chicken advice please!

[Mucky Lizz!!]

Hi,
I just read your thread, It sounds to me as though like someone said they are sat on their bedding, it is the ammonia from the faeces that is causing the problem.
If you clean it out, but cntinue to have problems you can get powders which you sprinkle, Salostan is one, this absorbs the ammonia and dries up the area. I would think it is a little similar to some cat litters on the market - not the fullers earth ones,
Does the hen house have an open bottom? If so it would be good to make it slatted or mesh so the droppings fall through.
Also do the hens have somewhere they can go and dust, if not putting sand in a tub that they can get in and dust in may also help dry off the chest.
Is the skin affected wet and slimmy or is it just red and scaley?
As if it is wet and slimmy may need antibiotic treatment.

[Ann]

They stand on slats at night and there is a droppings tray underneath to empty. The skin is dry and red, not slimy. I might try the bowl of sand as their run is a bit muddy this time of year. I've been disting the eglu for mites for a week but one or two still appear and the pecking problem continues. I've just bought some anti-pecking powder to put on the chicken too - supposed to make the other one run a mile but doesn't have any effect at all! Poor Doris is looking very bare and sad.

[daisychook]

Hi Ann
Have you tried purple spray? Its similar to the anti pecking powder, but covers the skin in a purple cover - cos they cant see skin, they are less likely to peck. It is available from Countrywide stores, and worked a treat for me. I have three chooks, the biggest was being pecked by the other two, and I had nowhere to isolate - tried purple spray, no other problems, other than me getting covered in the stuff which takes ages to wear off!!!! Hope this helps - Hark at me, only had my chooks since last August!!! Its all a learning process and my goodness, chooks are additive, I love mine!!!

[Prickety-prackety]

As someone who has had chickens for nearly two years now I would definatley suggest you shop around for hosuing and dont get lulled into expensive trendy accomodation. My chickens live very happily in an old building with a home made corner and give us loads of pleasure and gorgeous eggs, as long as they run on grass and not mud. Foxy loxy has been sadly, so advise you make sure the pop hole is closed, not just when its dark, but at dusk when they go to roost and not to open it too ealry!

[serenity]

hi ann, how is poor doris doing?

[welsh veg grower]

I'd suggest giving them a dust bath and try moving them if the patch they are on is very muddy.

Chickens love to have space to run about and peck and dont care if the accomodation is posh or not. Mine are happy with an old shed and some chicken wire and old poles to make a run (keep it high or covered uless you want to clip them or they will fly out.

I find a male dog is good for keeping foxes away encourgae them to wee near the run.

[maggieaggie]

i would agree with all the comments about the eglu... although we are novice hen owners, my hubbie built a great run out of wood we got on freecycle. eglu is trendy looking, but small, and if you keep your eye on your local freecycle site, you may well find someone has a spare hen house. we ended up getting a small one for two hens in case one gets broody or ill. but it was free!
i'm keen to hear about doris after reading this, and alarmed you are all crawling in and cleaning. we rake out all the straw into the run for deep littering them, and add fresh straw into the house. thats it. am i being irresponsible? it seems clean and dry and nice in there, and the straw is thick enough to catch any poo from the week and get raked out.
let us know about doris!

[Hilary]

I started out last year with an eglu - having read about them in the Independant - and had no other chook knowledge. It may have looked good - but not ideal for the three hens it said it would house.
I then bought a joinery built hen house - from greehilljoinery - and they delivered. We had to assemble, but wasnt hard.
hens much happier. they walk up into the hen house - have a separate nesting box with an outside entry - and an enclosed run, They freerange all day - but return at dusk.
they dont seem to bother the veg patch much - but love the herbaceous - and also love the neighbours . I am sure I will have an animal asbo before long!