Poorly chicken

[Jo-9]

Hi,

 

First timer on the Omlet forum so here goes......

 

I had six mintures/bantams. Last spring my gold laced Wyandotte 'Nigella' looked very healthy, eating drinking and running around the garden in the morning, then after lunch she just stood still in the middle of the garden closing her eyes, she would just let me pick her up which she wouldn't normally do. I checked her over and nothing other than she kept her eyes closed was abnormal. It got to dusk and she just stood in the run whilst the others went up to bed, so I had to place in the eglu. I thought that I would take her to a Vet the next morning if she didn't improve. Sadly the next morning she was dead. This was a big shock to me as she was only 2 years old and she went from looking the bill of health to dying within 10 hours.

 

I spoke to a friend who suggested that sometimes chocks get food stuck in there crop or wind pipe, and if this happens again to get them to drink warm water, to massage there crop then make them sick.

 

Well.......Last week, the exact same thing happened to Alice, my silver laced Wyandotte, she was happy in the morning then just stood still with her eyes closed. So I thought I would check her crop out, I couldn't feel much food but alot of water as she had been drinking in the afternoon. I therefore thought maybe she had someting stuck, so I followed my friends advice, but the only sick she produced was a liquidy gunge, no food. It was to late in the day to take her to a vet so I brought her inside for the night, I gave her some nutri -drops, but unfortunaley again she was dead by the morning. Alice was only 1 years old.

 

So does anyone have a clue as to why my Wyandottes die like this, so sudden?

 

Thanks

Jo

[Lewis]

Hi Jo,

Welcome to the forums and sorry to hear about your girls

 

Your friend may have been right about a crop problem - you did the right thing to massage it and give nutri-drops. The liquid is often what comes out rather than food, especially if they were feeling ill.

Did their crops smell a bit? It could have been Sour Crop.

Also, could you feel any grass in the crop, I can only think it may have been impacted with grass if then both happened at the same time of year.

 

Have you wormed them with Flubenvet recently?

[Egghead68]

I'm sorry about your hens. You could ask a vet to do a post-mortem to get to the bottom of it.

[Jo-9]

Hi,

 

Thanks for you comments. The liquid that my poor little Alice produced didn't smell. I also don't think it was impacted grass, as I keep our lawn cut short, and the snow has covered it for a few weeks prior to Alice's death. I will do some reaseach into 'Sour crop' thou so I know what to look out for in the future.

 

Unfortunatley it's a bit late to get a post mortum for Alice as she is in already in the garden under a new camellia shrub, but it may be a good idea if this happens a third time.

 

Thanks guys.

[Jo-9]

Following my post regarding my poor little Alice (my wyandotte) who died a few weeks ago, this morning Sookie my white sussex miniture was standing still in the garden, refusing to eat or drink. She was very active and full of life yesterday, she has recently been wormed, ruled out sour crop etc. So this time I decided to take her to see Mr Vet who specialises in birds, well after examining her he really didn't know what was wrong with her either but has given me some Baytril oral medicine to give her. He also said that if she refuses to eat longer than 6 hours she will go down hill very quickly, so he suggested that I syringed some harrisons juvenile formula mix with water to give her some energy. So fingers crossed that she survives the night.

 

On another note, he asked me what I usually feed my birds, in whilch I replied, pellets and also wet mash. He seems to think too much layers mash is not good for the hens as it contains alot of fatts that aren't good for there heart. Has anyone else come across this bit of advice. My girls always prefer the mash then the pellets.

 

Fingers cross for Sookie.

 

x

[Egghead68]

I'm sorry to hear that.

 

Fingers crossed for her.

[Lewis]

How strange that it's happening again

 

Usually layers mash is exactly the same as layers pellets - its just the texture which is different.

They tend to eat more mash so maybe he means something about that? Maybe switch them slowly onto pellets and see if they eat those?

What brand do you use? If the pellets are too big they sometimes don't like eating them but it shouldn't be an issue

Do they usually get treats or corn very often?

 

 

I know you said you wormed them recently - did you use Flubenvet or something else?

