UK Member Please Say HI

[philyc]

Had these hatch last week. Got a funny feeling one is a bloke just because it's comb is bigger then the others but still unsure of breed.

 

[Gge23]

Hi Georgie

How old is she? Where was the injection administered? ie leg... if so which one... or back? It is possible that the injection damaged a nerve and I'm not sure how permanent or temporary that would be. I don't think a splint will help if it is nerve damage. I have tried splinting my birds with Marek's which initially causes sciatic nerve damage and it doesn't help, in fact it just makes things more awkward and cumbersome for them.
Another option is that she sprained or broke something whilst she was being injected.... did she struggle much? Adrenaline would have helped her not notice the pain until she had got away and calmed down. Have you inspected the leg? Is there any heat or swelling in it.... or does the foot feel cold compared to the other? Do the joints appear to work ok? Does she seem to be in pain when you manipulate it or just frustrated that she can't control it. You could give her a half a baby aspirin if you feel that she is in pain. If she is struggling to get about and you feel it is a physical injury, you could make her a chicken sling or splint it of course.
Have you checked her for bumblefoot.... I know it's too much of a coincidence that she became lame right after the injection but still worth checking.

A warm Epsom salts bath might also help her feel more comfortable and perhaps allow her to work it without bearing weight.

Good luck with her.

Barbara

Hi Barbara,

We injected her in her left thigh but she didn't struggle at all, in fact she was quite calm. I did check her foot afterwards to make sure it wasn't damaged or anything; she quite happily let me manipulate it to see if there was any tension, but that being said I didn't feel there was as much resistance in her left leg as there was in her right. I haven't seen where she was injected as our next door neighbour administered it for us, but I will see if I can get a better look tonight when I get home. How would you suggest we sling it if it is needed? Just strap it round her sort of? She doesn't seem too bothered as she is up and hopping around, just trying to not put too much weight on it.

 

[CiceroXY]

Um.. Can I say "Hi", even if I'm not British?

I mean, there are really few Europeans on BYC forum and UK thread is the only one from Europe that has a significant partecipation. Speaking with people from all over the world is amazing but I'd also like to know people that are geographically near to me

I'm from Italy and I have got a little flock consisting of Australorp, Isa and Harco chickens.

 

[rebrascora]

@CiceroXY

Hi and welcome. Don't see why we can't have an Italian visitor to this thread. Pleased to have you on board! Sounds like you have a nice little flock. I've heard only good things about Australorps and ISA browns are the ultimate laying machine although I would have thought Leghorns would have been the breed to have for egg production in your location since they are Italian! I've not heard of Harcos but they sound like another hybrid.... will have to research it now.

Where in Italy are you? I imagine there is a pretty significant climate difference between the north and the south.... even more so than here in the UK! What problems do you encounter with your poultry keeping? I'm battling red mites at the moment and don't seem to be winning! Lots of chicks running around to balance the rough with the smooth though. Do you have any other animals? Farm or pets? We like to share photos if you have any?

Look forward to hearing more about you and your set up.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[rebrascora]

@Gge23

Hi again Georgie

It's good to hear that she didn't struggle and wasn't overly traumatised by the injection and it doesn't sound like she is in pain, just a numb leg.

A chicken sling is actually for the whole chicken rather than just a limb, so calling it a hammock is probably more appropriate. It's useful for keeping chickens that are sick or lame and can't support themselves, in an upright position. You can make a simple one out of a cardboard box and an old T-shirt by putting the box inside the body of the T-shirt and cutting slots in the part of the fabric that is covering the open top of the box for legs to fit through and another hole where the vent is for poop to drop through, so that the chicken is suspended by the fabric with legs dangling through. You can then gather the material at either side and clip it with a peg or safety pin to lift the chicken to the appropriate height to take weight off their legs. If you do a search for chicken sling, you should come across several posts with photos.... some are quite fancy looking contraptions but a strong cardboard box and T shirt work pretty well.
If you get stuck, let me know and I'll rig one up and take a photo for you.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Gge23]

@Gge23


Hi again Georgie

It's good to hear that she didn't struggle and wasn't overly traumatised by the injection and it doesn't sound like she is in pain, just a numb leg.

