Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[sjturner79]

Okay thoughts on what to do next please.

Colonel is so emancipated I can't believe she is still alive each morning. She is a faverolles but makes our runt silkie seem heavy in comparison.
Her crop is full each morning but is not hard at all, it's quite massagable. She is only doing squirts of liquid not pooping.

Winry seems well weight wise and her crop is empty in the morning but doesn't seem to be eating much other than dirt so I put her in with colonel in isolation. In the two days I've had her in there there hasn't been a single poop in their cage so I guess that means she is also only doing the squirmy poops same as colonel but we have just caught her earlier before loss of condition.

I am feeding them both cooked and then strained oats (so not gluggy like porridge) because that was the only thing after months got Carl on the road to recovery and oats help good gut bacteria breed and multiply. Poly aid plus and a chicken probiotic I found at the pet store all mixed with some of their regular feed that has been moistened first. Oh and a tablespoon of canola oil to mix with it to help keep it from going hard in the crop. I'm adding spark liquid for sick birds to their water.

Today winry is eating really well but colonel has regressed to puffed up and just drinking. I will take winry out shortly to give her a chance at the food by herself. Actually think I might try syringing straight poly aid plus.

Suggestions to get colonels crop moving? Crop bra? Nilstat cream in food in case it's gone fungal? Dying can be one thing slows the crop down so that could be the simple explanation for colonel?

Oh and to top it off noticed this morning that Al didn't really touch the food I put out for Carl and her, she has a bit of a peck then just went back to bed. Please not another one!

A slow crop can also be caused by a blockage further into the digestive system. I see plenty of other things for you to try. I personally would be check the poop for information. If it is undersized I would go for a day of molasses to clear out the digestive tract, and make sure there is grit mixed in the food to get the gullet working properly.
I would also give all the sick chooks warm baths. Most of mine have improved afterwards.

 

[Anniebee]

While I cannot be of much help at all, I want to say to all who are having illness problems with their chickens, obvious problems with indiscriminate breeders, and to those who have recently lost chickens or have to cull them, my sincere condolences and thoughts, with good wishes to you all.

This has been a sad read all told this morning. But much helpful advice given as well.

Has made me feel very sad that all this is happening.

.....................

appps ..... The only tiny bit of advice I can offer, is about Mindy Araucana, who moults very heavily and fast, and loses muscle around her keel very quickly, at the time. I have not worried about her loss of condition during her incredible moults, as I know they 'back off' when moulting. She becomes noticeably scrawny, but is still interested in whatever is on the ground to scratch up, stays in her coop if the weather turns cold, roosts perfectly, and her crop is softer at night at those times ( because she is not feeding as much ). Her crop when not moulting, is as full as can be at night, but is deflated in the mornings.

But she does eat some. That's when I up the protein for her ( whoever ) is moulting, and make my rice / pasta mashes for them, mixed with powdered meal worms, and alternatively cooked meat, plus egg / cheese, oats, whatever I believe they might need. That gets her interest in eating, but it is only when she has re-grown her feathers that she wolfs down food, at which time I figure she is building herself up to lay again. And she is eating like crazy at present, nice new coat of feathers.

I can't speak of the other two, as they moult in different ways, although Molly RIR is now moulting heavily, so it's into the protein for her ... Mandy has finished moulting, but I suspect perhaps has also finished laying. Only time and warmer spring weather, will tell about Mandy.

And I do believe weather has a big impact on them all.

...........

Sincere good luck to all ... my thoughts are very much with you ....

 

[Anniebee]

A slow crop can also be caused by a blockage further into the digestive system. I see plenty of other things for you to try. I personally would be check the poop for information. If it is undersized I would go for a day of molasses to clear out the digestive tract, and make sure there is grit mixed in the food to get the gullet working properly.
I would also give all the sick chooks warm baths. Most of mine have improved afterwards.

It is quite amazing what warm bathing to the feet, nether regions and belly area can do for a chicken who looks off colour. A good clean around the vent, and removal of dried dirty feathers at the same time, seems to lift their spirits. Have seen a pale comb, listlessness, tail downwards pointing ( Mandy ) .... spark up so very much with the warm bathing - to the degree that her comb even regained good colour at the time ( which amazed me ). A couple of days of that, and she was as good as new. Being the very heavy girl she is, I think it is her weight bearing that also has her 'sit' a lot ( at times ) ... especially during one of her slow moults.

She has regrown her feathers and is hale and hearty as of now. Moults sure do take it out of them.

 

[appps]

My chicken helper quit! We were giving colonel another dose of the polyaid plus with a syringe so my son had her on his knee. She did the most offensive smelling liquid poop all over him. Was horrid!