[Jo-9]

Just syringe fed Sookie some more of the food from the vet, she seems a little more perky so being positive that she will be better in the morning.

 

I use Marriage's Layers Mash and Marriage's Layers pellets, I usually give the chooks an option of wet mash and dry as well as pellets. They also get oyster shell, a handfull of corn and some dired worms in the winter. I sometimes give them a slice of melon or a few greens too.

 

I use Verm-x pellets that are sold on this site, I put them on their mash.

 

I have also been dosing them up on vitamins over the winter months, by using pultry spice and adding either apple cide viniger or the nettex liquid tonic to there drink.

 

 

[Lewis]

Glad she is more perky after the syringe feed

Marriages are a good quality feed so thats good too!

 

I think VermX may be your problem - VermX is just a natural mix of herbs and not a wormer.

Currently the only licenced wormer for poultry is Flubenvet - see if you can get a bag of Marriages Layers Pellets with Flubenvet milled into it.

 

Omlet are being a bit irresponsible and shouldn't be selling VermX as a Wormer; VermX are no longer legally allowed to call it a wormer - its a "natural control of intestinal hygiene".

 

I speak to lots of people and customers who as beginners buy their housing, chickens and 'wormer' all at the same time, unaware that it isn't doing the job it is sold as doing and, as beginners, they believe what they are told when they buy it...

Lots of people then have problems further down the line when their birds have problems with internal parasites and wonder why

[mimi5]

Hi there, sorry to read of all your troubles I know how sad and troubling losing chickens is as I have lost 3 in 18 months. Of course you worry for the remainder of the flock too!!

 

Just wanted to recommend nutri drops by nettex, they are great for poorly chooks, helping them to feel better and encouraging their appitite. I always have some in the cupboard! As your vet says if they stop eating for more than a few hours their gut shuts down!

 

Definitely worm your girls with flubenvent. It's always a good starting point with chickens, especially if you keep them confined to a run or smalll area.

 

Hope your little one pulls through!! After she finishes the baytril you could give her plain natrual bio yogurt to help her natural flora recover (my girls go mad for it dotted over their pellet porridge!! )

[Jo-9]

Good news after syringe feeding this morning, Sookie is eating a little mash all by herself this morning, monitoring her closely as she is indoors out of the rain

 

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I will definatley call Marriages tomorrow and get some pellets mixed with Flubenvet. I'm a bit annoyed at myself that i've been giving my girls the verm - X for the past couple of years, and it hasn't actually been worming them

 

Yep, I always use the Nettex nutri -drops although Sookie needed the Baytrill medicine which I think is working. I give the Nettex drops to a couple of my Wyandottes that currently are currently sneezing a little. I will also try them on the yoghurt and pellet porriage.

 

Wyandottes, Bella & Henrietta

Pekins, Penny & Matilda

White Sussex, Sookie

RIP Nigella & Alice, both Wyandottes

[mimi5]

Hi, if you can I would definitely bring Sookie in as she will use alot of energy keeping warm on a chilly windy/rainy day like today! If you can only manage bringing her in at night that might also help and you could encourage her to eat a little more too! It's amazing what rest, warmth and TLC can do for them when they're poorly!

 

Let us know how you go!?

[Jo-9]

Contacted marriages today to ask advice about there pellets mixed with the wormer Flubenvet that was previously discussed, I was advised you had to get in contact there nutritionist at the mill in Chelmsford to get the pellets. I then enquired about the quanity, they do bags of 20kg and 10kg, and I was advised it expires in 2 months. I asked if it was possiable to get any smaller quanity as I only have 5 bantams they aren't going to eat 10kg in 7 days, I was advised they may consider this in the future but don't sell it in smaller quanities at the moment.

 

So I have ended up buying the actual Flubenvet wormer (powder) and I will mix this in there food myself, it seems I will have to be very careful with the measurements, as it is a small amount needed.

 

Will let you know how it goes.......

 

Sookie update - still not eating great but happily running around the garden with the other girls, will bring her in the warm tonight.

