Accepting what might be and pushing forward.....need advice on multiple concerns.

[Chopper923]

Hello friends....I apologize for disappearing for the past couple of weeks. (I didn't even realize it had been that long until a moment ago as I was trying to refresh my mind of where I had left off.) The days have been super busy, but I feel like I am not AS overwhelmed as I had been. At least these past few days have been less stressful.

Keep us posted on the leghorn. When my hen Butchie was a three month pullet, she badly twisted and strained one leg. Even though it was only one leg injured, she lay on her side most of the time for about three weeks. She eventually recovered and is now 3 years old. Her leg still is a bit twisted, but she gets around.

@TropicalChickies , I could not respond about this little one right away. That morning (7/19) I had spent some time with her for about an hour before I started my day. Sat her on my lap while I researched more info. I put her back in the kennel with her fresh food and water. About an hour or two later, I went back in to check everyone, and I could see her laying on her side with her neck stretched outside of the kennel wires. Her head was a bloody mess due to the others pecking at her. I ran in and carefully picked her up. She was still alive, but she looked rough. My 15-year-old son found me crying and holding her, and he took her away from me. And he did the deed I was not strong enough to do. I know that was not easy for him to do, and I am so proud of him for stepping up like he did. We went almost 2 weeks without any injuries/illnesses that needed special care. That is until 7/31, when we found another lame pullet.

 

[Chopper923]

The Denagard has been given daily for 5 days in all waterers, last treatment being 7/30. The Trimethoprim/Sulfa powder has been started today, and I plan on doing in all waterers for 5-7 days, depending on opinions here....I thought that I had calculated enough for 5 days, but on the package it states 5-7 days, so I might have to order more.

Knock on wood, but I have not heard anyone sneeze/cough in days! My lavender (who got the unfortunate name of Honk, due to the noises she was making - yes, WAS making!) is doing so much better. Her improvement has given me a bit of confidence. Every morning her crop has been empty, and she no longer honks! She cannot make it up to the roost at night, so I will pick her up and set her next to her girls. I have to thank @azygous for the wonderful articles on sour/impacted crop and @Lillith37 for the suggestion to another member about using fennel tea. It seemed that the coconut oil, stool softener, and diet of eggs, plain greek yogurt, etc (and massaging the crop) were so helpful at getting the crop down in size every day. I tried fennel tea when I read another post of another member who was also dealing with a crop issue. @azygous recommended stopping the coconut oil after so many days and mentioned surgery and/or tubing. I stopped the coconut oil, but I could not bring myself to attempt those other methods, lol. So then I came across the info on fennel seed, and I figured I had nothing to lose. Well, I do not know if the fennel tea was the magical fix to get Honk over the hump, or if it was just coincidence. Whatever it was, it feels so good to see her out and about with the others. I find it weird that after 2 days of giving Honk fennel tea to drink, she has an empty crop every morning since then. (Also, this was before starting Denagard.)

Anyways, just a few days ago, we found another lame pullet. The leghorns are now 14-weeks-old. This one has no interest in food or water today, and I am pretty sure she will not make it. Ups and downs, I tell you.....

My laptop is going to die....I will be back in a bit.

 

[Lillith37]

Wow… Reading this thread has been intense. You and your flock and family have been through so much @Chopper923 — I’m so sorry this has been your experience, but well done for getting educated and doing the best by your chickens! I’m glad the fennel tea seems to have helped.

 

[azygous]

I had no idea fennel was so good for chickens. I'm going to grow some next year.

 

[Chopper923]

I agree, @azygous !
Thank you for reading, @Lillith37 . This has been a really hard experience. As much as I love these chickens, I wish we had never gotten them, only because their wellbeing truly affects my wellbeing. Which then affects my children and husband. After getting the results of labs, my husband is torn by wanting to just euthanize all of them, but he worries about how going THAT route will affect OUR relationship. He worries about stringing this out, with deaths and sickness and how i will be an emotional wreck. Like if it's all over, I will be sad for a while, but I will eventually heal. If it's strung out over months or years, I will be constantly worried or upset or whatever. I hope that makes sense.

