Sdwd

[Inkheart]

Intestinal Shedding? Meaning - well how do i put this politely - like a womans time of th emonth - where the intestine sort of cleanses it self? Thus producing this red jelly? I hope i did not offend

Jsut trying to understan that!

 

[PepsNick]

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Hmm... guess chickens have it too.

 

[Serrin]

It's always best to err on the side of caution Nick. Isolation could become your new best friend. Having said that, I'm putting my money on the sudden change in diet to be the culprit. As soon as you can, get her and the others back on their normal feed. Some chickens have a little bit more sensitive digestive track than others do, and it usually manifests itself in a sudden change in their poop. As for the bit of pasty butt situation, it's probably just on account of her having a bit of a runny poop. Clean it off if it bothers you, or just let Pepper take care of it herself. She will eventually you know. Probably when she gets ready for bedtime tonight.

A sudden loss of interest in food would be one thing to watch for, as well as any drastic changes to the color of her comb and wattles. Either can be an indication that the bird is under stress. Keep plenty of fresh water, food and perhaps some oyster shell available to her and keep her surroundings as quiet as possible. I hope she feels back to her old self as soon as you get her back on to her usual feed, Nick.

Keep us posted, and let us know if her condition changes.

 

[PepsNick]

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Thanks! She seems to be doing well and is eating fine. She has oyster shell. She is in the corner of the brooder now, laying. I'll see if the egg is normal. But here's my question- tomorrow, when the feed store opens, I'm switching feed anyway. Is that okay? She's going from organic feed with cracked corn mixed in to the Layena crumbles.

 

[Serrin]

You might want to try changing them over slowly Nick. Not all at once overnight like. In fact, if they are particularly fond of what they've always been getting, you might meet with some resistance to change on their part. Mine throw outright tantrums if they don't get their scratch grains every day. I'm not kidding. I ran out one time and tried to put just some straight up cracked corn I had for feeding the deer in their bowl.....they threw the bowl at me!

You'll never meet a healthy chicken that refuses to eat. Believe me, there comes a point where even the most finicky will give in to their hunger and eat whatever you have to offer. But it's still best to make the change over slowly. Take like about a week or so. Or how ever long it takes you to go through a fifty pound bag of feed.

Just make a fifty-fifty split of what you have been feeding with what you'd like to be feeding them. Gradually decrease the old feed and replace with the new. Before they know it, you'll have them switched over to the new feed. This is also a good time to cut back ever so slightly on the amount you give them, as they'll be less inclined to pick out only their favorite parts and leave the rest.

Of course, you could get lucky right off the bat and have them dive head first into the new stuff with total abandon!!

Good luck, either way.

 

[Cetawin]

Nick...I am going to jump in here on the food issue and put my 2 cents worth in...about the Layena and organic feed...

Frankly, they are not balanced properly for poultry. First...chickens need good solid meat based protein, they are carnivores not vegetarians. Secondly, Layena's ratio of calcium and niacin are not correct for poultry, great for ducks but not poultry. Ducks require the extra niacin and lower calcium but poultry are opposite in their needs.

If you are switching them over to a new feed, look for a solid meat based protein food and mix it with what they are currently eating and slowly start changing the quanity of mix...ie add more new food and less old food and keep increasing the new amount and decreasing the old amount...sudden switches are not good for them and some have major issues with digestion and intestines when you do a sudden switch. Why take the chance on stressing them or their systems when their is no need and especially in winter when they are battling the cold, balancing body heat and energy levels and still trying to lay?

So my recommendation is look for a high protein level of a meat based protein food for them and slowly switch them.


I myself am going back to mixing my own food because I am sick of these commercial feeds....my girls looked better, laid better and seemed healthy and happier when I was mixing their food. I am going to do the same with my horse because of the crap being sold. Blech

 

[Cetawin]

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pfffftttt I believe you...mine pitch a major tantrum if they do not get their scratch and some sort of treat each day...it can be as simple as leftover green beans or as extravagant as me baking seed blocks for them but something better go out there every day or there will be hellz bellz to pay! Spoiled Wenches!

 

[NellaBean]

Oh boy, I've been a naughty girl. I got some 21% layer pellets recently......assuming I would split it half scratch, half pellets. They picked most of the "good stuff" out so it was hard to do. I decided to just fill one feeder of the layer pellets and one feeder of the scratch. Interestingly enough, they are still going through the pellets as well as the scratch. I wonder if when given free choice, they may even regulate themselves? Not sure, but its a neat experiment. I can get a simple scratch for $7.40 a bag and its really cold out, so we're trying it. I am also giving them quite a bit of scrambled egg every few days, so I don't worry about the protein going down much. I actually got 18 eggs yesterday and today, which is a little better than usual. I didn't collect yesterday so not sure how many were from yesterday and how many from today. sure seemed like a lot were laid today though.

I have used layena in the past......and also a local co-ops layer pellets and gamebird breeder pellets. The new place I found has the 21% AND it has animal protein AND its cheaper. I think $11.90 per 50lb bag of the 21%. And they are smaller pellets too. I think I'm in love LOL. Layena isn't too bad considering some of the others. I use it when I run out and can't get to the other places. However, my birds do not like it as much as the other feeds.....

 

[Serrin]

Pellets?? Pellets?? Oh, my heavens NO!!! There is no way on God's sweet green earth that mine are ever going to accept layer PELLETS I tried to give them that once before. Everyone acted like they were choking to death on the stuff. That was another occasion on which I had the bowl thrown at me!

So, pellets? Not only no, but HECK NO!! I'd sooner offer them my own flesh than face that kind of wrath again!!

So, a whole fifty pound bag made the trip next door to the neighbors tiny flock, which I swear is on the verge of starvation every time I see them. They were down right ecstatic to get it!

Guess what else doesn't work very well around these parts? Putting a sock on Chiefs neck to keep Maggie from plucking him nekkid!

My poor magnificent rooster man! It completely messed up his sense of balance and everything! Darn it! It was such a great idea too!! I'm sure it would have worked if Chief didn't have the balance problem. He almost fell from the top roost in the coop at one point tonight. I had to take it off of him, for fear he would try to get up in the middle of the night, loose his balance and go over the edge. It could only have ended badly in that case. Had I not been there to catch him....well....nuff said. Even I don't want to go there and think about it.

Which that reminds me. LH, I am so truly sorry to hear about little d'Artagnan.

He was getting to be such a handsome man too.

My New Year's prayer for you my dear: No more losses of sweet boys through freak accidents or ridiculous heat waves! Poor boys.

Please, do post some of his adult pictures when you find them LH, so that we can remember him in all of his glory.

 

[kathyinmo]

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I KNOW this is not funny, yet I am rolling on the floor reading it. I'm sorry .... can't help it.

Tears rolling down my face. I dunno .... maybe I just have the giggles or something, but it is just cracking me up!