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[tokenwelshman]

Hi

 

I've only been on this forum a day, and here I am, posting a worried post about one of the girls. I must have it bad.

 

So, Amy is the one who I diagnosed with narcolepsy initially. I'm guessing it might be something else. She is rather lethargic - sometimes she is up and about pecking at things, and I've seen her eating and drinking. However she seems to spend a fair bit of time sitting down on the floor of the run, sleeping or dozing. The other two as I type are frantically digging away, while Amy is just sort of sitting there, only moving when Martha starts trying to dig the ground from under her. I also notice she seems to stand a little strangely, often on one leg, and her walk has a bit of the John Cleese about it.

 

Any ideas? Calcium deficiency perhaps? They have plenty of grit available but I'll probably order some limestone flour too. They have tonic in their water (no gin, perhaps that's the problem).

 

All suggestions very gratefully received!

[squidsin]

One of mine is doing something similar today and Olly suggested she might be going to lay a softie. She's only just coming into lay and headed into the nest box about half an hour ago, so we shall see.

[tokenwelshman]

Ah - interesting. This would make sense as Amy hasn't come into lay yet herself. Her comb is still small and pale compared to Martha and Rose , who are both laying quite happily.

 

Amy went mad for some mealworms earlier and has been happily pecking around this afternoon. I notice though that she doesn't scratch at the ground like the other two, who are busy digging for China at the moment.

[Redwing]

It could be the stress of the move, she did look very dozy though in one of the pics you posted though

 

Keep an eye on her and just be sure she is eating and drinking, if she isnt then tempt her with some pellets mixed up with warm water - they love that

 

Dont add limestone flour, if there are no onbious problems with calcium intake dont go adding extra calcium. Cod liver oil is a general health supplement and will aid the absorbsion of calcium so go down this route first

[tokenwelshman]

> tempt her with some pellets mixed up with warm water - they love that

 

You weren't kidding!

 

 

Thanks for the tip. Fingers crossed this perks Amy up a bit.

 

This was her before the pellets went in. She must be eating something already, as she greeted me with the poo you can clearly see behind her...

 

 

Next task: raid the medicine cabinet and steal a few cod liver capsules without the missus noticing...

[Tutti Frutti]

Hello again, I'm glad you've posted as I was a little bit when you said Amy had narcolepsy!

 

I wonder if it's the age difference - the other two are laying and I think she's got a good few weeks (as in a month or two) to go before she lays. She has hardly any comb in comparison to the other two so may be much younger than them and deferring to them... but when the yummy porridge came out, her stomach ruled her head just like me really

 

So she has a healthy appetite, is drinking... just keep an eye on her as the sleeping is odd. Many flocks of chooks have a nasty illness called mycoplasma which lies dormant in the girls until they become stressed (eg after the move) or ill and then it can be a killer (see my RIP in my signature). Her eyes should be bright and really round, not almond shaped, her nostrils should be dry (no snot!) and, at the end of the day, her crop should be full and sticking out (the right hand side of her chest) but be empty by the next morning. Any sign of sneezing, wheezing, rattly chest or coughing, take her to a vet as chooks' lungs are very delicate and it can quickly take hold and become fatal. Chooks hide any illness really well (or they'll be picked on) so, for many of us, vet treatment came just too late (my Penny was up and down fighting it for 2 weeks).

 

Sorry, ramble over! Mealworms will bring her running!!!

[tokenwelshman]

> I wonder if it's the age difference - the other two are laying and I think she's got a good few weeks (as in a month or two) to go before she lays. She has hardly any comb in comparison to the other two so may be much younger than them and deferring to them...

 

That would make a lot of sense. I didn't realise she was that much younger than the other two. Baby Amy!

 

> So she has a healthy appetite, is drinking... just keep an eye on her as the sleeping is odd.

 

She seems to have been a bit perkier tonight following the pellets in warm water. However she has just retired to the coop while the other two are still pecking around. Actually now's probably a good time to check her crop...

[tokenwelshman]

Crop seems fine. Feels full and doesn't feel squishy, so no "sour crop", I hope.

 

Let's see what tomorrow brings (other than a hideous day back in work, that is).

[Tutti Frutti]

Her youth - and the fact that the other two are laying and she's not - will put her at the bottom of the pecking order but she should still respond to you, even if she stays in the background avoiding the others. She should still be awake and amusing herself, and keeping herself busy keeping out of the way of Martha and Rose!

 

You might need to add some feeding stations so that M&R don't guard the grub'n'glug and keep her away... she'll need to feed well to keep her strength up and defend herself. Are they picking on her? Chasing and the odd peck is fine but drawing blood is a no no!