Last night, we were working with the lame pullet, and one of the other pullets came over and sat in the kennel in front of me. That is really strange behavior for this flock because they are still very skittish of us. She seemed content to sit next to the lame one, so we left her in there. This morning I thought the lame one had passed but she's still hanging in there. The other pullet let me pet her, but she has no interest in food or water. She hasn't gotten up that I know of, and she seems to be taking deeper breaths that other pullets. There seems to be yet ANOTHER pullet that is more quiet and sitting alone this morning. My husband and son are gone until early sunday morning, so i might have to see if our neighbor can help end the suffering if need be.

One of my young lavenders (this one is Bonk, only because it rhymes with Honk, and the bigger of the 3 is Chonk, lol) was acting very weird last not. We brought in chopped up dandelion leaves and fresh chopped tomatoes for all, and she was tripping over herself like she was drunk. I want to believe that she was just excited for the treats, but my heart tells me she's starting be show symptoms. I've really gotten attached to these girls, too.

Things i need to do....
1) Find out if if I need to toss eggs while everyone is on the sulfer antibiotics, or can these eggs be cooked up and fed to the chickens.
2) Find out if I need to start the denagard treatment again.
3)

 

[Chopper923]

I forgot to post this picture of poop from the quiet pullet thats in the kennel with the lame pullet. Definitely have never seen this before.

 

[azygous]

A great deal of your stress is from not knowing what disease you're dealing with. I strongly suggest you contact these people (link below) and get instructions how to send a chicken for a necropsy. Once you know what is making these chickens sick, then you, and we can help, come up with a plan.

Madison, Wisconsin​

445 Easterday Ln.
Madison, WI 53706
*Saturday Hours (9 am – 1 pm): WVDL’s Madison location will be open 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. to receive samples. In-person drop offs, couriers, Fed Ex and UPS will be accepted. Also use this time to pick up supplies, media and testing kits. Call (608) 262-0591 (Saturday only) during these hours if you need to contact a staff member.

• Normal Business Hours: 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., M-F; Closed Sunday & Holidays
• Saturday Hours: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (Sample Receiving ONLY)
• Phone: 608-262-5432
• Toll Free: 800-608-8387
• Saturday Sample Receiving: 608-262-0591
• Fax: 608-504-2594

 

[TropicalChickies]

I forgot to post this picture of poop from the quiet pullet thats in the kennel with the lame pullet. Definitely have never seen this before.

The bright yellow poop is a common side effect of the sulfa antibiotic. Sulfur is yellow in color.

And again, I'm so sorry you are going through such a sad experience

 

[Chopper923]

The bright yellow poop is a common side effect of the sulfa antibiotic. Sulfur is yellow in color.

And again, I'm so sorry you are going through such a sad experience

Ok....Thank you!

 

[Chopper923]

A great deal of your stress is from not knowing what disease you're dealing with. I strongly suggest you contact these people (link below) and get instructions how to send a chicken for a necropsy. Once you know what is making these chickens sick, then you, and we can help, come up with a plan.

Madison, Wisconsin​

445 Easterday Ln.
Madison, WI 53706
*Saturday Hours (9 am – 1 pm): WVDL’s Madison location will be open 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. to receive samples. In-person drop offs, couriers, Fed Ex and UPS will be accepted. Also use this time to pick up supplies, media and testing kits. Call (608) 262-0591 (Saturday only) during these hours if you need to contact a staff member.

• Normal Business Hours: 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., M-F; Closed Sunday & Holidays
• Saturday Hours: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (Sample Receiving ONLY)
• Phone: 608-262-5432
• Toll Free: 800-608-8387
• Saturday Sample Receiving: 608-262-0591
• Fax: 608-504-2594

Thank you so much for sending me that info. We did send one in for necropsy around July 10. So far, results are positive for MS, MG, and salmonella. Also, a doctor I talked to a doctor there, who was very helpful with explaining some of the preliminary results, and then she emailed me something she forgot to mention.

"The necrotic enteritis condition is presumed to have allowed this bacteria to enter the blood stream through the ulcerated intestinal lesions adding “E. coli sepsis” to the list of conditions endured by this particular pullet."

She also said that I should get a finalized report in about a week.

I picked those meds (another round of corrid, denagard, and the Trimethoprim/Sulfa powder) because of the helpful advice of you and other members....just wondering if I am missing something, or if I'm too late with some. Or do you think I need to send another one in? Like, maybe something else is going on? Gosh, I hope not.