TropicalChickies
Crowing
Hello,
I've been keeping a small flock of chickens for a few years, so I'm familiar with most common problems, but now I'm stumped.
My three year old, Cleo, is mid way through her molt. She is a tough girl, top of the order, super smart and very affectionate. She lays beautiful big eggs too. I hope someone has an answer for this.
A few weeks ago I picked her up to check her for mites or fleas. I was holding her lightly under the belly like I usually do checking her tail and vent. Her skin was turning purple! I quickly put her down and she staggered a bit, then caught her breath, and was fine. I figured I had somehow put pressure on her air sacs and forgot about it.
But now there seems to be some sort of pressure inside her body -- when she roosts, she starts breathing hard with her beak open, making a strange squeaking sound. It doesn't sound anything like mycoplasma or bronchitis. It's not a rattling or wheezing -- it's a squeak. So she's sleeping in a box in the "hospital unit."
(She doesn't have gapeworm. I checked her throat and she's not stretching her neck or shaking her head.)
During the day she's ok. Goes around pecking, takes little rests. After all, she is three -- and going through a molt, so she's a little tired. But she eats very well, drinks water, and has normal poop.
Also when I pick her up, if I hold her for more than thirty seconds or so, she turns purplish.
Could this be air sacculitis?
(please don't tell me to take her to a vet. We live in a rural area in a South American rainforest. My neighbors can't believe I don't turn my chickies into soup after their first laying season. No vet would treat a chicken here)
A little background that might help. The weather has been very hot. I provide cool shady areas and fresh water, but it's hot. Also, in the tropics, we get sticktight flea infestations. Our property has so many wild birds, there's not much I can do except be ruthless with permethrin in the coop and areas the chicks hang out. Because Cleo has a featherless neck and now she's molting, the fleas were getting at her the worst. I slather all the girls with Vaseline to kill the fleas on their combs and wattles, but Cleo was getting swarmed, so I gave her a Permethrin dip -- now she's clear but could be a little anemic from the fleas. So I'm giving all the girls a vitamin and electrolyte in their water and Cleo gets a scrambled egg every other day to get her some extra protein.
So there's a lot going on: she's molting, getting over a flea infestation, plus I dewormed everyone two weeks ago (two other girls were showing signs of a heavy worm load, foamy yellow poop and lethargy.) Plus the heat. But the weird squeaking and problem breathing only when roosting? And turning purple when held?
Does anyone have a similar story? Or advice? I have doxycycline which is good for respiratory problems. Should I start her on it?
Thank you for reading all of this. Really appreciate any response!
I've been keeping a small flock of chickens for a few years, so I'm familiar with most common problems, but now I'm stumped.
My three year old, Cleo, is mid way through her molt. She is a tough girl, top of the order, super smart and very affectionate. She lays beautiful big eggs too. I hope someone has an answer for this.
A few weeks ago I picked her up to check her for mites or fleas. I was holding her lightly under the belly like I usually do checking her tail and vent. Her skin was turning purple! I quickly put her down and she staggered a bit, then caught her breath, and was fine. I figured I had somehow put pressure on her air sacs and forgot about it.
But now there seems to be some sort of pressure inside her body -- when she roosts, she starts breathing hard with her beak open, making a strange squeaking sound. It doesn't sound anything like mycoplasma or bronchitis. It's not a rattling or wheezing -- it's a squeak. So she's sleeping in a box in the "hospital unit."
(She doesn't have gapeworm. I checked her throat and she's not stretching her neck or shaking her head.)
During the day she's ok. Goes around pecking, takes little rests. After all, she is three -- and going through a molt, so she's a little tired. But she eats very well, drinks water, and has normal poop.
Also when I pick her up, if I hold her for more than thirty seconds or so, she turns purplish.
Could this be air sacculitis?
(please don't tell me to take her to a vet. We live in a rural area in a South American rainforest. My neighbors can't believe I don't turn my chickies into soup after their first laying season. No vet would treat a chicken here)
A little background that might help. The weather has been very hot. I provide cool shady areas and fresh water, but it's hot. Also, in the tropics, we get sticktight flea infestations. Our property has so many wild birds, there's not much I can do except be ruthless with permethrin in the coop and areas the chicks hang out. Because Cleo has a featherless neck and now she's molting, the fleas were getting at her the worst. I slather all the girls with Vaseline to kill the fleas on their combs and wattles, but Cleo was getting swarmed, so I gave her a Permethrin dip -- now she's clear but could be a little anemic from the fleas. So I'm giving all the girls a vitamin and electrolyte in their water and Cleo gets a scrambled egg every other day to get her some extra protein.
So there's a lot going on: she's molting, getting over a flea infestation, plus I dewormed everyone two weeks ago (two other girls were showing signs of a heavy worm load, foamy yellow poop and lethargy.) Plus the heat. But the weird squeaking and problem breathing only when roosting? And turning purple when held?
Does anyone have a similar story? Or advice? I have doxycycline which is good for respiratory problems. Should I start her on it?
Thank you for reading all of this. Really appreciate any response!