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

[satay]

Teila....What an entertaining read! I am in hospital at the moment needed a good laugh ....even though it hurts to do so!!! I'll be watching for crows !!! We did have them ...only 6 but they have gone know since we covet the chicken run!
Aside from that and your story I have a very close has had two separate incidents where crows announced the death of family members...so I am definitely a 'crow hater' ...

hope your better soon.

 

[Teila]

Hey Susan I hope that you feel better soon and all is OK

Hey Sparky74 I agree with Fancy …. I have had 4-5 week olds practice their crowing, not Light Sussex though.

Woo hoo satay good luck with the hatch!

I have been up since 4AM with Dusty and just wanted to run past you guys n’ gals what happened.

Just before 4AM I got woken by what sounded like someone attempting to crow; thought nothing of it, rolled over didn’t even get back to sleep when I heard the flapping of wings, closely followed by someone squeaking when breathing.

I flew out the door, torch in hand and found Dusty laying [upright] on the coop floor struggling to breath, beak open, eyes shut, gasping and looking pretty close to death.

Grabbed her up and placed her on a towel on the outdoor table and started talking to her, stroking her neck, front and back. She tried to crow a couple of times and a couple of times there I thought we were going to lose her … couldn’t see much through the darn tears!

Anyways, she struggled and gasped for an hour and a half while we droppered water into her and tried to work out what was going on. No discharge from eyes or nares and funnily enough, even though she was having major trouble breathing, her comb was still nice and red. I couldn't feel anything while stroking her neck and tried some very gentle neck massage while hubby trolled the internet for anything we could get .. sadly, not much.

Anyways, all this time she was still laying [upright] and I had the idea to support her, off her chest to help with her breathing … half an hour of me and hubby taking turns doing that and she all of a sudden stands up on her own, still breathing a little heavy but very much improved and not looking like we were going to lose her.

She stopped gasping not long after that. We put her in a crate for a while with some food and water and to my surprise she ate. While she is a little doughy still [as in tired looking .. can't blame her] she is now in the garden with the rest of the flock, no open mouth or heavy breathing, preening and walking around.

Anyone have any idea what might have happened? I am wondering if something may have been caught lower down and it was not until we took the pressure off it moved? To be honest I have never seen anything like that and really have no idea what was going on

One crazy, emotion filled morning and I am truly grateful that she is still with us.

I did also post this in the ER Forum and another chat thread where a friend advised:

Sounds like she got startled and flew or fell off the roost. She probably had no idea what was going on and went into something like shock, and potentially got the wind knocked out of her. That would be my thoughts. Good thing you were there, it might be something similar that happens to those that are fine one day and dead the next morning.

I am definitely thanking my lucky stars and was so terrified that we were going to lose her but as I type, she is a picture of health, mooching around the garden like nothing happened .. me? not sure I will ever recover!

I do know that as the coop is going to be further away from the house when we move, I am definitely installing a baby monitor! I really do think that the only reason she is still with us is because I heard her.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hey Susan I hope that you feel better soon and all is OK 

Hey Sparky74 I agree with Fancy …. I have had 4-5 week olds practice their crowing, not Light Sussex though.

Woo hoo satay good luck with the hatch!

I have been up since 4AM with Dusty and just wanted to run past you guys n’ gals what happened. 

Just before 4AM I got woken by what sounded like someone attempting to crow; thought nothing of it, rolled over didn’t even get back to sleep when I heard the flapping of wings, closely followed by someone squeaking when breathing.

I flew out the door, torch in hand and found Dusty laying [upright] on the coop floor struggling to breath, beak open, eyes shut, gasping and looking pretty close to death.

Grabbed her up and placed her on a towel on the outdoor table and started talking to her, stroking her neck, front and back.  She tried to crow a couple of times and a couple of times there I thought we were going to lose her … couldn’t see much through the darn tears!

Anyways, she struggled and gasped for an hour and a half while we droppered water into her and tried to work out what was going on.  No discharge from eyes or nares and funnily enough, even though she was having major trouble breathing, her comb was still nice and red.  I couldn't feel anything while stroking her neck and tried some very gentle neck massage while hubby trolled the internet for anything we could get .. sadly, not much.

Anyways, all this time she was still laying [upright] and I had the idea to support her, off her chest to help with her breathing … half an hour of me and hubby taking turns doing that and she all of a sudden stands up on her own, still breathing a little heavy but very much improved and not looking like we were going to lose her.

She stopped gasping not long after that.  We put her in a crate for a while with some food and water and to my surprise she ate.  While she is a little doughy still [as in tired looking .. can't blame her] she is now in the garden with the rest of the flock, no open mouth or heavy breathing, preening and walking around.

Anyone have any idea what might have happened?  I am wondering if something may have been caught lower down and it was not until we took the pressure off it moved?  To be honest I have never seen anything like that and really have no idea what was going on 

One crazy, emotion filled morning and I am truly grateful that she is still with us.

