couple of eggs each day

BobM · **Joined:** Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:25 am **Posts:** 2

I am only getting a couple of eggs each day out of 7 brown x hens their bottoms seem a little dirty with the feathers all stuck together I don't know if they are sick with something or they are eating the eggs as I went out to the coop and saw 2 eggs but I thought I'll pick them up latter, but latter come and now there are none and the hay is wet and sticky. What to do?

Chookster_Kay · **Posted:** Mon Jun 07, 2010 5:06 am

They might be eating them but I would focus on the dirty bums first, what are you feeding them? have you wormed them? can you take one to the vet?

Kay

Roova · **Posted:** Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:51 am

As chookster_kay says a dirty bum can be a sign of a worm load.

Don't forget everyone is in the same boat with laying slowing down over winter. When the days get longer again (after end of June) and daylight increases over 16 hours a day, you'll find they'll start to lay better again.

Of course this depends on the age of the chook and their health too.

BobM · **Joined:** Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:25 am **Posts:** 2

I took 2 to the vets on Saturday and they have worms and he said it was quite bad infestation so he sold me a strong wormer and I have just wormed them on Saturday afternoon. I have to retreat them in 7 days to make sure we got them all. I am moving the chooks to a new coop on Wednesday as the vet said that was a good idea and I was doing that anyway as the new coop is ready. He said if I leave the old coop empty for a few months I can them use it again as any worm eggs will be gone.

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

Hi Bob,

Don't just rely on leaving the pen empty for a few months as a way of getting rid of worms. The eggs are quite resistant especially if mixed with droppings. Disinfectants are also ineffective at eliminating worm eggs. To be absolutely sure you will need to thoroughly clean the pen and either blow torch the soil (I'm not kidding!!) or else remove the top few inches and replace it with clean soil or sand.

It may also be worth submitting a follow-up faecal sample to the vet about 2 weeks after your second treatment to make sure that the treatment works. Some worms eg Capillaria (threadworm/hairworm) can be difficult to eliminate even with the best wormers. It would be a shame to contaminate your brand new pen!

Good luck.

Parvo

DucknDucks · **Joined:** Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:48 pm **Posts:** 1

You can use builders lime and mix it through the soil

mix it well and leave it empty for several months

superroosters · **Joined:** Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:11 pm **Posts:** 3

None of my pekins are laying at the moment as they are all in a big molt, the biggest I have seen

j.humphries · **Joined:** Sun Apr 25, 2010 4:56 pm **Posts:** 14

My hens are just coming in to lay. I've got a nesting box in the coop (made out of and old plasic 5 Gallon container) which contains a third each of dry sand, grit and pine needles (suggested by the hen vendor). As a 'clue' to the girls, I've even left a hard boiled egg in there as the 'first' in the clutch. However the girls just fashion a nest in the straw litter and ignore the nest (they maybe laying outside too). I know it's not the end of the world them not using the nest but it would be more convenient for me (and I wouldn't have to search the yard) if they did use it. Any suggestions??

Cheers Jimbo

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