3 or more hens ate metal!

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

How long does it take for food to get to the gizzard?

 

[coach723]

Food can remain in the crop for up to 12 hours. There is no set time, there are a lot of variables like how much they've eaten, how long since they last ate, what they ate, etc. It can move faster in some cases. That's why crop function is checked when they go to roost (should be food in the crop) and first thing in the morning before access to food/water (crop should be empty).
https://articles.extension.org/pages/65376/avian-digestive-system
http://www.scoopfromthecoop.com/tag/how-does-a-chicken-digest-food/

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Hey guys, right now all my hens are roosting. During the day, I gave them oats, grit, water, hen starter, and olive oil to help them digest the metal. Right now I’m just hoping that they all live. I’ve been trying to get all the metal out. Also, I put a thick layer of sand in their run so it’ll be harder for them to find nails. I’m still worried if they get hardware disease. So, I’m just praying that they make it through the night. Thanks for helping!

 

[Rachel TW]

Hardware disease often manifests as a wasting disease with starvation as the final cause of death. So if one of your chickens starts to lose weight and seems to be wasting away, I would suggest killing it so it does not needlessly suffer. There is no cure for hardware disease - you may find a vet to do surgery, but the chance for successful surgery is close to zero (your vet should tell you this). The birds who survive the surgery almost always die in recovery.

Good luck! I understand how horrible this feels. I thought one of my chickens was wasting away from hardware disease. Upon necropsy, it turned out it was something else. At least those metal pieces you have are small and even if they do reach the gizzard, your chickens might still be okay depending on how they are positioned in there and if they puncture it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Oats are not good to feed chickens in large amounts, even though they will eagerly eat it. I would only feed them a balanced chicken feed, or some chopped egg for a treat.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Thanks. I really do hope they don’t get hardware disease. Thanks for helping.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

I only feed them about a 1/2 cup of oats. It was just so that they could start eating the grit. Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll definitely try them.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Guys, today I went to the coop and all my hens were alive. I hope they all don’t get hardware disease. Other than weight loss and pooping a lot, what are other symptoms of hardware disease?

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

What is the average weight for a 27 week old hen?