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cluckingmad

very poorly girl - need moral support please all

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Not been a great week - one of our ex-batts, Millie, started to look really unhappy this week so we decided to keep an eye on her, in case it was due to a softy on the way...

 

This morning I took one look and called the vets - she's hunched, miserable, wings not held up properly and her comb/wattles are pale. She's also very thin but her vent areas clear so together we took an educated guess that it was a parasitic infection of some sort and probably worms resulting in anaemia, so she's currently in our front room in an indoor rabbit cage (nice and big) with water and flubenvet/layers pellets...

 

Poor little soul looks utterly miserable :( Fingers crossed she's ok - she's ever so thin, but once she was away from the other girls she was able to monopolise the food and water and has already expelled a rather large worm :vom: ... pretty sure it's a round worm, it was around 4cm long but only about 1-2mm thick and was a pale cream colour.

 

Am really worried about her - my other half's away tonight and it's all I can do not to go down and sleep on the sofa next to her! The two cats were initially quite intrigued, but the chooks show no fear of them and Millie wasn't in the least bit bothered by them as they just leave her be, but am being a fretfull mum :anxious: Has anyone else had to deal with a poorly chook like this and is there anythign else I can do to make her feel more comfy? She's got a nice pile of comfy shredded paper in the cage and aubiose on the floor, but she was so off colour that she just stood in the same place all day and eventually I had to gently encourage her to go over to the nest area when she was showing signs of starting to roost.

 

Know that serious infestations of worms can kill and am really worried about her, given how fast she's gone downhill, plus she's a fairly elderly lady (2.5yrs) and is the smallest and weakest of the flock (she came to us with a leg healing from a previous break so had a limp for several months).... please keep all your fingers crossed for her...

 

Carolyn x

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It is so worrying when a little one is ill. I do so hope all is much better today. Is there anything you can give hens that are anaemic? Having one myself after the red mite attack, I would be interested to know too. With regard to worms, I decided to worm all my lot this morning - chickens, ducks and geese. Took out the mixture and added it to water, but just before administering it I just thought I would read the very small print on the bottle. Good that I did as it said that it mustn't be given to laying hens or hens that are going to lay within the next four weeks. It is a french wormer, but surely there must be products that can be given to laying hens! I love living in France, but oh it is SO frustrating with regard to poultry. The vets are fantastic with our cats and dogs, but just don't seem to be able to cope with the little feathered ones.

All the best

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Thanks all :D the rest of the flock are also being wormed, but Millie looked even worse this morning and wasn't interested in her food - picked her up and she couldn't have cared less... gave her a really good look over too and the poor little girl is riddled with at least 2 types of biting nasties... ones grey, long and thin (about 3mm long), the other type is more round and cream coloured... ticks and lice methinks?

 

So, to add insult to injury my poor girl has just bee nthouroughly dusted with diatomaceous earth, her cage has bee nstripped and cleaned/isinfected and dusted (as has her bedding). LOADS of the vile things fell off her after dusting, just hoping that she pulls round...

 

Off to vets tomorrow if she's no better... only had the DE in, run out of red mite powder, so if he thinks she needs extra help I'll pick up some stronger stuff then....

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sad news - Millie is now in the big free-range paddock in the sky :cry: She went downhill very fast last night so we took the decision to let her go peacefully. Credit to the vet - he was wonderful, and we've brought her home to bury her in her favourite sunbathing spot...

 

Other girls all look fine, but we're goign to dust them with DE this evening as a precaution - think lots of extra treats and cuddles will be given out tonight

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