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

[Chook n Boo Mum]

For the past day or so Hazel, one of our batties, has looked "pre-softie", that mopey hunched up look. She's still been eating, drinking & s"Ooops, word censored!"ping for treats as normal. I don't know when she last laid an egg as they are a bit erratic at the mo and the odd battie egg which is laid is invariably such a thin shell that an Orpie goes in & crushes it!!

 

This afternoon she looks particularly low, & even let one of the dogs sniff her tail without skipping away, so out came the dried mealworms to test her reactions.....nothing............I picked her up.........I've never managed that for more than few seconds and she's been here for over an hour now.

 

Clinical obs:

- when I moved just now a small amount of stinking water came out of her beak, sour crop? She also did it whilst standing on DD's lap without being touched, so she's expelling it not it being squeezed out

- Her comb was blue tinged when I first picked her up, but has reddened up again

- she every so often kind of twitches her head to one side....????

- her neck feels as though it has a kink in it rather than the usual soft "tumble drier hose" it is normally............????

- she's not talking (she's a chatterbox!), but is making rattly, gurgly noises.

 

She's just taken some Avipro water from a syringe, what now?

 

I don't want to go through the removing of crop contents and anything invasive if I'm just prolonging any/causing more discomfort etc. I'd rather she just settled down, went to sleep and passed peacefully.

 

From the above list am I wrong to feel this and should I make moves to remove the ??sour crop?

 

What have I done to deserve 3 sick chooks? (Willow wasn't eating & now has impacted crop and Blossom has scaley leg mite, so they aren't related, just a horrid coincidence & I keep being told it's nothing to do with the number 13!!)

 

Sha x

[Christian]

It sounds like a classic symptom of sour crop Sha.

 

The watery yuck from the beak etc......!

 

Winnie had this a few weeks ago, but is fine now. *touch wood*

 

I gave her natural yoghurt (with live cultures) every day, sometimes 3 times a day and added flowers of sulphur to the pellets. It is anti fungal and I will always use it now. You can get it really cheapy on ebay. Around £2 for a bag I think.

 

I would keep a close eye on her. With Winnie, I would hold her head down gently and the yucky liquid would come out of her beak. Stop for a few seconds and right her head, to let them breath, then do it again.

 

The blue tint worried me too, she looked so poorly. I went to the vet with her and he gave me several injections to give her over the space of a few days. She seemed to perk up and then got worse again. She is ok now, bright red comb, lots of energy, no eggs, but has just started moulting A different chicken to how she was a couple of weeks ago.

 

I swear by the yoghurt and flowers of sulphur now. Great stuff. It can also be used in their dust bath to deter lice, treats fleas of dogs and cats too!

 

See how she is in the morning, but if her crop is full and squishy, give her yoghurt. If you Pm me early tomorrow, I might be able to get some Flowers of sulphur posted out to you. Am away with work Tuesday- Thursday.

 

Hope she is better soon.