 

Bella & Henrietta my wyandottes

Matilda & Penny my Pekins

Sookie my white sussex

[good_egg]

Suggestion off here that worked well for me - mix in with a small amount of oil so it sticks to pellets. On the basis you can double dose for gape worm I tried to be as accurate as possible but didn't loose sleep.

[Redwing]

Yes the oil is a good bet, use a cupful of pellets with a little oil at first - add the powder then mix that cupful with the final amount of pellets - this will distribute the powder better

 

I'd also check them for external parasites (usually around the vent, part the feathers to get a good look at the skin, be worried about any flakey skin, cigarette ash type or white deposits and obviously any crawling nasties) and also check the coop for red mites just in case

 

I would suggest that the suspicion of crop problems is a red herring in your case and the problem lies somewhere else

[Brynn]

Hi 👋 my chickens are doing something similar. The eye begans to shut and stay shut. Then the comb lightens and then they lie in one spot without moving until she dies. They are always my most beautiful chickens. Feathers are full and great color. Whats going in? Old age? 

[Cat tails]

13 hours ago, Brynn said:

Hi 👋 my chickens are doing something similar. The eye begans to shut and stay shut. Then the comb lightens and then they lie in one spot without moving until she dies. They are always my most beautiful chickens. Feathers are full and great color. Whats going in? Old age? 

Well how old are your chickens?

Best to contact a vet when a chicken is clearly sick. It’s not really fair in my opinion to let them suffer and wait for them to die.

[Patricia W]

Next time you think it’s time to worm them, you can get a Westgate test kit for £9.95 to confirm if they have worms.  Get that from www.claretaylor.com.    

Then if they do, go onto the Little Peckers website and buy a 5kg bag of Heygates Flubenvet medicated pellets.   You then lock them in the run for 7 days with no treats.  Job done! 

[sotto1]

Look up fly strike... happened to one of my girls when it was hot and humid this summer. They took hold so quickly that even under constant supervision, she died within 7 hours of acting lazy. She was eating and drinking the entire time, but the maggots are inside of them, and unless you looked really closely, for a long time, or some come out in their stool, you would never realize what was wrong. Two maggots came out in my girls stool, about 15 minutes before she died and I was carrying her around trying to figure out what to do but it was too late. I guess if you catch it quickly enough, warm epsom salt baths and picking off the maggots with a tweezers can occasionally be successful. Unfortunately, by the time the eggs hatch, they only have hours to live and it is a horrible death. It is better prevented than treated, by placing fly strips, bathing them if their bottoms become at all matted or soiled (mine had burrs in her feathers), treating any parasites that may cause diarrhea (raw bottoms), and avoiding too many snacks as that may also cause stomach issues.

[Dina Moon]

Hi 

One of my chicken (a cochin) has been showing the same symptoms as Jo-9's chickens and I'm not sure what to do, two of my chickens have already died with the same symptoms.

Can somebody please tell me what I should do to help her. I have given her paracetamol and electrolytes mixed with water. I also gave her something called pourtly power. She has had a liquid coming out of her beak and has had diarrhoea. I am considering to take her to a vet.

Please can someone reply because I don't want her to die

Thanks

[Cat tails]

I hope you took her to a vet @Dina Moon!

It definitely sounds like a case for a vet trip.

[Beantree]

She has an impacted digestive system. So has she been let to onto long grass or been given cabbage leaves uncut or some other stuff that's indigestible? If you already have two dead it's down to what you have done and isn't some disease, so you need to work out what has happened. It's not curable ( without a huge amount of work), so don't bother taking them to a vet. Tell us what you have fed them and where they have been. Perhaps we can tell you where things have gone wrong?

[mullethunter]

In my opinion unless you are willing and able to humanely cull the bird yourself, and if you have the means, you should take to the vet even if it isn’t curable as the vet can euthanise the bird which is MUCH kinder than letting her die slowly.

I would also argue that, although in this case I agree Beantree that it does sound like a digestive issue, the fact that two have already died and a third is now suffering doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not a disease and has been caused by the owners.