How Quickly Does Albendazole Work?

[Bootscooter Nell]

Hi,

I'm really worried about Maggie. She was fine yesterday, laid her normal daily egg which she has done virtually every day since we got her in June but yesterday afternoon everything changed. She started wandering around the garden looking depressed and uncomfortable. As she'd already laid an egg that day I was very surprised when she laid a soft egg early evening. All three girls swooped down on it an ate it. Then this morning she was still looking very depressed just sitting and doing nothing. She seemed to perk up very slightly in the afternoon so I let them out into the garden. Then low and behold in the afternoon out popped another soft egg which she and the other two delighted in eating.

 

This is just not like her. She is still very depressed although she did potter about the garden after she's laid the egg. I don't think she has touched the pellets but did have a little bit of sweetcorn and cabbage and seems to have eaten a lot of grit. Now I'm beginning to think that there is another underlining problem causing her to lay the soft eggs whereas at first I thought it was the soft egg that was making her feel ill. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the problem could be?

 

Thanks

[theherd123]

Im sorry to hear Maggie is feeling a little unwell.

 

How old is she now?

I see that she laid her first egg in June so she could still be trying to find her egg laying pattern.

 

I would keep an eye on her in terms of eating & drinking, put out extra grit and possibly add some limestone flour to their layers too.

 

I do hope she perks up soon.

[dancing cloud]

It may not be the same thing, but you may not need to worry (fingers crossed).

 

Joy went through a stage of laying soft eggs for several days and looking at death's door while she was doing it. There were a couple of times when I said goodnight to her and wasn't sure if I'd see her again in the morning . She then stopped laying altogether for a couple of weeks, looking a lot better at that point , and then just started laying again like nothing ever was .

 

I never identified a cause and she now seems happy and healthy, so maybe Maggie's going though the same thing.

 

((hugs)) to you both.

[Bootscooter Nell]

Hello Emma and Dancing Cloud,

Thank you for your replies. Maggie is still not looking any better and is sitting huddled up in a crate inside the pen sheltering from the wind at the moment.

 

I've got an appointment at a localish vet this afternoon, they very kindly managed to squeeze us in - a half hour appointment so she is obviously going to get a thorough checking over. It's about a half hour drive from us so I do hope she doesn't get too stressed. Thought about bringing her into the utility room with me but didn't know if I'd do more harm than good by removing her from the other two.

 

I really cannot put my finger on what is wrong with her. I feel so helpless and inadequate. I know it will take time and a lot of experience to be able to pick up on what is ailing them but it is mind boggling how they can seem as right as rain one minute and then go downhill so quickly. Maggie normally gives Lisa a hard time although she isn't top hen, Marj is, so Lisa is getting a rest from the pecking, but whose the one who keeps sitting next to Maggie to keep her company - yep sweet little Lisa.

 

Maggie has given me the most stress since I got the girls back in June but I'll be devastated if anything happens to her. Before she got ill she would always give me a lovely little sing-song greeting and she hasn't done it for days, I really miss it, she is the only one out the three that does it.

[dancing cloud]

I totally empathise with the helpless feeling!

 

Good luck this afternoon and please let us know how you get on. Thinking of you.

[Bootscooter Nell]

Hello again,

 

Just got back from the vets with Maggie.

 

Although she doesn't have much in her crop, what there was seemed to be the grit that I give them. So she was given a dose of liquid parafin and a course of antibiotics.

 

Vet said she may have been too full of grit to eat anything else. As to why she has chosen to eat grit rather than her pellets who knows except I did put VermX in with their pellets the morning this all started. So I'm wondering if she doesn't like the taste of VermX.

 

Does anyone else have hens that don't like VermX? It's only the second or third time I've given it to them.

 

I've got to check her bottom tomorrow to see if it glistening, apparently a sign that the parafin has gone through which will show that she's not blocked up.

 

So it is just a matter of waiting to see what happens over the weekend. At least this rain is a good excuse to keep them in the pen so that I can keep an eye on her.

 

The vet also commented on her breast bone being prominent which was a sign that she was a little bit under weight. I then checked the other two when I got home and they are all like it. Now I'm going to be paranoid about breast bones

 

So fingers crossed with a bit of luck she is over the worst of it. The vet seemed very confident that this should sort out the problem.

[sandyhas3chucks]

I am wondering if lots of us are allowing & giving our chooks stuff that doesn't help when they areunder the weather wish I had known the following before. have a read in the ref sections, so much help there.

 

"In addition, certain greens such as spinach, beet greens, chard contain Oxalic acid which reacts with the calcium so that it can not be absorbed."

try grated cheese & mealworms for a quick protein & calcium boost.