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

[Eggy-Bread]

Hi, Ingrid has not laid an egg for ages - weeks now. She seems to have taken a turn for the worse. She spends all day hunched up and now her comb is pale and limp. She keeps 'hiding' in the Eglu. Am currently worming them (Flubenbvet) using grapes - one of her usual favourites - but she very listlessly picks at even that. Please help!

[kitchens]

I've got one just the same. Her vent was cut (presumably by an egg), then the other little madams had a peck which made it worse. Then we washed her up and treated with wound spray and separated her for a couple of weeks. Now she's back but still not right. Today it's been so hot and she's been just standing inside the cube. When she does come out she just lays down and shuts her eyes. Thinking whether or not to do the right thing and put her out of her misery. I wish chickens could talk! She's about 2 and a half so didn't expect her to pop her clogs yet, but I suppose like humans they are all different.

 

Sorry this is not a very helpful reply but as the weather is set to get hotter all you can do is try and keep her cool and comfortable.

 

Good luck.

[Egluntyne]

Mady....I would take her to the vet. She sounds quite poorly.

[Eggy-Bread]

Yes I think you're right I will get an appoinment with the vet. Thanks to you both for replying. M.

[BocBoc]

Hi Mady - any news today?

[Ness3103]

i hope it all goes well at the vet . i took one of mine today, sounds similar to your problem, she's on antibiotics now.

[Eggy-Bread]

Update: Took Ingrid to the vet and she had some medicine for - single-cell parasite begining with C - can't remember what's it's called now - no change. She's now on antibiotics but little change. She's not eating well and spends most of the day all hunched with her eyes closed. Is very docile when I have to give her her medicine, not at all like her as she normally dislikes being handled. Don't know what to do next. Vets are suggesting a referral to a bird specialist which could run into £100's. Any suggestions / help please?

[Egluntyne]

Why not send a poo sample to **Retford's**. They might be able to offer an alternative suggestion re treatment.

[Eggy-Bread]

The vet has a poo sample just waiting for results but I will chase up.

[Eggy-Bread]

We've just lost Ingrid. She took a definite turn for the worse today, not even coming out of the Eglu at all, I had to syringe water into her in situ. The Vet came back with a diagnosis - Campylobacter (not coccidiosis as first thought) today but when I took her out to give her the medicine I found - and I'm sorry this is really horrid - she'd suffered a prolapse of the vent and she was infested with maggots! I don't mean this to shock as a warnig. Needless to say I took her straight to the vets and had her put to sleep - poor girlie - she was dying in front of my eyes. At least she died in my arms. R.I.P Ingrid.

 

But I have a further problem. Ingrid was one of two. I was always intending to get more chooks but was waiting for my walk-in run to be built. Should I get more immediately or will Matilda be ok for a week on her own. It sounds awful but we have a holiday booked. I would really appreciate some advise.

 

Sorry if this is a bit rambling - I'm still in bit of a state.

 

Love and prayers for Ingrid.

[purple hen]

Very sorry to hear about Ingrid, sounds like you did everything possible to help her. I'm sure your other girl will miss her, but I would be inclined to wait until after your holiday before getting any new ones, so that you will be around to supervise the introductions.

[Plum]

You poor thing. Hugs for you what a traumatic day. So sad for Ingrid guess she was vulnerable with the other problems.

 

The maggots is a condition called flystrike. Flies lay their eggs in injured flesh.

 

The campylobacter as you know is an infection of the gut and passed on in faeces and water. The vet will give advice on whether your other chicken needs treatment. If I was you I would give the house and run a good clean and put down fresh bedding and run material and giving water containers a really good wash. If its on grass putting down garden lime and hosing it in will clean the ground but I understand its quite easy to kill it by exposing it to air. So if we get some sunshine I would open up the coop and run and let it shine in.

 

Don't know what to say about getting some more with the holiday coming up. It's really bad timing. I would wait until you get back and do things like leaving a radio playing near her. Unless you can get seperate accomodation for them to live in near her and start introductions when you get back.

Edited July 27, 2009 by Guest

[Patricia W]

Do you know anyone else with chickens who would chicken sit? With the lonely hen in a separate run but where she can see others?

[Eggy-Bread]

Thank you all. I have given the Eglu etc a jolly good clean & will start Matilda on the treatment meant for both of them as a precaution.

 

Will look out for a hen-sitter whilst we're away, as you say the timing couldn't be worse.

 

I'm mortified by the fly-strike. I confess I didn't examine her vent yesterday, it's been so mucky with all the diarrohea lately it didn't look any different to how it has been lately despite a gentle wash & blow-dry. Poor girl, I feel I failed her.

 

Thank you again.

[Plum]

No don't say that you were trying to help her. Maggots only take days to hatch and you wouldn't have known if the eggs were laid in her wound until they hatched. You wanted the best for her and she was a lucky chicken to die in your arms. x

[abwsco]

So sorry to read about Ingrid Please don't blame yourself.

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to hear it.

[Olly]

How awful for you. It sounds as if she was very poorly anyway, and flystrike can happen quite rapidly.

 

You don't say when you're going on holiday, but I'm inclined to agree that it's best to wait till you're back, Matilda will be a bit lonely but she'll be ok for a few weeks.

 

So sorry to hear about this.

[Eggy-Bread]

Thank you all again. The support from this forum is just great & much appreciated.

 

I will keep you abreast of the walk-in run developments and the happy part of getting new chooks (just to be an old softy, one will have 'Ingrid' as her middle name).