One of my girls looks anaemic

[Millie1]

She had a partial moult in November but has feathered up and perked up again. However her comb is the palest pink, especially noticeable when she's beside one of the others with their red combs. Can anyone tell me what I can give her pls? She hasn't laid in months but she's an Orp so I guess that's ok.

Combs do go paler when they are not in lay, so hopefully it's that. Could be worms, have you wormed her recently with flubenvet?

Yes, I second worming and give her some cat food regularly, just to get some protein into her.

Poultry spice sprinkled on their food is good too.

Thanks all. I hang my head in shame as I whisper that, despite my best intentions, they've never been worked ! Takes note in red ink,capital letters to order Flubenevet. Meantime, I'll try the cat food - any particular type?

Slinks off so you can all tell me what a rotten hen owner I am! They're happy, honest!

Sorry, wormed

Yeah, you need to get some flubenvet. It's surprising the damage that worms can do. They severely debilitate the bird. External parasites can also have the same effect. I just use Ivermectin drops (for small animals from Pets at Home) to deal with my hens.

Sprinkle the flubenvet onto the catfood and make sure each bird gets some. You might need to separate them whilst you do this. One small pinch a day for seven days will do it. There's no egg withdrawal period either.

I just use my cat's sachet food on my hens - during the winter. They also sneak into my house and eat it from the cats bowl when I'm not looking. It's the type in gravy that I get. It gives them useful protein.

Whatever you do don't use Verm-X. That's only a herbal preventative. It doesn't actually kill the worms at all.

Oh, also, don't worry about the dosage on the flubenvet box either. My vet said it's impossible to work out if you use their system and just to put a small pinch out for each hen each day. It's a very well tolerated drug with low toxicity......unless you're a worm of course

I use the half grape method - each one dipped in flubenvet, then at least I can see which ones have had their dose daily. Or two for the particularly assertive ones!

That's a good method bramble. I'll remember that

Don't let them take your fingers off!!

Oh, I just put the food down and run

They gang up on me and force me to let them out into the garden.

LOL - thanks!!