Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Clur]

I posted a couple of weeks ago about Blodwyn being under the weather and then discovered she had lice of some sort. All chickens were treated as was their run and coop and the problem has been eradicated. She'd started to pick up and then yesterday she seemed poorly again; very hunched and lethargic. Her comb has lost colour and her wattles seem to have shrunk.

 

I've looked over her again and she's mite and lice free but has lost weight. I can't feel that an egg is stuck, but she's a little hot underneath. I've tried tempting her with organic cat food today and she had a little weetabix with natural yoghurt yesterday, but she's definitely off her food though drinking well. Her poos are very liquidy and quite a dark green.

 

I have a vet appointment for her tomorrow (thanks Tutti Frutti for the recommendation), but is there anything I can be doing in the meantime or does anyone have any idea as to what could be wrong. I am really worried we're losing her.

[Happy chickens!]

Sorry, don't know any more than you, but hope the vet can offer some help. x

[Tutti Frutti]

I'm sorry Blodwyn's not improved Clur. I can't remember but when was she last Flubenvetted? And have you felt her crop, is it squishy or hard? When did she last lay?

 

If she's drinking, you could try getting nutrients into her that way (adding Avipro, nutridrops or Poultry Drink to the water). I'm almost out of Nutridrops now (having had Tallulah poorly this week ) but there's a tack shop near you that stocks it (Eileen Douglas in Wokingham). HTH and that Blodwyn perks up soon. FIngers crossed for the vets tomorrow

[Clur]

Hi Tutti Frutti, we picked up some nutri-drops at your suggestion and she did perk up at first. Her crop is pretty much empty (notsquishy or hard) and I've been adding poultry drink to the water (it's a red coloured nutrient liquid). Her breastbone is very prominent and so I can tell she's lost weight poor thing.

 

She was flubenvetted about 3 weeks ago and I treated for lice 2 weeks ago (using diatamous earth and then later with an anti-mite spray with permethrin).

 

I don't know for sure if she's laid or not, as her and two other chooks have been free-ranging as we've had Dilys confined to the sin bin (the run) as she'd started to bully Blodwyn.

 

We've probably only had her a year so am really hoping she'll be ok. She's my son's chook so I'm trying to prepare him for the worst and hoping for the best if that makes sense.

[hippy chick]

I hope she picks up for you.

[Plum]

Good luck in the morning, hope the vet can help.

[Clur]

Thanks all. She slept in our bathroom last night as when I got home from work she seemed quite weak. Her crop was completely empty and I managed to get her to eat maybe half a teaspoon of pellets made into a mash.

 

Roll on 4pm and the vets, I'm not confident about the prognosis but can't leave her like this.

[Tutti Frutti]

Good luck for the vets, fingers crossed...

[Clur]

Well it's been a roller coaster. DH rang me at work to say Blodwyn had passed away and he'd cancelled the vets appointment. I got home to take a last look and realised that actually she was still just hanging on. By this time the vet was closed and I thought she wouldn't last much longer, so spent some time cuddling her. She was still with us and we wanted to give her a fighting chance so are giving her water with a syringe on the hour every hour. We're also giving her some watered down baby food at the same time and she's more responsive. She's also had some nutri-drops.

 

We'll continual throughout the night and if she's still with us in the morning we'll get her to the vet. Here's hoping!

[sandyhas3chucks]

oh how sad.. I wish you all the luck you can get for tonight. xxxxx

you could try sloppy ready brek made with water if she picks up enough to be offered food to eat (you might have this)

[Clur]

Thank you. We don't have Ready Brek but we do have Weetabix, would that be better than baby food? I bought baby porridge in a bit of a panic as I was just desperate to get some nourishment in her.

[Pikey]

Not much sleep for you tonight then!!!!

 

Weetabix fine.....try and mix some honey with it to give her energy.

 

Fingers and toes and everything else crossed that she pulls through xx

[sandyhas3chucks]

Glad Pikey was there for you, but your baby porridge was fine too. x

hoping for you x

[Clur]

Well she's still with us

 

She's still weak but put up a little bit of resistance when I washed her feathers (she'd gone for a poo which I think is also good news!)

 

I've just called the vet for some advice as I want to see if there's anything we can do to bulk her up faster. Waiting for a call back but I think she's over whatever it was that caused her to be unwell at first, just that now she's too weak through lack of nourishment. I will take her over to see them if that's what he advises, but wanted to avoid putting her under unnecessary stress and I don't know if a car journey might finish her off.

 

I'll keep going with the baby food, weetabix with honey and the nutridrops and see how we go. Luckily the children are out for the day with my parents or else it could all be a bit of a juggling act!

 

Meant to be going on hols on Saturday so am hoping she's well on the mend by then or I'll be looking for temporary foster care or taking her with us.

 

The other chickens are fighting fit luckily but keeping an eye on them all.

[Clur]

We're still giving Blodwyn food and water with a syringe. We're also giving her Abidec vitamin drops (kids vitamins) that vet recommended. She's put on a tiny bit of weight, is awake a little more than before but she's still not standing on her own and showing no interest in feeding on her own.

 

Are we expecting too much too soon? If a chicken goes downhill quickly do they tend to pick up again fast if they're going to recover?

 

The only thing we can compare this to is when Dilys was ill. We thought then we were going to lose her, but with some TLC she bounced back and is now at the top of the pecking order.

 

Agh, difficult decision to make I fear.

[Salop Chuck]

Hi Clur

Read your postings re Blodwyn - sorry to hear about your struggles with her. It is a really difficult situation to be in but you are doing everything in your power to help your hen survive. They might give up but we can choose not to.

 

I am syringe feeding a hen who lost her companion hen to an advanced tumour 10 days ago. She is grieving terribly for her friend and has given up eating and drinking. She fights me when I'm syringing the liquid food in but I intend to keep on trying and then let nature take its course and just hope for the best.

 

Good luck to you both. I will be thinking of you.

 

Hugs

[Clur]

Thanks Salop Chuck. The vet recommended getting Abidec vitamin drops - you can pick them up for about £3 from most pharmacies, and give 3 drops a day. Might be worthwhile for your poorly chook.

 

Blodwyn's still not good and if she makes it through the night we'll be off to the vet tomorrow.

[Space Chick]

Sorry sorry to hear thus Clur, I have only just caught up with it. I hope all goes well in the vets tomorrow

[Clur]

Sadly we lost her in the night She wasn't showing much sign oF improvement and couldn't stand properly and we didn't want to prolong her life if she had no quality, so had decided we'd have her PTS today if the vet agreed. This, at least, shows we were right. Glad we gave her a fighting chance though.

 

Just got to tell the kids when they wake up now

[Plum]

So sorry, you tried your best for her.

[Patricia W]

So sorry Clur, but she was lucky to be so loved

 

 

Tricia

[hippy chick]

Oh no, I'm so sorry Clur. You tried so hard and did everything you could.

Hugs for you and the kids

Jilly x

[Pikey]

Sorry to hear about Blodwyn.....as others have said you did your best

 

Hope telling the kids wasn't too painful xxx

[Salop Chuck]

Sadly we lost her in the night She wasn't showing much sign oF improvement and couldn't stand properly and we didn't want to prolong her life if she had no quality, so had decided we'd have her PTS today if the vet agreed. This, at least, shows we were right. Glad we gave her a fighting chance though.

 

Just got to tell the kids when they wake up now

 

Just caught up with your most recent posting - I'm so sorry that you lost Blodwyn during the night - at least she died with her favourite people around her and didn't have to undergo the stress of going to the vet.

 

Lots of hugs for you and your family.

[coco]

So sorry for your loss.