Search found 209 matches

by dawncolin
15 Jul 2010, 21:11
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: the private life of chickens
Replies: 35
Views: 4229

Re: the private life of chickens

It was brilliant, so much fun to see all those chooks doing things just like mine, and very heart warming to see those poor battery hens 'rescued')c( )c(
by dawncolin
13 Jul 2010, 07:59
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: smelly earth
Replies: 13
Views: 2196

Re: smelly earth

We have a large permanent run for our 4 girls and get hardly any smell at all and we have the girls for 18 months now. We dig it over every week, have added fresh top soil on occasion and removed some soil to the veg patch too. I have also started spraying it with a poultry disinfectant (can't remeb...
by dawncolin
06 Jul 2010, 09:45
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Lettuce having an effect on the chooks?
Replies: 19
Views: 1970

Re: Lettuce having an effect on the chooks?

Hi all, Molly spent a number of days looking really under the weather, pale and lethargic and she laid one soft shell egg. So we decided to give her a course of baytril which seems to be doing the trick. She is still quieter than normal but she is looking a lot brighter and her comb is turning pink ...
by dawncolin
29 Jun 2010, 08:34
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Lettuce having an effect on the chooks?
Replies: 19
Views: 1970

Lettuce having an effect on the chooks?

Hi all, Fed my girls a big lettuce yesterday afternoon from a friends allotment and today Molly looks very fed up. Standing in the corner, tail down, looking sleepy. She did this when she had too many grass clippings and we haven't given them grass clippings since. Could lettuce have effected her sy...
by dawncolin
15 May 2010, 08:33
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Oviduct infection cured - but now she looks terrible!
Replies: 26
Views: 3988

Re: Oviduct infection cured - but now she looks terrible!

Well I wish I could post a nice outcome for our dear Maudie but I am afraid she died last night. I took her back to the vet late yesterday and he was brilliant. He said she wasn't on deaths door and she had come this far, so it was worth trying other things. He said she was very pale and anemic and ...
by dawncolin
14 May 2010, 15:46
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Oviduct infection cured - but now she looks terrible!
Replies: 26
Views: 3988

Re: Oviduct infection cured - but now she looks terrible!

Sorry to hear that but great that you have found a good vet close by.
Maud is no better so I have an appointment with the vet at 5.10 today. Will let you know how it goes but am not hopeful I am afraid{cry}
by dawncolin
13 May 2010, 20:24
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Oviduct infection cured - but now she looks terrible!
Replies: 26
Views: 3988

Re: Oviduct infection cured - but now she looks terrible!

She did have a bit of nasty smelling discharge on Tuesday but no more since. I assumed this was from where the vet had felt around inside her. The bleeding comes from where the inside of the vent has started to become scabby (or crusty) and when she pushed out a soft shell it bled. A bit like the ef...
by dawncolin
13 May 2010, 18:38
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Oviduct infection cured - but now she looks terrible!
Replies: 26
Views: 3988

Oviduct infection cured - but now she looks terrible!

Hi all, Haven't posted for a while now but have been 'lurking' and keeping up to date. We have had a problem with Maud and took her to the vet about 2 weeks ago who diagnosed an oviduct infection (vent gleet). The vet prescribed tablets which we gave to Maud for the two week course. She picked up, s...
by dawncolin
28 Mar 2010, 11:49
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: covered/uncovered permanent run
Replies: 6
Views: 927

Re: covered/uncovered permanent run

My run is permanent and completely covered. We have had our girls for 18 months now and have not experienced any problems. We dig it over every week, hose it down regularly (there is one pot plant hanging on to life in the run still) and add fresh top soil every so often. Our next project is to remo...
by dawncolin
12 Feb 2010, 12:23
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Live mealworms
Replies: 17
Views: 4316

Re: Live mealworms

Hmm, yes I thought that might be one of the answers.....haven't got an old one so might have to stick with the dried ones for now, can't face seeing loads of wriggly worms everytime I open the fridgeyike* . I suppose outside in the shed in these cold months would be OK too?
by dawncolin
12 Feb 2010, 12:21
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Newbie Questions (Sorry)
Replies: 12
Views: 1413

Re: Newbie Questions (Sorry)

We have 3 nest boxes for our 5 girls but none of them use them for laying. They lay their eggs on the floor of the coop in one corner and often sit on top of each other if they want to lay at the same time{rofwl}
The nest boxes are normally used by Aggy & Dolly for sleeping in:-D
by dawncolin
12 Feb 2010, 12:15
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Live mealworms
Replies: 17
Views: 4316

Re: Live mealworms

I have just been catching up on a few posts and wondered how you all manage to keep 2 kilos of live mealworms from turning into beetles? I have always ordered dried mealworms, mostly via Ebay at around 25.00 for 2 kilos but haven't bothered with the live ones in those quantities, because I didn't th...
by dawncolin
23 Dec 2009, 09:56
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: broody hen
Replies: 4
Views: 1011

Re: broody hen

Our Rosie was broody for 10 weeks earlier in the year. What a nightmare We tried everything and in the end just left her to it. She just came out of it on her own. I think all our efforts to put her off just compounded the situation and made her feel even more broody! Good luck, they are pesky aren'...
by dawncolin
21 Nov 2009, 14:37
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Verm x question
Replies: 14
Views: 1952

Re: Verm x question

Verm-X is a good worm 'preventer' but to effectively get rid of worms they need to be treated with a proper vetinary wormer about twice a year. Spring and Autumn for example. Using -X and putting cider vinegar in their water will make their tummies less 'palatable' for worms so it is more preven...
by dawncolin
21 Nov 2009, 14:33
Forum: Keeping Chickens and other Poultry
Topic: Tips For Day To Day Practicalities Please
Replies: 10
Views: 1598

Re: Tips For Day To Day Practicalities Please

I do the same as the above, poo pick daily then a big clean out once a week. Sorry to hear you had a big op and have a long recovery time. I had a hysterectomy in January so was out of action myself for 3 months. My chooks were a great distraction to me and I loved having a little walk to see them a...