Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[libby22]

My Gingernut Ranger, Pepper is 18 months old. She has always been a reliable layer of very large eggs and always full of beans. Over the last 4 weeks she has started to lay creased eggs, very large eggs, white eggs, soft shelled or none at all. I have put this down to her getting older as nothing has changed in her diet. However, yesterday she would not leave the nest box. I thought it was a softie on its way and left her in peace. I set about cleaning out the trays, as I do every day, and found two or three lots of diarrhoea creamy coloured. I disinfected the trays and roosting bars.

 

By about 11.00 am (very late for her), she hadn't laid, so I took her some water in, as it was such a warm day. She drank the lot! Shortly after she came down, but was slightly off balance and looking poorly - again the way they look when they lay a softie. She stood by the water and drank constantly. I refilled the water container and added some Herban so she could have a good dose as she drank. She refused to eat and tried to get back into the house, but fell. She didn't hurt herself, but as they have a wooden house in the run and a basket, I shut the house off to her and she spent most the day in the basket with her eyes shut and puffed up. She kept coming out every 30 mins or so for a huge drink and would only eat a bit of sweetcorn and I added some Avipro to this to try to help her gut. The diarrhoea was terrible, creamy and what looked like mucus.

 

I made her comfortable last night - I only have the two girls in this pen so she wasn't being bothered at all - and this morning her tray was almost full of diarrhoea, this time with some dark bits in, as she had eaten quite a bit of sweetcorn, but that was it. I rang the vets first thing this morning and got straight in. I repeated all of the above to him and he asked what she ate on a daily basis which is Omlet crumb, spinach, kale, lettuce, few mealworms and a small amount of fruit - she has eaten this since I have had her. She also has ACV in her water for a few days per week. The trays are cleaned daily, the house is disinfected every ten days, as is the run with Stalosan.

 

The vet didn't examine her, however asked if she had been wormed which I confirmed yes, in March with Flubenvet - I worm every six months. He went to check the dosage and simply said, as it is spring, it is best you worm her again. You should worm them every 2 - 3 months with Flubenvet. If she has worms, she will refuse to eat, drink lots and have an upset stomach. They won't be covered for six months if they are eating slugs and worms. That was it.

 

I have come straight home and sorted out the worming powder in her food. She isn't drinking as frantically now and has eaten a little bit here and there. I just don't know whether he totally knew what he was on about or not! The diarrhoea is not quite so bad now, she is a little brighter - not swollen underneath, not hot, good colour to her face and comb however, she has just gone back into the nest box so I have left her in peace.

 

I would just be grateful for any views on the vet's advice. I appreciate it is probably quite sound, but I was thinking she may have an infection of sorts? I just don't know really. The most I have to help her is the Avipro or Herban.

[Egghead68]

I think she sounds quite poorly, what with the falling etc. I don't know whether worms can cause them to become so ill so quickly.

 

I always suspect fungal infections when mine are drinking a lot.

 

Good luck with her. I hope she picks up quickly.

[libby22]

Hi. Thanks for coming back to me. I was worried it was sour crop so was disappointed when the vet didn't check her - even when I prompted him to do so.

 

However, I have just been to check on her and she is walking around the run! She has laid a perfect yolk and white in the nest box and what I at first thought was a lash. However, upon checking, it was a completely folded up softie. It was huge. It folded into a triangle and opened out into a complete in tact shell.

 

The only problem is, there is a tiny bit of blood on the edge of it where it must have cut her on the way out. It is just a speck but is there anything I can give her to combat infection?

[Egghead68]

I would make sure she has enough calcium in her diet by giving her access to crushed backed eggshell and putting a bit of cod liver oil on their food now and again. Worming is also the right thing to do as worms may be leeching nutrients from her.

 

She may not have an infection. If it is sour-crop her crop will probably feel squishy and may smell. Some people treat it with ACV but i use 1/15th oral thrush tablet (flucanazole) twice daily for a week. If it is a bacterial infection she may need antibiotics. If you can see a cut near her vent you could try putting a bit of savlon or similar on it.

 

As she has perked up I would probably just watch her for a day or so and see how she goes.

[libby22]

I have put out their food containing the worming treatment. She has oyster shell, but I shall get the eggshell put out for her too - anything to help her.

 

I have some codliver oil so will add some to her food.

 

I have felt her crop but it feels quite normal - not squishy, but it isn't too full as she hasn't been eating very much. She let me do all this whilst her head was buried in the feeder. I think she is making up for lost time. I can't see any obvious cuts around her vent however, have sprayed her with purple antiseptic spray just in case - she didn't even look up!

 

Many thanks for your help and suggestions - really grateful.

[Egghead68]

Good luck. Let us know how she gets on.

[libby22]

Hi. Just an update re Pepper. She is much better, touch wood however, she has not laid an egg since my last post. She has laid a couple of yolks, but that is about it.

 

She looks bright and perky and is eating really well. I check her every day, as I am a bit worried about internal laying, but so far no warm underbelly and no swelling, but will be keeping a close eye on that. She does sit in the nest box for about 20 mins in the morning (used to be a good 2 hours), but then hops out and carries on digging etc. Makes me think she feels like she has laid - hence the worry about internal laying.

 

I am able to see if she has laid a softie/yolk etc as they eat it quickly, but as it is in the nest box, you get yellow coloured bedding! Just hope she stays as bright as she is now - not worried about getting any eggs as long as she isn't poorly.

[Egghead68]

That sounds positive!