Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[LisaYolkUm]

hello local chicken advisors and experts!

I have several things I need your input on.................you are such a valuable source of help and ideas.........not sure I would feel comfortable raising my chickens without this forum!

1. Ramona's health

Ramona is a NHR that is molting and she is maybe 2.5 yrs old? anyway..........she was always the biggest of my 3 chickens and the dominant gal............or at least tied for top gal.
Since she has been molting another chicken my SLW Sylvie picks on her and kind of keeps Ramona away from the food. Now Sylvie never did that before..........she was never mean to any of the others and never blocked the food bowl etc.

So I make sure I put at least 2 sources of food out there so that they can be at separate bowls or run back and forth between them. I even hold a bowl just for Ramona when I go out there to be sure she gets a little bit without any interference from the others.

Ramona.............is molting, seems like she is losing weight, is being picked on, and her comb color doesnt look good..........its red but kinda dried and not a nice bright red........kinda dull.
So I am worried about her.

Today I put Wazine in the water source to see if maybe there might be a worm situation.................I have not wormed them and should have done so already.

I have tried to give them varied food.
They always have their pellets, and then I give corn and black sunflower seeds as treats, I made pinecones with peanut butter and scratch and sunflowers on them, I sometimes, not often give them oatmeal, and sometimes a few scrambled eggs..........


Any other ideas..............

I know the suggesting is Ivermectin in 2 weeks ................so I have to see if I have that.

Would a nutridrench of vitamins etc be practical in a few days once there is no wazine in the water?

I am worried about her...................she does not seem acutely ill yet just generally declining..........and stressed.


2. next issue................I have a squirrel that seems to be trying to eat his way into the coop..............anyone ever had that?



looking forward to your ideas....................thanks!

 

[barbiegirl]

Just my way of thinking but I would cook that up and feed it to the birds..... justice in my sick mind...

We wanted to. We had to go to the feed mill, we got stuck in traffic on the way home. They decided to close Rt 80 to put up a sign!!! Argh. By the time we got home and did all the other stuff we needed to do we ran out of time. Hubby said he was very heavy.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

hello local chicken advisors and experts!

I have several things I need your input on.................you are such a valuable source of help and ideas.........not sure I would feel comfortable raising my chickens without this forum!

1. Ramona's health

Ramona is a NHR that is molting and she is maybe 2.5 yrs old? anyway..........she was always the biggest of my 3 chickens and the dominant gal............or at least tied for top gal.
Since she has been molting another chicken my SLW Sylvie picks on her and kind of keeps Ramona away from the food. Now Sylvie never did that before..........she was never mean to any of the others and never blocked the food bowl etc.

So I make sure I put at least 2 sources of food out there so that they can be at separate bowls or run back and forth between them. I even hold a bowl just for Ramona when I go out there to be sure she gets a little bit without any interference from the others.

Ramona.............is molting, seems like she is losing weight, is being picked on, and her comb color doesnt look good..........its red but kinda dried and not a nice bright red........kinda dull.
So I am worried about her.

Today I put Wazine in the water source to see if maybe there might be a worm situation.................I have not wormed them and should have done so already.

I have tried to give them varied food.
They always have their pellets, and then I give corn and black sunflower seeds as treats, I made pinecones with peanut butter and scratch and sunflowers on them, I sometimes, not often give them oatmeal, and sometimes a few scrambled eggs..........


Any other ideas..............

I know the suggesting is Ivermectin in 2 weeks ................so I have to see if I have that.

Would a nutridrench of vitamins etc be practical in a few days once there is no wazine in the water?

I am worried about her...................she does not seem acutely ill yet just generally declining..........and stressed.


2. next issue................I have a squirrel that seems to be trying to eat his way into the coop..............anyone ever had that?



looking forward to your ideas....................thanks!

haven't had anything try to get into the coop..yet..so besides maybe putting wire in that area..not sure exactly where on/in your coop squirrel is chewing..
as far as your molting girl...Ginger, my BLW..she had a VERY hard molt last year..thought she was on the way out..that bad...she would stand there like she was out of it..not eating..ended up on the bottom of the totem pole because she wasn't "apart" of the flock..she would stay inside, out of the weather as much as she could....didn't want to be bothered..bumped..just looked really bad..her eyes would be closed a lot of the time or just little slits...she was bad...but, she made it..all is good- would be better if she was laying eggs right now, but i digress..

just letting you know she looks bad but she will be okay, this can be a hard time for them ...(last year),that was when I had given them the dog food..was trying to help them with the whole protein thing..another thing I am doing right now, I have left over meat bird food from the CX's..before bed I give the girls I nice helping of that..gives them a full crop to work on-make a full furnace and ups the protein.
I hope some of this helps you..i haven't been doing this very long, but have run into quite a bit in the short time. Amazing how much you learn with these animals!!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

They will be fine, I often do things like this.... I also feed them the left over carcass from butchering...had someone skin and cut up a deer in the shed and the birds cleaned off the bones that were left.. Sounds gross but think of what you see wild birds eating.

Not gross, we all understand here. Dust to dust, right?

My girls love left over chicken and turkey. They pick the bones clean! Lookie what we caught last night!!!! This sucker was huge. Hope to catch his/her family. Don't want to loose any more chickens!

Good show!

NOT an expert, but..I gave mine left-over canned dog food last year...they loved it! Didn't hurt them one bit! Wish I had more of that kind a thing for them right now..they are really throwing feathers ...looks like a pillow went crazy every morning we go in there to clean-up.... oh wow...glad ya got that bugger!! Good luck getting the rest of the "family"!!!!

Thanks! Yep, the feathers are crazy!