A chicken sling is actually for the whole chicken rather than just a limb, so calling it a hammock is probably more appropriate. It's useful for keeping chickens that are sick or lame and can't support themselves, in an upright position. You can make a simple one out of a cardboard box and an old T-shirt by putting the box inside the body of the T-shirt and cutting slots in the part of the fabric that is covering the open top of the box for legs to fit through and another hole where the vent is for poop to drop through, so that the chicken is suspended by the fabric with legs dangling through. You can then gather the material at either side and clip it with a peg or safety pin to lift the chicken to the appropriate height to take weight off their legs. If you do a search for chicken sling, you should come across several posts with photos.... some are quite fancy looking contraptions but a strong cardboard box and T shirt work pretty well.
If you get stuck, let me know and I'll rig one up and take a photo for you.

Regards

Barbara  

Hi Barbara,
Well that sounds like good news to me! Better than hearing she had nerve damage, at least a numb leg will mend. I have google chicken slings and I see what you mean now. How long should she be in something like that, if it is just a numb leg, or perhaps a twist/sprain?

 

[rebrascora]

How long should she be in something like that, if it is just a numb leg, or perhaps a twist/sprain?

Probably as long as you can keep her there!!! She most likely will want to be out as soon as she is able.... Keep trying her to see if she is improving.
You may have misunderstood me as regards the possible severity. I'm not saying it is not nerve damage, but just that it doesn't sound like she is in pain.... nerve damage can cause either numbness or pain. Paraplegics usually can't walk because they have nerve damage, but it doesn't follow that they have pain. Chickens are amazingly good both at healing and adapting though. I had one with Marek's that lost the use of her leg. She kept standing on her own toes and tripping.... I tried various splints/boots etc to help her but all it did was make things more difficult. After a few weeks of limping and stumbling, she learned to lift her bad leg up so that the foot was clear of the ground and hopped everywhere. She became incredibly agile and could get up and down to and from the highest roost.... nearly 6ft off the ground. So don't write your girl off if she doesn't regain use of that leg. It's hard to watch them struggling and floundering but sometimes they need to work through it to figure it out. If they aren't obviously in pain, let them try to cope as long as they aren't getting picked on.

 

[CiceroXY]

@rebrascora
Thank you Barbara for the welcome. I’m glad to be on board!

Australorp chickens are pretty good: high egg production, docile and smart in temperament, good-looking breed…. But you know, we’re talking about a dual purpose breed so they eat a lot more than Isa and Harco chickens. You are right, Harcos are hybrid hens like Isa browns. But they are completely black except the neck. They have got brown neck.
“Leghorn” is the anglicized version of the Italian word Livorno that is a city located in Tuscany, the region where this breed originated. In fact we just call this breed “Livorno” in Italy. I really don’t know why there aren’t Italian breed chickens in my flock. I never thought about it before.

Maybe in the future I will breed Leghorn or another Italian breed. Everything is possible. What type of chickens do you breed? Do you have any Orpington and Sussex chickens?

I’m in Southern Italy. I live in a touristic area because my village is located between the ancient city of Pompeii and the Amalfi coast that are both World Heritage Sites so many tourists come here, specially during the summer. The climate in Italy is different between north and south but the sea’s presence makes all the difference! Almost all the peninsula has a mediterranean climate (center and south). Northern regions like Lombardy or Piedmont aren’t washed by sea and the Alps are there so they have cooler summers and colder winters than the rest of the country.
Is it the same in UK? I figure that in UK, specially in Scotland, people spend a lot of money in house-heating systems, right? It’s just a guess, I really don’t know.

Well, there are a lot of problems that I encounter with my poultry keeping. Summer is almost gone here and we have had a lot of rain these days. The egg production has drastically been slowed down for a couple of weeks. I think it’s just the change of the season, autumn is coming. Isas and Harcos are laying really few eggs but Australorps are totally taking a break. Do you have any advices for me?

