Advice needed-heartbreak-mine and chicken's

[seminolewind]

You're right about ducks.

We have had 2 for the same time (6 years) as the chickens and not one single thing ever wrong with them

The drake is a bit of a sex fiend and every Spring falls in love with my foot (though he has his own mate) and I basically have to limp around the garden with a duck attached to my foot!!!

They are lovely (specially when you see them enjoying a freshly-cleaned pond) but there is something about chickens that really wins your heart

Pretty funny!!!
Yea, chickens are pretty special.
Look on Craig's list or post on Craig's list about getting your chicken a friend. If a roo, people are very happy to rehome a roo.

 

[Christina99]

Well,things not looking too good for Robert. I think the next day or two might be the end. Every morning he is a little bit weaker.

It is strange-it is the same symptoms as his brother had 3 years ago,and umpteen visits to the avian vet never discovered what that was. It was a bit like Marek's but wasn't.

I am a bit desperate about the other chicken being on her own.

At first I thought I would get a couple more chickens,but with having lost 4 chickens in the past 6 years I cannot risk it,in case it is something I'm doing wrong.

So I have been looking for a sanctuary or animal rescue in Cornwall that will take her,so she can be in a flock.
I am happy to pay for her keep and extras and any vets bills she may incur in future.
Fingers crossed I will find somewhere.

I adore chickens,but have decided that instead of keeping them I will turn over part of my jewellery business to helping rescue battery chickens-guilt can have a positive effect!!!

I was also thinking of starting a website where people could donate items to be sold for chicken rescue-is that a good idea?

sad morning-love to all who know what it feels like,and many thanks for your kindness and support.

 

[ten chicks]

Well,things not looking too good for Robert. I think the next day or two might be the end. Every morning he is a little bit weaker.

It is strange-it is the same symptoms as his brother had 3 years ago,and umpteen visits to the avian vet never discovered what that was. It was a bit like Marek's but wasn't.

I am a bit desperate about the other chicken being on her own.

At first I thought I would get a couple more chickens,but with having lost 4 chickens in the past 6 years I cannot risk it,in case it is something I'm doing wrong.

So I have been looking for a sanctuary or animal rescue in Cornwall that will take her,so she can be in a flock.
I am happy to pay for her keep and extras and any vets bills she may incur in future.
Fingers crossed I will find somewhere.

I adore chickens,but have decided that instead of keeping them I will turn over part of my jewellery business to helping rescue battery chickens-guilt can have a positive effect!!!

I was also thinking of starting a website where people could donate items to be sold for chicken rescue-is that a good idea?

sad morning-love to all who know what it feels like,and many thanks for your kindness and support.

If he is not eating that would explain the weakness. You could try tube feeding him,chickens have a high metabolism and require a constant supply of food to fuel their body,without this constant supply they become weak and go into sleep mode trying to conserve whatever energy they have left,eventually their body starts to shut down. I just went through tube feeding a silkie roo that had no signs of anything(he was in a mild altercation with another roo,no injuries)except he stopped eating and was basically comatose. Tube fed him for 9 days,i also added aspirin to help with pain/swelling just in case there was some issue i could not find. He is completely healthy now and has become my shadow,he loves to come into the house and hang out with me.

We can only do so much for our feathered friends,often illness/injury goes undetected and it is difficult to treat something we cannot find. I truly hope Robert does start to improve. I also think that you should not give up on chickens,you obviously love and care for them and any chicken would be lucky to have someone like yourself to care for them. It can be a difficult road this chicken keeping,but the rewards are huge. My girls/boys come running to me always for a snuggle and they do come into my house every so often for special treats and bonding time.

 

[dpenning]

I'm sorry Robert is not doing well. This does raise a question for me though. What is the average lifespan for a chicken in a backyard flock?

 

[seminolewind]

I'm sorry Robert is not doing well. This does raise a question for me though. What is the average lifespan for a chicken in a backyard flock?

Well, it used to be real hard to tell cause they got eaten before they died. But I gather that chicken lifespan is about 5-12 years, depending on a lot of different things. They breed chickens to lay a lot of eggs, not live a long life.

 

[Christina99]

Hello everyone
Well,the problem with tube feeding is you don't want to stress a bird who is going to die anyway (I feel I kept one of my birds alive too long with this method)

That being said,I took your advice 10chicks and tube fed him half a cropful before bed.I am also syringe-feeding him water.

This morning was much as usual-he limped out of his straw bed and ate half a cropful of moist food and a grape before limping off to the fire to sit down.
The morning is the only time he eats on his own (out of a bowl I hold )

He always seems to want to be right next to a fire.
At night he sleeps with his hen on a warm deep pile of straw as he can't perch properly and the straw helps support his body weight (he is big) so he doesn't fall over..
He continually gently opens and closes his beak,but more in a stress way than gasping for air.
His comb is still big and red

He is due to see the bird vet again tomorrow.
One minute I think it's only fair to end this for him,but he is still just a whisker away from that,if you know what I mean.

It is very like what his brother had 3 years ago,but Robert is older(6)

If the vet doesn't advise euthanasia tomorrow,has anyone any ideas about what I should ask him to do-vitamin injections,boosters etc ?