Just my way of thinking but I would cook that up and feed it to the birds..... justice in my sick mind...

Haha! I love it! They'd eat it up like little piggies for sure.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

hello local chicken advisors and experts!

I have several things I need your input on.................you are such a valuable source of help and ideas.........not sure I would feel comfortable raising my chickens without this forum!

1. Ramona's health

Ramona is a NHR that is molting and she is maybe 2.5 yrs old? anyway..........she was always the biggest of my 3 chickens and the dominant gal............or at least tied for top gal.
Since she has been molting another chicken my SLW Sylvie picks on her and kind of keeps Ramona away from the food. Now Sylvie never did that before..........she was never mean to any of the others and never blocked the food bowl etc.

So I make sure I put at least 2 sources of food out there so that they can be at separate bowls or run back and forth between them. I even hold a bowl just for Ramona when I go out there to be sure she gets a little bit without any interference from the others.

Ramona.............is molting, seems like she is losing weight, is being picked on, and her comb color doesnt look good..........its red but kinda dried and not a nice bright red........kinda dull.
So I am worried about her.

Today I put Wazine in the water source to see if maybe there might be a worm situation.................I have not wormed them and should have done so already.

I have tried to give them varied food.
They always have their pellets, and then I give corn and black sunflower seeds as treats, I made pinecones with peanut butter and scratch and sunflowers on them, I sometimes, not often give them oatmeal, and sometimes a few scrambled eggs..........


Any other ideas..............

I know the suggesting is Ivermectin in 2 weeks ................so I have to see if I have that.

Would a nutridrench of vitamins etc be practical in a few days once there is no wazine in the water?

I am worried about her...................she does not seem acutely ill yet just generally declining..........and stressed.


2. next issue................I have a squirrel that seems to be trying to eat his way into the coop..............anyone ever had that?



looking forward to your ideas....................thanks!

sorry..forgot to add about the vitamins..I did-do give them a shot of vitamins from time to time also...just because...this time of year is rough on them.
I think your doing great with..giving them different foods, variety..worming...vitamins..extra protein..sounds like your on the right track to me

...I am sure other have more ideas to help you...and me

...

can you be more specific as to where the squirrel is trying to get in?..

 

[Blarneyeggs]

@Barbie, Awesome Job! Raccoons Beware!!

@Lisa, you can get Ivermectin at Tractor Supply. I usually up the protein when my birds are molting.

My Devan is doing well, she gets a break over the holidays and has her radiation therapy in January. She is back to work and even got a promotion, good stuff.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

@Barbie, Awesome Job! Raccoons Beware!!

@Lisa, you can get Ivermectin at Tractor Supply. I usually up the protein when my birds are molting.

My Devan is doing well, she gets a break over the holidays and has her radiation therapy in January. She is back to work and even got a promotion, good stuff.

so good to hear Blarney

....may everything continue in a positive direction!!

I can't wait till our TSC is open!!!

 

[chippysmom327]

hello local chicken advisors and experts!

I have several things I need your input on.................you are such a valuable source of help and ideas.........not sure I would feel comfortable raising my chickens without this forum!

1.  Ramona's health

Ramona is a NHR that is molting and she is maybe 2.5 yrs old?    anyway..........she was always the biggest of my 3 chickens and the dominant gal............or at least tied for top gal.
Since she has been molting another chicken my SLW Sylvie picks on her and kind of keeps Ramona away from the  food.    Now Sylvie never did that before..........she was never mean to any of the others and never blocked the food bowl etc.

So I make sure I put at least 2 sources of food out there so that they can be at separate bowls or run back and forth between them.  I even hold a bowl just for Ramona when I go out there to be sure she gets a little bit without any interference from the others.   

Ramona.............is molting,     seems like she is losing weight,   is being picked on,  and her comb color doesnt look good..........its red but kinda dried and not a nice bright red........kinda dull.
So I am worried about her.

Today I put Wazine in the water source to see if maybe there might be a worm situation.................I have not wormed them and should have done so already.   

I have tried to give them varied food.   
They always have their pellets,   and then I give corn and black sunflower seeds as treats,  I made pinecones with peanut butter and scratch and sunflowers on them,   I sometimes, not often give them oatmeal, and sometimes a  few scrambled eggs..........


Any other ideas..............

I know the suggesting is Ivermectin in 2 weeks ................so I have to see if I have that. 

Would a nutridrench of vitamins etc be practical in a few days once there is no wazine in the water?

I am worried about her...................she does not seem acutely ill yet just generally declining..........and stressed.


2.  next issue................I have a squirrel that seems to be trying to eat his way into the coop..............anyone ever had that?



looking forward to your ideas....................thanks!

Molts are harder on the older ladies. Her comb is dull and shrinking because she isn't producing right now. I'd hold off on the worming for now because it would be hard on her system. Her body is already stressed because a feather is made of 80-90% protein, and she needs that more than anything. Lack of protein makes you weak, and just generally feeling blah. I know you give all those protein rich foods, and that's great. Keep it up. And the fact that they have pin feathers poking through their skin is just...Ouch.

My 3 year old hen hasn't been eating as much either, and has dropped in the pecking order (usually on top), and has dried and dull comb and wattles. I just make sure to keep the water laced with acv, vitamins, and electrolytes. She'll make it just like Ramona will.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Don't these 2 look like they're posing?

 

[LadyBehir]

What a nice pic, Blarney. And yay for Devan!

In other chicken news, all 6 of them were in the coop when I got back from the grocery store just after sundown! Either the cold chased them in, or me showing them where to go one time!!! worked. Either way, they aren't under, but are now IN the coop. 3 of them were still in a cuddle puddle, but whatever works for them is fine with me.