mullethunter Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 Shelley is really poorly. I thought she had a digestive tract infection and she started antibiotics that the vet prescribed last night, but I've just been to check on her (in the Cube with the others) and although she looked at me and her face looked OK her breathing looked really laboured. I don't know what to do for the best. Should I leave her with the others or bring her indoors for the night? Its forecast to be 3 degrees. I've shut the Cube door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Well, I left her out in the Eglu overnight and she's still with us this morning. After half an hour of her just standing hunched up in the run or trying to get under Bernadette (who is smaller then her!), I brought her in and she's now in the cat box in the utility room. She looks fairly sorry for herself but has snaffled a few mealworms dipped in medicated water and had a few more beakfulls of water. And I think she has also had a few pellets and sunflower hearts. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Bit late but I'd have bought her in. She needs to be warm but have plenty of air. Then you need to check the Cube for any signs of condensation and the dreaded black mould spores, as that may be why she has developed a respiratory infection. Not sure how good the ventilation is in a cube, but it depends on how many you have in there. Chickens going to roost with wet feathers compounds the situation of course. My preference would be to leave the door open rather than worry about the temperature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Ventilation is good Beantree - only 5 bantams, dry and no mould. She was in the cat box in the utility room all day, and I thought she was looking brighter so I put her back out with the others at tea time so she could go to bed with them. But then she just stood there hunched and sleepy until they'd all gone up into the Cube and she suddenly realised she should go, but then she tried twice but couldn't fly up Nearly made me cry to see it. I popped her in and she snuggled in to Bernadette but I don't hold out much hope now. Also Penny - top chicken - one of my Wyandotte bantams seems to have gone mad all of a sudden. Last night when she went into the Cube she came straight back out again properly panicky shrieking. She did that 3 times before she went in to bed. Then today she's been constantly anxious and rushing about squawking like something awful is hapenning. Anyone have any ideas what could be going on? I'm worried that maybe, although the vet didn't positively id it - it was mareks that suddenly killed Barbara and that it's now resurfaced but manifesting differently in Shelley and Penny. Feeling a bit despondent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Sending you lots of hugs xx Sorry I didn't read your posts sooner but we were out last night. How is Shelley today ? Have you brought her in tonight ? They are a worry sometimes especially when we do our best to make them better. I really hope Shelley and Penny get well soon xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Thanks Luvachicken. That post above is about today. She's out with the others now. I'll check on her before I go to bed and if she cuddled in next to Bernadette I'll leave her, but if she's not I'll bring her in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millie-Annie Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Aw, poor Shelley. Although on here I am Millie-Annie after two of my first chickens, my real name is Shelley. I've never known a chicken with the same name. Poor girl, hope she is asleep next to Bernadette now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 How is she getting on ? I've been thinking about her in the cold weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 Thank you both for asking. Sadly though she was dead when I came down this morning. I'm gutted - more for Bernadette than anything else - I feel so bad that she's lost her best friend and doesn't have anyone to cuddle up to anymore I know I'm anthropomorphising but I can't help it. It was bin day today but I couldn't bring myself to put her out with the rubbish either so we came home from work early and buried her in the garden. Hopefully it wasn't anything the others will get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 Millie Anne she was actually named after Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory! My four originals were all named after characters from that program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 I'm so sorry to read that xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 Sorry that she has gone - you did all that you could... I know we always feel that we could have done more, but in reality, chickens are difficult to diagnose at times and all we can do is treat the symptoms we can see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 28, 2017 Author Share Posted November 28, 2017 Thanks all. I do wonder if she would've responded to the antibiotics if I'd have got her on them when I first decided she was properly poorly - 3 days before I actually did. But as I don't know what was wrong with her there's every chance it wouldn't have made any difference. Just have to hope it was an isolated thing now and that my remaining 4 stay healthy. On the plus side they've now all been wormed and had a course of antibiotics so if it was anything parasitic / bacterial and the others did have any of it they're sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 I wouldn't worry too much if the others all seem in good health. You probably do this anyway, but using a good quality poultry tonic in their water over the winter is a good idea. There are various 'background diseases' which can afflict poultry, that can lay dormant in their environment and only surface if a bird is ailing or stressed, like when going through a severe moult, or stress over the hasty introduction of new birds. Others in the flock can remain unaffected. Marek's is one of these. Like so many creatures, it's often hard to diagnose exactly what is wrong with birds, and sometimes all you can do is treat what you see. I often think they are a bit like sheep in that if they decide to die then there's very little that you can do about it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millie-Annie Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 To be fair antibiotics rarely work, they just prolong the inevitable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 13, 2018 Author Share Posted February 13, 2018 Oh no I think Bernadette may have whatever killed Shell She’s gone from being totally fine on Sunday pottering around with me and the other chooks and chattering away. Then yesterday evening I noticed she wasn’t quite herself - she was last out for corn and was a bit slow eating it, and her neck looked a bit odd - like her feathers were sticking out oddly. Then when I went out a bit later she was in the nest box so I thought perhaps she was working up to her first egg and was going to lay it with a soft shell. But when I went out to shut them in she was back in the main part of the Cube with the others. I was hoping I’d find a soft shell egg and a better chicken this morning - but I didn’t, and the poo under her perch was exactly like Shelley’s in the days before she died. She didn’t want to come out for breakfast so I brought her inside in the cat box with food and water for he day. When I got home from work she was much the same. I hand fed her some pellets and sunflower hearts covered in nutri-drops and some orange and poppy seed cake ( ) crumbs soaked in water because she wouldn’t eat anything otherwise and I don’t think she’s eaten all day. At first she seemed to struggle to peck but got better after a while. She’d done another of the horrid poos during the day but only one. I’m taking her to the vets tomorrow morning, but I’m not very hopeful. Bernadette’s my favourite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 Vet can’t see anything obvious but said that because she had an elevated temperature antibiotics were worth a try so she’s got baytril injections daily for a week. She ate a fair bit when we got back from the vets but won’t eat anything now. Just given her some nutri drops. Not looking good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Oh dear, poor little thing. I have my fingers crossed that the antibiotics will make her feel better soon. Do you have to do the injections yourself ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Did they give her any steroids to increase her appetite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 No steroids no just the antibiotics which yes, Luvachicken I have to myself. The vet showed me how. She said because it’s only a little needle you can’t really do any damage and as long as it goes into chicken it’ll be ok! Just fingers crossed it is something they will help with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 How is she today mullet ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 15, 2018 Author Share Posted February 15, 2018 Thanks for asking. I think she’s slightly worse but not much in it. She’s slightly more reluctant to eat but still reasonably chatty and a good colour. I managed to get a ml of nutri drops into her, but I’m worried that some of the water I syringed in has gone into her lungs I actually thought she was going to die straight away. An hour later though her breathing was more or less back to normal so hopefully I haven’t killed her. Still no feel for whether she’ll make it or not - it’s impossible to know when I do t know what’s wrong with her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 I feel for you. It's hard when they look similar to the day before. Perhaps the second dose of antibiotics might help her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 15, 2018 Author Share Posted February 15, 2018 Here’s hoping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
