St. John's Wort

[chickbird]

Quote:
Well, a whole bunch of remedies could do it but the right one really depends on the bird. I chose a remedy called Natrum muriaticum because as well as being a rx for depression and sadness, it suited my bird who is at the bottom in the pecking order and Nat Mur's can be a bit shy and retiring. I don't know whether it was the reason she started eating again.

The other option you could consider is flower essences. They work predominantly at a mental/emotional level. If you can get Bach Flower Remedies where ever you are, then Gentian is recommended for despondency and lack of interest in food. If you have Rescue Remedy on hand, you could try that. My book on Bach Flower Rx for Animals (Helen Graham/Gregory Vlamis) actually mentions paralysis as a physical it could help.

cheers

would you buy these at a health food store or please give a source. thanks

 

[sandra1]

Just wondering. Can a 3 week old chick have the desease? My Homeopath has had me treating my little girl that has been stumbling around for about 2 days now. She's still hanging in there but I dont see any improvement.

 

[IndigoPhish]

Quote:
Well, a whole bunch of remedies could do it but the right one really depends on the bird. I chose a remedy called Natrum muriaticum because as well as being a rx for depression and sadness, it suited my bird who is at the bottom in the pecking order and Nat Mur's can be a bit shy and retiring. I don't know whether it was the reason she started eating again.

The other option you could consider is flower essences. They work predominantly at a mental/emotional level. If you can get Bach Flower Remedies where ever you are, then Gentian is recommended for despondency and lack of interest in food. If you have Rescue Remedy on hand, you could try that. My book on Bach Flower Rx for Animals (Helen Graham/Gregory Vlamis) actually mentions paralysis as a physical it could help.

cheers

would you buy these at a health food store or please give a source. thanks

Hi, yes, health stores. In New Zealand where I am, they will make up any combination of BFR's that you want (I don't think its generally recommended to put more than 4-5 in a bottle though). Rescue Remedy is such a common 'alternative' medicine, that it is available in chemists here. Not sure about other countries. Good luck

 

[kimb]

I have a 8 month old d'uccle that has had intermittent lameness for a few months now... it gets BAD (to the point of not wanting/able to walk) then after a little while she can move around again ...

I got her and 10 others from one lady 11/09 - (4 lf cochins, 4 silkies, 3 d'uccles) ... they were 8 weeks old. come spring I lost 3 silkies and 1 d'uccle and now this d'uccle isn't doing well

... they came from a hatchery vaccinated for mareks (but that DOES NOT mean it couldnt' be mareks - since vaccines aren't 100%!).

order lost.
1- d'uccle: WANTED to get up but just could not get her feet under her, after a week she was gasping something awful. she would be fine for a few seconds and then start flailing, I couldn't let her suffer any longer and she was culled.
2- silkie: white girl, could walk - seemed to have some respiratory problem (tried treating with duramycin, vitamins etc.) I believe she just couldn't breath

3- silkie: had SUPER swollen eyes- was just lethargic, once her eyes cleared up (months)... she was still very weak and blind, she was doing well but one cold night - it appears she was on the bottom of the "huddle" pile and I found her taking her few last breaths

4- silkie: stoped being able to walk well, then couldn't walk at all - very similar to the d'uccle only i didn't let him carry on, he was also culled to spare him suffering ...

This was all in about 2 months time

... very disheartening for sure...

Anyway ... that's the background info on the flock (none of my previous birds have EVER had any health problems ... so this was very tough...

I've tried treating this last d'uccle with duramycin, tylan, vitamins, probios ... getting no where - I just ordered the hypericum, hopefully i'll have it saturday and i'll let you know how/if it works on her ... ...

Thank you for the insight! ... hopefully we get somewhere !

 

[babsbag]

Quote:
Even if the chicks are vaccinated they have to be isolated for at least 10 days while the vaccine takes hold. If not, then they can still get the disease. But there is some research that points to the vaccine preventing tumor growth even in birds that have the virus. They would still be carriers however.

Having lost that many birds, have you thought of getting a necropsy done? Many states have labs that will do them for free or very low cost. I would check with the cooperative extension program or your vet about finding a lab.

I think that Tylan or baytril is the drug of choice for respiratory problems. It sound like you might have more than one thing going on in your flock. I am sorry you are having such a hard time. It is very hard to lose them.

Good luck.

 

[kimb]

Quote:
I believe the woman I got them from orders BUNCHES from a hatchery and then sells them as they get older (as I got mine at 8 weeks old) so I don't really know how they were cared for until then. She did have a green house set up as a brooder (it was clean and well maintained from what I could tell) ...

I thought about getting a necropsy but at the time (the first one I lost just before christmas, the 2nd around new years, the last 2 were about a month later) I probably should've sent out the last silkie but by then i just wasn't thinking clearly. . . if this last girl goes I will definitely need an answer ... since I thought the first d'uccle's symptoms seemed more like EEE than mareks (but the woman I got them from said it was NOT, and was probably mareks).

I do agree - I think it was more than one problem ... but i find it odd that it was all the bantams and only from this woman and I have 2 EE's and 2bantam cochin X's that haven't had any problems ... honestly I can't think of a time in my entire life that I had "sick" chickens like these ones, and growing up chickens were "just chickens" they were fed the gone bad/moldy left overs, they had a coop bedded with hay/straw that was "non edible" and the coop wasn't cleaned, just more hay/straw put over the dirty stuff. . . i honestly wonder how they survived, and then I (IMO) give top of the line care, coops always clean with fresh shavings, vented, clean fresh water everyday, good food, fresh fruits/veggies, crumbled bread - NOTHING moldy... - they get vitamins/electrolytes for a few days a few times a month ... ...

but enough "ranting" ... ... I'm thankful for the birds I still have, and the new and upcoming chicks

... I just hope that whatever the others had is NON contagious (I have disinfected the coop - a couple times) ... and it will be gone through again shortly!

Thank you

 

[babsbag]

I understand your rants. It is the same with feral cats and the dogs that live with the people that can't even afford their own food. Their animals seem to be fine. And those of us that vaccinate, clean, worm, feed, and love them are the ones that have the sick ones. Life isn't fair, that is for sure. Maybe it is like letting the kids eat dirt

Makes 'em healthy.

 

[kimb]

Quote:

maybe we're just trying to hard for them to be healthy - let those immune systems kick in or kick the bucket I guess.

 

[dab045]

Ok I just ordered some hypercum but it was pellet formula is that ok not tablets? so I can still dissolve it and give it to my posssible sick litte guy. He is only walking weird

 

[babsbag]

Mine is in a little pellet form. It is a HARD little pellet so I had to let it soak in the water, I couldn't crush it.

Hope it helps.