A Journey Through a Different Way - Funny Story Pg. 69

[ruth]

This morning there is still death and dying to deal with. I brought in several of the sickest chicks, mostly Cochins, Polish and an Araucana. So far half have died. However, after spending last night force feeding them scrambled egg and dropping Poly-Vi-Sol in their beaks, three are up and eating like maniacs this morning so I'm praying that's a good sign. When I brought them in, none could eat/drink on their own they were so weak. I've seen more bloody droppings so Cocci is looking like the culprit. DH went and bought some medicated chick feed that has the Amprolin (sp?) in it. I'm feeding everyone that for now since now everyone has been exposed. I'll just cook what few eggs I'm getting for awhile. All the adult hens are molting and looking pretty pathetic as it is and only a few are still laying between the molting and the freezing temps.

By the way, temps got down to hard freeze last night, water froze, but the 5 baby chicks raised by the mama are out running around like it's a play day. Didn't have a light or anything to sleep under and they are just fine. I did leave a heater on in the coop and two heat lamps near the floor. Most of the sick chicks hung around those.

The remaining 30 or so sick chicks are running around the coop this morning and now come running every time they see me come in. I've taken them rice, and scrambled egg and bread -something every hour. That way I can see who's running around and eating and who's huddled/hunched up and not moving. So far, they are looking much better. Some are even venturing outside the coop where it's nice and sunny though cold. I really should have let them out of that brooder pen long ago. I'm convined it's the confinement that caused the disease to take hold and spread so quickly like it did. I still believe that chicks that run around and get to eat dirt and get exposed to everything build up immunities and are stronger. I guess this experience has proved my theory.

As far as the bobcat, we haven't had any more losses but I've kept everyone, except those that jump the fence, confined to the two adjoining fenced yards. The chickens have been enjoying getting to go into the large duck yard where it is nice and grassy so they have been content to stay within the fence. I'm hoping that by keeping the chickens in for the last two weeks that the bobcat will get hungry and go elsewhere. Plus, it's hunting season here and the woods behind the barn, where the bobcat seems to stay, are full of hunters and we hear shots often. Maybe someone shot it - I hope so - or maybe it's gotten scared off.

Well, I need to get back to checking on my hospital brooder of dying chicks. What's odd is that I can get them to eat if I pull them out one at a time and hold the food right up to their beak. They are just emaciated, nothing in their crop, and literally skin and bone.

 

[ruth]

Oh, I meant to post a sort of amusing thing I saw when I first released the 40 chicks. The peacocks all came running and were grabbing the Polish by their little top hats and picking them up, much to the dismay of the Polish chicks. At first I thought they were going to hurt them but I stayed and watched and they just seemed to pick them up and carry them around a bit and then drop them. Luckily it didn't last long and they don't seem to be bothering them at all this morning. I think they just were curious about those cute little "hats" the chicks had on and were wondering if they came off.

 

[hcammack]

I am glad everything seems to be turning out well!

 

[speckledhen]

Just saw your new posts, Monique. I've read that it is rare that broody-raised chicks ever get cocci. Your experience seems to have confirmed that. Hope they all pull through, the ones that are left now.

 

[Clay In Iowa]

I'm planning to use broodies to hatch eggs after I get going. Your observation makes me feel much more confident that I'm going to do the right thing.

Oh and great thread, I spent the better part of the evening reading it.

 

[ruth]

Well good news to report on the Cocci front. None have died since I gave them all Sulmet. Prior to that, I lost about 12 babies. In fact they are all running around the coop and now venturing outside into fresh air of the run. They look so much healthier already. As I stated, I will never raise them in a brooder again.

Under "a picture is worth a thousand words" here's pics of the "Mama's babies" that have been running free range with the mama since they hatched 5 weeks ago and the mama stopped sleeping with them at three weeks. Notice how nicely feathered and healty looking?

Here's a pic of one of the sick chicks I had in my hospital brooder, it did live, but look at the difference in feathering. Same age chick. Only difference, this one, and the other 40+ that look just as bad, were raised in a brooder pen with heat lamps while all other chicks I've raised for the past year and half have just been turned loose at a week or two old and run around in the cold.

I still have a few hospital ward hens, the one with the amputated leg (Sweetie) who is doing great; a hen I had to sew up due to amorous roo; a hen whose head was pecked so I'm giving her some time out from the roos; and a rooster who seems to have a congestion in his throat.

Always something.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Always something isn't it. I am sure glad ya didn't lose any more once you caught the problem. Amazing isn't it how being so protective can do so much damage.

