Chickens have arrived

[Healing Hands]

Well at long last I now have one hen but I also have a cockeral as the other chicks are waiting to be identified, and this hen had to come with the cockeral,, but he will go back once we get the others. So my hen is caled Matilda and the cock Bertie. I am so happy with them and now cannot wait for the other hens to arrive. :D Oola, can you get the chickens insured so that I will not get expensive vet bills?

[sunflower]

How lovely!! What breed of chickens are they and the colour? On another forum, people were saying that chicken insurance is very expensive because they come under the title of exotic birds. However, another person said that he found one place where you can insure chickens, probably for people who keep large flocks of poultry. The other road you could take is to register at a Vet surgery and take out a health plan there. But make sure there are vets there who are skilled in poultry. I have found that, one of the main differences between keeping a dog, cat, rabbit or budgie and keeping hens is that, with those animals, apart from applying flea powder etc, if they become ill I take them straight to the Vet. With chicken keeping, YOU become the vet nurse. This is why most of us have a large array of medications and treatments and treat our own birds.
So, welcome to Maltida and Bertie. Have lots of fun watching and taking care of themxxx

[Healing Hands]

Thanks Sunflower for the advice. They are Peking Bantums and they are grey and looking so cute, when I have time I will get some photo's on here.

How often do you apply flea powder and what other medications should I keep just in case?

I do have a good vets here so I will pop in a check if they are skilled in poultry.

[sunflower]

I put red mite powder under their wings and vent around every two to four weeks. However, I put the powder in with the bedding in the nest box everytime I change that, which is nearly everyday. I use poultry spice to add to their food as a 'perk me up' especially during moulting...I believe. Also, I have a liquid called Lifeguard. This, I add to their water in very small quantities. I used both of these everyday, when I first had the hens because they were from cages. To cut down the droppings smell I add powdered garlic into their food. This special garlic can be bought at Horsey places, not the supermarkets. I also use Bokashi bran in their food which helps to reduce smells and maks their droppings more managble. I have 'Flubenvet' which is for worming poultry against gapeworm. I've just used this for the first time. No signs of worms but it has reduced their egg production two weeks later!!! So not impressed. I have Diatem powder. This is derived from fossils, and is supposed to kill all kinds of living nasties in and round poultry. I just put a squeeze in their food to help prevent gapeworm. The latest advice regarding cleaning the henhouse and other bits is Dettol. This will be the first time I have used it. It is supposed to prevent and kill bird flu virus. It is used half and half with water, and the house must be perfectly dry before the hens are allowed in. Whooooh!!! Your pekins sound lovely. xxx

[sunflower]

Ooh, I forgot. To prevent flies, I use Citrenella oil and Eucalyptus oil in and around the run. I bought these from Boots the Chemist. There is also something called 'Rescue Remedy' I do'nt have this but, it is supposed to help calm down and return to health chickens who have suffered a shock.......I might have to buy this in November ready for Guy Falkes night. I'm dreading it. Last year was'nt too bad, but in the past it has sounded and smelt like a war zone. Both my budgie and my son's friend's rabbit died on a particular dreadful bonfire night from shock. Looking forward to seeing pics of your Maltida and Bertie.

[Healing Hands]

Oh my goodness there is so much to learn about chickens, thank you Sunflower for the sound advise which I have made a note on and will carry these out. No doubt I will be coming to you for more advise as the time goes along.

One other thing have you cliipped you hens wings? As I am told this stops them from flying.

I forgot about Bonfire night, I will have to make some little ear buffs! :D

[sunflower]

No, I have'nt because, mainly mine are kept in a run most of the time while I'm at work all day. For example...I'm on a Late today so wo'nt be home in time to let them out. There are two ways of looking at wing clipping. If you clip one of their wings, they are less likely to scale a 6 foot hedge. However, wing clipping can also prevent a chicken flying away from a predator. I guess it depends on what your set up is, and how secure your garden is. Also...how friendly the neighbours are if they should have a feathered visitor!!!

[Oola]

HI HH

Great to hear you have your new hens. I too use Wells Redmite powder, we mix it up with water and spray it in their house, dust the house afterwards and then dust the hens. We also use Flubenvet to worm them, egg production isn't an issue as Yoko doesn't lay anymore, Pattie didn't lay and Maureen is the only one that does now. Flubenvet is the only prescription broad spectrum wormer so it's safer to go with that really. I have some if you'd like it, we had to buy a massive pot that'll just go out of date, I doubt we'll use it all even though the use by date is in 2 years or so.

I don't know about insurance, might be worth talking to your vet. And sunflower is right, having a vet that knows about poultry is absolutely vital. I've seen stories of hens being given the most ridiculous treatments because the vet doesn't really know much. They come under exotics so it's worth ringing around and speaking to other chicken keepers in the area.

If you ever need to do a poo sample you can also send it off to a place called Retford Poultry Lab in Notts. Just get a sterile urine sample jar from the chemist and fill it halfway with poo and send it off, it'll cost you about £14-16 and they also advise on treatment. Much cheaper and faster than the vets.

We don't clip our girl's wings, they free range out of a run (Rich and I are around most of the time at home working) and we thought that should a predator come into the garden, at least they'd have the option to fly up into a tree. They can't fly like a normal bird, its more flapping to get up onto a higher level, to scale a wall or something. I think as long as you have about 4 or 5 foot above them, they won't reach.

In the future it'll be worth investing in buying some Vetark Avipro and Vetark Critical Care Formula (CCF). Avipro has enzymes, pre- an pro-biotics, protein, vits and mins in it and CCF is a protein and carb food supplement. Helps them when they're low. Battles Poultry Drink or Poultry Spice is also a good supplement for when they're moulting and during the shorter hours of the winter. You can get Poultry Drink from your local farm shop. It's always worth having a sort of first aid kit to hand because again as sunflower says, you do tend to become the veterinary nurse to your hens. We have to administer oral baytril (antibiotic) via syringe and canula, so make sure you handle your hens and they get used to your presence because it makes any treatment much easier in the long run.

Other stuff you should get hold of is medicinal liquid paraffin, vetzyme antiseptic powder or ointment (or I think you can use Gentian/Purple spray, not sure though), Citricidal (to help ward off colds etc).

[Healing Hands]

Thanks once again Sunflower and also to you Oola for the advise, I really did not expect to become a nurse also! I have taken down all you said, so once again a huge thank you. I am really enjoying having them at long last! I have waited since Spring for these hens!

As for the Flubenvet, that would be wonderful Oola if you can spare it. Please drop me a line and let me pay for the postage and packaging and also for the Flubenvet.

[Ivy]

I have no chickens myself and won't have any as long as Ivy is alive, but I read a very enjoyable book about a woman who bought 6 chicks to bribe her daughter into a new home after her parents divorce. It's an easy read for a nice day in the deckchair (if that does not sound obscene given the weather you apparently have to suffer at the moment) It's called "Still Life with Chicken" by Catherine Goldhammer.

[Oola]

Sounds like an interesting read Ivy! Unfortunately a nice read in the deckchair seems like a distant dream at the moment...

HH, no you will not pay! Honestly, you need the most ridiculously small amount, it's literally a sprinkle per chicken. We have a HUGE tub of it that will just go off, so you can have it for free, you'll be making sure it doesn't go to waste. We were told by the vet that it's prescription now to clamp down on the wormers that were on the market but useless, so they decided to take control and make sure people were buying the right stuff. I'll write down the dosages for you so you can work it out. It's not toxic stuff so we were told overdosing is virtually impossible. You can put it in their feed or sprinkle it onto half a grape so it's not exact either.

Let me know your address and I'll send it out.