10 chicks-thank you so much for telling me it's not my fault.
I know I haven't purposely done anything and treat them like royalty.
But the fact remains I have lost 4 chickens whilst my neighbour,who treats them very very basically and will never take them to a vet or bother much about their cleanliness or wellbeing has lost 1 out of 8 in the same 6 years. So I must accept responsibility.

If Robert dies I have found a place for the hen where she will be with other chooks in a nice environment.
I will pay her keep and vets bills.
I know I could get other chooks for her and they could be fine. But I couldn't bear it if they weren't.

I adore chooks,specially my Robert-his mad angry rages (he is very fierce),his cockerel gallantry and courage-the way he strides through the grass like a galleon in full sail......

Maybe one day I will have chickens again. But till then I think I will support them in some less personal way

Love and thanks to you all.
And please keep your fingers crossed for tomorrow
Christina

 

[ten chicks]

Poor boy,possibly it is a natural decline due to his age. Keep him warm,when ill/injured they cannot regulate their body temp,this is why he is seeking out heat. No respiratory issues,opening and closing beak has me wondering. Hugs to Robert,i too love my roos all 6 of them.

 

[Christina99]

10 chicks-6 roos-you must be an expert !!!
Can I,as a last resort,list his symptoms just in case anything comes to your mind:

Had tiny limp for ages,gradually got less aggressive and sight deteriorated a bit-he was fine otherwise, so thought it was aging.
Unfortunately had to bring them both indoors before big storm blew down their chicken house.
3 days later he stopped cockadoodling and limp grew steadily worse (left side worse)
Problem seeing food (think only has sight in one eye)
Falls backwards more than sideways.
Green diarrhoea (worse when I tried him on Metacam) Watery with green bits and urates.
Eats on own in morning-otherwise mostly just occasional grapes (unless I tubefeed him)
Doesn't drink(so I syringe water)
Very dozy-occasionally stands up and moves across the room
Sometimes if I put a bit of food in his beak and he swallows it,that makes him interested in food and he gobbles some down.
Opens and closes beak gently but comb big and red

But generally it is like he is sort of 'out of it' most of the time and only occasionally perks up a bit


It definitely got worse quickly after I brought him indoors,but before that he used to hang around in the house a lot,so it wasn't strange territory.
Sleeping indoors would have been strange to him though.

Sorry to demand so much attention,but if you can think of any possible explanations or treatments I would be so grateful (as you suggest I make sure he stays warm)

With love from Christina

PS Have you got any older roos-ca they get strokes or dementia?

 

[ten chicks]

Sadly i am not an expert,wish i was.

Have you checked his foot for bumblefoot,could he have suffered a sprain/fracture in his leg,is there any swelling in leg? Did you notice any improvement in walking when he was on metacam? Green poop is from not eating enough and sleepiness i would attribute to that also. Any damage to his beak? Any crop issues,referring to an impacted crop,if he is not eating i would think his crop would be empty. Does he have access to grit being inside home? You could try aspirin for leg(great for pain/swelling)81mg baby aspirin or reg 325mg,dose is 25mg per lb of body weight,crush and place in water(my preference)or sprinkle over feed. Try adding warm water to feed,so it resembles oatmeal he may like it. Falling backwards is probably due to him being unsteady on his feet from leg issue also could be from weakness. You mentioned that there was a storm,was he caught in it,could he have suffered some injury,did his limp start after storm hit? It is possible for any animal to suffer a stroke,any issues with wing on same side as leg issue? If his comb is big and red he has good circulation,but opening and closing beak means something,possible respiratory issues. Look inside his beak,you are looking for anything unusual.

 

[seminolewind]

Sadly i am not an expert,wish i was.

Have you checked his foot for bumblefoot,could he have suffered a sprain/fracture in his leg,is there any swelling in leg? Did you notice any improvement in walking when he was on metacam? Green poop is from not eating enough and sleepiness i would attribute to that also. Any damage to his beak? Any crop issues,referring to an impacted crop,if he is not eating i would think his crop would be empty. Does he have access to grit being inside home? You could try aspirin for leg(great for pain/swelling)81mg baby aspirin or reg 325mg,dose is 25mg per lb of body weight,crush and place in water(my preference)or sprinkle over feed. Try adding warm water to feed,so it resembles oatmeal he may like it. Falling backwards is probably due to him being unsteady on his feet from leg issue also could be from weakness. You mentioned that there was a storm,was he caught in it,could he have suffered some injury,did his limp start after storm hit? It is possible for any animal to suffer a stroke,any issues with wing on same side as leg issue? If his comb is big and red he has good circulation,but opening and closing beak means something,possible respiratory issues. Look inside his beak,you are looking for anything unusual.

You may say you're not an expert but you give solid advice! These symptoms , loss of balance or use of legs, one eye supposed blind, and behaves as tho he's eating but his aim his off and is not actually eating, sorry, reminds me of the symptoms of Marek's. Some of my Marek's victims have also had the gasping aside from normal breathing. Usually all this means , maybe, is the Virus is affecting the nerves , and the eye.

I would also be giving some thought as to the stress of tube feeding and tube feeding prolonging the inevitable. It's so sad. I'm not an expert either, but I am offering you a possible explanation.