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

[mullethunter]

I tried to find the answer to this on old posts but can't find anything quite right, so sorry, another crop problem question.

 

Bernadette came in to lay this week, so at first I didn't think anything of it, but she has spent most of the day in the nest box today without laying an egg, and when out she's pottering about but isn't her normal bustling self and seems to have almost lost her voice too.

 

When I picked her up just now I noticed that her crop is quite full but really squishy. Just feels like a bag of water. I've been worried about her before because of her crop and treated by starving for 36 hours which sorted it out, but that time it was firm like a hacky sack. I think she's also done a very green quite slimy poo.

 

Does anyone have any ideas or advice? She's my favourite little girl and I hate to see her miserable and I'm pretty worried about her this time

Edited March 22, 2015 by Guest

[Luvachicken]

Hi mullethunter, I know from treating Gemma that the massage is very good, mind you I did do it for well over an hour 3 times a day once we got back from the vets. (In front of the telly which she seemed to like)

Gemma's crop was pretty huge - like a toddlers football - and with a squishy bit too but I am amazed how much it has gone down and is now back to normal.

 

Now I have gone into crop overdrive checking everyone's crops and yesterday Tilly's felt squishy but later today it was fine.

 

Maybe Bernadette has lost her voice because she is feeling low.

 

I can't really offer any other advice as I've literally just had Gemma with the condition and never had to deal with it before but Bernadette does sound very similar to my Gemma.

[mimi5]

Hi there mullethunter. Yes, it sounds like sour crop you could certainly try starving with water for at least 24 hrs. Apple cider vineger is very good. I was advised to treat my Penny with it neat, whilst starving her ......I think it was 2ml The Dogmother advised me to give. You could PM her or look for my recent post about Penny. You need a small syringe and they are struggly monsters

 

I only tried after 10 days on antibiotics from the vet and sadly Penny didn't get any better, so she was PTS. She is the 2nd pekin of mine to suffer sour crop. With mine it was related to moulting and I think getting a bit run down. In fact with Florence she did seem to get over the sour crop but was so weakened from a heavy moult and then the sour crop she was very wasted with no fight left

 

You can only give her your best shot. My best wishes. please let us know how she is??

[gavclojak]

I used nystatin (not licenced for use on poultry) for my girl with sour crop. Withheld food and limited water for 24 hours then introduced food using wet mash for a few days.

Yes DM recommend neat ACV but I had already started on the treatment and she was responding well, knowing DM I'm sure that is first class advice.

[mullethunter]

Thankyou all. I didn't give them any corn in the evening yesterday and didn't see her eat anything in the afternoon, I felt her crop when she'd gone to bed and it was less squishy but still a bit bigger than the others.

 

This morning it's not completely empty but is much smaller and firm but not hard. She's also laid an egg and done VERY loud egg shouting. This made me think she was ok but now she's going back into the Eglu again. Also her and Shelley who normally never leave each other's side are a bit distant from each other. Maybe this is because they're now both in lay?

 

I don't know what to think.

[mullethunter]

She seemed back to her normal self (following me around) when I was out with them, but now I'm back indoors she's going around loudly whinging which she never does.

 

What's going on??

[Luvachicken]

I hope she is feeling better soon.

These animals are such a worry aren't they.

 

Can I just ask then, do you not massage sour crop at all and only massage an impacted crop ?

I'd like to know for anything in the future.

[mullethunter]

Thanks Luvachicken, yes they are a worry. Most people I know who keep chickens don't worry like some of us on here - I think we're all a bit obsessed and over protective at times.

 

I don't know about massaging with sour crop, it was just that Bernie's crop was so soft yesterday that it didn't feel like the right thing to do. With hindsight and having seen her poo from the night I'm wondering if she ate something bad, then drank lots because of it and that's what made her crop feel the way it did.

 

I don't know what's up with her today though. Even though she's laid she's in and out of the nest box and shouting her head off - not like her at all. Like you say..a worry.

 

How is Gemma?

[mullethunter]

It never rains but it pours

 

Bernie has made such a fuss rushing in and out of the Eglu that Amy's had a right go at her and made her comb bleed. I found this out because Shelley was gently but persistently pecking at it while Bernie tried to hide her head underneath Shelley

 

I have no purple spray so I've just separated Bernie for now, but neither her nor Shell are happy about it. Can I put them back together when the blood has dried to black or do I need to keep her separate until I get some purple spray?

 

So sad that this is happening and I don't know what's up with Bernie. AND I have to go out now for a family lunch so can't keep an eye on them.

 

Really hope this isn't the beginning of something like you had Luvachicken.

[Beantree]

The whinging could simply be her asking you to remove a higher ranking hen from her favourite nest box Mullethunter. Our Marans do that when a nasty TNN is in the way of their coop door and is therefore asking us to move them.

 

Green poos and a squishy crop could be indicative of fungal cankers. As said Nystan can be used if that is the case but will need vet opinion and prescription. Just watch out for smelly breath and it may be worth checking her mouth for any canker growths, which are a different type of 'canker' I have read and would require Flagyl, although if caught early Avipro Avian probiotic is remarkably effective, having just treated one of our cockerels.

 

Hope you get her sorted.

[gavclojak]

Indeed I did have to get a private prescription for nystatin as my vet didn't stock it, I am sure Daktarin (not licensed for use on poultry) has the same active ingredients and is available over the counter, just don't tell the pharmacy it's for your hens otherwise they will not sell it to you.

