I can't decide whether this goes into "Behaviors and Egglaying" or "Emergencies/Diseases/Injuries and Cures"!
My chicken is insane.
I have an 18-month-old EE that I pulled from the flock because the others were picking on her and keeping her away from the food. I assume(d) that it is because she is going through a pretty hard molt. She has lost so much weight that I can feel her breastbone and she just looks so pathetic. She doesn't act sick at all...in fact, she is bored and pacing around in the extra-large dog kennel she's been staying in. I have my iPad set up so she can watch Sesame Street and Bubble Guppies. Go ahead and laugh, but seriously, my previously sick/injured hen loved it. I have pictures!
I've tried to get her to eat in every way I can imagine. She's had watered down feed/mash, I've offered salt-free canned salmon, tiny shrimp, cooked grits, cooked oatmeal, dried crickets, scratch, and mealworms. The only thing she is interested in (and when I say interested, I mean watch your fingers our you'll come back with a nub) are apple slices and fresh oregano. But she can't live on that, right!?!? Oh, yes, I also syringed 1 mL of Nutridrench down her esophagus today. She didn't care for it.
Two days ago her poop was bright green, and based on what I researched, it was because she had so little food in her that it was mostly bile. I finally gave in and fed her all the apple slices she wanted and the poop seems to be back to normal. But that is ALL SHE WILL EAT! And she's pacing, pacing, pacing in the kennel and gets vociferous when the cartoons stop. And I can't tell that she's drinking anything either.
I've tried letting her free range with the others but that was a BAD idea. She ran from the rooster and screamed like he was trying to kill her and the one chicken that paid her any attention at all, jumped and kicked at her making her scurry back to the deck. She actually let me pick her up and walk around with her, without any backtalk. That has never happened before. My chickens aren't scared of me but we don't have a super close relationship, you know? They're my first chickens and I didn't realize I needed to handle ALL 15 of THEM when they were baby chicks to have sweet lap-sitters. (Seriously though, who can spend daily quality time with fifteen chickens!?!)
So, all of this to say...I have no idea what to do. She's bored. She's hungry (surely!?!?!) but won't eat anything but apples and oregano. I'm at a loss. At this point, I'd appreciate any input, or jokes, or recipes that might help. (NO! Not chicken recipes, you heartless beast! Food recipes FOR the chicken to eat! Haven't you been paying attention?)
My chicken is insane.
I have an 18-month-old EE that I pulled from the flock because the others were picking on her and keeping her away from the food. I assume(d) that it is because she is going through a pretty hard molt. She has lost so much weight that I can feel her breastbone and she just looks so pathetic. She doesn't act sick at all...in fact, she is bored and pacing around in the extra-large dog kennel she's been staying in. I have my iPad set up so she can watch Sesame Street and Bubble Guppies. Go ahead and laugh, but seriously, my previously sick/injured hen loved it. I have pictures!
I've tried to get her to eat in every way I can imagine. She's had watered down feed/mash, I've offered salt-free canned salmon, tiny shrimp, cooked grits, cooked oatmeal, dried crickets, scratch, and mealworms. The only thing she is interested in (and when I say interested, I mean watch your fingers our you'll come back with a nub) are apple slices and fresh oregano. But she can't live on that, right!?!? Oh, yes, I also syringed 1 mL of Nutridrench down her esophagus today. She didn't care for it.
Two days ago her poop was bright green, and based on what I researched, it was because she had so little food in her that it was mostly bile. I finally gave in and fed her all the apple slices she wanted and the poop seems to be back to normal. But that is ALL SHE WILL EAT! And she's pacing, pacing, pacing in the kennel and gets vociferous when the cartoons stop. And I can't tell that she's drinking anything either.
I've tried letting her free range with the others but that was a BAD idea. She ran from the rooster and screamed like he was trying to kill her and the one chicken that paid her any attention at all, jumped and kicked at her making her scurry back to the deck. She actually let me pick her up and walk around with her, without any backtalk. That has never happened before. My chickens aren't scared of me but we don't have a super close relationship, you know? They're my first chickens and I didn't realize I needed to handle ALL 15 of THEM when they were baby chicks to have sweet lap-sitters. (Seriously though, who can spend daily quality time with fifteen chickens!?!)
So, all of this to say...I have no idea what to do. She's bored. She's hungry (surely!?!?!) but won't eat anything but apples and oregano. I'm at a loss. At this point, I'd appreciate any input, or jokes, or recipes that might help. (NO! Not chicken recipes, you heartless beast! Food recipes FOR the chicken to eat! Haven't you been paying attention?)
