More updates

This morning I did some research on the internet and identified the worm I found yesterday as a round worm. It was described as looking like a bit of spaghetti which was exactly what it looked like and a much better description than the one I used.

I talked to the vet and asked if I could give the chicks flubenvet. He said there is no age restriction and it is very safe so as long as they are eating pellets it’s fine to worm them too. I asked if worms could be the reason Honey laid a soft shelled egg for the first time and he said yes this could well be the reason. If she has worms she may not be getting the nutrition and calcium that she needs.

I ordered more fluninvet as although it should be used every six month as a preventative it needs to be repeated after three weeks if a worm is found as more eggs will be hatching and the cycle needs to be broken.

I mixed the powder into mash and dished it out into four little dishes for the main flock spaced apart to make sure they all get some. I mixed it with the chicks growers mash in one little dish for them as they share okay.

Honey still looked the same so I knew she hadn’t got her next egg laid yet. When I got back from my deliveries at lunch time Honey was in the nest box which I thought was a good sign. After she had been in there for an hour I decided to lift her to see if she had laid and sure enough she had. I lifted her out of the nest box and she instantly bounced back to her usual self again.

Her egg was very fragile but not as soft as the last one.

Honey’s latest egg

The weather has been dry and sunny for the past week but rain is forecast for the weekend. The flower pots where the chicks like to roost before bedtime are in the corner where rain leaks in a bit and also runs down the fence despite the plastic sheet I put up.

I decided I needed to put something in place before the rain. I bought an umbrella for a pound and have squeezed into the corner over the flower pots. The umbrella itself will fill with water but it should run off and the flower pots should be protected. It’s not pretty but it’s only to protect the chicks until I lift to them to the coop each night and once integrated it can come down.

Chicks umbrella

I will see tonight if they are happy to perch underneath it.

In the afternoon I once again gave the chicks the bigger space and they discovered the bigger perches.

Peaches and Barley find the bigger perch

They settle down to sit in the sun

The chicks are getting used to me now and don’t panic so much when I poop pick around them and also let me get closer with the camera. Any chicken of mine must learn to get used to the camera.

All the dishes of mash were emptied so I am happy that they are getting their doses of flubenvet. Honey had been getting a bigger share of worms since the big girls were re- homed and I wonder if that has some bearing on this. I am not going to dig for worms for a good while.

The chicks have also had little spats between themselves. They run at each other but it’s all over in a few seconds. They are obviously sorting out their pecking order and Peaches seems to be top at the moment.

Honey has had bottom girl syndrome and runs at Toffee and Emerald to show them she is now above them. Toffee also runs at Emerald to make sure she knows she is bottom girl.

This afternoon we gave the girls some chard and Honey was throwing her weight about when Topaz ran at her and showed her that Topaz is still top girl. They raised their ruffs and ran at each other until Honey backed down. We felt it wasn’t a bad thing that she is shown her place. Topaz makes a good top hen because she doesn’t throw her weight about but doesn’t take any nonsense.

It all seems calm and happy again at the moment and I just hope the umbrella doesn’t bother the chicks. I will report back tomorrow.