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Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 28 Jul 2009, 20:42
by bonstey
wendy wrote:Hello,
Welcome to the forum.
You may have read that I have just lost another one of mine. I am afraid those awful battery cages, take a terrible toll on these little hens. Some don't make it for very long. But every day they spend with you is a wonderful bonus to them. If you saw what they have endured, rather than just see photo's it really hits home what good, people like yourself do and are doing.
Please don't beat yourself up, I am afraid when we give out hearts to these little battered hens, they are going to be broken on more than one occassion.
If you cannot free range your girls, don't worry. Considering the small amount of room they have lived in I am sure they are fine. Many do not let their hens free range the garden, mine only come out one day a week.
We have all had the same fears as yourself, but eventually it settles down and we all get into a sort of routine.
Don't worry, you are not alone with these little brown hens.
Wendy
hi wendy so sorry you lost one of yours too, its very sad my one died on my lap it was very distressing, i only hope that the others havent got the same thing as the vet said they cannot tell what they hae got unless they check the poo. anyway thanks for your rely very reassuring bonstey.

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 28 Jul 2009, 22:34
by wendy
I would think your other hens will be fine and she just succumbed to the life she has had previously.
If you feel you want to send a sample of their poop off. I have the name of a company you can send it too. Rather than through the vet, who will charge you an arm and a leg. This company is reasonable and fast. Just let me know
Wendy

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 08 Sep 2009, 22:09
by bonstey
thanks wendy for your reply about the poos testing company, i will keep it inmi nd. atg the moment had another hen un der weather, gave her some antibiotics and fed her with a syringe with water and she has pulled through. thanks for all your help and advice. bonstey

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 08 Sep 2009, 22:45
by wendy
Good to hear your little 'un has got better. Just ask if you want the companys address
Wendy

Re: baytril antibiotic for hens

Posted: 17 Sep 2009, 17:27
by bonstey
has anyone had an experience of using baytril for a sick hen 2.5%. i have had conflicted views about this drug. the vet said that it is not licensed but it does really work well with sick hens, i have had another hen who was sick gave her this and within week she was jumping around again. however on speaking to the manufacturers they say defintely not to eat the eggs ever again. spoke to vet who said that they have to say that becaused the drug is not licences, but she thinks and another vet said the same that you can eat the eggs after 28 days. has anyone else had this experience i would appreciate some other views. thanks

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 17 Sep 2009, 18:05
by wendy
I didn't eat the eggs after I gave baytril i that amount or smaller. Didn't eat the eggs for the amount of time the vet said, in fact I scrambled them and gave them back to the hens. After that we ate them and are still eating them.
Wendy

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 17 Sep 2009, 20:21
by maggie1946
One of my new ex batts was put on baytril yesterday, the vet didnt mention that it wasnt licensed. on the way out the vet/nurse said not to eat the eggs for 7 days after last dose,but that she had forgotten to tell her daughter this when her hens were given ,t they carried on eating the eggs with no ill effect..If it isnt lisenced how can it be prescribed ? Maggie

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 17 Sep 2009, 20:48
by bluebell
Maggie, from what I understand, baytril is an excellent antibiotic, it is licensed for a range of animals, however this currently does not include poultry. A lot of the laws regarding animals receiving dr-ugs has to do with strict legislation and the risk of un-necessary antibiotics (well for us anyway) entering the food chain. That is why vets tell clients to bin the eggs and not allow a human to each them.

Baytril or Tylan is often the first course of antibiotics recommended by vets for chooks.

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 17 Sep 2009, 21:17
by Totally Scrambled
Maggie,
When one of ours was on Baytril the vet just said don't eat the eggs for three weeks after finishing the course. She said it wouldn't do us any harm, but if we did eat the eggs and then we got ill and needed antibiotics it might lessen the effectiveness of the antibiotics we were on. Our vets are a rural practice dealing with all types of farm animals and the one we saw was their chiken expert.
Dom

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 17 Sep 2009, 22:04
by maggie1946
Many thanks Bluebell and Dom I just hope the Baytril works little Martha is really poorly.. Maggie..

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 21 Sep 2009, 07:32
by wenders
Hi there

We got 3 Ex-Battery Hens in 2008 and at the beginnning of 2009 decided to get 3 more. All was fine with the new ones apart from one Hen (her name is Feet) anyway she is very, very noisy first thing. We have tried everything to keep her quiet but nothing works. I am exhausted from an entire summer of early starts! We hoped now the Autumn is on its way things would get better, but they are worse. The neighbours all hate us and have complained, I just dont think it is fair to keep her any longer if she is keeping not us but all the neighbours awake too. Can anyone help us and take her to somewhere a bit more rural where she can sing her little heart out! We are near Southampton. I hate to admit defeat and tears have been shed before writing this but I think this may be for the best.

thanks
Wendy

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 21 Sep 2009, 08:13
by wendy
Maybe your first port of call should be the rescue society you got her from. Most of them will take the hens back and rehome.
Wendy

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 29 Oct 2009, 11:03
by bonstey
hi i have had ex bats since february and i let them out every day to free range either my husband or I or both are in the garden to watch them the only time they dont come out if it is raining, but recently they have been making terrible noises in the morning they sound like they are crying and when i open the back door they jump up and down in the pen going mad to come out, i think that we have really spoilt them. has anyone else had this problem, we cant let them out on there own for fear of predators, so dont know what to do, sometimes in the morning about 7.30 they get really loud they sound as if they are really in pain. help, some advic e please
thanks bonstey

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 29 Oct 2009, 11:06
by bonstey
dear wendy, i would really appreciate the contact address for the poo testing, hope your hens are all well. regards bonstey.

Re: You and keeping Chickens didn't quite work out?

Posted: 29 Oct 2009, 11:10
by stace
Dont let them fool you with their crys of "Help get me out of here!", your right you have spoilt them like we all do, mine do get very vocal sometimes usually when egg laying, if they are safer inside then thats where they have to stay, try giving things to keep them occupied like a hung cabbage or a pumpkin, also think of the life they had before you? Its heaven to what they were used to just remember that )t'