nminusyplusm
Crowing
I have a multifaceted problem and am wondering what else I should do.
My flock of 3 EEs, a Faverolle x Ameruacana and a Welsummer x Cream Legbar olive egger is closed due to CRD, most likely MG as 2 of my 5 have presented with unusual breathing sounds at different times although everyone has been asymptomatic for several months until 2 days ago. They are 14 months old and were raised together.
They live in a 4' x 7' coop with approximately 26 sq ft of cross ventilation. The coop is open at all times to a roofed predator proof 8' x 10' run. Both coop and run have deep litter.
Last year my olive egger who was second to last in the pecking order went broody and became the target of bullying. At the time it was solved by breaking her and jailing the bully who was #2. The pecking order was slightly reset and #2 and #3, both EEs, switched places.
Since then all has been well except at times the olive egger would go broody or what I'd call pseudobroody-- she would exhibit all the broody behavior (vocalizations, mini-turkey posture, etc.) but she wasn't in a nest box. Also she would continue to lay through it. This would trigger #2 and #3 and they'd go after her, viciously. She had places she could escape to but she preferred staying with the flock so there was a lot of chasing and pecking until she'd snap out of it and start acting nonbroody again. It usually took 1 or 2 days and then it would calm down.
The current situation: the olive egger's eyelids became swollen on Wednesday although her eyes were clear. In the morning she was fine, by the afternoon she looked terrible. I started her on 1.5ml of Tylan 3 times a day. She had a full normal feeling crop at the end of the day. Her poop was normal.
I suspect she is finally presenting with a symptom of the CRD (MG?) in my flock possibly brought on from the stress of the pseudobroody/bullying cycle. If I had the money I'd get it tested but I don't so I have to go with my best guess for now.
On Thursday she seemed worse, was listless and uninterested in food on her own but decided to start acting pseudobroody (or prebroody?). I hand fed her some wet cat food and fresh sorrel (a favorite). She wouldn't eat scrambled egg and seemed uninterested in anything else. Her poop was watery. Her crop didn't have much in it at the end of the day.
Today she's been acting full on broody, wanting to sit on a nest but also slightly more active. Just like the previous 2 days, she laid an egg. I've pulled her out to hand feed her more wet cat food and sorrel. She also ate some mash made from feed (Purina flock raiser). I saw that she ate and drank on her own a bit. Her eyelids look slightly less swollen. Eyes continue to be clear. Her crop feels fuller than yesterday but nowhere near normal for her. I have not been able to see her poop today.
She's exiled herself to the nest box and just standing in the coop, switching between the 2, so at least the bullying has stopped (unless she goes downstairs to the run where she's either chased to a perch in the run or back to the coop). In the coop she's set up with fresh water and an assortment of food (flock raiser mash, BOSS, sorrel, fresh goji berries). Everyone else's feed and water is below in the run.
I don't want to break her right now as she's already completely stressed out. I'm getting Nutri-Drench tonight.
The weather has been in the 100s but that's normal for here in June and there's been no indication of heat stress. They have plenty of shade, areas where the litter has been watered and some frozen treats.
They've all been roosting normally and together too. We'll see what happens tonight though...
Is there anything else I should try?
My flock of 3 EEs, a Faverolle x Ameruacana and a Welsummer x Cream Legbar olive egger is closed due to CRD, most likely MG as 2 of my 5 have presented with unusual breathing sounds at different times although everyone has been asymptomatic for several months until 2 days ago. They are 14 months old and were raised together.
They live in a 4' x 7' coop with approximately 26 sq ft of cross ventilation. The coop is open at all times to a roofed predator proof 8' x 10' run. Both coop and run have deep litter.
Last year my olive egger who was second to last in the pecking order went broody and became the target of bullying. At the time it was solved by breaking her and jailing the bully who was #2. The pecking order was slightly reset and #2 and #3, both EEs, switched places.
Since then all has been well except at times the olive egger would go broody or what I'd call pseudobroody-- she would exhibit all the broody behavior (vocalizations, mini-turkey posture, etc.) but she wasn't in a nest box. Also she would continue to lay through it. This would trigger #2 and #3 and they'd go after her, viciously. She had places she could escape to but she preferred staying with the flock so there was a lot of chasing and pecking until she'd snap out of it and start acting nonbroody again. It usually took 1 or 2 days and then it would calm down.
The current situation: the olive egger's eyelids became swollen on Wednesday although her eyes were clear. In the morning she was fine, by the afternoon she looked terrible. I started her on 1.5ml of Tylan 3 times a day. She had a full normal feeling crop at the end of the day. Her poop was normal.
I suspect she is finally presenting with a symptom of the CRD (MG?) in my flock possibly brought on from the stress of the pseudobroody/bullying cycle. If I had the money I'd get it tested but I don't so I have to go with my best guess for now.
On Thursday she seemed worse, was listless and uninterested in food on her own but decided to start acting pseudobroody (or prebroody?). I hand fed her some wet cat food and fresh sorrel (a favorite). She wouldn't eat scrambled egg and seemed uninterested in anything else. Her poop was watery. Her crop didn't have much in it at the end of the day.
Today she's been acting full on broody, wanting to sit on a nest but also slightly more active. Just like the previous 2 days, she laid an egg. I've pulled her out to hand feed her more wet cat food and sorrel. She also ate some mash made from feed (Purina flock raiser). I saw that she ate and drank on her own a bit. Her eyelids look slightly less swollen. Eyes continue to be clear. Her crop feels fuller than yesterday but nowhere near normal for her. I have not been able to see her poop today.
She's exiled herself to the nest box and just standing in the coop, switching between the 2, so at least the bullying has stopped (unless she goes downstairs to the run where she's either chased to a perch in the run or back to the coop). In the coop she's set up with fresh water and an assortment of food (flock raiser mash, BOSS, sorrel, fresh goji berries). Everyone else's feed and water is below in the run.
I don't want to break her right now as she's already completely stressed out. I'm getting Nutri-Drench tonight.
The weather has been in the 100s but that's normal for here in June and there's been no indication of heat stress. They have plenty of shade, areas where the litter has been watered and some frozen treats.
They've all been roosting normally and together too. We'll see what happens tonight though...
Is there anything else I should try?
