Can anyone recommend a feed for a hen with crop / digestive issues?

[TropicalChickies]

Thank you for the update and photos.

I'm so very sorry to hear about Cleo, that sweet girl!

It's good to hear Butchie is hanging in there, being spoiled even

The rest of the gang looks great and your rooster is very handsome, I'm glad things are going well.

Thank you... Yes, losing Cleo was hard on everyone. She was such a good senior hen -- strong but fair. She never bullied, she just knew how to show who was boss. She even taught Lucio (the rooster) how to inspect the coop at night.

She was the last one of the original group of five POL pullets I bought in 2020 -- my first flock. So she was about 4 when she died. As I've mentioned before, I didn't know what was wrong with them at the time, having no experience, but they were all sick with some respiratory infection -- IBV probably based on the symptoms and mortality, or a mycoplasma. And bumblefoot. Plus they hadn't been fed properly so they had a lot of strikes against them early on.

Cleo was the most robust and vivacious of the group. I took really good care of her once I learned how -- thanks to people like @WyorpRock and @TwoCrows -- buth she lived as long as she did on her own determination as well.

She never went broody and she often laid eggs well into her molts, and I believe near-constant laying over 3-4 years really wears out a hens body.

And this experience goes to show that (obviously) the nutrition and care a chick gets early in life goes a long way in preventing sickness later on.

I'm happy to say that at least now I have a healthier flock for learning these hard lessons. 5 of my hens came from a much better caretaker and I brought them in at 4 months so I could make sure they were fed properly earlier on. My other 6 birds hatched here. I plan on hatching all my own chicks from now on. With all these cockerels I ended up with, that shouldn't be hard!

All of my layers go broody but are very productive in between broody spells, so that's perfectly fine with me. I'm hoping that they live longer and healthier lives as a result of better nutrition, care, giving their bodies laying breaks, and brooding their own chicks.

Here's one of my broodies sitting on eggs now, Dusty. A little black frizzle (called a "chirapa" here). Life goes on. She is very affectionate and reminds me a lot of Cleo in her personality. But Cleo was truly one of a kind.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hi folks,

Just an update that Butchie is still with us, getting around, and enjoying little things in life each day. She officially turned three years old a few days ago.

She stays in our outdoor kitchen building with us most of the day, but goes outside to peck grass and dust bathe. She loves sprawling out in the sunshine with her wonky leg stretched out, it must feel good to her.

About two months ago, I was having problems getting feed that wasn't moldy or spoiled. I had to toss two sacks of it and was very frustrated. There's no "brands" or choices here, just one feed from one supplier. I'd been wanting to change over to a homemade formulation for some time so I did it. Now I feed the chickens a mix of wheat, corn, oats, quinoa, flaxseed, lightly fermented. I very carefully formulated it to have sufficient protein and minerals. And I supply sources of calcium for the laying hens. So far, everyone looks very robust, no signs of deficiencies, and there are several growing juveniles now too.

The big difference from the commercial feed I was buying is that I'm not adding soy. I'm using yellow split pea flour, mixed in with water right before I serve the mash, for protein. It's very nutrient dense and from what I've read, more easily absorbed.

I have a lot of problems with soy, the main one being that Ecuador doesn't produce any, so the soy is imported either from the US or Brazil, and I'm not too keen on how soy is farmed in either of those places. Especially Brazil where it's causing massive Amazon deforestation. I founded a rainforest regeneration project here in Ecuador so relying on Brazilian soy for my chickens doesn't really go with that.

My feelings aside, Butchie eats the mash every day, a carefully controlled portions. She absolutely could not tolerate the commercial feed. Even one day of eating it would back up her digestive system. So I'm thinking that perhaps the soy, or some other additive, was aggravating her condition.

She is not and I don't think will completely heal. There's an internal problem for sure. I need to keep her out of fruit, compost, and only let her nibble grass in small amounts. Occasionally, every 5 weeks or so, she has to have an "intermittent fasting day" if she's indulged in too much grass. She seems to know what to do when she doesn't feel great -- not eat for a day and drink a lot of water. I've only given her copper sulfate water once since my last post in May, as she was getting bloated and the yeasty smell was coming back.

I don't know how long she will live, but although she needs TLC, she seems to enjoy something every day.

View attachment 3601984

On a much sadder note (and now I will start to cry), on June 4th, I lost my senior hen and best friend Cleo to a sudden and severe infection. When she went back to laying after her last molt in May, it didn't go well for her. She was sitting for long spells and the eggs she laid were absolutely enormous with delicate and pebbly shells. I gave her a calcium/phosphorus supplement, but something had happened internally. Perhaps also the death of Cheri, her last original flock mate, unsettled her, though she seemed very solid and confident even with the rooster and changes. After laying a few of these weak eggs, she weakened and couldn't walk, her legs swelled up and her skin turned yellow, had terrible diarrhea, etc. Even oxytetracycline injections did not help. After four days of declining, she suffered a heart attack and died. She is buried in the garden under this tree. I miss her terribly.

View attachment 3601986
View attachment 3601988
Beautiful Cleo. There will never be another one like her.

There is much new life however, four new additions hatched in late April and are doing well. And two hens are brooding eggs right now. My big handsome rooster Lucio is 11 months old. So there's joy in seeing all of this too.
View attachment 3601997
Three of the youngsters. Segundo, Prima, and Tobias.

View attachment 3602001
General Lucio and his best girl, Rusty

View attachment 3602005
So much for peace and quiet.

Hope everyone who followed this thread is doing well and thank you again for all of your help and comments.

Kristen

Oh gosh, I am so sorry you lost Cleo, it's always so heartbreaking when they pass, especially when it's unexpected. I hope your heavy heart heals soon.

As for Butchie, thanks for the update! I am glad she has improved greatly. I am a firm believer that chickens, just like humans can have allergies to foods and from the sounds of Butchie, she may have them as well. My Miss Molly had crop trouble all her life, I did all the feed changes possible, it wasn't until I stated making my own feed did she improve. She only lived to be 3 1/2 years old, I am sure what ever really ailed her is what killed her. Anyway. Give Butchie huggies for me! Oh and your flock is beautiful!

 

[TwoCrows]

@TropicalChickies I saw you post in another thread about Butchies passing. I am SO SO sorry. You gave her a wonderful life, she knows how much you loved her, she had the BEST caretaker in the world and I just know she will be forever at your side in spirit. Rest in Peace dear Butchie. ❤

 

[TropicalChickies]

@TropicalChickies I saw you post in another thread about Butchies passing. I am SO SO sorry. You gave her a wonderful life, she knows how much you loved her, she had the BEST caretaker in the world and I just know she will be forever at your side in spirit. Rest in Peace dear Butchie. ❤

Thank you, that means a lot. Truly, I did everything I could right up to the end. I miss her and Cleo very much. Sweet Butchie.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear about Butchie

 

[TwoCrows]

Thank you, that means a lot. Truly, I did everything I could right up to the end. I miss her and Cleo very much. Sweet Butchie. View attachment 3614504

You went above and beyond with Butchie. ❤ I know how much a heart can ache when they are gone. Massive hugs to you.