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

[purplefowler]

I am probably just abit over cautious, but thought it was best to get some advice as this is worrying me abit. We got our cube and 3 chickens from omlet 27th march and so far everything has been brilliant. But the last few days knickers hasn't been herself. She is eating but with no enthusiasm. I offer her all types of treats and she mostly ignores them or gingerly takes them and drops them on the floor. She is also very lathargic. When she is free ranging the other 2 run all about the garden trying to get the best worms from each other, while she wanders around and eats stones (I have given them some extra grit which she was quite impressed with). Her eyes are bright, no dodgey breathing and her poos are darkish brown and solid, vent clean. Her crop feels alittle hard, but I am not sure what is normal (the others feel softer, but don't like to sit still for that long!). She laid an egg this morning so I guess it it probably nothing major, but she just doesn't seem right. She is always last out and first into the cube and just seems to want to sleep most of the day. Is there anything else I should be looking for? I am probably just worrying as I haven't had them long and am new to chickens, but I'm sure I am not the first to be over cautious

[Guest]

difficult to tell, if she's young then I wonder if she's been wormed, might be worth worming her with flubenvet to be on the safe side.

 

Normal crops should feel a little bit like a firm bean bag, best way I can describe it.

 

check her first thing in the morning to see if her crop has emptied and if it hasn't it's possible she might have an impacted crop, do you have straw or hay in the nest box/run or particulalry long grass in the garden?

[purplefowler]

I cut the grass during the week, so it is possible she got some before I did it. I was going to ring omlet tomorrow to find out if they were wormed before coming with us. Would her increased interest in grit and stones be caused by crop problems or digestive? Sorry for the questions, I'm sure you understand

[Guest]

it's possible but I'm no expert, let us know how her crop is in the morning.

[purplefowler]

Will do, thanks.

[Guest]

get your hands on some light olive oil/vegetable oil, just in case you need to do a little crop massage tomorrow.

 

The oil is given orally to the chicken to soften up the food in the crop before massage. We'll tell you how to do it if you need to in the morning.

[sandyhas3chucks]

and find out where your nearest fishing tackle shop is, live white maggots will help big time!

[Egluntyne]

If her crop is empty in the morning then there is no need to worry there. If it isn't then there may be a blockag e of some sort.

 

Article re impacted crops **here**

 

The fact that she is laying is an encouraging sign.

 

Re worming....Omlet hens are only wormed if tests done on the litter shoe worm egg counts above a certain level.

 

No harm in doing it again.

[purplefowler]

and find out where your nearest fishing tackle shop is, live white maggots will help big time!

I am really curious now! I have a really gross image in my head, what are they for?

She has taken herself of to bed at about 7.45, the other two are still scratching around. Hopefully she is just lazy. Will keep you posted. Thanks everyone for the input, it's nice to know we are not alone

[Guest]

the maggots should eat their way thru any organic matter in the crop but if the blockage isn't organic it won't help.

[purplefowler]

Wow, that is what I thought, just checking that it wasn't just that I have watched too many horror movies I'll have a good check tomorrow.

[purplefowler]

Morning everyone, Still not sure about her crop. I can clearly feel her breastbone. She looks like she is carrying something up front, but it is not really full feeling. She was very reluctant to come out this morning, but when she did she pecked at a few crumbs of layers pellets. She just looks quite puffed up and just doesn't want to move. I still haven't seen her drink either. I think I might take her to the vet, just to be on the safe side as I am really not sure.

[Snowy]

Hi,

She doesn't sound right does she? I think a trip to the vet would be wise. Some chickens are less active than others, but in my experience a dozy chook is a poorly chook. Hope it all goes well today. xx

[purplefowler]

Thanks, will keep posted.

[Guest]

if you're not sure then a trip to the vet is definitely a good idea, let us know how you get on xxx

[purplefowler]

I have just got back from the vets. I had a friend who has chickens come and look, and she said knickers didn't look right, but she would probably just leave it and wait and see, but I can't see the point of just waiting if an animal isn't well. So the vet said she looks ok, but is thin. Crop seems fine and everything else is pretty much ok. We have been sent home with a course of antibiotics (joy!), and hopefully they will do the trick. She was pecking at some greens just now when I put her back, so hopefully she will be ok. Does anyone know anything about Clavaseptin? I forgot to check the egg situation with the vet

Thanks again everyone for the support, I will keep you posted.

