Alternative to layer's pellets for sick chicken

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi,

Apologies for posting yet again looking for advice. Bo the hen has Egg peritonitis at the moment and is currently living in a roomy box with food and water indoors on vet's advice while getting treated with antinflammatories and antibiotics.

She's also pretty skinny (very prominent keel bone) and I'm looking for ideas on how to get her to eat enough good food to help her maintain and put weight back on. She's fine eating treats (mealworms and tomatoes), and is picking a little at some mashed pellets, but clearly not eating enough of them, and of course I can't sustain her on mealworms and tomatoes alone as I think that would be way too much protein and not enough calories as well.

Is there something I can make up that she's likely to be eager to eat that will also give her good all-round nutrition to help with getting her back to a good weight?

Many thanks, and apologies for inundating the forum with help requests.

Thanks - I have already mashed the pellets but doesn't really seem to have encouraged her to eat any more.

Yes he did, but no sign of anything untoward, his opinion was that it's the swollen abdomen from the peritonitis that's made her relatively immobile so hasn't been eating much. She does get regular worm-control (vermx) pellets in with her food as well at d-earth and a little apple cider vinegar in the drinking water too.

Are there any other options (or combination of options) I can offer her to hopefully get her to eat more?

I agree with the others, if she's being a bit picky then offer her some egg. Mine prefer scrambled Other enticements would be bits of fish or meat stirred into her wet mash. Watermelon is a great way to get some fluids into them if they aren't drinking.
Always curious, what antibiotic did your vet prescribe for the Peritonitis? Is there fluid in the abdomen that can be drained as well?

One thing I do keep watch of in my hens that suffer from reproductive disorders is crop symptoms - one thing leads to another and some of mine will get a slow crop that does not empty well overnight, so monitor that too. I usually give mine a bit of yogurt and coconut oil too to help keep things moving a little, but unfortunately, sometimes it can take days for crop issue to resolve if at all, especially if there is inflammation elsewhere in the body.

 

[Lorielus]

Hi,

Thanks again for the advice, she's eaten ok so far today - two whole scrambled eggs and a few mealworms & mushed pellets, and will give her some tomato in a bit too. Do you happen to know how much food an immobile chicken like Bo needs? (By my reckoning she's probably cleared about 300 calories so far today, but I'm eager to try to get her to gain some weight).

The antibiotic is clavaseptim and the anti-infammatory is metacam (I'm in Scotland by the way, so it may have other names elsewhere). He did drain about 60ml of fluid from her abdomen (straw coloured with nothing floating in it, which he said was a good sign as it had no indicators for sepsis) but it's still pretty swollen - she has a follow-up vet appointment on Friday so he may choose to drain more.

What's the best way to check from the slow crop, is it just to feel it see if it's still full in the morning? She has been going to the bathroom as least once a day since the vet visit, so at least thing are movement to some degree.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi,

Thanks again for the advice, she's eaten ok so far today - two whole scrambled eggs and a few mealworms & mushed pellets, and will give her some tomato in a bit too. Do you happen to know how much food an immobile chicken like Bo needs? (By my reckoning she's probably cleared about 300 calories so far today, but I'm eager to try to get her to gain some weight).

The antibiotic is clavaseptim and the anti-infammatory is metacam (I'm in Scotland by the way, so it may have other names elsewhere). He did drain about 60ml of fluid from her abdomen (straw coloured with nothing floating in it, which he said was a good sign as it had no indicators for sepsis) but it's still pretty swollen - she has a follow-up vet appointment on Friday so he may choose to drain more.

What's the best way to check from the slow crop, is it just to feel it see if it's still full in the morning? She has been going to the bathroom as least once a day since the vet visit, so at least thing are movement to some degree.

Her crop should be empty in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink (overnight), if it still has food in it in the mornings, then it's a slow crop which can eventually turn sour.
I would give her a bit of yogurt or buttermilk for probiotics since she's on antibiotics.
Can she walk around at all?

 

[Lorielus]

Not really - or rather than can't it's more doesn't want to as it's clearly uncomfortable with the swollen abdomen, she can definitely stand/move if necessary as she tries to move away when I'm giving her medicine!

 

[Lorielus]

Hi again - as she hasn't eaten much today and her crop feels full I think she might be a little impacted. I've massaged it a couple of times in the hope of breaking it up a bit - how long roughly does a crop take to clear normally?

(Wondering how long I should wait before calling in the vet - I know you can force her to regugitate but having never done it before I really wouldn't be confident in trying it on a chicken already as weak as she is).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi again - as she hasn't eaten much today and her crop feels full I think she might be a little impacted. I've massaged it a couple of times in the hope of breaking it up a bit - how long roughly does a crop take to clear normally?

(Wondering how long I should wait before calling in the vet - I know you can force her to regugitate but having never done it before I really wouldn't be confident in trying it on a chicken already as weak as she is).

If you have vet care, that would be best.

I would not try to vomit her, chickens can aspirate fluids into the lungs or choke and die.

Some crop issues can take a couple of weeks to resolve, if at all, a lot depends on the cause.
I would re-check the crop first thing before she eats/drinks - it should be empty or flat. Look to see if she's pooping too.
Here's a couple of very good articles that you may find helpful. Read those and let us know which "type" of crop issue it might be.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/


http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

 

[cmom]

Switch to a Grower finisher feed and try that. They don't require layer feed ever...all the extras are definitely having her want that instead of balanced nutrition.

If you can't find a Grower/Finisher feed try some Game Bird feed. It's a little higher in protein but that is ok. Usually the Game Bird Grower comes in crumbles and Game Bird Breeder comes in pellets. When my birds are molting I give them the higher protein feed because their feathers are mostly protein. I have never had a problem with the feed.

 

[Lorielus]

Thanks a lot, her crop did feel a lot better this morning after massaging a few times yesterday, though still not eating much unfortunately (aside from mealworms in water and a few bites of scrambled egg). She is going to the bathroom, though it's very runny at the moment (can also spot a couple of tiny wroms in it, though only a couple), so she's definitely not great all round.

She's back at the vet tomorrow so hopefully they can maybe help her a bit more.

 

[cmom]

De-worm her. That's probably a good part of her problem.

 

[Lorielus]

It's unlikely she has a lot - it's likely an effect of her being compromised and not eating much as she gets vermx pellets regularly, apple cider vinegar in her water, and D-earth dusted food.

But I will ask the vet tomorrow about it (as far as I know, in the UK there are no spot-on solutions for worming except from a vet, only dietary controls).