Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[darthwenger]

Thought I would try here as not too sure what to do as only had the chooks a couple of months, sorry for the long post but please bear with me.

 

Clucky became ill a couple of weeks ago, she stopped eatting and only drank a little, had diarrhoea and just stood still all day with her feathers all ruffled up. We took her to the vets immediately who gave her a injection and some antobiotics for the drinking water (we also gave them a stool sample)

 

Clucky didn't really perk up and we thought it may be coccidiosis or some sort of worms. The results came back and it showed it wasn't any of those but the vet said she had E-coli and looking at the results, the antibiotics we were given were useless so we had wasted another week where Clucky really wasn't getting any treatment. I also had to seperate her from her companion chook as she fell down and the other chook attacked her.

 

The vet gave her injection of new antibiotics (and a further 5 more for me to give her, she still has 2 more to go) but she is still weak and nearly falls over sometimes when she walks and her wings do hang low though she is starting to pick up and have noticed that she has started eatting her pellets again (2 whole handfuls today) and ate 2 whole pieces of melon.

 

Today the diarrhoea stopped and she has done 2 solid poo's (something that I haven't seen in 3 weeks) she is still ruffled up and the vet said she had lost a lot of weight but she has started clucking at us again as she has been very quiet for weeks.

 

Has anyone else had a poorly chook and managed to nurse it back to full health? and if so, any suggestions would be helpful as we did nearly have her put down a couple of days ago as it just wasn't fair to her but I'm hoping that she has finally turned the corner.

 

Any suggestions apart from the pellets that would build her strength?

[Egluntyne]

How about a tonic such as Life Guard Poultry Tonic in her drinking water, or some Poultry Spice added to the pellets.

 

A bit of extra protein such as scrambled egg or rinsed tuna might help build her up now that she is on the mend.

 

What a relief for you.

[darthwenger]

Well, she is still pretty poorly and still huddled in her box but at least she has started eatting and drinking and no more diarrhoea.

 

I've ordered some Spice so hopefully that will help her.

 

Thanks for the advice.

[quickcluck]

Oh poor you, what a terrible time you've had! I truely hope that she is on the mend for and your dark days are over...

 

Keep us posted on how she is......

[sandyhas3chucks]

warm ready brek goes down well, mine like it runny when not feeling too good. Meal worms readily bought at lots of places for wild birds has lots of protein(theyty're dried in case you worried about wiggly things!) grated cheese is scoffed.

warm layers mash or you could try soaking her pellets maybe mix in with ready brek.

they all seem to love grapes,but my exbats had to have most things chopped up till they learn't what to do with real food, perhaps a poorly chook would like smal bits offered I also gave cucumber (when mine was sick I felt I was getting some fluid intpo her too.

Don't forget to have grit about for her too incase she wants it.

good luck.

sounds like she might be on the mend,

it is so desperatly worrying especially when things go wrong early on, 1 of mine nearly died after rescued them after 3 weeks.

[darthwenger]

Ooops didn't look down and realise that their is a chicken clinic a bit further down (mods, please feel free to move this post)

 

Reading some of the posts, it looks as if this diarrhoea, not eatting, weakness is a common thing.

 

I've tried making some mash yesterday but she wasn't really interested in it but when I put some pellets down, she gobbled them up. Also ordered some Chicken Spice from Omlet and bought some yoghut today for her and I'll try that with some bran tomorrow. (I'll also pop out and pick up some meal worms tomorrow)

 

My poor wife is so upset and I am hoping that she is on the mend (as she still seems so weak) we are at the moment looking for any sign that she'll get better (bearing in mind that making her suffer is the last thing we want).

 

Some friends have laughed as they have told me just to get rid of her and buy a new one and Omlet did offer to take her back and give us a new one but we are determined to get her through this as we've really bonded with her.

[sandyhas3chucks]

i feel for you, it's horrid, know just how you feel. hope m worms work. try the grated cheese? they all have dif tastes, mine won't touch the yoghurt! others love it. have you tried feeding her where she can see /hear her friend? or hand feed both at same time?

just ideas......

[Egluntyne]

Avipro is a useful addition to a convalescent hens diet....forgot to mention it earlier.

[lisa33]

I hope she gets better soon.

[darthwenger]

Just a quick update:

 

Clucky looks as though she has pulled through (even though the vet told us to expect the worse) as she was so thin and couldn't stand or eat.

 

A course of 6 antibiotic injections seem to have done the trick, we kept her indoors in a large box for a few days and yesterday, she has gone back into the eglu with her friend.

 

She does seem more like herself and has been eatting non-stop for 2 days though she still seems to not be as strong and doesn't run around like she used to plus the other chook a couple of times knocked her to the floor while rushing to the food but thankfully she gets straight back up again (which she couldn't do last week)

 

We are currently trying everything to fatten her up and give her strength. She is currently going through her pellets with bran, mealworms & corn feed plus a little melon (still waiting on the chicken spice)

 

She did get her foot trapped between the roosting bars this morning in a rush to get out of the eglu and couldn't get it out so I had to help her, my heart was in my mouth when I saw her lying there (thankfully, she jumped up, pecked my hand and made a break for the pellets!)

 

Do you think taking the bars out until her legs get stronger is a good idea? I'd hate to think of her getting her leg trapped in the night and being stuck there until the morning.

