[luftmenschen]

Hello

I am new here so if this is in the wrong section may I apologise.

I have six chickens, they all seem quite happy are laying eggs 5 per day, brilliant!  I am doing a number of things wrong (after reading here and fully intend to correct this) but the girls are settled into a routine, go off exploring together, come to the back door for treats together, etc, etc - fantastic love having them (about four months now I have had them).

This morning when I opened up the chicken shed - they live in a slate outhouse - five of them came around as normal - they follow you each morning but Jemima stayed indoors.  Didn't think much of it, sometimes they may be laying an egg, they don't always all follow.
She hasn't moved since.  there is food and water near to her but I don't think she has moved at all.  I don't mean dead - her eyes are open and she looks at you when you go in but she doesn't appear to want to move at all, she is also very grubby - she is a light Sussex (white with a black collar) and I have been surprised at how white she seems to keep herself but now she looks really dirty and a little sorry for herself - what should I do - am I being particularly neurotic?

Also I want to clean out the chicken shed but don't want to use Jeyes fluid - I haven't had a commercially produced cleaning product in my house in over a decade - anybody got any suggestions for a more natural alternative please?

I use a natural hutch cleaner for my pigs - strong tea tree smell - and I wash down the stables quarterly with a solution f borax - any reason why I couldn't use borax solution in the girls house?   

Appreciate any advice, many thanks, Gill

[Vember]

Hi Gill

My first thoughts are could she be broody? Does she grumble when you go near her, fluff herself up or try and peck you?

HAve you tried lifting her out and having a good look at her, especially towards her rear end, to check she hasn't got any problems down there?

Sarah

[luftmenschen]

Hello Sarah,

Thank you for your reply, I have just been out to her, she was still sitting in the house, the other girls are all out pecking and scratting about (they have literally acres to roam in) anyway, she didn't fluff up or try to peck me but grudgingly came out of the house - she looks in good condition, not thin or anything but - you are quite right her underside is all congealed - sort of - horrid really,  all stuck together.

It looks really horrible and she does look sorry for herself - she did have a bit of a peck and a scrat about - have you any suggestins as to what I should do - I feel terrible for not knowing - I have been living in blissful ignorance with them for four months.  I bought them as mature birds, they were collected one day and arrived here, they laid the very next day and I have never had a problem so I have never looked into it - awful really.

Sorry if I am infuriating you lot with my ignorance - I know about other things!!!

Gill

[joyfull]

By congealed are they stuck together with poo? If so place her in a bowl of warm water to clean her mess off, check for worms in her poo and mites lice etc around the base of her feathers. Is she sitting on the eggs? if so then chances are she's broody.

[andreadon]

i can't help with the broody hen, but the cleaning product:

if you can't use commercial cleaners, then you'll have to use bicarb of soda and boiling hot water.
and a scrubbing brush.
then it's just a case of scrub scrub scrub!
 
not quite sure about commercially produced if that would rule out bicarb, but if it does then whatever soap product you use will work if you use the boiling hot water.  if you can't use detergent then the only  thing that will work is the boiling hot water and scrubbing 

[luftmenschen]

Hello

Thank you for your replies.  Hands up I have never given the girls any sort of bath - ok to do this on a day like today- it is blustery cold and a little wet?

I cannot see any sign of lice or mites but I don't have very good eyesight, I cannot see any signs of worms but - see above!  I will take one of the children with me and see if they can spot anything for me.

So, if I clean up Jemimas behind how do I dry her - ought I to use any product or just plain water?  Gosh I sound so pathetic!

Thanks for the bicarb tip - I have no qualms about using bicarb, I do so on a daily basis.  Sorry I must sound like a complete nutter!  I do not use commercially produced cleaning products - I am on an eco-digester and if I do use artificial chemicals it kills the bacteria - it stops working - it backs up - you can guess the rest I am sure!

Plus I don't use anything if I don't know what it contains (also really fussy about personal care products) I take care to feed my children preparing meals from scratch so I know what goes in them, care products so I know what goes on them and cleaning products so I know what goes in and on and around them!

Goodness I bet you are wishing there was some kind of madness indicator before you could sign up here - forgive me I don't get out much!

Gill

[Vember]

Is it poop in her feathers Gill? Or is the congealed mass pink & fleshy?

