Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[Groovychook]

I've just been out to check on the chooks to find Maud, my little pekin ,looking very poorly.

She's been moulting for over a week now and I noticed earlier today that she was a bit puffed up and isolating herself from the others. I just put it down to her feeling a bit under the weather due to the moult.

 

She seems to have deteriorated since this afternoon though and her breathing is very laboured now. Her eyes are closed (although when she opens them, seem bright) and she generally seem very poorly. I've syringed some nutri drops and a bit of water into her and brought her in. She's sat on my lap at the moment. Her crop seems empty but I can't tempt her with anything to eat.

 

Vent is clean- no signs of mites... they were all frontlined last month and were wormed with flubenvet.

 

I'm very worried about her...any suggestions?

[mimi5]

What a worry! By the sounds of things you have done all you can for now. Nutri-drops are great and I'd keep her inside over night (if you have a cat carrier you could pop her in there and see if there are any poos in the morning)

 

Depending on how she is in the morning, I'd probably take her to your vet. It's always better to get them checked over if you trust your vet. But even then sometimes despite your best efforts they don't pull through.

 

I've lost 2 pekin hens to different problems (impacted crop and a complete mystery.....despite mine & the vets best efforts she just faded away)

 

Keep us posted. Let's hope she's brighter in the morning! All this rain and damp really dosen't help!!

[Groovychook]

Thanks for your reply

 

Maud slept in the carrier in the spare room. I got up to check on her at 6am and she was worse if anything. Laying on her side, still struggling for breath with eyes tight shut. I decided to ring the vets as soon as they opened to take her along to put her out of her misery.

 

Went back in to check on her at 8am, half expecting her to have slipped away, but found her in a more normal position- although not standing. She'd managed to lay a softie Her breathing is still heavy and laboured but she doesn't seem to be gasping like she was. I've given her some more nutri drops and a bit more fluid, but she just seems completely exhausted.

 

Is it possible that the softie could have caused her to become so poorly and she's resting and recovering now? I don't know whether to see if she picks up in an hour or two or to take her in now

 

I've never had a girl become so poorly from laying a softie.

[Chucky Mama]

I don't think that it is completely out of the question that it was the softie. If it was she should recover fairly quickly unless there is another on the way.They do sometimes come in quick succession. I did have one with laboured breathing whilst waiting for a softie to pass. Good luck with her Don't leave things too long if they don't improve though, especially with the weekend looming

[Groovychook]

Thank you

 

I'll give her another hour and a half as my vets are only open for the morning on Fridays.

I just wish I could get her to eat something to give her some energy!

[Groovychook]

Just back from the vets.

Poor Maud has a very high temperature... my vet said she's exhibiting flu like symptoms.

Probably the moult has laid her low, along with the softie. No signs of another one on the way- she's obviously just feeling really grotty I had feared the worst so I'm very relieved to be back home with her.

 

She's had an anti inflammatory jab and some antibiotics and I'll keep her in the spare room for the next few days.

I've got a course of metacam to give her and some pain killers to syringe into her beak.

Hopefully she'll be feeling better soon!

 

I've asked my vet if I can set up a tent in the car park... we were there last week with Rita- needing antibiotics and the week before with two of the cats! I'm hoping for a quiet spell now

[Chucky Mama]

Well you have done the right thing by getting some professional help. Hopefully with medication she will start to improve soon. Fingers crossed for you

[Mrs_B]

I hope Maud feels better soon!

 

Glad she is feeling a bit better after laying the softie and hoping the meds make her back to her normal self

 

x

[Groovychook]

Thank you

 

She's still looking quite poorly, and she hasn't eaten yet... I'm sure that she must feel utterly exhausted.

I'm concerned that she's not drinking but the vet told me to hold off syringing any more fluid into her until teatime.

I'm just hoping that she pulls through the night so that I can get the next load of meds into her in the morning.

[Groovychook]

Thankfully there are signs of improvement this morning!

 

As soon as I lifted the cover off the cage this morning, she stood up, did a quiet little greeting and started pecking at some porridge! She's had her meds, so I've left her to rest for a bit.

 

 

I'll be relieved to see a few poo's later!

[mimi5]

Ah what good news!!!

 

I've not had any of my girls lay a softie, but I guess it's a common occurance, I often read posts on here about it. Do you provide a pot of grit and oyster shell?

 

I'm just coming up for my 1st anniversary of having my pekins and I've learned SO MUCH. Which is good news for my chickens, as I'm better at picking up on odd or different behaviour!!

 

They seem to pick up quickly if the tretmnet is going to work and it sounded like your vet had all bases covered!! Here's hoping she continues to a full recovery!

 

Let us know.

[Groovychook]

I've not had any of my girls lay a softie, but I guess it's a common occurance, I often read posts on here about it. Do you provide a pot of grit and oyster shell?

Yes, they have grit and then I give them some limestone flour once a week because my Araucana girl is prone to laying the odd soft shelled egg. I was wondering if it might have happened because all her calcium stores were going into feather production because of her moult

 

I'm very pleased to report that Maud has been stuffing her face all day and has finally done a poo!

