4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Jelly]

Hi, we are first time owners and we have four chickens.

Just today one of them has not been herself and has been looking unwell. She is wobbly, quiet, hunched and has puffed up her feathers. We think, she however has been eating and drinking as normal. But then when we went up to close the eggcube door, and we found her curled up in the corner of the run and she hadn't gone up to roost with the others.

We brought her into our porch in a large cardboard box with some straw in, and then we wrapped a hot water bottle in a towel and she seems to be settled laying on the hot water bottle.

We are VERY concerned about what it could be . Could she be Eggbound? Do you have any other ideas of how to deal with this or what it could be?

 

Thank youx

 

Please reply with any advice you can give us. There is a chicken waiting for help!

Edited January 31, 2009 by Guest

[raffik]

Hi Jelly

 

I posted a post in the chicken clinic forum this evening and it sounds like our hens have identical symptoms. Try to keep her warm and if she isn't drinking, use a pipette to feed her water with perhaps some chicken tonic in it to boost her vitamins.

 

Belina is in the utility room and I hope that she is better tomorrow. I suspect egg binding, and have massaged her vent with vaseline (not the nicest job to do!) but I hope it will help.

 

Good luck xx

[raffik]

Hi Jelly

 

I posted a post in the chicken clinic forum this evening and it sounds like our hens have identical symptoms. Try to keep her warm and if she isn't drinking, use a pipette to feed her water with perhaps some chicken tonic in it to boost her vitamins.

 

Belina is in the utility room and I hope that she is better tomorrow. I suspect egg binding, and have massaged her vent with vaseline (not the nicest job to do!) but I hope it will help.

 

Good luck xx

[Jelly]

Thank you so much Raffik, your advise is much appreciated.

We will go and see if Cheepy will take some water with tonic now.

We hope Belina is doing well and will get better soon.

I hope we can keep in touch to follow Cheepy and Belinas' progress.

Thank you once again

 

x

[chelsea]

if she is laying it could possibly be a soft shelled egg. Softies can make the hens go very quiet and odd for several hours until it has passed through. The hen is normally back to normal within 24 hours.

 

Have you wormed her recently? A sign of worm infestation is hunching and looking miserable.

 

Maybe if you havent already give her the once over for lice, we had a miserable looking chook last year and were horrified to find lice on her

 

If she is still like it tomorrow afternoon I would maybe try and get an appointment at the vets on monday. See what you think.

[Jelly]

Thank you so much Chelsea, we have given her a once over already, but we will check again.

Thank you againx

[chelsea]

no worries, keep us posted.

 

You've done the right thing with the hot water bottle though - that'll keep her nice and warm.

 

Fingers crossed for you. x

[Jelly]

We have just been reading a "Chicken Help" book that we recieved as a very handy christmas pressie! It says that some of the symptoms our Cheepy is having are the same as the symptoms that can occur if there is a blockage in her crop. Do you have any ideas if this could be true? If it is waht can we do about it?

 

Thank youx

[laurmurf]

if it was a crop problem it would probably feel quite hard and wouldn't reduce in size in the morning. A miserable looking hen could be so many things - keeping her warm and quiet and hydrated until the morning is probably the best you can do for her for now.... oh and keep researching!

 

good luck!

[Jelly]

Oh thank you so much for the advice!

I will keep posting about Cheepys' progress and i will be on in the morning too.

 

Thank you again x

[BeckyBoo]

just to say good luck with your chook, hopefully it's just a soft egg, I get quite a few from my ex-batts and they seem to manage them OK, but my younger hens go very off colour for about 24 hours if they've got one coming. As long as she's drinking and starts eating in the morning hopefully she'll pick up. If it was sour crop it would feel all squidgy I think, and it can smell awful, if her crop is empty in the morning then it's probably not a crop problem.

 

It is a worry, they go down so fast, but then they come right back up again equally as fast!

 

Thinking of you

 

BeckyBoo

[Jelly]

Thank you so much. Yes i think we will moniter her through the night, and she has now started drinking lots. We are now confident it is not he4r crop and quite sure it must be either a softie or eggbound. Either way, thank you for your advice and we will keep you posted

 

Thank you x

[Jelly]

Well Cheepy isn't looking good. She is still very floppy and keeps closing her eyes. She has had a small drink, but not much. She is no longer talking to us as much.