If it is poop then I would use a little baby shampoo in warmish water, just give it a good towel dry
If it's really really bad then it may be an idea to trim the worst off before you start


Sarah

[joyfull]

wash her in warm water and that should soften her matting up then use a gentle shampoo (baby shampoo perhaps or whatever gentle stuff you have).  To dy her towel dry and then gently blow dry her - apparently they like that although I have never had to do that.
When you clean the coop if you have removable perches put petroleum jelly on the edges of the perches and along a little bit and this should help to stop mites crawling along to your hens  
As for do I think your mad or pathetic then no I don't, unlike me  

[Sparkle]

hi Gill

If you want to try something natural in her bath, when one of my girls had matted poop around her red and sore bum and was generally a bit under the weather I filled a washing up bowl with warm water and 2 drops of tea tree oil and sat her in it for a few mintes first and then gently washed off as much of the stuff that I could without her feathers coming out etc. i did this every day for a couple of days and she did seem to improve. and is right as rain now.

She didn't have mites or anything though so from the advice from the others I would check this too

It does sound a little bit that she might be broody as well perhaps, but I would sort out her vent first and she will let you know if she's broody. My broody displayed none of the  fluffing up sqwaking and pecking behaviour until after about 5-6days of brooding

and like joyfull I don't think you are mad - this forum has been a great help for me and all my newbie questions!
Sparkle

[Foxy]

you might want to trim her feathers around her bottom and check carefully for any evidence of lice eggs. A good product for prevention of lice/mite is Diatom a completely organic product (diatomaceous earth) If her digestive system is causing runny poos sticking to her bottom try Apple Cider Vinegar (the unrefined stuff) in their water, great for digestive health as well as a crushed clove of spare garlic another good healthy tonic. Dandelion leaves are also a good source of calcium for egg laying as well as adlib access to crushed oyster shell. Oregano is another herb which I use, very good for chooks! I use a prepared form called "oregstim". I have a couple of articles on natural treatments for chooks will have another read of them.
One thing I will say, although I do prefer natural remedies myself, any symptoms of ill-health and I am straight down the vets for treatment or antibiotics! Luckily as I raise all my own stock, this is not very often.

[luftmenschen]

Thank you for the advice.  Jemima is now bathed (used an organic lemon and tea tree shampoo) which she seemed to enjoy.  She was very dirty and did have lots of crusty poo around her bottom. 

My OH arrived back from London as I was shampooing the chicken - he was so surprised his co-worker had to take a photograph of Jemima sitting quite happily amongst the bubbles.  I am afraid to say I am rather more like Margot than Barbara - re 'Good Life' and this was my first ever time chicken bathing - it shan't be the last I rather enjoyed it too?!

Lost a lot of feathers from her underside and was very smelly and a rather bright pink but I can't see any evidence of crawlies - again my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

Still very wary I carried her into the kitchen - I was expecting to be pecked but she sat perfectly still as she was dried with the towel and then hair dryer - which she really seemed to like even more that the bath.

She has gone back to the henhouse now, still seems quiet and subdued so I shall wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Thank you again for all of your suggestions, I am now going to read up more on all the things I ought to have done and haven't.  Bless them it is amazing they lay at all.

I will let you know how she is tomorrow.

Gill

[heatherhsp]

I'm really glad I read this!  My 5 hens came with the house we bought, along with a few ducks.   I adore them all!  But one has a messy back end, so I think I'll try to give give her a bath too.  She is a bit wonky looking around the back end, apparently after an accident of some sort long ago.  She's apparently quite old, and lays soft eggs (when she lays!).  Our hen keeping neighbour thinks she should be put down - but why??!  She's a very happy little soul, and the boss of the others too. 

I hope she doen't mind it! 

Heather

[Foxy]

Its funny chickens dont really object to being bathed, just make sure they are really dry before going back outside, a hairdryer on low heat is fine, they really dont mind! When I bathe my large favs before a competition they just stand with their eyes closed in bliss when the dryer is on!!!

[dizzylizzie]

hi Gill...i havent got my chickens yet so im afraid i cant give any advice, i actually just wanted to say well done you for the stance you take on a chemical free life. im sure im not alone when i say i would like to do more than i do , but wouldnt know where to start....like i say..good for you hun

[luftmenschen]

Oh thank you - if I could help you I'd be glad to!

Jemima update.  Well she isn't back to normal (she is however very white!) and hasn't been out much today, botty doesn't look as pink and she looks bright enough but she isn't mixing with the others and usually they go around together, or at least in pairs.

I am still concerned and I am going to give her another bath tomorrow all being well as it doesn't seem to have done any harm and she did seem to like it - actually not sure how I'd know that other than she wan't pecking and kept still?!

I have cleaned out the chicken hut and I have put a non petroleum, petroleum jelly on the perch - sorry I don't have petroleum jelly - I have the natural alternative - sure it will do the same job!

Keep you updated I do hope that she picks up tomorrow.

Thank you
Gill