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

[Lizzie]

Week three and a third hen is not right.

We have lost two as previously posted in three weeks as previously posted.

 

We have had Barbara for just over 9 months - she is a lovely chook (they all are but she comes to me for cuddles).

 

Over the weekend, she wanted more cuddles than usual and also had been doing this yawning business. Henrietta has always done it and she is fine so didn't think much of it.

 

I have been putting zolcal into their water (not full dose) as we have been getting loads of soft eggs.

 

Monday evening she seemed a bit mopey and she went off to bed a couple of hours before the others.

 

Yesterday morning she got up and drank continously for about 30 mins. We have had other chooks do this before if they are trying to lay something.

I was at work during the day but my parents came over as usual for a couple of hours and said she seemed fine, trotting around with the others and she enjoyed some digestive biscuit. They said however, that she squirted out a white liquid.

I had made up some gapeworm treatment and started this Monday morning, just to be sure.

 

When mum mentioned about the white liquid, I searched on the forum and kidneys kept coming up. She was treated for campylobacta back in February and had her blood checked then. Kidneys as I recall were fine, but could they have started playing up ? As fars as I know she is not laying, or if she does, I think the eggs are shellless -

She has also got a kind of white patch on her ear lobes.

 

This morning she is more mopey - did not eat or drink when I got them up though she wander quite slowly around the garden.

I have brought her in and made weetabix with brokashi bran which she ahs tucked into and also given water without zolcal.

She passed a clear liquid with no poo but traces of light green.

 

Any ideas ? I really could not bear to lose any girl so soon.

 

Any advice gratfully received.

Edited April 28, 2009 by Guest

[ClaireG]

I'm sorry i don't have any ideas for you. I did read on the forum recently that white patches on the ear can indicate anemia. If i was you i i'd take Barbara to the vets.

[Margalot]

So sorry for you,

 

I dont have any suggestions, but I too am the same , after having Bonbon PTS on Monday, Tinker is now behaving a bit off, I too am paranoid, she laid a softie on the floor run yesterday, and seems quieter, have just left her sat in the nest box with Ginger to come to work and am hoping she lays normally today.

 

I find you watch them more and look for any signs of things that maybe you wouldnt have paid much attention to before, however your girl does sound under the weather and maybe a trip to the vets would be best.

 

After seeing my Bonbon obviously so poorly but still enjoying chicken life i.e. dustbathing, eating drinking etc, I understand that they must have a high pain threshold and really do mask a lot of it.

 

But you do just know when they are not right

 

Hope shes ok

Michelle x

[Lizzie]

thank you very much for your replies so far

 

Vet appointment booked for this evening. Hubby is at home on and off with her so at least I know she is being monitored. She is not at death's door, but I do want her checked out. I am going to ask him to check her blood (kidney function and for anemia) as well as just generally check her over.

I will also ask hubby to try and get her watery poo sample as it will save time.

 

This way I can bring her home again as she will be happier and wait for the results tomorrow before the course of treatment is decided.

 

I will keep you updated and I have everything crossed that she will be ok

 

Regards

Liz

[Margalot]

Sending you best wishes and lots of chickeny luck x

 

Hope shes better soon

Michelle

[chelsea]

fingers crossed for Barbara...

[Lizzie]

So, the vet took the blood sample and the results were back the next day.

Everything is pretty much ok, though a couple of levels had changed since a blood test was last done. Protein levels had gone down and she does have anemia. However, she is producing good levels of red blood cells.

The vet suggested that she had red mite (or was being effected by it) - I treat them regularly using red mite powder but he said that it would not be effective enough.

I treated their whole coop with a spray that is used for flea infestations in human houses and I must say that her comb does look nice and red now and she seems more back to herself.

 

Her poo has also improved loads.

 

Anyhow, we take each day as it comes and I will let you know if anything changes.

 

Thanks to everyone for their support as usual

 

Regards

Liz

[Budgies]

So glad that Barbara seems to be doing a bit better.

 

Red mite is almost impossible to eradicate completely - where there are chickens I'm afraid there's usually red mite. There's an old saying that if you see one of the mites, you can assume you have a million, because the numbers reproduce so quickly.

 

I'm glad that the treatment seems to be working for her and she's a bit brighter.

 

Did the vet test her pooh for gapeworm? Sometimes chooks do the swallowing/gaping thing if they have been preening and maybe get a feather stuck in their throat, but if she's started doing it regularly and didn't do it before, it could be a sign of gapeworm.

 

If you suspect it might be that, you can give Flubenvet at double the usual dose, but you will have to have an egg withdrawal period if she's laying.

 

Good luck!

[Egluntyne]

Did the vet mention Xeno 200 *not licensed for use on poultry in UK, but useful for treating lice and mites.

[Lizzie]

Hi there

No, he didn't mention that.

Barbara continues to remain bright

However, back to trhe vets today with Harriet. Think I may have found out part of the problem. Will post a new subject.

 

Regards

Liz

 

p.s - I thought keeping chickens would be quite easy.....wouldn't change it for the world though, they are lovely.