I did also post this in the ER Forum and another chat thread where a friend advised:

Sounds like she got startled and flew or fell off the roost. She probably had no idea what was going on and went into something like shock, and potentially got the wind knocked out of her. That would be my thoughts. Good thing you were there, it might be something similar that happens to those that are fine one day and dead the next morning.

I am definitely thanking my lucky stars and was so terrified that we were going to lose her but as I type, she is a picture of health, mooching around the garden like nothing happened .. me?  not sure I will ever recover! 

I do know that as the coop is going to be further away from the house when we move, I am definitely installing a baby monitor!  I really do think that the only reason she is still with us is because I heard her.

Could be any number of things. Lucky you heard her. The breathing thing is just the typical response to stress. I nearly lost one of my Orpington babies. It was going round and round in circles on one leg. I picked it up opened its beak and found a chunk of wood chip lodged in its throat. Funny little critters they are, hope dusty didn't swallow your pet frog.

 

[LuckysMum]

Oh I hate crows too. When our chicks were in the backyard on the lawn (covered). They went from the neighbours trees to our roof all the time looking for an opportunity to take my babies. We kept on shooing them away. I haven’t seen much of them lately. Hopefully not again. I definitely would not trust them around anything little.

Susan I hope you get better quickly.

satay good luck with the quails

Teila How scary for you I hope Dusty is still ok. One of my araucana’s was breathing badly a couple of weeks or so ago. A friend told me they can get a worm in their neck. I have since wormed them all and she’s not raspy anymore. I’m not sure if that’s worth looking into. Perhaps with a full crop and the worm it makes it hard for them to breathe. I know mine didn’t always sound bad, I isolated her when I first heard it. Then she sounded better in the morning I was going to give her a bit of time then put her with the others but by the afternoon she was be raspy again. She didn’t have any other symptoms either. A friend breeds chickens so I asked her and that was what she came up with. Good Luck

 

[Fancychooklady]

Oh I hate crows too. When our chicks were in the backyard on the lawn (covered). They went from the neighbours trees to our roof all the time looking for an opportunity to take my babies. We kept on shooing them away.  I haven’t seen much of them lately. Hopefully not again.  I definitely  would not trust them around anything little.

Susan  I hope you get better quickly.

satay good luck with the quails

Teila How scary for you I hope Dusty is still ok.  One of my araucana’s was breathing badly a couple of weeks or so ago.   A friend told me they can get a worm in their neck. I have since wormed them all and she’s not raspy anymore. I’m not sure if that’s worth looking into. Perhaps with a full crop and the worm it makes it hard for them to breathe. I know mine didn’t always sound bad, I isolated her when I first heard it. Then she sounded better in the morning I was going to give her a bit of time then put her with the others but by the afternoon she was be raspy again. She didn’t have any other symptoms either. A friend breeds chickens so I asked her and that was what she came up with. Good Luck

The worms that your friend was referring to are gapeworm, fairly uncommon and they are difficult to treat. Unless you treated with fenbendazole /panacur or albendazole they would still be present.

 

[LuckysMum]

The worms that your friend was referring to are gapeworm, fairly uncommon and they are difficult to treat. Unless you treated with fenbendazole /panacur or albendazole they would still be present.

Thanks I can't remember what my friend gave me to treat them with. But she's better. I'm not sure if any other worms can cause breathing problems. The wormer was for a number of different worms. I will do some research on gapeworm. Thanks for that info.

 

[LuckysMum]

Fancy I just did a bit of research, I don't know what she had, it seemed similar. I wormed them all, that shouldn't harm them. I haven't seen any signs of worms in their poo. If It was respiratory she's seems to have kicked it on her own. Though I did isolate her and I clean everything and put new bedding down. It was dusty in the coop, I used pine shaving this time and there's no dust at the moment. Maybe the dust was a problem for her.
Thanks

 

[Teila]

Thank you LuckysMum .. yep, as Fancy mentioned, those are gape worms which I do not think Dusty has.

Anyways, just an update on Dusty ... she is fine

She was OK all day after the incident and the big test was last night. I kind of only half slept, with one ear on the coop and no noises overnight. Hubby went out to check this morning, because I am a sook and they all greeted him with “where’s breakfast”

 

[satay]

Thank you LuckysMum .. yep, as Fancy mentioned, those are gape worms which I do not think Dusty has.

Anyways, just an update on Dusty ... she is fine 

She was OK all day after the incident and the big test was last night.  I kind of only half slept, with one ear on the coop and no noises overnight.  Hubby went out to check this morning, because I am a sook and they all greeted him with “where’s breakfast”   

So glad she has made a good recovery.

 

[satay]

Update on the quail hatch. It's not lookng good so far with only one out. Fingers crossed a few more hatch today.. You'l be shocked to know i have another pekin that has brought babies out. I will try my best to get pics today. This black girl has 3 babies.