aren't new feathers wonderful

[lizro]

Hi. You will probably think I'm daft but I have just been admiring our Maggies new fluffy feathers round her bottom. She is the bottom of 5 rescue hens and this is my first experience of hens. The closest I got to hens was buying some eggs from the supermarket or occasionally from the lady in the next village who had free ranging hens in her garden. 4 hens were quite well feathered, to my surprise, but they had been 'free range' rescues and BHWT said they were in quite good condition which was a bonus. Apart from Maggie who looked awful. She had no colour on her comb which was almost non existent and her face was very pale, very few feathers on her neck, and as for her bottom well it was naked - not even a bit of fluff. It looked red and huge!! It did get worse because she went through a molt a few weeks ago. But she is now beautiful. She has a red comb and face, the comb looks as though it has grown a bit. Her neck feathers have thickened up and her bottom has a thick fluffy covering - not a trace of bare skin - I am so pleased for her. I had quite a few worries with worms and they all had to have 2 lots of wormer because the vet gave Panacur which was fine for the roundworms but then I discovered they had tape worms so the Panacur won't touch that so they had to have a horse wormer which I researched like mad - the vet wouldn't give anything but the Panacur but my daughter has a horse so she got me the right stuff. I found a link re how much to give - pea size - then had to persuade the hens to take it! 3 would eat it but 2 had to have it syringed in - thankfully they all survived that and the worms didn't! They also had mites altho I never found any on Maggie. So I followed the advice re diomatious (spelling?) powder which I found very unpleasant to use, I must have breathed some in altho thought I was very careful, and had a wheezy chest for weeks after and I am not asthmatic, plus it didn't work. So more googling and a trip to the pet supermarket and job done. So it is really great to see Maggie looking so much better - worth all the worry!

[Mo]

Yes, the new feathers look so much brighter than the dull old feathers, and sometimes slightly different colours so just when you think you can tell them apart you find you're not sure.

Must here use Flubenvet to worm them. This is a poultry wormer - sold in 2 strengths, one for commercial flocks (the instructions say mix the tub with a 20kg sack of feed!!), one for backyarders (you pay almost the same but the powder is more dilute so it's a scoop / kg or something - much easier). Or easier still, you can buy Marriages medicated pellets.

If you look at the side of this page there is a link to Poultry supplies/ Health & Wellbeing (but there's something wrong with the link)

[Richard]

Hi

Thanks for pointing that out Mo.

It appears they've discontinued it and none of my other 4 Pet Suppliers sell it, maybe a new rule about it ??

Sorry, suggest you phone your local Vet Lizro or maybe a Member knows of somewhere.

Richard

[Mo]

My usual supplier seems to have a new link too.
But you won't need it yet. I wonder why your vet didn't give you Flub.

[ChickenCarol]

I hadn't been able to get flubenvet from my supplier "Pets at home" since the shortage began but recently read somewhere that supplies are back in. I asked my vet, he re-ordered it and I now have some so for anyone who couldn't get it, it may be worth asking your vet again.

[KarenE]

You can also get flubenvet online so might be worth a quick check especially if stocks are back up

[bikesandbirdsbob]

I got a 20kgs bag of Marriages worm pellets. Feed the girls the lot . Sorted . Will buy another 20 kgs bag and do the same . Maybe half a bag then use the last a month or so later .
Got mine from a hatchery .
Bob

[lizro]

hi everyone and thanks for your interest altho my post about feathers seems to have morphed into Flubenvet. I did try to get Flubenvet - this was end of July - and no-one had it either online or from the vet. I am pretty happy with the stuff I ended up with - it certainly worked.
I don't think Flubenvet pellets would work for us as my hens free range all day and don't eat many pellets and if I shut them up in the coop they are not happy and beat up poor Maggie but get on fine out of the coop.

[jackian]

I think new feathers are wonderful.
You have a poorly chick or one that is moulting and you think that they are never. Going to. Be their former self .
Suddenly you have all these wonderful new feathers coming through bright , clean ,fluffy and full of new life and often different colours to before .
They never cease to amaze me ,they always give me hope .

Jackie x

[KarenE]

To continue hijacking the thread - my girls are out most of the day too, so I give them flub on grapes which you're probably not supposed to do as you can't get the dosage right but it's worked fine for me. Cut a grape into halves or quarters and dip one of the cut sides into flub powder, then - the hardest part - serve a bit of grape to each chook

Am I odd - I love to see them preening their new feathers, all the bits of old casing flying everywhere. I even help a few of mine by ruffling their feathers so the bits come out. Nugget and Tigger seem(ed) to like it, and I wonder whether it lets the air in to cool them down a bit too.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi ,I picked up Snow white , the brown new girl from work today and she flapped her wings and more feathers on the floor than on her . MOULTING .
Going to collect them and make cat toys Stick - string and tied feathers to end . Price not enough to stop work....
bob

[lizro]

To continue hijacking the thread - my girls are out most of the day too, so I give them flub on grapes which you're probably not supposed to do as you can't get the dosage right but it's worked fine for me. Cut a grape into halves or quarters and dip one of the cut sides into flub powder, then - the hardest part - serve a bit of grape to each chook

Am I odd - I love to see them preening their new feathers, all the bits of old casing flying everywhere. I even help a few of mine by ruffling their feathers so the bits come out. Nugget and Tigger seem(ed) to like it, and I wonder whether it lets the air in to cool them down a bit too.

Hi Karen - ha I wondered what those bits were called - there is often quite a lot on the droppings tray - thanks for that! My hens often preen by our patio door in the living room and we have been very entertained watching their preening - they really do look after their feathers
So my hens are not normal!! They won't eat raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or dried meal worms! They like the seeds out of the greenhouse tomatoes, water melon, sardines, tuna, cat food. Next worming time I will try cat food to disguise!!