2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Biker Betty]

Hello all

 

I left for work this morning and one of my girls was looking a bit peeky - not eating much etc. I have come home this evening to find her laying in the nesting box - she has no strength at all in her legs and can't really stand. She is pooing out what looks like a mixture of egg white and runny poo sporadically and she is very hunched. I have tried to take a look at her vent and underside but she is so frail that I daren't disturb her too much right now.

 

Obviously I have separated her out and I have got her to drink quite a bit of water and even eat a mouthful of food (yoghurt, layers mash & rinsed tuna - sloppy mix) but now she just wants to lay down and go to sleep - so I've left her to snooze.

 

Anyone have any ideas what might have caused this? Is there anything else I can do now to help her?

 

By the way, I've had them 6 months and have just ordered some worming stuff which arrived today - could it be a severe case of worms or something?

 

Laying has been a bit sporadic - I'm getting one or two a day from 4 girls and the odd soft one. I just figured that it was ex batts not laying as well as normal chooks.

 

Please help if you can - thank you.

[Clur]

Someone with more experience may be able to offer advice, but it could be worms making her feel a bit rough or trying to pass a soft egg, which can make them feel off-colour for a while. You sound like you're doing the right thing, so hope she pulls through ok. I would worm all of them as a matter of course though, a lot of people (myself included) use Flubenvet which is very good.

[Biker Betty]

Sadly - this is not just a bit of colour now - she can barely lift her head up - she basically can't move. I think she has a runny nose too. I will be surprised if she lasts the hour to be honest.

 

There is just egg white stuff coming out of her vent now.

 

Could it be severe dehydration causing her to be so weak? Should I get some liquid into her with a syringe do you think?

[chelsea]

Sorry to hear your hen is poorly, she doesnt sound too good bless her.

 

It could be any number of reasons.....she may have an illness, or an egg stuck or an egg broken inside her.

 

If she is still with you in the morning I would suggest a trip to the vet.

 

Hope she pulls through.

[Plum]

Poor thing, doesn't sound as if you will be able to but suppose you have nothing to lose if you do it carefully.

Hope she makes it through the night. Sounds like the vets the only hope

Good luck with her.

[BeckyBoo]

Just to say good luck really, I haven't really got any advice to give, I'm no expert on sickness, but if yours is an ex-batt then I think they do get a lot more worn out than free range hens. Also I do think that hens hide their symptoms very well, I suppose its a defence mechanism - if you look weak you're likely to get picked on so by the time they show the signs of illness they're normally quite ill.

 

Good luck

 

BeckyBoo

[Biker Betty]

Thank you all so much for your kind words of advice - she has lifted her head up now so at least that's something. I think I'm going to bring her indoors and just give her lots of TLC - I think its the only chance.

 

I just can't believe how rapdily she has gone downhill - yesterday evening she was fine being her usual naughty self then today she has totally crashed within a matter of hours.

 

I'm just going to have to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. I will get her to the vets first thing regardless - but he's not very good with chickens so I'm not that hopeful there.

 

Thank you all for being here as a bit of support - don;t know what I'd do without this forum and the kindness of strangers.

 

Bx

[sandyhas3chucks]

fingers crossed she makes the night & to the vet. You don't have to use your normal vet you know, you could ring around & find someone with more experience maybe?

good luck.

[Lizzie]

Sounds like a soft egg or definately something to pass.

Good luck, everything crossed for you and your little hen

 

Regards

Liz

[Egluntyne]

Keep her warm on a padded hot water bottle, so that she doesn't have to expend valuable energy keeping her temperature up, and try to get fluids into her if you can. Syringing it into her beak with a child's med syringe from the supermarket will help keep her hydrated until you can get her to a vet tomorrow.

[chelsea]

How is she this morning? I hope she made it through the night.

[Biker Betty]

Hello all

 

How great you all are for taking the time to care about my little girl.

 

I have good news this morning - she seems quite a bit better!

 

I sat up with her last night and about midnight she started to drink - in fact she drank loads. I kept seeing to her sporadially through the night - and she continued to drink more and slept well.