He threw his hands up and said that's it I quit! Lol. Had to rope in hubby to help me finish while he headed off to shower. Apparently he is not helping anymore

 

[Fizzybelle]

One runny chicken poo and he throws in the towel? Total rookie

 

[appps]

One runny chicken poo and he throws in the towel? Total rookie  

Lol. But in his defense it wasn't so much a runny chicken poo as watery liquid smelt like it came from the depths of hell

The other kids were OMG what is that smell when he went inside to shower lol

 

[sjturner79]

Interesting story for you.., went out to my brothers farm at the minute and he is raising meat chicks. He mentioned they had started to smell a bit wierd and are growing black/brown feathers. As these are a white breed that seemed a bit odd. I wander up to the brooder area they have set up.
The funny smell is burning feathers. It turned out that all the chicks are burning thier heads and backs on the heat lamp. He reset the heights on them again now so that the lamps are taller than the chicks again, so that they will stop setting themselves on fire.

 

[LuckysMum]

SilkieChickStar and appps and SilkieChickStar Sorry to hear you've all got sick birds. I hope tomorrow finds everyone much better. Sorry I can't offer any advice. But after reading others advice I hope you work it out.

I was talking to my nephew who in the past bred rare breeds. I wanted to take some of his birds as he is thinking of downsizing. But he said he wouldn’t give them to me because he couldn’t guarantee they were healthy enough to put with my birds. ( I don’t really have the room to quarantine properly) When he was breeding as a business he recommended 6 month quarantine. I suppose because he had rare breeds and some cost him a fortune, he didn’t take any risks. He preferred to hatch his own as well.

Sjturner Lucky your went and had a look. It must have smelt terrible.

I hope everyone had a good weekend and it wasn't too stressful.

 

[appps]

Interesting story for you.., went out to my brothers farm at the minute and he is raising meat chicks. He mentioned they had started to smell a bit wierd and are growing black/brown feathers. As these are a white breed that seemed a bit odd. I wander up to the brooder area they have set up.
The funny smell is burning feathers. It turned out that all the chicks are burning thier heads and backs on the heat lamp. He reset the heights on them again now so that the lamps are taller than the chicks again, so that they will stop setting themselves on fire.

 

[MyHaven]

Okay thoughts on what to do next please.

Colonel is so emancipated I can't believe she is still alive each morning. She is a faverolles but makes our runt silkie seem heavy in comparison.
Her crop is full each morning but is not hard at all, it's quite massagable. She is only doing squirts of liquid not pooping.

Winry seems well weight wise and her crop is empty in the morning but doesn't seem to be eating much other than dirt so I put her in with colonel in isolation. In the two days I've had her in there there hasn't been a single poop in their cage so I guess that means she is also only doing the squirmy poops same as colonel but we have just caught her earlier before loss of condition.

I am feeding them both cooked and then strained oats (so not gluggy like porridge) because that was the only thing after months got Carl on the road to recovery and oats help good gut bacteria breed and multiply. Poly aid plus and a chicken probiotic I found at the pet store all mixed with some of their regular feed that has been moistened first. Oh and a tablespoon of canola oil to mix with it to help keep it from going hard in the crop. I'm adding spark liquid for sick birds to their water.

Today winry is eating really well but colonel has regressed to puffed up and just drinking. I will take winry out shortly to give her a chance at the food by herself. Actually think I might try syringing straight poly aid plus.

Suggestions to get colonels crop moving? Crop bra? Nilstat cream in food in case it's gone fungal? Dying can be one thing slows the crop down so that could be the simple explanation for colonel?

Oh and to top it off noticed this morning that Al didn't really touch the food I put out for Carl and her, she has a bit of a peck then just went back to bed. Please not another one!

Sorry, I can only tell you how to suck eggs as you're experience with Carl has made you the subject matter expert. So here is how you suck eggs - as you have multiple birds showing symptoms (and not all are necessarily related to the same condition) the cause has to be either environment or contagion. I see Fancy has given you some advice that will go toward resolving both of those possibilities. I just want to add my weight to the antibiotics point.

Triple C can be purchased from produce stores and pet vet direct places online and in store. In Brisbane it costs between $20 and $32 for 400g depending on where you get it from. I do not know what other over the counter ones you can purchase or what type for that matter for your conditions. Triple C is broad spectrum for when definite diagnosis hasn't been made. I have been given Psittavet - Doxycycline Hydrochloride under script to treat the infections my birds have. I don't know if you can get it over the counter. The bottle says script only.

While at the vet picking it up I asked about Prazole tablets for worming. My vet doesn't like it but I only spoke to the vet nurse so I'll ask more questions of the vets if I have to pay for another consult ($120) in the future. I also asked about Moxidectin and Praziquantel the other treatments in @Fancychookladys article. Out of them and the Prazole and Levamisole it was their preference and they could get it in for me. Back to the article I thought the reference to ivemectin was interesting.

I wish you all the best and luck with your challenge.