How to raise Backyard Chickens: Re: [CHICKENS-101] my sick babies

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Re: [CHICKENS-101] my sick babies

From: Mark Greer <markagreer@embarqmail.com>
To: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, October 29, 2010 3:08:27 PM
Subject: Re: [CHICKENS-101] my sick babies

Are they losing any feathers? Do you have 14+ hours of light for them in their coop? This time of year, late summer, early fall, is the natural time for a chicken to go into molt. Shorter daylight hours are a natural

Bill, I'd ditch the purina and buy either Kent or Pen Pals Alliance Nutrition. Both use animal protein, do NOT have a track record of poisoning people's livestock and pets like purina does. I've raised poultry since I was 9, 1963, and the only feed I've had problems with is purina. There is a discussion right now on MI Poultry Lovers about which is the best feed to feed. There are many breeders across the US had to start over because of purina poisoning their livestock,(poultry are livestock too). Some people swear by it, but more do not. I'd go for the animal protein and quality. Cathryn

----- Original Message -----

From: Bill

To: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 6:48 PM

Subject: [CHICKENS-101] my sick babies

first of all, thanks to all of you that answered me two weeks ago about my babies. they were all congested, wheezing, and had eyes swollen shut. i ended up giving them .5ml of tylan 50 and .5ml of B complex, and they have all recovered. again, thanks to all that responded.

HOWEVER, i have another issue now. prior to them getting sick, they were cutting back eggs to 2-3 aday. (i have 11 hens and they will all be a year old the last week of november). for two weeks now, we havent gotten any eggs at all. i understand them not laying while ill, but they have been well for at least a week now. but i am still not getting any eggs.

does anyone have any suggestions or words of encouragement or experience that they could pass along to me?? i am feeding them purina laying crumbles and oyster shells and whole kernal corn as scratch feed thrown into the yard. thanks in advance for the help