I have 2 pens now in my coop, I am learning from you and will have my Orps in one side (5 BO 2 Blk orp 1 bl cochin Hens with 1 huge blk orp roo) and a pen in the middle that will hold my hatched chicks and the other one on the end will hold my Dorkings (5 Silver dorking hens 1 BR hen 1 Silver dorking roo). I think that will be warm enough with a heat light to keep them little ones going. I do have weather in the single diget in the morning. At 8:30 am this morning it was 4 degrees I am not sure what the wind chill was but man was she cold. My chickens are thriving on this cold weather and if they feel too cold they stay inside.

Thanks again for sharing I am watching and learning.

 

[basicliving]

You are so awesome. So you have a recent picture of Sweetie? Is she a house chicken now?

Rock on, Monique!

Penny

 

[ruth]

Quote:
No Sweetie is still in a hutch in the coop. Sharing the hutch with the hen I had to sew up a couple of weeks back. That hen's back was so ripped up, down middle and down sides that she looked like Frankenstein when I finished sewing. It was so bad, I first gave DH the option of putting her down and then processing her. He opted out so I said he had to help hold her.

Today she is not only healed, all of her back feathers have grown out and she is soooo ready to get out of that hutch and back to hanging out with everyone else. I'm waiting till the back feathers grow out more to help cover and protect the extensive sewing work underneath.

I check and clean Sweetie's bandage wrap every other day and it seems to have healed. I'm guessing she will always have to wear some sort of wrap at the end of her leg to protect the stump. I'm using vetwrap to wrap the stump end just so it won't get banged up. I did put her out in the run, in a little fenced off area, the other day in an effort to get some sunshine but it got so cold she just stayed in the dog house that was in there. I'm going to try again if we ever get a warm and sunny day. It's been so cold here. But I want her to get out of the hutches and cages and start trying to learn to hop on one foot without the other one catching in things. She's going to need to learn to balance differently.

In yet another cage I have yet another hen who was ripped open by a roo - this time a small tear, only about 3 inches so much easier to sew up. These hens are ending up completely bare backed and then the roo ends up tearing the flesh open. I'm putting duct tape over their backs but it comes off so quickly.

I also have sad news, one of my huge black Motley Crew roos, who weighs over 15 pounds seems to be dying. He's on my kitchen floor right now. He has become a house chicken. He has his own corner of the kitchen, with paper on the floor, and a heater on him. Only symptom is he sounds like he has pneumonia. There's no discharge from eyes, or nose or mouth. All seem clear. But he has a gurling sound from his throat/chest. I first noticed him outside sort of hunched up and shivering. This was the same time all the young chicks were dropping dead from Cocci. Anyway, after watching him I realized he wasn't eating or drinking so I brought him inside. He's been in here for three or four days and sleeps in a box at night. I am force feeding him by opening his mouth and putting food in front of beak and waiting till he chews and swallows. I'm also having to force water the same way but he does try and drink sometimes but can't seem to get it right. I've tried every medicine I can think of - Wazine for worms (poo is runny yellow with green blobs); Sulmet (in case Cocci); Terramycin (for antibiotic); and Penicillin injections as well as down the throat. But he's getting weaker and weaker and can barely walk now without limping. Every time I check on him I think he's going to be dead but he keeps hanging in there. Only other symptom he seemed to have when I first brought him in was that one wattle was sort of thick and really, really hot, like a fever. The fever now seems to have gone but the wattle has also lost a lot of color and is kind of orangy/pinky. His comb is also turning dark.

I hate to loose him. He's such a gentle giant. Let's me pick him up and force feed him.

Now if someone had told me long ago that I would have a huge rooster living on my kitchen floor......now that would really have made me laugh.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Couple of things caught my eye in this last post now it may help it may not.

Here is something I have learned from a great dane breeder when I was raising great danes, I have also used it on the Chihuahua pups I socialize. Benydral (spelt wrong I am sure) will clear all the liquid out of the lungs, it dries it right up, how much you would give a chicken I don't know. I know it will work on puppies that have fluid in the lungs at birth or in the weeks following birth, it might be worth a try, if he is dying anyway.

This one I was just thinking about after reading about your hen maybe always needing a bandage on that stump. I know a guy who lost a leg in a farm accident they made like a rubber bandage that slides over his stump and then he wraps it before putting the fake leg on.

I was just wondering if this might work for her, in the odds and ends do dad isles of the walmart stores and such they have these little plastic ends that fit things like the bottom of the kitchen chairs, they are a harder plastic. I was wondering if you would be able to fit her with one of those then wrap it so that she has a harder protection surface. You would wrap a bandage on the stump first then slide one of those on then wrap it again.

Oh well I have been known to think up crazy things but thought it might be worth throwing it out there for you.

Sure hope it might help or at least give you something out side of the box to think about.