Warrior1
In the Brooder
- Sep 5, 2018
- 16
- 3
- 27
I noticed one of our hens not eating and lethargic after going through a broody spell. I kept an eye on her and noticed that she would come running when I gave the other girls a treat, but she would just look at the food and would pick at the food but not pick it up. A chicken farmer in my area told me she was still broody and her actions was like she was tending to chicks and she would figure out she had no chicks and start eating. I did notice that her crop was full one morning, so I separated her and tried syringe feeding her with yogurt and garlic water because she wasn't eating and I could tell she lost weight; we didn't try to have her regurgitate. She really wasn't getting much food, but what she was getting after a few days seemed to be gone in the morning. She also had lice, which we treated her and all the girls with Diatomaceous Earth (didn't work) but ended up using Seven, which did the job. I ended up getting a tube and large syringe, and started feeding her with that, some days we would see some bits of poop that seemed normal, but most days it was white and fluid. After a few days of her crop being empty in the morning I started giving her some egg, yogurt and garlic water that I pureed enough to get through the tube syringe. Now this had been over 3 weeks in time. One day when tube feeding her, I noticed creamy mass in her throat and upper part of her mouth; with creamy saliva too. Someone told me that she canker that was also probably in her crop and it was not sour crop, and to treat her with some fish Zole; that was two days ago. Since I started with the FZ, she has been downing the water, and today; I am sad to say looks near death. She has really never got over being lethargic and mostly just laid around with her eyes closed. I would note, that following the advice to leave her alone and she would eventually start to eat really depleted her, although at one point I would separate her from the other girls and give her live meal worms, which she did eat at first, but even with those she had issues picked them up and seemed to have issue getting them down. I guess I should add, that sometimes her crop was squishy and other times he seemed like a harder mass at the bottom of her crop. We've had chickens for two years on a third of acre and they free range all day. We are so sad that we probably mis diagnosed her several times and my post is really to ask a some questions. Can a chicken have sour crop and canker at the same time? Does a broody hen act like what I described? Should I have taken her water so she didn't drink so much? The girls (have 8) get regular Apple Cider Vinegar in the water; probiotic packs in the water; yogurt, and DE sprinkled in their food. Anyway, I tried to put down everything I remember and sorry for the long post, so any questions, or suggested maintenance would be appreciated.