Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: rachelr on April 01, 2011, 18:26
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I have been dropped on with 4 chickens. They look like some sort of silkie cross. I have no history and no idea on how old these girls are they just appeared.
I am looking for advice on what to treat them with/for I have done the frontline and am planning on using flubevet for the next 7 days. Is there any thing else i should do.
ps i am pretty sure they have a bad case of mites!!!!!!! as there legs are all hard and spikey and although they look like they should have feathers on them they dont?
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Oh my goodness. Take it you're keeping them then. :D :D Piccys please ::)
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if they are silkie crosses they could have feathery legs (some of mine do and others dont) and the trouble with feathered legs is that you do have to keep inspecting for scaley leg so so may be best to treat with scaley leg spray and then smoother with petroleum jelly. Repeat again after a week - the scales will still stay raised until they moult but doing this and using frontline should sort them out. Obviously keep them seperate for a few weeks just in case they are incubating any illnesses but apart from this and feeding/watering them just sit back and get to know your new girls and think what eggs you can pop under your new possible broody girls :D
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so do silkies get broody then?
I will try and post pickies I guessed they are silkies cos they have pom pom head dresses
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Oh boy are they broody!!! Constantly, well mine are. :lol:
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3 of mine are constantly broody - one is in the field at the moment on her secret stash of eggs ::)
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Oh boy are they broody!!! Constantly, well mine are. :lol:
Jinty would definately know with the track history she's got with her girls! ::) ::)
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We did really well with just petroleum jelly, slathered on generously every other day for a week (4 times) - it not only smothered the beasties, but also loosened the hard, splayed scales so the girls ended up with smooth pink legs and the scales have grown back beautifully smooth & flat.
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Wow that sounds good. So should i wash off the purple spray before applying vaseline?
I cant believe they laid eggs today two before 8 am.
They have had very little human company i dont think as they are very skittish.
sorry having issues with photos I dunno how to do it properly lol
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Hope they do okay for you Rachel, poor little things, how can people just dump them? At least it was someone who knows you have chickens!
Our 2 silkies lay eggs for a couple of days then go broody again, so yes I agree with the others. You won't need an incubator!!!! :D
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I don't know if you should wash the legs clean - but if they're not used to being handled, the less you need to do the better.
I don't suppose that a layer of antiseptic stuff under the jelly would make much difference to the critters, though.
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Don't think it washes off easily. I went to work with pinky/purple hands when I was treating poor wee Gracie with it. :) :)
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well i have now smothered the new girls with vaseline. They were not happy. It was actually probably the hardest thing i have done as one in particular seemed so sore it just screamed at my touch on one particular leg.
All their legs were hard and pointy. The scales wer brittle and some of them boke no matter how gentle i tried to be whilst being pecked and chatted to loudly. Only one hen has feathers left ontheir leg.
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Poor wee souls. They just don't realise how very lucky that they have you to look after them. :) :)
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I've been shoving antibiotic pills down my Sylvia's throat twice a day for the last few days. What a fuss! The amazing thing is how quickly she seems to forgive me afterwards. Your new little darlings will soon learn that you mean them no harm, and you are doing what's best for them.
Poor little things. As much as I detest people abandoning pets, whoever left them with you obviously did the right thing. The previous owner wasn't coping with the responsibility, and obviously you have what it takes to nurse them back to health.
Good on you for caring for them.
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You're doing a grand job Rachelr and I'm sure your new girls will thrive. Good Luck :)
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Just want to wish you good luck with the horrid leg mites.Poor little things!I have some silkies and a silkie cross that came to me in a right state with the blighters.
Would love to see some pic's.
All the best! :)
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And you now have lovely wee broodies to hatch eggs for you :lol: :lol:
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Jinty you just know when i take photos some one will tell me they are not silkies and i will have to keep looking for another brood chick lol
course any excuse for more chickens eh
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Jinty you just know when i take photos some one will tell me they are not silkies and i will have to keep looking for another brood chick lol
course any excuse for more chickens eh
Do they look like the picture of Gracie on the left? Although she was cream the other 2 are buff. And just about to add 2 Pekins and a Orpington bantie. :lol: :lol: More broody girls. Just as well I'm not bothered about the eggs. :D