 

This morning she has been standing up and eating and drinking - she generally seems a lot perkier - and her tail feathers have sprung back up. She is still doing funny poos though - like poo and egg white mixed - but it's nowhere near as bad as last night - the paper in the floor of her box this morning was soaked so I think she excreted a lot of junk in the night.

 

I have decided not to take her to the vets this morning - she does seem a lot better and I just don't want to disturb her recovery. Plus the fact, the vets here are just no good at dealing with chickens - mine is the best I can find and he just says that he's not sure what it is every time I speak to him. He does try though so if she gets worse again I will take her.

 

In the meantime, I have looked at various books and sites etc and it seems her symptoms suggest that she may have been egg bound or something similar - anyone got any advice on that?

 

Most of all, this has taught me yet again the importance of TLC in helping these girls to get better - she went from a bit poorly, to not being able to lift her head up, to standing up and eating again - all within 24 hours! These birds will continue to baffle me but I'll do whatever I can do to get them right again.

 

Thank you all once again - I will keep you posted though.

[emmaw298]

Hi bikerbetty (love the name btw!) - glad to hear she is picking up.

Keep an eye on her crop as in my experience (which isn't massive I point out) if they are/have been generally unwell the crop can slow down for a few days. If it hardens at all and doesn't go down in the morning, try some maggots and/or light massage and treats of bread soaked in olive oil. Lots of advice on the forum about how to manage this.

Are you supplementing with calcium? Being ex-batts they may need some and without it may be more prone to softies which may explain the recent episode, partiularly as you mentioned they don't lay that much and you do get the occasional softie. Obviously ensure available grit too - as I'm sure you do

Worming will definitely be worthwhile as they do love to dig up grubs don't they?

Good luck with a speedy recovery

[Biker Betty]

Emma - thanks for the advice there - you have listed pretty much all the measures I am taking now.

 

I have added a good dose of olive oil to her breakfast, also given her some yoghurt (in case it was her belly) and a bit of rinsed tuna for some added protein - and her mash of course mixed up with a bit of water to make it easier to eat. She seems to be enjoying it.

 

I took delivery of all sorts of chicken medicine yesterday including flubenvet and some zolcal-d so I'm going to start them on that tomorrow and see if that helps the situation. Seems like it arrived in good time.

 

By the way - the site I used seems to offer some pretty good prices on both of these amongst other pet meds. http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk

 

Thank you once again - its reassuring to know I'm on the right lines.

 

Bx

[Biker Betty]

My girl is still not right - she is walking around (very slowly) and her tail feathers are up she's eating a bit and drinking plenty - but I really think she is egg bound.

 

So last night, I tried to give her a bath - she didn't really appreciate it to be honest (at least it demonstrated that she has regained a bit of her naughtiness!) and wouldn't put her bum in the water at all - however she loved the hairdryer afterwards and even at one point turned so I could do the other side!

 

It gave me the chance to have a good look at her - everything is totally as it should be except she had a swollen abdomen near her vent - and her vent is spasming constantly - she looks like she's trying to do a poo all the time. Her poo is mainly like white clear liquid with bits of poo in it and the odd orangey foamy one.

 

I lubricated her vent with vaseline but didn't want to delve too far in as I'm not sure what I'm doing and wouldn't want to hurt her. She did totally co-operate when I did this though as if she knew I was trying to help her.

 

Last night she slept on a warm towel indoors and seemed to get a very good night's rest.

 

I have set up a temp run for her in the garden and have left her to roam a bit this morning - when I left she was having a doze in the sunshine but has plenty of water etc next to her too. She has full access to go back inside when necessary - I will go home at lunchtime and put her back indoors for the afternoon though.

 

I have started her and all the others today on zolcal-d and flubenvet.

 

So, does anyone have any further advice on this? Is it time to get her to the vets do you think?

 

Thanks - Bx

[Guest]

she could have peritonitis, you should really take her to a vet.

[sandyhas3chucks]

she could have peritonitis, you should really take her to a vet.

I agree..

Soon as!

[Biker Betty]

I did take her to the vet and she has a massive softie stuck - as I thought, she is definitely egg bound. The outlook is not good as the vet thought it was too far back for her to safely get it out. So I have come home with her, some baytril to help her fight infection and get some strength back and a lot of hope.