Does anyone have any idea of what we could do

 

Thank you x

[Plum]

Sorry to hear she's not any better. Sorry I don't have experience just want to wish you well. xx

[BeckyBoo]

Well, I know a lot of people are going to say take her to the vets, if that's an option for you then I think that might be a good idea. Not a lot of vets have chicken experience so check before you go. If the vets isn't an option have you checked her crop, if its still full from yesterday or its squidgy then maybe it's impacted or sour. Did she get hold of any long grass cos that can get caught up in their crops. Egluntine will know how you treat it, I think if it's impacted you try and get some olive oil or similar in and massage it, sour crop I think you have to tip them upside down and try to empty it but please DON'T take my word for it, check the threads on here first!

If it's a soft egg she should be able to pass it and will then perk up. If an egg has broken inside I think that's not normally treatable. Trouble with chickens is nearly EVERYTHING has the same symptoms. I've always just ended up trying to keep them comfortable. It might be worth putting her back with the others, it can be stressful for them being away as well.

 

Really really hope she picks up

 

BeckyBoo

[Ain't Nobody Here]

So sorry to hear about your poorly girl, Jelly . I can't really offer any more advice than has already been given but just wanted to wish you luck with her recovery. Hopefully it is just a softie and she'll be right as rain soon .

[Groovychook]

Poor Jelly ,

Sorry not to have any advice for you- hope, like ANH that it's a softie ...

Fingers crossed for you xx

[Jelly]

Thank you so much every one for the great advice. She still isn't looking good, but will keep you posted.

Thank you so much.

We are just keeping her comfy and warm. If she gets no better, i think we will take her to the vets.

 

Thanks again x

[Jelly]

Cheepy is still not looking good. We have given her a drink with a pipet and offered her foot, which she has not taken

We are now going to bath her to see if that will help, if she is eggbound.

Does anyone have any advice on bathing her and drying her

What is the best way to do it

 

Thank you x

[sandyhas3chucks]

My girls go as you are describing yours is with a softee on the way, as BB says can take 24hors to clear from start to finish, mine always drink loads when onne on the way they stop everthing till it has passed, often the soft bit first which the others nmay have already eaten, so you won't know and the shell can take another 12 hours (this is for my girls anyway)

In the reference section you will find advice for soutr and impacted cop.

as BB And Chealsea say impacted is rock hard & sour squidgy. You might like to feel the others to decide, if it may or may not be that. Oral Daktarin available over the counter isrecommended by some for sour crop & having just had a horrid time with a very sad girl I think it helped her.As already said most things have the same effect on the girls, I have tons of experience now with softees,and if it has got broken inside she will get very poorly & need antibiotics for sure. I oersonally always have mine in the warm with softee on the way. but that is me.

I think if it is egg bound people tend to sugest sit on warm towell as bathing entails them sitting in warm water for 20 mins something I tried once but it wasn't a great success & it turned out to be a softee. (I have ex bats)

[Jelly]

We'll we woke up this morning and Cheepy seemed to have made a wonderful recovery

We have put her back with the rest of the flock and she seems fine

When we went up to check if they had all roosted, she had gone up to roost as well, so we thing things are looking up

It seems the bath and ho"Ooops, word censored!"er bottle worked!

Thanks alot for all of your advice, we really appreciate it

 

Thank you all so much x

 

P.S Cheepy says thank you all for helping her get better

 

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's great news . Tell Cheepy we're all delighted she's feeling better .

[Jelly]

Hi Jelly

 

I posted a post in the chicken clinic forum this evening and it sounds like our hens have identical symptoms. Try to keep her warm and if she isn't drinking, use a pipette to feed her water with perhaps some chicken tonic in it to boost her vitamins.

 

Belina is in the utility room and I hope that she is better tomorrow. I suspect egg binding, and have massaged her vent with vaseline (not the nicest job to do!) but I hope it will help.

 

Good luck xx

 

Hows Belina now?

[chelsea]

You're welcome Cheepy we are just pleased you are back to your normal self!