[fluffyknickers]

Ahh poor thing, hope she perks up.

 

I am new to this game but just wondered if it was worth making her up some porridge with her pellets to entice her?

 

Her usual pellets with boiling water so goes all mushy.

 

Let us know how she goes.

 

Personally i wouldnt eat the eggs if I was giving any medication (even if I was told it was safe - i m a wimp!) but maybe you would be allowed to cook them and feed back to her and the cooked crushed shell.

 

 

Michelle

[purplefowler]

Just a quick update, Knickers is already looking perkier. The vet gave her the first tablet and I was expecting the second one would be a nightmare, but she gladly took it from me and ate it on her own. My neighbour's daughter said she heard some ferocious eating and thought it was KO Joe as she is really greedy, but when she looked it was knickers . I still haven't seen her drink but she seems happier in herself so hopefully she is on the mend and it was just an infection. I will keep you all updated.

[sandyhas3chucks]

The combination of amoxicillin, a β-lactam antibiotic; with clavulanic acid, a β-lactamase inhibitor; results in an antibiotic with an increased spectrum of action and restored efficacy against β-lactamase producing amoxicillin-resistant bacteria.

 

covering all bases I expect!

hope she stays good

[purplefowler]

The combination of amoxicillin, a β-lactam antibiotic; with clavulanic acid, a β-lactamase inhibitor; results in an antibiotic with an increased spectrum of action and restored efficacy against β-lactamase producing amoxicillin-resistant bacteria.

 

covering all bases I expect!

hope she stays good

Blimey...you really know your stuff! She came running for her grapes this morning and wolfed down her tablet so hopefully all is well. There just seem to be so many unknown chicken bugs at the moment, it a quite worrying for a first timer

[sandyhas3chucks]

yes really clever I looked it up for you cut and paste, sorry I should have put in quotes

was tired

[purplefowler]

I would have kept quiet and just looked clever.

Just an update, knickers is looking alot better. She is still abit quieter, but today she was happily eating grass and spent quite alot of time scratching around with Elvis and KO. She also was drinking well, which has been quite a concern. I got her some mixed corn which she loves and seems to out-eat the other two so hopefully she will carry on and put on the weight she lost. She is still quite sleepy, but comes to the front of the run if there is someone there. She is also not so keen on sitting on my knee for as long as she did which is good for her, but a little sad for me. She has 2 days of tablets left and hopefully by then she will be 100%. It is a killer having to chuck away her eggs, she laid a beauty today, but it won't be for long I guess.

[sandyhas3chucks]

fingers all crossed for continued improvement.

[purplefowler]

It is not looking good again. Knickers is looking alot worse again even though she didn't finish the pills until tonight. I am hoping she picks up over the weekend, but am not that hopeful. She just wants to sleep all the time. Omlet have been great and have said I can return her as I have had her less than 30 days and Barbara has been great, but I am really gutted. I really don't want to lose her and I don't want to give up on her, but there doesn't seem to be anything else I can do. My son is taking it very well, four year olds for you I guess. He is hoping we can have another miss pepperpot this time tho like his big brother. KO Joe keeps giving us double yolkers and has always seemed the fittest of the three. I guess we will have to wait and see. It has been a tough old day. Poor old Knickers

[purplefowler]

Just a last update. We have had a tough weekend with poor knickers. I thought it was game over yesterday. She was as puffed up as a football, wouldn't move and when I picked her up some mucosy vomit came out. Her crop was really full and squishy and she was in a really sorry state. So I got back on to Barbara who advised yoghurt, maggots and a trip to a better vet. Unforunately all the good vents are miles away, so I went with the other options and 24 hours later the crop problems are better. Unfortunately her overall condition is still not good, so I think the crop problems are a secondary problem caused by her being generally unwell. I am going to ring omlet tomorrow morning and hope to take her back and get her changed. I will be really sorry to see her go as we have been through alot these last few weeks, but she just doesn't seem to be developing as well as the other 2. My son still wants to keep the name though so if all goes well we will have knickers II, and tomorrow night I might be able to have a proper nights sleep!