 

All I can do now is hope - I've tried everything else - if she deteriorates it'll be back to the vets for the final time.

 

Thank you for your help though. Bx

[sandyhas3chucks]

Oh good luck, don't dispair yet, my dear girl had the same. 3 times my vet tried to get it, each time he was going to remove by op if not out, but each time was a little furthert, last time he didn't know why he couldn't pop it out. Then when he was going to op, we got snowed in & she cleared it herself.

Had 2 days or 3 off then was right as nine pence for a month.

sadly same thing happened agin, but it was the sour crop that did it for her.

But just cos mine did it again doesn't mean yours will.

took about 2 weeks in all!

Gla you took her good luck.

Might some aded vit D help with the contractions. seen that advice somewhere!

Any resident experts on out there?

really wish the best out come for you.

[Biker Betty]

Sandy - that's really good to hear - I've heard so much negative in the past few hours that it's good to hear a success story- makes me think I'm right not to give up too soon. She is very happily snoozing in a cosy box in the bathroom right now - let's hope that helps.

 

Did you try the steam meathod or anything to help her?

 

I'll keep you posted anyway.

 

Thanks once again

 

Bx

[sandyhas3chucks]

do as it actually never occurred to me. I thought egg bound was a solid egg stuck which would need help & lubrication. I expect the steam relaxes & lubricates.

I continued with the zolcal D direct on small bread if she was eating. Metacam for pain relief. At one time I was desperately worried when she was sitting with her head tucked under her wing, very sad. As I said the vet tried 3 times, whether that helped or not who knows.

It was cold at the time so she stayed in the warm, & I tried her with every treat under the sun as long as she ate a little, also water, soooo important that they don't get dehydrated. Also watch for the sour crop, if one end osn't working that slows/stops (well mine do/did!) get some oral daktarin going soon as you think that might be happening but Nystatin from Vet is best. Lets hope she has strength/time to pass it. As i also said sadly 2 months later the same thing happened but the sour crop, did it for her(my special girl)

good luck

[Biker Betty]

Thanks for that yet again Sandy.

 

At the moment she doesn't seem to want much to eat - she is licking food but not really eating it. I am giving her water loaded with everything though to try and help - baytril, metacam and zolcal-d - she is drinking a lot thankfully. She does seem realtively bright this morning though.

 

She doesn't have much in her crop to be honest but I'll try and get some daktarin anyway just in case - can I get that from the chemist? I'm going to get some cod liver oil today too - I was thinking of giving her some milk as that's the closest to food I can think of that she can drink. Might add a little bit of honey or something too - I just want her to keep her energy levels up a bit so she can fight it and get that horrible egg out!

 

Thanks once again for your reassuring words.

 

Bx

[Egluntyne]

Not sure that milk is a good idea. Hens can't deal well with lactose.

 

Probiotic yoghurt they can cope with though as the lactase in it deals with the lactose and the helpful bacteria do them some good too.

 

I wouldn't overload her with too many things which differ from her normal diet at this stage tbh. I would carry on with the ZolcalD as the calcium will help strengthen the contractions and might budge the egg, and I would also follow the vets recommendations re medication.

 

Not sure I'd bother with the Dactarin at this stage as there appears to be no real indication that she has a sour crop.

[Biker Betty]

So, would yoghurt mixed with water be a good idea? She does normally love yoghurt.

What are your thoughts on a tiny bit of honey in there too?

 

I just want her to get something nutritious inside her - I'm worried that without her eating anything properly, she's going to be weaker. She pecks at her pellets/mash but doesn't actually really eat any of it. She is interested in grapes but doesn't really eat them properly.

 

I asked the vet if there's anything in particular that would be good to get her to eat - the vet just said - anything you can.

 

I will continue with the metacam, baytril and zolcal-d in her water than and leave everything else bar whatever I can get her to eat.

 

Thanks for your help there Egluntine.

[Guest]

really sloppy weetabix mixed with water and some avipro would be good. If she won't eat try gently syringing it in.