurt with cooked oatmeal, and... they absolutely DEVOURED it. Every single one of them went nuts! I'll give them yogurt tomorrow and the day after also. Need to find some rope to tie the cabbage and broccoli to, so that the chickens have something to entertain them.

They are all acting normally, eating like pigs, and the excrement that I've been finding and witnessing have all been looking normal the past few days. The two hens are looking better every day.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thats great Prairie, we love to hear good reports. When you worm be sure to also give them yogurt and or butter milk for at least 3 days after because it will help their gut get back to normal. We just hung a head of cabbage out in the coop, my dh took a very large nai ran it through the head then we strung wire on either side to hang they have been playing tether ball all day lol. hope things continue to go great for them, keep us updated okay!!!

 

[Prairie Orca]

Today I prepared another oatmeal-yogurt mixture and headed to the coop. I opened the door, stepped in, closed the door behind me...

Yappy and Quiet Hen were "dust bathing" in the straw bedding!

Cochina and the boys went after the treat first, leaving lots of straw in there. I took it away from them before they could finish it off and picked out the straw.

I then showed the treat to the hens and Yappy followed the treat to one of the feed bins (we use large plastic containers). Eventually Quiet Hen came over and ate some too, while I filled the food dish with feed and scratch.

It was all over so quick, that aside from the time I took to let the oatmeal cool off, the treat did not drop in temperature.

I then noticed that the hens were scratching at the bedding... they were foraging! It was the most concentrated effort I have seen from them since the snow first fell, so I tossed some scratch around the area they were working in. That made them quite happy.

The feathers coming in on both Yappy and Quiet Hen are much darker... much more RIR-like. I'm now wondering if Itchy's aggressiveness came at the same time as a moult for the girls...?

I'll see to the veggies later - I have a doctor's appointment.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Very cool Orca, sounds great. And you might have hit the nail on the heard as far as what started all of this, Keep up the good work...

 

[Prairie Orca]

Sorry for the late update - life's been hectic lately.

The girls started laying by January 20th and have been laying almost daily since. The 18-egg carton we use keeps getting filled up faster than we can eat them, so my mom and I have had to have eggs almost every day this week. We might have to make egg salad again!

I got my hands on some vitamins with electrolytes, and with that the chickens have been more active and behaving more normally. Itchy is still being a pain in the butt, but Scratchy helps me to keep him in line.

I expect it will be at least another two weeks before they will even consider going outside - the snow is just starting to melt. On my birthday (the 20th) the first of the green grass was finally exposed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds great so glad to hear they are doing better, we all can use some good ole sunshine and warmth, Happy Spring and Happy Birthday a few days late..