- May 13, 2008
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There seems to be alot of similar posts here, but not quite the same problem.
I am a new chicken owner, as of the end of March. My peeps are now 7 weeks old. At 5 weeks, I started putting them outside during the day, and bringing them in at night, as they were just about fully feathered and quickly outgrowing the swimming pool in my laundry room.
So now they are out full time in a refurbished, totally enclosed dog pen, with nice little wood house (until we get the new coop and pen built). I keep clean wood shavings in the house, and the rest of the pen is sand/dirt. For the first 6 weeks, they were getting the Purina chick starter with anti-biotics. I started adding regular scratch feed to it last week, and now that's what they're getting full time.
I have a real mix of different breeds ( they all looked great on the website!), both full size and bantam, along with a couple geese and 3 ducks. All the same age.
The problem is, I have one beautiful little Silver Spangled Spitzhauben, that has suddenly gone lame. I noticed a few days ago that she looked like she was sitting back on her butt alot. Today, she's not using her legs at all. I was concerned about the rest of the gang running over her, or picking on her, so put her back in the laundry room in a little paper towel lined box, with the same feed and water. She's eating, but laying there with her legs splayed to one side.
She's one of my favorites--I'd hate to lose her. I noticed in some other postings that vitamins are frequently mentioned, but that seems overkill with everything that's already added to the chicken feed. I also pull grass for them, and give them fruits and veges.
She does not appear to be injured in any way.
Help please!
thx
I am a new chicken owner, as of the end of March. My peeps are now 7 weeks old. At 5 weeks, I started putting them outside during the day, and bringing them in at night, as they were just about fully feathered and quickly outgrowing the swimming pool in my laundry room.
So now they are out full time in a refurbished, totally enclosed dog pen, with nice little wood house (until we get the new coop and pen built). I keep clean wood shavings in the house, and the rest of the pen is sand/dirt. For the first 6 weeks, they were getting the Purina chick starter with anti-biotics. I started adding regular scratch feed to it last week, and now that's what they're getting full time.
I have a real mix of different breeds ( they all looked great on the website!), both full size and bantam, along with a couple geese and 3 ducks. All the same age.
The problem is, I have one beautiful little Silver Spangled Spitzhauben, that has suddenly gone lame. I noticed a few days ago that she looked like she was sitting back on her butt alot. Today, she's not using her legs at all. I was concerned about the rest of the gang running over her, or picking on her, so put her back in the laundry room in a little paper towel lined box, with the same feed and water. She's eating, but laying there with her legs splayed to one side.
She's one of my favorites--I'd hate to lose her. I noticed in some other postings that vitamins are frequently mentioned, but that seems overkill with everything that's already added to the chicken feed. I also pull grass for them, and give them fruits and veges.
She does not appear to be injured in any way.
Help please!
thx