Red mites are sly enemies. I do not have much experience about red mites but I know that they can hide in the straw. If you use the straw as bedding, you should replace it with another material like pine shavings.
I also have got 3 bantam hens that have the task of hatching even if I have got a small incubator. I don’t have other pets and farm animals at the moment. But when I was a child, we had a Maremma sheepdog.

Ya, I have some photos on my computer but they aren't recent photos. These Australorps were born this winter and were all balck Australorps except one that was a White Australorp. Fortunately she has became a hen. In winter we use infrared lamps in order to warm the chicks up, in summer we don't use anything.

 

[rebrascora]

@CiceroXY

Hi again

Lovely to hear more about you and can I congratulate you on your written English. I'm assuming it's not your native language but it really is exceptionally good!

.... I'm going to look an awful fool if you are actually a native English speaker

.

Yes I was aware of the leghorn/Livorno background as I researched them when I first got some. I have some exchequer leghorns and I do have one Light Sussex (no Orpingtons yet though) and several other foreign breeds but other than that, it is a very international and multiracial flock....ie quite a lot of barnyard mutts! I also have bantam pekins (Cochins in the USA but not sure what they are called in Italy) which are totally leading me astray as far as hatching too many chicks. Thankfully that will come to an end now that the summer is nearly over and since I don't have an incubator there will be no more chicks till next summer. 56 chicks hatched this year and I've lost about 5 I think, so there are going to be a lot of cockerels to process soon!.... not my favourite job but the flock will be a lot more peaceful when they are gone.

It sounds like you live in a wonderful area! In the UK we all spend a lot on heating regardless of north or south.... the northerners are hardier but yes you are right, it can be pretty bleak in Scotland in winter. I'm in the North East of England. It used to be a very industrialised area...lots of coal mining, iron production and ship building, but now it's all gone and been landscaped over and quite green. I live in a rural village about 30 miles from the coast and the farmyard where I keep my horses and chickens is actually on the site of a roman fort. I also keep bees and have cats to keep the mice and rabbit population in check.

Love the photos of your chicks. Will you breed from the white Australorp?

The coop where I'm having problems with red mites is actually all sawdust. As regards egg production I take the view that it is natural and good for them to take a break, so I don't really mind.... I'm not into intensive farming. The young pullets hatched earlier this year will be coming into lay soon and my broody hens seem to moult whilst they are brooding, so they help out now whilst the production girls take a break. Finding the eggs is the biggest problem for me as my flock mostly free ranges and there are lots of sneaky places where they can hide a nest. Last year I assumed that they had dropped production and then one day I heard the egg song coming from up above my head. When I got a ladder and several egg boxes I found a mountain of 47 pretty pink and blue eggs in the wall under the eves! That was just after Christmas and because it was cold every single egg was still edible!

Anyway, I must go now as I have lots to do and lunch break is over.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[Rudies Roost]

@ciceroXY

You are sooo lucky to live where you do! I adore Italy, specifically Venice and I would love to do a drive up the Amalfi Coast.

Hi everyone else, hope you're all doing well?

My little chick with dodgy eyes is still going...still half blind but has the appetite of a horse!! Loves a hand feed and he'll peck the back of your legs if you ignore him (little devil).

My egg production hasn't slowed down too much yet, just a few of the pure breeds stopping to moult, they're not the best layers anyway.

I have found DE to be the best red mite solution. I use a brand called "Multi mite" that I buy in 10kg sacks off eBay. I put it EVERYWHERE!!!! In their food, all over the coop, in the dustbaths and on them (along with Ivermectin). I'm usually covered in the stuff by the end of the day. Some do still filter through sometimes but generally I'm not too overun. I too use shavings, a little straw goes on the nest boxes but that's changed every few days anyway.

Not much news for now really.

@Gge23

I used a sling for my hen with Marek's and it worked a treat, she was fairly incapacitated though so she needed the help. She did regain use of her legs and wing but sadly succumbed to the disease again and passed away a few months back. Once she had the use of her limbs back she used to "flip" herself out of the sling at any opportunity so I gave in and let her carry on incase she did any further damage so good luck keeping your hen in one if she only has superficial damage!