2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[mullethunter]

Hopefully I'm worrying unduly, but I AM a bit concerned about Bernadette - again.

 

She drank for ages when I let them out this morning. I don't know if she's been doing this lately because I've had to leave before they've got up, but I have seen her do it earlier in the year. She also seems quite a bit paler than usual and I think a bit sleepier.

 

I haven't felt her crop in the morning (I will tomorrow) but this evening it was like a firm (but not hard) golfball (she's a Pekin). Is this normal? Shelleys didn't feel the same but she has so many feathers and wouldn't keep still it was hard to tell.

 

She's eating ok from what I have seen.

 

What do you think? Help please...

[mullethunter]

No one? Or just wait till morning?

[mollyripkim]

Sorry didn't want to read and run but haven't really got any advice except my orp drank a lot when she had a crop problem, it was sour crop and she recovered.

[mullethunter]

Her crop feels at least mostly empty this morning so hopefully I'm just being over sensitive

[mullethunter]

Still worried about Bernie. She's doing chickeny things but she seems really sleepy all the time. I'm just cleaning their drinkers so I'm going to put some moulting tonic in their fresh water (Bernie is still growing back neck and tail feathers). I'm going to share my lunch with her too (tuna).

[Claireabella]

I agree with Mollyripkim, it could be a crop problem. I had a girl that drank loads when her crop had a small impaction. Perhaps have a good feel of her crop before she comes out of the house in the morning? It's worth checking her poos too.

[mullethunter]

I think her poos are ok although she's always been prone to loose ones. She's certainly eating ok. I will have another check of her crop in the morning though.

 

What do you do if it's a bit impacted?

[The Dogmother]

Check the section in FAQs re impacted crops; starve for about 36 hours, give plenty of liquid with poultry tonic or NutriDrops. Drop a little warm oil into the crop and massage it 3 times a day to loosen the blockage.

[mullethunter]

As I feared. Her crop wasn't empty this morning and what was in there was quite firm. It has gone down a lot since yesterday afternoon and she was bright when she came out this morning and eating and drinking so its obviously not completely blocked / impacted. Will look at the FAQs shortly and start treatment tomorrow morning (didn't have time before work to sort anything out today).

 

Does anyone have any advice over the best way to actually get her separated? Shelley goes everywhere Bernie goes - do you reckon I should put them both in a hospital wing? If I do that how do I feed Shelley? And should I put Bernie back in the Eglu with the others overnight?

 

Sorry I know I'm flapping but I've never had to do this before!

[PixieDust]

When Lily didn't empty hers completely I syringed in some olive oil and massaged several times a day. Went on a very sp"Ooops, word censored!" pellet diet for a couple of days and was prepared to starve them for 36hrs but her crop cleared. Massage I think is extremely important. I them gave them a treat for 3 days of natural yoghurt.

 

Hope that helps.

[mullethunter]

Thanks Pixiedust

[The Dogmother]

I would restrict what they eat after, say, 2pm and make sure that she takes on plenty of fluid. A blocked crop will usually clear fairly quickly, but can rarely be an indication of problems further down the digestive tract.

[mullethunter]

Well. No bed time corn tonight

 

The 'hospital wing' is set up for tomorrow. I'm going to put Shelley in there too rather than Bernadette on her own. Here it is...

 

 

(sorry about the massive photo - photobucket's a nightmare since my last 'upgrade')

 

Fluids only for the day tomorrow, then olive oil and massaging tomorrow evening and fingers crossed

[The Dogmother]

Make sure that she gets some poultry tonic in the water, or some NutriDrops.

[mollyripkim]

Hope she gets better soon, it was Dogmother that gave the advice when my orp had a blocked crop and she pulled through and is still with me. The only other thing I did, I know some people don't agree, was to get some sterile non dyed maggots. She is so greedy she ate them whole, apparently they eat the blockage. Not sure if that is true but she did get better.

[mullethunter]

Dogmother I've put some of the moulting tonic in that I've got. Will that be OK?

 

They aren't particularly happy about being in there. It's pretty wet this morning and as you can see only half the run is covered. The Wyandottes are cross too because they think the Pekins have a better deal (which they don't!).

[mullethunter]

Just been home at lunchtime prepared for oil and massaging, but Bernie's crop feels completely empty now! Her and Shelley are still very unhappy about being in the hospital wing and having no food, and the Wyandottes are still unhappy thinking the Pekins have something they don't!

 

But - as her crop's empty now do you think just a 'fast' day could have done the trick? Can I put her back with the others now and just let her eat pellets (no treats for a few days perhaps).

 

Will she be warm enough to sleep tonight with no food to digest (she'll be in the Eglu with the others and min temp is forecast to be 4 degrees)?

 

She certainly isn't fat, in fact she's quite skinny, but could it just be that she's been trying to eat too much and her body hasn't been able to manage to digest it all each night?

[Beantree]

Bit risky putting her outside overnight in the cold with no food in her crop Mullethunter, unless she is particularly fat and has plenty of energy reserves. Not something I would do. If her crop has emptied and it isn't sour (slightly warm to touch, perhaps smelly breath and slimy poo) she should get a good meal before bedtime. I'd make soaked pellets mash because our sickies usually find that irresistible.

[mullethunter]

She's not been off her food at any point so she'll probably be happiest with a bit of mixed grain before bed as usual.

[The Dogmother]

I would give her a quick feed before she goes back. Add ACV to the water a couple of times a week, and keep an eye on her crop.

[mullethunter]

Thankyou all. Crop was still empty when I got home at twenty past 4 so she's had some mixed corn and a few pellets and is snuggled up in the Eglu with the others. She was certainly very bright when I went into the back garden - desperate to get out of the pen! Fingers crossed.

[Claireabella]

Ah, that's good news! Keep us updated

[The Dogmother]

It's unusual for pure breeds to get impacted crops, but with any bird that tends to gorge on food, the crop will eventually stretch and remain distended (it's a sac, without muscles) so it will be increasingly easy for it to get ever bigger, and to not empty fully.

 

Keep an eye on the situation and hopefully she will be fine.