- Mar 6, 2017
- 18
- 6
- 77
Hi, everyone!
To start this, I have Mereck's in my flock. From my reading this makes them a little more likely to succumb to other diseases, since it never really goes away. Since the confirming necropsy, all new chicks have come vaccinated, but this hen isn't. Their regular yard is about ten feet by ten feet, my flock is 8 hens and a rooster. I let them out most evenings to graze but we have hawks so they only get about a half hour. Kind of a weird house situation - I have a really old, too small pre-fabricated house from TSC that they use for nesting, but remodeled Little Tykes House where they spend the night. I keep pine shavings in both but they kick them all out of the little tykes house after about a week no matter what so sometimes it's just a dirt floor.
She started acting a little lethargic over a month ago. She spent all day in the house and didn't come out. I checked her out for egg binding, she had a big pile of poop under her and I didn't feel anything. I gave her a sniff, no sour crop. No injuries, eyes and nares clear. Some poop on her underfluffies. The next day, she seemed okay. A few days later, she seemed a little "behind" the rest of the flock - not as excited for treats, not running out the coop immediately when I let them free range, etc. Everything else seemed normal. At this point her comb started looking a little droopy.
About two weeks ago I noticed she was acting VERY depressed. Hiding all day, liquid-y poop that she couldn't seem to control, etc. I took her out and gave her a nice warm soak in some Epsom salt water, helped get some of the poop off her butt and she must have been sleeping on the ground because she had some poop on her back and wings. While she soaked I got her to drink a couple raw eggs, she was trying to drink the bath water, she got some bread and cat food, etc, so her appetite was fine but she was VERY under weight and seemed very weak.
I dry her off and try to let her graze while I set up the "quarantine coop" (Large dog kennel) on the porch and she was able to walk but tired easily. She was very interested in eating everything she could get a hold of - I'm assuming the others were bullying her from the food, but I hadn't seen anything particularly bad when I would check.
I give her electrolytes in her water, which she drinks but I think she was drinking more water before I put electrolytes in it, and all the snacks she can eat. She is getting layer pellet, pecans (my neighbor raises pecans and he gives me TONS for the chickens, they LOVE them), cat food, clover and grass, scratch grain, eggs, occasional bread (I may discontinue the electrolytes since she was drinking plenty of water before I introduced them, and she should be getting enough sodium and potassium from her diet). Basically feeding anything trying to get her weight back up, which has improved.
After a week of this she seemed to be doing better, to the point where I had figured I could put her back in a few days. Then she started acting depressed again. She's alert, I let her graze for a few hours in the evening but she doesn't go far. She's just droopy! She's been relatively stable this entire time, with a few good days but no particularly bad ones since I quarantined. Her appetite isn't as good as it was when I first quarantined, but she's also gained a lot of weight back and isn't getting much exercise. She puts herself away pretty early in the evenings, but seems to enjoy being out of the kennel. She hasn't laid an egg for at least the last two weeks.
Her poop is a bit more solid, but it's still pretty watery and not quite "right". There's white but also a bit more green than I usually see, and I haven't noticed a truly solid BM yet. So maybe parasites, but I wasn't as quick to quarantine as I should have been and none of my other birds are having troubles. Could probably deworm the flock anyway to be safe.
I'm kind of at a loss because in my experience usually whatever is making them sick kills them pretty quickly, or they get over it in a week or so with some TLC and basic meds. But symptoms started a month ago, and while there's been some improvement she just isn't getting better. And I think she's lonely, too! When she's out she goes and hangs out with my husband when he's outside smoking and just vibes with him. I can post some pictures of her poop later. I'll include some pictures of her, but I don't think they'll tell much since her tail's up, she's alert, and can stand and walk.
Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated. I need to be getting that kennel back because my chicks are about ready to start spending the night outside and that's also my baby night-house!! Lol. Thank you!
To start this, I have Mereck's in my flock. From my reading this makes them a little more likely to succumb to other diseases, since it never really goes away. Since the confirming necropsy, all new chicks have come vaccinated, but this hen isn't. Their regular yard is about ten feet by ten feet, my flock is 8 hens and a rooster. I let them out most evenings to graze but we have hawks so they only get about a half hour. Kind of a weird house situation - I have a really old, too small pre-fabricated house from TSC that they use for nesting, but remodeled Little Tykes House where they spend the night. I keep pine shavings in both but they kick them all out of the little tykes house after about a week no matter what so sometimes it's just a dirt floor.
She started acting a little lethargic over a month ago. She spent all day in the house and didn't come out. I checked her out for egg binding, she had a big pile of poop under her and I didn't feel anything. I gave her a sniff, no sour crop. No injuries, eyes and nares clear. Some poop on her underfluffies. The next day, she seemed okay. A few days later, she seemed a little "behind" the rest of the flock - not as excited for treats, not running out the coop immediately when I let them free range, etc. Everything else seemed normal. At this point her comb started looking a little droopy.
About two weeks ago I noticed she was acting VERY depressed. Hiding all day, liquid-y poop that she couldn't seem to control, etc. I took her out and gave her a nice warm soak in some Epsom salt water, helped get some of the poop off her butt and she must have been sleeping on the ground because she had some poop on her back and wings. While she soaked I got her to drink a couple raw eggs, she was trying to drink the bath water, she got some bread and cat food, etc, so her appetite was fine but she was VERY under weight and seemed very weak.
I dry her off and try to let her graze while I set up the "quarantine coop" (Large dog kennel) on the porch and she was able to walk but tired easily. She was very interested in eating everything she could get a hold of - I'm assuming the others were bullying her from the food, but I hadn't seen anything particularly bad when I would check.
I give her electrolytes in her water, which she drinks but I think she was drinking more water before I put electrolytes in it, and all the snacks she can eat. She is getting layer pellet, pecans (my neighbor raises pecans and he gives me TONS for the chickens, they LOVE them), cat food, clover and grass, scratch grain, eggs, occasional bread (I may discontinue the electrolytes since she was drinking plenty of water before I introduced them, and she should be getting enough sodium and potassium from her diet). Basically feeding anything trying to get her weight back up, which has improved.
After a week of this she seemed to be doing better, to the point where I had figured I could put her back in a few days. Then she started acting depressed again. She's alert, I let her graze for a few hours in the evening but she doesn't go far. She's just droopy! She's been relatively stable this entire time, with a few good days but no particularly bad ones since I quarantined. Her appetite isn't as good as it was when I first quarantined, but she's also gained a lot of weight back and isn't getting much exercise. She puts herself away pretty early in the evenings, but seems to enjoy being out of the kennel. She hasn't laid an egg for at least the last two weeks.
Her poop is a bit more solid, but it's still pretty watery and not quite "right". There's white but also a bit more green than I usually see, and I haven't noticed a truly solid BM yet. So maybe parasites, but I wasn't as quick to quarantine as I should have been and none of my other birds are having troubles. Could probably deworm the flock anyway to be safe.
I'm kind of at a loss because in my experience usually whatever is making them sick kills them pretty quickly, or they get over it in a week or so with some TLC and basic meds. But symptoms started a month ago, and while there's been some improvement she just isn't getting better. And I think she's lonely, too! When she's out she goes and hangs out with my husband when he's outside smoking and just vibes with him. I can post some pictures of her poop later. I'll include some pictures of her, but I don't think they'll tell much since her tail's up, she's alert, and can stand and walk.
Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated. I need to be getting that kennel back because my chicks are about ready to start spending the night outside and that's also my baby night-house!! Lol. Thank you!