I've never been so pleased to have to deal with a smelly deposit...

It was a real stinker and a nasty dark brown colour Hopefully her system is getting back to normal.

 

Pekin's are so adorable aren't they? She greets me with a feeble little chirrup every time I go into the room.

[mimi5]

Yes I'm besotted with mine!!!! They are all different characters and Monty is just the sweetest, gentlest cockerel!! Oh and yummy little eggs!!!

 

Sadly, I have lost 2 girlies to different issues. My lavender Mary to an impacted crop, she had to be PTS Then I recently lost Mandy, to what neither I nor the vet have any idea. She just faded away and died in her sleep (Not quite a year old)

 

But as my other 2 hens drove me mad with broodiness........I let them hatch some eggs!!!! So now we have 3 lovely little ladies and .........a cute boy! (I may have to re-home him as I do already have Mr Monty, but time will tell!!) I was really good and re-homed the older 3 other cockerels!! Yes they were georgous too!!!

 

Some good things to use that I've found are Nutri-drops by net-tex, briiliant to pick them up and aid appetite, also a tonic/mineral supplement that they do, you add it to their drinking water.I'm giving it to my 3 at the moment as the girls moulted after brooding and Monty's moult is on now. Apple cider vinegar in their water is also good, mine get it once a week.

 

What colour is your girlie??

[Groovychook]

My little Maud is a partridge... she's gorgeous What about yours?

She hasn't gone broody on me yet, but I have more than enough to contend with on that front with my two Silkie girls. They are a broody nightmare! I'd love some more Pekin's but The broody factor does worry me!

 

I put either lifeguard or orego stim in their water and I'm a big fan of nutri drops too.

I think that it might be down to them that she survived the first night when she was so poorly.

[mimi5]

Yes I agree the nutri-drops are amazing when they are really poorly. Good as a stop gap until you can get to the vet.

 

My girls are both partridge, Molly gold and Milly sliver!! Monty is a millifleur (so was my Mandy, hatched one of her eggs, but it was a boy!!! So had to re-home him ) The chick girls are a gold birchen, a black (which maybe mottled when she grows/moults) and a lemon cockoo boy!!!!! They were bought hatching eggs. Then, I also got Penny from my own eggs, sadly she was the only girl out of 4!!!! She seem to be a blue/gold partridge??

 

Molly was broody 3 times!!!! It drove me mad and I gave in as I had lost Mary at that point and was worried about Mandy too. Hatching was an adventure, but I'm not sure I'd do it again. It was difficult to re-home the boys. Also I had bought in aruacana hatching eggs. Only 1 hatched and sadly it died day 3.

 

I was interested to hear you have an aruacana!!!! I have SO wanted one, but the bantams are had to get a hold of in my area!!!!! But I have found some which will be ready in a few weeks!! Means a trip to norfolk, but I'm so excited!!!! Hoping to get 2 to add the the mix. Can I ask...... how do you find yours????

[Groovychook]

Ooh they sound lovely!

 

My Araucana girl Phyllis, is very sweet, still cheeps like a chick! She's a good little layer, a beautiful blue egg every other day

We originally had a pair but we lost Hilda at the beginning of the year. She had a huge personality, very different to Phyllis. She was constantly flying up onto my shoulder and would perch there until I got fed up! She was much feistier than my other girly and had a phase of feather pecking in her early days which necessitated a bumper bit being fitted for a while

 

I'm definitely going to get another Araucana though. They are hardy, friendly little birds in my experience.

Best of luck with tracking some down!

[Groovychook]

Just finished the antibiotics this morning and Maud is so much better!

 

Eating, drinking, pooing and stomping around her cage.

My only concern is that she seems to have lost her voice a bit and sounds a bit croaky. I don't know whether to put her back out with the others or not

 

Think I'll give the vets a ring to put my mind at rest.

[Chucky Mama]

Great to hear that she is improving. The croak is during/after a respiratory infection is not unusual.

[Groovychook]

Great to hear that she is improving. The croak is during/after a respiratory infection is not unusual.

That's just what my vet said

I've put her back with the others, although separated for the time being as there were a few fisticuffs to begin with. Norris the cockerel was clueless in intervening

[mimi5]

Ah lovely news!!! Well done for getting her back up and running! Like me you'll be better at spotting the signs if anything like this happens again! They can go downhill quite fast, but if antibiotics are going to work they seem to bounce back!! Enjoy.

[Chucky Mama]

I have to say that it is so nice to hear that you got professional help when it was required. So many fail to get help when their birds are ill for a variety of reasons. Generally once they show signs of illness it is beyond nursing care at home and intervention is needed by way of medication or in some cases euthanasia to prevent further suffering. I am so pleased for you and what a good example to others

[Mrs_B]

So pleased Maud is feeling better!! You must be relieved!

 

x

[Groovychook]

Thank you so much for your good wishes and kind words

 

I've just been watching them all happily free ranging together.

It's lovely to see them all looking happy & healthy!