Brahma "yelling" when eating...

[micstrachan]

This is super helpful. Thank you. I think their layer crumble is min. 16% protein. The Calf Manna is 25%. I’ve been mixing it in at ~ 1:4 (ish) so I think that brings the protein up to about 18.25% or more like 19% if I’m mixing closer to 1:3. This is only part of their daily intake, since the layer crumble is available all day.
No, I have not weighed them yet, but keep meaning to. I need to feel all my girls all over again and compare to the chart, as well. Thanks again for that.
Interestingly, Buttercup did not yell tonight. Also, hadn’t seen an egg from her in a little while (can tell hers apart only because they’re a little rounder and darker), at the same time someone was laying pinkish, chalky eggs. Yesterday a Buttercup egg showed up, and haven’t seen the chalky eggs in a few days. Thinking maybe they were hers?
A couple of the girls were sneezing a little last week. Just dainty sneezes. No discharge. No other symptoms. Do you think a mild virus could have gone through the flock? Either way, I don’t think Buttercup is done with her yelling or coughing or whatever it is, but we’ll see. When she really gets going, it sounds just like the noise Rusty made when she couldn’t breathe and died. Really perks my ears up, but she doesn’t act distresed at all.

 

[micstrachan]

@Wyorp Rock I started weighing them this morning. I don’t have a kitchen scale, so brought my bathroom scale outside, weighed myself, went and picked up a chicken, and weighed again. Scale was not 100% consistent, but Buttercup weighed somewhere between 6.2 and 6.6 lbs. Does that seem too light for a 30-week Brahma? Brown Leghorn was ~4.2 (still a bit light from losing weight during molt). Other girls were in the 5lb range. Will start recording weight at regular intervals and still need to compare everyone to that awesome keel bone breast muscle chart. Keep in mind, these are all hatchery chickens.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

O.k. that's good that you have their weights. Use that as a baseline weight so you can occasionally weigh them to determine if they lose/gain.

As for your pullet's weights -a lot really depends on where they came from and genetics. Did they come from a hatchery that has an online catalog/description that tells the weight? This will be some of the best information you can have - you will see why, just bear with me.
I have a Meyer Hatchery catalog here so I looked up some breeds and compared them to the livestock conservancy weight chart. Keep in mind this average weight listed for mature hens - we can only assume they mean a female chicken that is over a year old or they would have said "pullet".
Buckeye - Meyer says 5lbs, Livestock Conservancy says 6.5lb
Leghorn (Lt Brwn) Meyer says 4lbs, Livestock Conservancy says 4.5lb
Brahmas are large feather foot birds - so they will average around 9.5lb (both places have the same weight)
See where I'm going here - you will want to feel the condition of your girls along with the weight and observe their behavior.

If they are active, eating/drinking, dust bathing/preening and not standing around sleeping all day - then they should be fine.

I hope this helps alleviate some of your worries

 

[micstrachan]

Finally got a video of Buttercup in full yell...

 

[micstrachan]

And here she is this morning after a less dramatic yell...

 

[micstrachan]

I'm concerned about the possibility of gapeworm, but have read it's rare and she's the only one doing this. How do I look for gapeworm, or does a vet need to do it? Do these videos help diagnose? Thanks!!!

 

[micstrachan]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @KikisGirls do mind taking a look at these videos and telling me what you think? Buttercup is such a sweet girl... super chill, my easiest to handle. She seems happy and healthy except for when she does this after eating. Concerned about some sort of obstruction, including gapeworm.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Let's see what @Eggcessive thinks, but if she is doing it after she eats, she is probably trying to adjust her crop or experiencing stridor. Does she eat faster or more vigorously than the others - really run around try to hoover up as many goodies as she can before the others get to it?

Gapeworm, she would be gaping, coughing, choking, having difficulty breathing continuously.

 

[micstrachan]

Yep, she's quite the piglet... very enthusiastic eater. I will look into stridor, as I don't know what that is. I haven't been terribly concerned, as she seems happy and healthy otherwise, but don't want to get caught in an urgent situation to save her down the road, either. Thanks so much for your opinion!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yep, she's quite the piglet... very enthusiastic eater. I will look into stridor, as I don't know what that is. I haven't been terribly concerned, as she seems happy and healthy otherwise, but don't want to get caught in an urgent situation to save her down the road, either. Thanks so much for your opinion!

I would just keep watch on her. Check her crop periodically to make sure it's emptying overnight and watch to see if she is drinking well.