The chicken:
"Sylvia"
She's a free-ranging, top of the pecking order hen...so she gets first dibs on what the rooster finds for rewards. Guess who's always first in line for any kind of food or treats? She's my little piggy.
Lay of the Land:
The good level Shady spot on our property happens to be near some lower wet areas. The chooks love it for foraging..but it provides a bounty of earthworms...which I'm finding isn't such a great thing. I thought my birds would self limit themselves on them...but they didn't. Or Sylvia didn't.
Day 1 symptoms:
Found her after work, standing inside the nest box on a warm day dozing sleepily. Their coop is shaded. So it felt cooler in the coop. I thought she was sick and tired of the two roosters chasing her (yes I needed to cull one-and did the next day) ...so I did think she was hiding for a break. I had a Black Australorp who was broody in the nest beside her and to avoid her going "broody" on me too I pulled her out and put her with the rest of the flock. I noted her fluff feathers were a bit damp.
Day 2 symptoms:
I noted a yellowish mucousy stool hanging from her vent. I thought it was a broken egg yolk. I cleaned her off and performed a cloaca exam and she was empty...no broken shells within. Fluff feathers completely wet. The poop board that morning beneath her was runny yellow stool-- on the watery side. Throughout the day she continued with runny stool. Started my research on BYC and google that night. She remained separate from the flock all that day.
Day 3:
Stool is more clear than yellow with usual urates in it -- mostly water. I'm fairly certain at this point that it is Blackhead or histomoniasis. We've had lots of rain...low spots are giving lots of earthworms to my flock. We also have a ton of dragon flies...so I watching their diet switch over a bit these last 2 weeks to Junebugs and Dragonflies. But I think the load for worms was already done. She seems to be hanging out with the flock more this day. Small town -- No Flagyl handy. I start scrambled egg with a ton of cayenne, greek yogurt, some berries. Fluff bath.
Day 4:
Sylvia is improving. Stools much less watery. Poop board reveals a cheesy, curly substrate among her stool: Confirmation my diagnosis is right. Found a U of Mississippi article on Blackhead. This is Caseous (cheese-like) Cecal dropping caused by enlargement and inflammation of the ceca. Appetite is low. I call the vets office for a purchase of flagyl without seeing her(40 minutes away) and they want to see her. I do more research on the drug and find out "Fish-Zole" is readily available without appointment.
Day 5:
I go to a bigger town's Pet Store. Which is worthless. Get back home. And place online order for Fish-zole. I want to do this before I worm her. Get her back on track first. She hasn't laid eggs in over a week and if I have to throw them out for a month or more...I'm fine with that. I did find Wazine at my Farm and Fleet and will treat her for round worms after the Fishzole is done. When she is on her winter break a few months down the road...I'll buy Valbazen for the whole crew...get this stuff cleared out. In the meantime today I cooked up a squash with seeds and added cayenne. No pumpkins available in the stores yet.
She's still walking around with the flock...but her appetite is not voracious. She needs her medicine, even though I think she is fighting it pretty well.
Now for some dryer weather, please...no more worms and their protozoan accompaniants.
"Sylvia"
She's a free-ranging, top of the pecking order hen...so she gets first dibs on what the rooster finds for rewards. Guess who's always first in line for any kind of food or treats? She's my little piggy.
Lay of the Land:
The good level Shady spot on our property happens to be near some lower wet areas. The chooks love it for foraging..but it provides a bounty of earthworms...which I'm finding isn't such a great thing. I thought my birds would self limit themselves on them...but they didn't. Or Sylvia didn't.
Day 1 symptoms:
Found her after work, standing inside the nest box on a warm day dozing sleepily. Their coop is shaded. So it felt cooler in the coop. I thought she was sick and tired of the two roosters chasing her (yes I needed to cull one-and did the next day) ...so I did think she was hiding for a break. I had a Black Australorp who was broody in the nest beside her and to avoid her going "broody" on me too I pulled her out and put her with the rest of the flock. I noted her fluff feathers were a bit damp.
Day 2 symptoms:
I noted a yellowish mucousy stool hanging from her vent. I thought it was a broken egg yolk. I cleaned her off and performed a cloaca exam and she was empty...no broken shells within. Fluff feathers completely wet. The poop board that morning beneath her was runny yellow stool-- on the watery side. Throughout the day she continued with runny stool. Started my research on BYC and google that night. She remained separate from the flock all that day.
Day 3:
Stool is more clear than yellow with usual urates in it -- mostly water. I'm fairly certain at this point that it is Blackhead or histomoniasis. We've had lots of rain...low spots are giving lots of earthworms to my flock. We also have a ton of dragon flies...so I watching their diet switch over a bit these last 2 weeks to Junebugs and Dragonflies. But I think the load for worms was already done. She seems to be hanging out with the flock more this day. Small town -- No Flagyl handy. I start scrambled egg with a ton of cayenne, greek yogurt, some berries. Fluff bath.
Day 4:
Sylvia is improving. Stools much less watery. Poop board reveals a cheesy, curly substrate among her stool: Confirmation my diagnosis is right. Found a U of Mississippi article on Blackhead. This is Caseous (cheese-like) Cecal dropping caused by enlargement and inflammation of the ceca. Appetite is low. I call the vets office for a purchase of flagyl without seeing her(40 minutes away) and they want to see her. I do more research on the drug and find out "Fish-Zole" is readily available without appointment.
Day 5:
I go to a bigger town's Pet Store. Which is worthless. Get back home. And place online order for Fish-zole. I want to do this before I worm her. Get her back on track first. She hasn't laid eggs in over a week and if I have to throw them out for a month or more...I'm fine with that. I did find Wazine at my Farm and Fleet and will treat her for round worms after the Fishzole is done. When she is on her winter break a few months down the road...I'll buy Valbazen for the whole crew...get this stuff cleared out. In the meantime today I cooked up a squash with seeds and added cayenne. No pumpkins available in the stores yet.
She's still walking around with the flock...but her appetite is not voracious. She needs her medicine, even though I think she is fighting it pretty well.Now for some dryer weather, please...no more worms and their protozoan accompaniants.
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