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

[Teila]

LuLu gave us quite a scare last night and I would appreciate your thoughts.

We heard chicken distress noises coming from the coop at around 08:30PM and, as you do, raced outside. Not that I think there is much chance of any of our local predators getting into the coop, you never know.

Anyways, no predators, just LuLu in a pile of feathers on the coop floor; still breathing, thank gawd. So I picked her up and she was showing typical symptoms of stargazing [wry neck] .. head back, pulled into her feathers, looking skyward, lack of balance, disorientation etc.

So I cuddled her for 30 minutes or so to keep her warm and talked softly to her. She came good, so we popped her back on the roost where we thought she would be happiest. Checked on her 30mins later and she was still there.

Approximately 30 minutes after that, another noise from the coop and LuLu is back on the coop floor, same symptoms. So, again, I gave her a good cuddle and some reassurance and again, she came good but this time we popped her in the nest box. It was around 09:30PM.

This morning she is absolutely fine, showing no symptoms whatsoever.

Could the symptoms have been as a result of her falling off the roost initially? Or, could it be wry neck? Should I treat her for wry neck even though she now seems OK?

 

[Fancychooklady]

LuLu gave us quite a scare last night and I would appreciate your thoughts.

We heard chicken distress noises coming from the coop at around 08:30PM and, as you do, raced outside.  Not that I think there is much chance of any of our local predators getting into the coop, you never know.

Anyways, no predators, just LuLu in a pile of feathers on the coop floor; still breathing, thank gawd.  So I picked her up and she was showing typical symptoms of stargazing [wry neck] .. head back, pulled into her feathers, looking skyward, lack of balance, disorientation etc.

So I cuddled her for 30 minutes or so to keep her warm and talked softly to her.  She came good, so we popped her back on the roost where we thought she would be happiest.  Checked on her 30mins later and she was still there.

Approximately 30 minutes after that, another noise from the coop and LuLu is back on the coop floor, same symptoms.  So, again, I gave her a good cuddle and some reassurance and again, she came good but this time we popped her in the nest box.  It was around 09:30PM.

This morning she is absolutely fine, showing no symptoms whatsoever.

Could the symptoms have been as a result of her falling off the roost initially?  Or, could it be wry neck?  Should I treat her for wry neck even though she now seems OK?

I would be taking that as a warning sign of things to come. Not all members of a flock will display symptoms when there are shortfalls , but when one does that's the individual that you can rely on as a ' marker ' for the health of the flock.
A good product to keep on hand is ANITONE . It can be given directly or added to the feed.
The ataxia could be a thiamine B 1 deficiency or as you say a result of her fall. If it was the fall then all should resolve but just to er on the side of cation , I would be supplementing .

 

[satay]

oh and to answer they only swoop in spring this has been going on ALL YEAR

Very odd. I have magpies here on the property and mine chickens are not locked up during daylight hours and have never had one swoop a chicken. Infact the magpies here bring their babies down each season to show me. Perhaps you have ones that at some point have been harassed by humans or at least think they have been and that has made them more defensive. Not that I am implying you have harassed them but perhaps someone else did. Sorry not much help from me i guess.

 

[Rach4]

Hey Tella I was hoping that someone could give me an answer or another kind of deter if anyone had any other ideas, as I mentioned I don't like to do that, I do have a safe place for them, but the birds are getting into the cage, and the Rooster likes to come out for a graze, I was hoping someone had some ideas instead of telling me what I shouldn't be doing (and that's why I am asking for help so I don't have to do it the way I am). But if people are going to keep bringing up things that I am not asking about, well I don't know what else to say except tell them how it is. I wasn't using sling shots in the beginning mind you it's not even a real one as yes they are illegal. I don't want to vent on here as it is not a place for that it is a place for all to bounce of each other and help each other out. My mind is defiantly not made up, but I am defiantly not locking my chooks up 24-7, they love to graze our backyard and should be able to. I understand if the nest was near by, but it's not, and as I mentioned earlier, this has been going on since last Nov, we honestly thought it would have settled down by now but it hasn't, We never had problems like this before with magpies, and that is why I was asking for another deter instead of locking them up 24-7 and people pointing things out I am not concerned about. Not trying to be rude here, just became slightly annoyed with info I don't need to be told continuously about

 

[Rach4]

No no thank you it gives me some hope that maybe things could settle down I don't know, I can only hope

 

[Rach4]

Yeah your right no need for ANY ONE to be rude on this forum

 

[Rach4]

No probs if you read my other posts you will see actually very pleasant just not to people that tend to pick at things I didn't ask about
So thanks for pointing out that.

 

[Rach4]

oh no I I expect to have some problems, especially free range, but was hoping someone could explain a different tactic, as I have said this has been going on for some time now, have lived near magpies before, never had this problem before, and generally love them, but not here, and very true it's nature and I do expect to have some losses along the way.

 

[Teila]

I would be taking that as a warning sign of things to come. Not all members of a flock will display symptoms when there are shortfalls , but when one does that's the individual that you can rely on as a ' marker ' for the health of the flock.
A good product to keep on hand is ANITONE . It can be given directly or added to the feed.
The ataxia could be a thiamine B 1 deficiency or as you say a result of her fall. If it was the fall then all should resolve but just to er on the side of cation , I would be supplementing .

Thanks heaps Fancy!

I have ordered some Anitone from my favourite on line pet need supplier and will try and get some vitamin B into her via food types in the meantime.

Any recommendations for a good food source? She does not do Vegemite

 

[satay]

Thanks heaps Fancy!

I have ordered some Anitone from my favourite on line pet need supplier and will try and get some vitamin B into her via food types in the meantime.

Any recommendations for a good food source?  She does not do Vegemite 

bananas if you have any also leafy greens and seafood.