[mullethunter]

While we were at lunch I left Bernie in the spare run on her own and put Shelley and the Wyandottes in the Eglu run. All was fine when I got back, Bernie seemed fine and back to normal health (except the scabs on her comb) and all four were eager to be let out.

 

So I let them all out. Bernie went straight to her friend Shelley, who instantly started nipping at her scabs. After a few seconds Bernie decided she didn't like that and squared up to Shell. It looked like Bernie came out on top, but the next minute Shelley was pecking at her again and the following and pecking until Bernie was cowering in a corner.

 

I've now put Shelley in the spare run on her own, and left Bernie out with the Wyandottes which is going sort of OK as long as she keeps out of their way.

 

Will putting purple spray / anti-peck spray on her head / comb help with this at all?

 

This weekend has been horrible and is making me feel bad again for having put the Pekins in this situation.

[gavclojak]

Gosh you are having a rubbish time of it, something we have all gone through at one time or another. If it's just her comb they that is being pecked I would cover it in Vaseline, the aggressor won't be able to get a grip on it. I would keep her apart until bed and see if they are ok in the morning, they might have forgotten about it by then. My personal experience is use purple spray if you really have to but maybe do it tomorrow if needed.

 

I found that when I used it, it just drew attention to poor hen solo and they all wanted to have a go then!

[mullethunter]

Thanks Gavclojak. I did wonder that about the purple spray. I couldn't do it today anyway as I don't have any. I'll wash the scabs off and then Vaseline like you said an i'd thought to wait till bedtime to put them all in together too so I'll do that.

 

If she ran away like she usually does instead of squatting this wouldn't happen.

[mimi5]

Ah sorry...just caught up! What a day you and your girls have had You're right to listen to your instincts, when something is "off" it means it usually is The couple of times I didn't pay attention to mine, or ignored my slight nagging worry as "over protective chicken mummy" I've been sorry later! Sometimes, it's something that kind of works out, but other times it means they need our help. Sadly chickens can be very spiteful and they aren't really loyal to each other when the chips are down. As you say it could all be related to the pekins coming in to lay

 

Once Bernie's comb has scabbed over it should be ok and the Vaseline is a great suggestion .

 

I'd just keep an eye on her crop. Check it morning and evening. Also it's good to know how their crops "feel" when normal.

 

Tomorrow is another day Keep us posted

[mullethunter]

Thankyou mimi.

 

Yes I think the one good thing to come out of all of this is that I do now know what crops should feel like.

 

Bernie's been ok out with the Wyandottes this evening. Although it's bedtime now so things may be about to go downhill. Poor Shelley is sad on her own in the spare run so has already turned in to the cat box. I'll put her in the Eglu when the others have gone in and not beside Bernadette.

 

I hope this doesn't make them feel as miserable as I'm imagining it does

[mullethunter]

Managed to get them all into the Eglu without any of them getting injured. Whilst I was getting the others in Shelley sounded like she was having some sort of fit in the cat box. I'm hoping she was just trying to jump onto an imaginary perch or something.

 

What a horrible day. Haven't had one like this since I first put them together. I can see me having to separate them again

[Claireabella]

It's funny you should post that, I had something similar a few weeks ago when my pekin (Penny) came into lay for the first time. Daisy had apparently attacked Penny for no reason whatsoever. I came home to Penny in my living room with a bleeding comb and my mom almost having a breakdown because she didn't know what to do As others have suggested, I usually just clean it and apply some vaseline. I did separate Daisy for about a week because she went for her again a couple of days later. They're all back together now in harmony, so there is hope

 

Penny has also started to screech really loud when she goes to lay and when she goes to bed, not a bok bok, a real screech, she even stretches her neck for added effect

 

By the way, I've used Daktarin oral gel (not licenced for poultry) in the past for sour crop and it worked quite well. Keep us updated

[mullethunter]

Thanks Clairabella it really does help to hear that. Unfortunately I didn't think to try to clean it until too late so I now can't get the scabs off without making her bleed again. I put Vaseline over the scabs. I was afraid to take her out in case I have trouble putting her back, but you've made me worry less. Thankyou.

 

OH said Bernie had her neck craned up too

[gavclojak]

Fingers crossed for tomorrow, hang some corn on the cobs and bury some mealworms, give them something else to think about,

my guess is it will all be forgotten. Always something to worry about though isn't there and at times like this, I bet you think "why am I bothering?" Maybe it's the change in season? Longer days has made the behaviour change, who knows!!

[mimi5]

Yes, never a dull moment with chickens You just think it's going well and then it all changes I just try and enjoy the settled bits how ever long or short

[Claireabella]

I hope today is a better day Mullethunter I should have said, when I separated Daisy from Penny they were still in sight of each other and they still slept together at night. I just think Daisy felt threatened when Penny started to lay and they can be nasty so and so's when they want to be

 

Nice to see you back on the forum by the way Mimi, you helped me a lot when I first joined

[Luvachicken]

How have they been today mullethunter ?

[mullethunter]

Gavclojak I didn't have any corn but they had their favourite Broccoli and a cabbage heart.

 

I put them all in the Eglu last night, but then separated Bernie for the day. She was in the WIR for the day (could still see the others), then put them all out to FR together this evening which wasn't too bad, although I did supervise bedtime.

 

I think it's all hormonal.

 

I think I might separate again tomorrow but hopefully won't have to keep doing it for long (makes me late for work!) - doesn't make me wonder why I bother, just wish it was easier!

[gavclojak]

Ah well it sounds like you know what your doing and it seems to be moving in the right direction.phew:)