mullethunter Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Well, poor Bernie's crop is very 'balloony' again and she's feeling very sorry for herself. She nearly fell over this afternoon too - I guess that's related. I'm too scared to empty her crop in case I drown her but I feel maybe I should. I kept her on her own this evening so she had no food, but after dark I put her in the Eglu with the others. I've shut the door so I'll put her back on her own in the morning and starve her for 24hrs. Have I done the right thing so far or should I have emptied her crop and should I have brought her into the house on her own? Tomorrow I'll get daktarin and ACV to start off with, then live yoghurt for the following day. Last time she had this it cleared up by just withholding food for 36hours, but this time she seems MUCH more poorly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loumabel Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 I would empty her crop if it's still full tomorrow. I have had good success doing this and it's not as scary as you think, just don't hold her upside down for too long and give lots of breaks to catch her breath in between. I then syringe a little Apple cider vinegar in mixed with bio yoghurt and had good results doing this. I hope she is better tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 I've been watching some clips of how to do it on YouTube so hopefully if it's still full I'll be able to do it. Where do you get small syringes from? Preferably without people thinking I'm a junkie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Morning How is Bernadette today?? Small syringes- my vets are great all was giving any I need. Also got some from the doctors I know the nurse very well as I'm always down there with my various conditions.....of course I explain they're for the hens!!! I have quiet a stash now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 Thankyou for asking. She's still with us. She's done a load of horrid splattery poo during the night which I suppose is good, and when I first got her up her crop had gone down a lot. I've just been out and got daktarin and yoghurt, so am about to go out and give her the first lot of daktarin. She's on her own with no food and looking very miserable and mostly just nodding off standing still, but hopefully that's as much because she's unhappy about being shut on her own as it is about feeling poorly. Sort of dreading going out in case her crop's massive again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Poo is good Something is getting through, so no blockage Best wishes and keep us posted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I found when emptying the crop it was best to do it in short bursts, not longer than 20 seconds. don't turn her upside down just lean her forwards as for the meds, wrap her in a towel and slowly dribble it in to her beak, i bet she shakes her head and you may get covered in it. ...Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claireabella Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I was just logging in to see how Bernie's doing too. Poo is good I've just syringed a concoction of ACV and live yogurt into Poppy and yes, I'm going to smell like vinegar all day after she flicked it everywhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 How is Poppy doing Claireabella? Thanks Gavclojak - I can see now that you don't have to actually turn them upside down and see what you mean by 'tip forward' so I think I could do that if I had to, but for now her crop seems fairly empty and back to a better 'firmness' so as long as it stays that way I'm hopeful she won't need 'emptying'! I managed to get a blob of daktarin (thankfully the pharmacist didn't ask me who / what it was for so I didn't have to fib - although not sure what that says about her competency ) into her by wiping it on the side of her beak and she then licked it all off so i think she's probably taken in enough. She's still in her 'starve' phase so nothing else now until just before bed when I'll give her another blob of daktarin and some yoghurt (Yeo Valley - spoilt girl!). Then providing she's OK tomorrow morning she can be in with the others (they'll all be shut in as we're both working) and they can all just have pellets. Pets at Home wasn't open (even though their website said they open at 8 ) so I haven't got any ACV yet but I have put a squirt of the Nettex moulting tonic in her water. I peeked at her just now and she does actually look a bit brighter than she did earlier and last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claireabella Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 That's good that she looks a bit brighter If I'm honest, Poppy still looks a bit miserable Her crop wasn't too squashy or firm this morning but there was something in there She is pooing normally though so I guess that's good. Perhaps it takes some time for things to start moving through normally again? She seems to spend most of her time hiding from me, she thinks I'm coming to either a) massage her crop or b) syringe something horrible into her beak When I went in the house yesterday and the coast was clear, she started scratching around...mmm I'm using the Yeo valley live yogurt too. Fingers crossed we both see some improvement soon. I think you're doing all the right things keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 I think if she's pooing then you're probably on the right track and hopefully she'll start to perk up now. I don't feel their crops unless I know there's something wrong with them so it could be that they're never completely empty first thing. Bernie has started shrieking her head off because she wants to get out so I think she must be feeling better! Her crop feels completely flat now so I might give her some yogurt this afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 She had another dose of daktarin and some yoghurt at 3 o clock, then at 4 o clock I put her in the garden with others, but rolled away the turf and took away the pellets. She must've found some stuff to eat because her crop is now a very well defined firm 'golfball'. Bit worried that I've let her eat too much, but I'll check her in the morning and give her some more daktarin and yoghurt, then she'll be shut in with just pellets for the day. Interestingly (and sadly), Shelley's reacted in exactly the same way as last time this happened. She's picking on Bernie really badly and has made her comb bleed a bit again. In fact I took her out for a while to give Bernie a break. I guess she senses weakness. Chickens really aren't very nice sometimes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Mullethunter and Claireabella,Well done those dedicated chicken "mums" Best wishes for both your girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 9, 2015 Author Share Posted April 9, 2015 Thanks mimi5. OK last night and first thing this morning, but now (lunchtime) having been shut in all morning her crop is a bit watery again. She had her daktarin and yoghurt this morning, do I just keep on with this and hope that the daktarin clears it up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 How is Bernadette doing now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 I think she's getting better but she's not completely back to normal. She's much more herself now but her crop is still feeling a bit too soft in the afternoons. I've been giving her daktarin twice a day but plan to stop after today and see how we go. Having said all that she's been sat in the nest box for the past 2 hours so I maube need to go and check on her as I didn't think she would be laying today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claireabella Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Did she lay you an egg Mullethunter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 She did! That's two days in a row ehich is unusual for her. She went back in the house again later - she stayed out with the others when I turfed her out so I don't know whether she's considering being broody or just wanted some peace and quiet. Her crop is very firm tonight and I thought it felt full of small stones, but Shelleys feels similar so it's probably just pellets and always like that. I think I'm just over sensitive now. How is Poppy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claireabella Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 that's brilliant, she must be feeling much better! Poppy is still a bit quieter that usual but her crop hasn't gone sour again so I think she probably just needs some time and TLC to get back to her normal self. I treated her to soggy pellets with a boiled egg mixed in this morning and she ate that no problem Penny, my only pekin has squwarked her head off all day, finally layed her egg at 5.30 this evening and wouldn't shift off it. I hope she doesn't go broody my two silkies have been taking it in turns to be broody since late January it's always one of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Ah, yes it is time to breakout the anti-broody coop ......again Glad to hear Bernadette is laying again, I'd say that's a very positive sign Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 And again She's been completely herself since Saturday (although I did think her voice was slightly odd yesterday and she was perhaps a it pale). Was fine this morning when I gave her her yoghurt, but this evening she's back to sleepy, slow, wobbly. So sad to see because it just isn't her. Her crop was squishy but otherwise empty, not massive. I wondered whether it's to do with the fact they don't like the pellets so perhaps she isn't eating enough, so I've just given her some more yoghurt and some sunflower hearts. Her crop feels a bit better at the moment but I think there is a patch of it near the bottom that feels hotter than the rest (a bit difficult to tell today though). I'm at the end of my tether. Do I put her back on the daktarin? Help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 Have given her daktarin and made sure she had a drink. She is NOT well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 And now Penny's gone broody! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Sorry to hear Bernie's still not well Broodiness All I can say is anti-broody coop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
