Storms and chickens

[Wolleysheep]

I have a very ill chicken, please help me before it is to late.

 

Age: 21 weeks (no eggs as of yet)

Health before impacted crop: Sneezing and sniffles - phoned breeder, who said it was due to inoculation (bronchitus)

Impacted crop: about 3/4 days ago. Hard, very large crop. Chicken laying down all the time, not wanting to leave house.

Treatment: after much research - Liquid paraffin down throat via tube and massage crop. Drinking water but not food for 2 days.

 

Symptoms now: Crop really small but still compact. Lies down all the time on right hand side of body and wil notl eave house. Feeding small amount of warm water and layers mash but lifts left leg when eats as if in pain and then collapses down onto left hand side after a while as if to relieve pain or stomach. Still sneezing and sounds like shes gar galling????

Please help as she looks so ill and i'm not sure what it is or what I can do to help

Edited October 21, 2008 by Guest

[GKH]

oh no - i can't help but i hope someone will be along soon. do you have a chicken friendly vet you can ring? i think you should make an appt. for tomorrow am?

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to be blunt but you must take her to the vet tomorrow.

 

In the meantime, try syringing water into her beak to keep her hydrated and massage her crop to see if you can shift the blockage. I would syringe a little olive oil into her beak rather than liquid paraffin.

 

Using a tube can be dodgy in case you accidentally pour liquid into the lungs.

 

I wouldn't bother with the layers mash, unless it is in a very sloppy porridge.

 

I would also keep her warm so that she doesn't waste valuable energy trying to maintain her body temperature.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Sorry to hear your girl is so poorly . I hope you manage to get her back to health .

[The Dogmother]

How is she today?

[Guest]

hope you got her to the vet, how is she?

[Wolleysheep]

Hi guys,

Thank you for all your concern, she is still a very ill chook. I took her to the vets yesterday morning, the vet knows chickens well and checked her over. She said that her crop was back to its expected size and looked good, however could not explain the chickens lack of energy/lethargy and the fact that she constantly raises her left leg into herself. She prescribed 260mg of Ornicure to add to her drinking water and said to keep a close eye on her, also to allow her to eat as normal.

Well this morning she was little different, still quiet and lethargic, I gave her some food and after eating it she just plopped back down, she hasn't moved much since.

I am very concerned indeed!

Thanks again for your kind and helpful replys

[Guest]

what colour are her comb and wattles? do they have a blueish tinge at all? I'm just wondering if it might be some sort of heart problem?

 

I don't know if a chicken's heart is on the left hand side so I'm only guessing but that might be why she favours lying on her left side?

 

maybe ask your vet or try and find a vet that specialises in poultry. If you look for vets in farming/rural areas, they usually know more about chickens.

 

hope you find out what's wrong, good luck.

[Wolleysheep]

Ok what a puzzle.

 

Went back to the vets as she was not drinking the water with the antibiotics in. Prescribed Ronaxan 20mg 1 tablet twice a day. Well to be honest this is very strange, she is a white chicken with lovely red colour in her cheeks, wattle and comb in fact appart from the other chicken staining her feathers she looks goo until you hear her.

 

[b]She gargals as if she is snorkelling [/b]

Vet says that the medicine that she is on should help that in a few days.

 

Good news - She stands for a little longer, does not lift her leg as much and took a couple of steps today!! Unfortunately she still will not leave the house and has now been over a week.

 

Eats a porrage of warm mash to get fluids down as I have found that she is not drinking and she shivers a lot.

 

Any ideas as the vets have non. She does not even want to try and go anywhere and Im concerned with her quality of life.

[Egluntyne]

Sounds as if she is making slow progress.

 

Keep up with the meds and the porridge, and keep her warm and see what happens.

 

Does the vet want to see her again?

[The Dogmother]

Mix half a teaspoon of honey into that warm porridge and some probiotics if you have any. That will help no end.

[Wolleysheep]

An update

 

Well she seams to be getting better. Thank you for the idea of a little honey I think that just that little extra helped her get a hold of what ever she has got.

 

I've found that getting her out of the house and making her walk around has been a great help even though she still walks with a slight limp and ofter lifts her leg whilst eating and standing.

 

Sneezing etc has now stopped from effective use of antibiotics - thank god she just took the tablets out of my hand!!

 

Never the less I'm extreamly happy that she is on a rather slow road to health but sad that I can not find out what is causing the symptoms.

 

I will write of any alteration with her symptoms and thank everyone for your advice.

 

Claire and Amber the chook.