Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[fuzzi]

I have a hoop coop, no pop door needed.

After dark I still go outside to make sure everyone is up on the roost. During the winter one pullet would invariably be prevented from joining the others. It's not happened in a couple weeks, though. Maybe they're growing up.

 

[Perris]

Trying to finish off an article on UK/European alternatives to some of the medications one often sees mentioned on BYC that are available in the USA. I've read quite a few 'where can I get, I'm in the UK/Europe' so I'm hoping having an article to link to might save a bit of typing

It would be especially helpful if it distinguished between those that are available without prescription, and those that need one, so a vet visit first. Also, it might be challenging to cater for all of the EU, unless you're sure all the countries in it have signed up to the same set of restrictions on this (which I'm not sure they have; the UK certainly goes its own way here and is relatively advanced on trying to tackle the scourge of antimicrobial resistance). Perhaps a joint paper or at least consultation with e.g. ManueB (France), BDutch (Holland), Fluffycrow (Greece) and/or others living in the EU would be wise?

 

[ManueB]

It would be especially helpful if it distinguished between those that are available without prescription, and those that need one, so a vet visit first. Also, it might be challenging to cater for all of the EU, unless you're sure all the countries in it have signed up to the same set of restrictions on this (which I'm not sure they have; the UK certainly goes its own way here and is relatively advanced on trying to tackle the scourge of antimicrobial resistance). Perhaps a joint paper or at least consultation with e.g. ManueB (France), BDutch (Holland), Fluffycrow (Greece) and/or others living in the EU would be wise?

I've found out there are some differences within european countries not only regarding prescription but also availability, including for things that are often recommended on BYC.
Sometimes my only solution has been to order from abroad.

 

[Perris]

I've found out there are some differences within european countries not only regarding prescription but also availability, including for things that are often recommended on BYC.
Sometimes my only solution has been to order from abroad.

That's useful to know.

On the ordering from abroad bit, that raises another issue. I get regular emails from our Animal and Plant Health Agency, and they not infrequently include notices about seizure of illegal medicines at ports, with name and general address of the offender. Something to think about for those who might entertain the idea here.

 

[ManueB]

That's useful to know.

On the ordering from abroad bit, that raises another issue. I get regular emails from our Animal and Plant Health Agency, and they not infrequently include notices about seizure of illegal medicines at ports, with name and general address of the offender. Something to think about for those who might entertain the idea here.

Yes, definitely. It's illegal, I should have made that clear.
I had a dewormer shipped to me from a very well known US avian site. They wrote "vitamins" on the package content... Surprisingly the package did arrive although it had visibly been opened ; I had to pay custom rights to the mailman.

 

[BDutch]

Trying to finish off an article on UK/European alternatives to some of the medications one often sees mentioned on BYC that are available in the USA. I've read quite a few 'where can I get, I'm in the UK/Europe' so I'm hoping having an article to link to might save a bit of typing.

Great if you succeed in this.

In Europe (EU law) lots of medicines are only available after a vet visite. Im not sure if poultry is still welcome in a clinic anymore since the bird flu. And the trademarks we have here are often not the same as in the UK or other EU countries.

The website of ‘save a laying hen’ (from factory farming) in my country gives great info about common chicken diseases and treatment. Maybe interesting to dive into? You can easily translate with google nowadays.
https://www.redeenlegkip.nl/als-je-...o/veel-voorkomende-ziektes-en-problemen/#buik

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good afternoon one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 60s and sunny.

Have a great day!

 

[Shadrach]

It would be especially helpful if it distinguished between those that are available without prescription, and those that need one, so a vet visit first. Also, it might be challenging to cater for all of the EU, unless you're sure all the countries in it have signed up to the same set of restrictions on this (which I'm not sure they have; the UK certainly goes its own way here and is relatively advanced on trying to tackle the scourge of antimicrobial resistance). Perhaps a joint paper or at least consultation with e.g. ManueB (France), BDutch (Holland), Fluffycrow (Greece) and/or others living in the EU would be wise?

Yes you're right. Trying to include countries outside the UK would make things too complicated.
I'll let EU members write their own article.

 

[Shadrach]

I've found out there are some differences within european countries not only regarding prescription but also availability, including for things that are often recommended on BYC.
Sometimes my only solution has been to order from abroad.

The UK has become very strict about pet and livestock medication.
If you're after vet prescribed antibiotics you're looking at £50.00 consultation feed plus the cost of the drugs in many instances.
What is interesting is recently the government has permitted pharmacists to prescribe a limited number of what were prescription only drugs, antibiotics being one of them.

 

[Shadrach]

It stayed dry for the two and a half hours I was at the field. Around 8C with a light wind.
Dig only has one new peck mark. I had to lift him off Fret this evening. She got cornered behind the coop.
I take cockerels and some roosters off the backs of hens by grabbing a large handfull off hackle feathers, much like picking up a cat by the scruff of it's neck. It's what mum does with kittens, foxes do with kits, bears do with cubs, etc.
What happens with chickens is as one pulls upwards their mouth relaxes the grip they may have on something, a bit like pulling downward gripping the wattles. Picking males off females backs should one have to do it in this manner means he cant peck you and because his beak relaxes he doesn't pull out a bunch of the hens neck feathers or scrabble around on her back with his feet. Once off just throw the male (in this case anyway) (gently) onto the ground a few feet away. Do it right and they land on their feet with little impact.

Mow is giving me heart burn! I know she looks very different from Carbon and Fret and I know she's trying to avoid the attentions of Dig, especially in the evening before roosting. I keep having to look for her. She's not as safe on her own as she is with the others. Dig does check on her from time to time but I would much rather she stayed closer to the rest. She's a flat out forager. I reckon 50% of her diet is forage. She's at from being let out of the coop run until I go and usher her to the coop.

There they go. Two white bums in the distance.