 

Cross posted so edited to add: Glad her crop was full, at least she's eating OK so maybe extra feeding stations aren't necessary? Aww I'm feeling really attached to her now hehe I've always wanted a speckledy

[tokenwelshman]

> Her youth - and the fact that the other two are laying and she's not - will put her at the bottom of the pecking order but she should still respond to you, even if she stays in the background avoiding the others. She should still be awake and amusing herself, and keeping herself busy keeping out of the way of Martha and Rose!

 

I suppose that's the worry - sometimes she seems to be just sitting there not keeping particularly busy. She's definitely not scratching at the ground in the way the other two are. She seems to stand particularly on one leg, and I'm not sure whether she avoids putting much weight on the other or whether I'm imagining that... but she does peck around the place, does eat and drink, does leave magnificent poos at regular intervals...

 

> Are they picking on her? Chasing and the odd peck is fine but drawing blood is a no no!

 

Rose pecks at her feet quite a lot. But then again, when Amy isn't around Rose pecks at Martha's feet too. And when Martha isn't around, Rose pecks her own feet. Definitely unhinged. But no blood and to be fair no chasing either.

 

> I've always wanted a speckledy

 

She is a beautiful chicken. I hope she asserts herself a bit and blossoms (ie starts laying!). The drawback of being a newbie - I'm not sure if this is normal or not!!

 

Thanks for all your suggestions and comments, it's really appreciated.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Thanks for all your suggestions and comments, it's really appreciated.

 

You're quoting people beautifully but did you know there's a "quote" button to the right of each post which will bring a quote up with the poster's name attached? Click "quote" on whoever's post you want to quote instead of "post reply" .

[tokenwelshman]

You're quoting people beautifully

 

Why thank you!

 

but did you know there's a "quote" button to the right of each post which will bring a quote up with the poster's name attached? Click "quote" on whoever's post you want to quote instead of "post reply" .

 

I did, I was just being a bit old school with my quotes, you know, the way email systems used to be. # sighs nostalgically for the early 1990s when email was young #

 

Amy udpate, she was deferentially third out of the coop today, but was straight over for the food and drink, so I don't think appetite is an issue...

 

I'll keep watching her all day and provide progress reports. Actually no I won't, I'll spend the day in a soulless office surrounded by people I'd rather not be with.

[Tutti Frutti]

Glad she's eating, that sounds promising! Now, how can you set up a remote access webcam? If you find out a cheap way, let me know please

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I did, I was just being a bit old school with my quotes, you know, the way email systems used to be. # sighs nostalgically for the early 1990s when email was young

 

OK . Might confuse all the youngsters who were born after email .

 

Good luck at the office - I bet you can't help talking chickens all day and getting a reputation as that mad chicken bloke .

[tokenwelshman]

Hello, mad chicken bloke here again.

 

My narcoleptic chicken doesn't seem to be getting any better. Same symptoms - limping (it's the right foot which seems to be troubling her), tendency to be sitting down and sometimes apparently drifting off to sleep. Otherwise, appetite is good, crop is firm at night and empty in the morning, she's drinking well, seems very lively when it suits her, very comatose at other times.

 

Sleepy mode:

 

Woken by the presence of a camera:

 

Up and about again:

 

Up on one leg:

 

Close up of feet:

Nothing obviously wrong with the right one?

 

I read in another post that somebody else's chicken was limping for three weeks after a relocation incident - what do you think - sit it out and hope she improves over the next week or so?

[Daffodill]

I really would consider taking Amy to the vet-if she is fighting some sort of infection a bit of antibiotic cover may just clear it up fast then you can stop worrying I did that when one of mine died of a respiratory infection and I was worrying about the other 2- it only cost £4.50 a hen - they were both under the weather and they perked up after a couple of days. I just find when you keep a close eye on them you know when something is not right and worrying about them spoils the fun of having chucks. Better safe than sorry

[tokenwelshman]

> I really would consider taking Amy to the vet

 

Yes... I was coming to that sort of conclusion too.

 

On the plus side:

 

i) The run extension arrived today, so they have loads more room now; and

(more excitingly)

ii) They free ranged for the first time today!

 

 

Yay!

[tokenwelshman]

The vet diagnosed a hot and swollen right leg. Antibiotics and painkillers for the next week!

 

I've just given Amy her first dose. It wasn't the most straightforward procedure! So I think I'll be mixing the remaining doses into some warm porridge for her while the other two free range.