[cammi]

I have found (and now treating with Frontline) lice on my birds (sorry Joyfull  )

One bird has got them worse than the others and has lost weight too.  i took her to the vets yesterday (for Frontline) so has been felt over for being egg bound etc, but she really has lost weight!  The other girls maybe a bit slimmer too, but not like her, would having lice cause this??

We were away for about a week, so the girls couldnt free range, would that contribute?

How can i get the weight back on them (all still happy and laying everyday).  I am curtailing their free range time at the moment to 12-3, recently they had been out 10-5ish, to try to get them eating layers, but i am sure they just wait for grass!  Have cooked and chopped up soya beans today, which they liked.  They have a little fish sometimes.  I actually have some white fish portions left in the freezer from the kittens, would that be any good to be cooked for them?

Is there a FreeRanger pellet to give them, something thats more concerntrated?  I mean why eat boring pellets when out the door is grass and bugs?  Sweets or veg i pick sweets lol

Thanks folks

[cammi]

As no one replied, does that mean i am barking up the wrong tree?  Or do you all think im a bad chicken mummy leaving my girls and now have licey under weight hens?   sob sob

[joyfull]

free ranging birds do tend to be lighter than run kept birds at least until they are over 3 years old (well mine are anyway  ).  As I know you have wormed them last week that won't be the problem unless they had a bad case and you have now got rid of them.
As for pellets there is Allen and Page small holders pellets (not organic but GMC etc free) and I think they do a free ranging pellet:-

http://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/Products/Layers/Natural-Free-Range-Layer-Pellets-Meal.aspx

Chandlers supplies at Belton sell them 

[Tigerwren]

Hi Cammi,
I am not very experienced but I think that now you are back from holidays why don't you let your girls free range.  They will enjoy it and I don't think it will affect the amount of layers pellets they consume really.  Just make sure that they have them on demand and keep an eye on how much you are re-filling.  Also check the house for RM and the obvious temperature etc.  Once the Frontline kicks in, the lice will go quickly.  I would also cut down on all treats for a week or so, so that the girls focus on the layers and anything else they forage whilst free ranging.  Good luck, and I am sure others will be along once they come in from the garden/work!  Good luck!

[Tigerwren]

  Once again, have been beaten by Joyful!  

[joyfull]

 

[joyfull]

another thing to check for is redmite - these can cause birds to lose weight 

[ManicMum]

Am I over-simplifying if I assume that if my girls are happy, busy and laying and showing no signs of abnormal behaviour, they are eating enough?

Should I be weighing them and worrying?  I have noticed that the levels in the feeders don't go down very fast and will try to find a different brand of pellets next time, but I had thought that if food was available, they would not go hungry.  I see them busy around their area all the time doing chickeny things and they love their afternoon armful of weeds and they clear up the scattered pellets - just aren't big on feeder pellets.

[cammi]

Oh they are out again, believe me as soon as they knew we were home they were kicking up to be let out.

Well my job today (now in scruffs and heading out the door) is to cleaning out their coop and de-lice even got a blow torch on standby as i read some people go over with that,  not a roaring flame obviously! 


Off i go die lice die!

[Casey76]

I believe hens weight less in spring when they start laying again after winter.  My reasoning is that they use the energy from food to produce eggs, not t put on flesh.  In winter, they still eat the same amout of food, but don't lay and therefore gain weight.

This is my experience/opinion only though

Remember a laying hen (especially hybrids) should be fairly thin (with Warrens as an example, weighing between 1.25 and 1.5kg).  The breast (or keel) bone should be readily feelable without an abundance of muscle each side.

This muscle increases as you veer towards pure breeds, then dual purpose, and eventually meat birds.