 

Hopefully, I haven't rushed her back too soon into the eglu but thought she wouldn't build her leg muscles up by just standing in a box indoors.

[sandyhas3chucks]

I would. and go with your instinct now with her.

It does sound very good, not to put a dampener on though, have heard others get a pull through only to lose later, but sounds like you are pretty vigilant.

Mine came good & is the biggest meanest also most lucious looking. Several months on now.

keep building her up.

good luck, really pleaed as I know just how you feel!

[darthwenger]

Just another quick update, Clucky died yesterday morning.

 

She was not her normal self when we opened the Eglu in the morning and we took her straight to the vets who said she wouldn't pull through the kindest thing would be to put her to sleep. We agreed.

 

Before the vet could do it, she closed her eyes and laid down and died so in the end, the choice was taken out of our hands.

 

Don't feel like replacing Clucky straight away but its unfair to leave the other one on her own so we are popping down to Thornes tomorrow to buy another.

 

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice and best wishes.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Oh no, I'm so sorry . I've just read through this thread from the beginning and was totally shocked at your last post. At least you didn't have to make that hard decision in the end, as she was obviously too poorly to recover.

 

Poor Clucky .

[emmaw298]

hi darthwenger, I too have just read this post from start to finish and was shocked to read that Clucky didn't make it, really sorry to hear that.

I lost one of my ex batts 4 months after I got them and had already nursed her back to health once and she just couldn't pull through again after that. You do get really attached, particularly if you have nursed them and it is really really sad when you lose one so I understand why you don't feel like you want to rush to replace her. I was so upset it took me ages to visit the forum again as it kept reminding me of her - silly really!

Also, know what it feels like to have others around you that don't understand why you are upset and why you don't 'just trade them in for a better one' when they are ill - but all the kind responses from everyone on the forum makes you realise that you're not alone in loving your girls!

hope you get a lovely new hen and continue to enjoy your chickening

[sandyhas3chucks]

SO sorry, looked like she was over the worst. ! thoughts are with youy

[The Brown Clan]

So sorry to hear she didn't make it

my thoughts are with you

[Egluntyne]

Just caught up with this.

 

So sorry to read about Clucky.

 

What a shock after an apparent improvement.

 

I would get another hen as soon as you feel able, as the remaining girl won't be happy on her own.

 

If you only had Clucky a very short time, I should let Omlet know.

[lisa33]

So sorry to hear about Clucky.

[darthwenger]

Yes, we've only had the Eglu since the end of July and we did let Omlet know when we had to take Clucky in the 2nd time to the vets and they did send us a cheque for half the vets bill so I'm pretty happy with that and understand that these things happen so not blaming Omlet.

 

My wife is also so upset that she doesn't feel like rushing out and buying a replacement immediately as she feels like its replacing her too quickly and we'll forget about her but explained to her that we have given so much time to Clucky recently and poor Henrietta has been forgotten about alone in her Eglu and its about time we did something for her (like get her a friend).

[lisa33]

I would recommend that you get a friend for Henrietta.

 

Chickens shouldn't really be kept on their own.

 

Henrietta will be much happier with a friend.

 

I know Thornes had some hybrids in the weekend before last but I don't know if they have any at the moment.

 

Good luck.

 

Let us know what you decided.

[darthwenger]

We popped down there this afternoon and picked up a white "Sussex" I think they said she was.

 

Stupidly, we tried Rosie in the Eglu and Henrietta (our resident cook) nearly tore her head off and we were shocked how violent Henrietta was and we ended up having to split them up and currently Rosie is licking her wounds in a box in the porch.....I didn't realise how stressful keeping chickens is, we've only had chickens less than 2 months and we've lost one and now the other 2 are not getting on.

 

The very friendly guy at Thorne's told us if the bullying continues next week then maybe another chicken to make 3 would be a good idea so poor Rosie won't get picked on all the time (as it looks like Henrietta is top dog at the mo)

 

I know this sounds very selfish but we've a first baby due at any day now and maybe buying chooks at this time probably wasn't the right decision as we just won't have the time to dedicate to them (especially as I've read that it may take weeks and weeks for them to get on and you have to keep splitting them up!)

[alih]

if they are similar ages they will get used to each other pretty quickly. There are some brilliant threads on intros otherwise but am not technical enough to know how to show you the link. Poor you, and about to have a baby too - as long as there is no blood drawn you may have to let the 2 ladies settle down and put up with bullying. i have to say i would have advised you to get 2 more when your first girl died as 3 is a nice group. But persevere just a little and you will be rewardrd with 2 happy friends.

[Egluntyne]

Have a look at **this article**for some tips on managing intros.

[quickcluck]

you certainly have had a rough intro into the wonders of chook keeping.... I am a newbie too so am really feeling for you.

 

I wonder though if you should bite the bullet and get another to even it out more? It seems from reading avidly on here that 3 is a better amount to have...

 

Best of luck.....

[darthwenger]

Thanks for all the advice from everyone.

 

I placed our new chook (Rosie) in a cage next to Henrietta for a week and they then let them freerange for a couple of days together and they got on ok apart from a bit of chasing by Henrietta.

 

Yesterday, they both wandered into the Eglu together and have been fine ever since (apart from the odd occasion when Henrietta decides to show her who is boss)

 

Visiting the poultry centre again today to get a few bits and pieces...........so tempted to buy one more to make three!