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

[KimMMXVIII]

Using google translate this one says "Psyllium husk, inulin, lactic acid bacteria (Bifidobacterium lactis, BL-2 and Lactobacillus acidophilus LH5)"

 

[TropicalChickies]

I live in Sweden! Do you mean then that human or cat/dog probiotics would work? Due to the time zone I can't take photo of her right now.

Yes, absolutely. Human grade is perfect. The gut flora of single-stomach animals is all basically the same. But don't use a product with psyllium too. Could be too much fiber at once for a little hen

 

[TropicalChickies]

Using google translate this one says "Psyllium husk, inulin, lactic acid bacteria (Bifidobacterium lactis, BL-2 and Lactobacillus acidophilus LH5)"

I wouldn't use this product however!!. The psyllium husk could clog her up, might be too much fiber. Get a human grade probiotic ONLY

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would love to read your article/story

 

[TropicalChickies]

I would love to read your article/story

Thanks. I'm thinking probably lots of folks get into keeping chickens and get overwhelmed in the beginning. I'd write the article as a useful guide to new chicken keepers based on my crazy experiences.

 

[TwoCrows]

Here's Butchie saying, "Look at my nice crop!"

I took this yesterday at about 4pm, 3.5 hours after her experimental lunch of 2 TBLSP sardines and 1 TBLSP cooked sweet potato sprinkled with probiotics and a little squeeze of fresh lemon. We basically ate the same lunch, I just had a bigger helping . I remember back when I had a lot of intestinal gasses from gluten intolerance, eating food with lemon juice really helped me break it down. I don't want to over-acidify her system, but thought I would give it a try on her if that's ok.

I don't feed any of the chickens after 1pm. They get breakfast at 6 and lunch at 12:30 and they forage all day. They all go to bed by themselves promptly at 6pm. It's never cold here so they don't have to stay warm at night and I think it's healthier for them to eat earlier in the day.

Anyway, you can see that Butchie handled her lunch well. Her crop was empty again this morning (4th day in a row!) and her color is better and she was out and about early this morning very perky. The sweet potato helped firm up her poop a bit too I think. The whole back part of her belly and vent area has shrunk to near normal size and is a healthy pink color. She still has gasses inside -- when I press on her lower belly, little puffs of air come out of her beak, but she is WAY less bloated. She's even walking with her legs closer together. And she doesn't smell like high school wrestling team's locker anymore! You can tell she hated being stinky and she feels so much better about herself now.

I hope she doesn't get into trouble today, I had to make a trip into town and left my husband with strict instructions on her lunch and not to let her get into any fruit or flowers or tough vegetation.

We're very attached to Butchie because she was the first hatchling on our farm. She was a happy accident -- the broody hen who hatched her had hidden some eggs under the old coop and was sitting on them there. That was a rough time. I was a new chicken keeper, the chickens we had bought from a neighbor were mostly sick already, and the rooster was a sadistic rapist. All the hens backs were featherless and they were all running away from him, totally stressed out. I don't blame Cherie (the broody) for hiding her little clutch. Butchie was the only hatchling who made it so she's a tough little cookie. She started laying at six months and laid an egg almost every day until she got sick with this yeast at 2 yrs old about seven months ago. But if survives this and never lays again, that's fine. She's an adorable pet.

I'm so grateful to this group and all I've learned here so I know how to recognize signs of illness and take care of them better now. We rehomed the rooster (pretty sure he ended up in a soup, but he was a horrid brute). We have an amazing hen named Cleo who also survived those rough days -- she's almost 4 -- and we've learned all about taking bumblefoot kernels out from her poor foot. We also acquired a few vaccinated and healthy pullets -- now hens--from a better neighbor last year. And Cherie, the other survivor, loves to go broody and hatched two chicks, a pullet and a rooster, five months ago. So now we have a small mixed flock of 3 older hens, 3 younger ones, a pullet, and a young rooster, who is already showing himself to be a perfect gentleman. He does his mating dance and if the hen doesn't show interest, he goes on to the next one! I'm glad I stuck it out, they bring so much love and joy to life.

I'm thinking about writing my first BYC article, "Confessions of a New Chicken Keeper: How to prepare for the worst and learn from it!" What do you folks think?


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Yep, I'll give her a good break on the ACS and use the yeast-buster formula instead. Is 2x a day ok for that? And how much syringed at once? Yesterday I gave her 3 ml in the morning and 3ml in the evening. I cut the lemon juice with a little water. Our farm grown lemons are super tart. Let me know if that's too much.

Absolutely fabulous!!! Butchie is a beautiful girl and I am SO glad she is feeling so much better!! She's got a wonderful mom taking care of her. Well this is becoming a success story, I just LOVE happy endings to issues like this!! Keep up ALL you are doing, and yes you can use the yeast buster for extended periods, it's great for digestive issues. And I think you NEED to write an article on your experiences, we all learn together!!!!

 

[TwoCrows]

Using google translate this one says "Psyllium husk, inulin, lactic acid bacteria (Bifidobacterium lactis, BL-2 and Lactobacillus acidophilus LH5)"

I agree with @TropicalBabies do not use this at all, chickens do not need this much fiber. Probiotics are all the same for humans, cats, dogs, birds, etc... use something with a variety of strains and your birds will definitely benefit.

 

[KimMMXVIII]

I agree with @TropicalBabies do not use this at all, chickens do not need this much fiber. Probiotics are all the same for humans, cats, dogs, birds, etc... use something with a variety of strains and your birds will definitely benefit.

Thank you I am trying to find some powder for the girls, if not is pills good to crush? Here is her butt. Poop is liquidity, no weird smell or color. She doesn't let me handle her so taking pics is hard. She is allowed to touch me but I can't touch her behavior is fine and she eating but I suspect I need to fix her diet so she stops having liquid poop.

 

[TwoCrows]

Thank you I am trying to find some powder for the girls, if not is pills good to crush? Here is her butt. Poop is liquidity, no weird smell or color. She doesn't let me handle her so taking pics is hard. She is allowed to touch me but I can't touch her behavior is fine and she eating but I suspect I need to fix her diet so she stops having liquid poop.View attachment 3450116

Thanks for the photo, helps to see what is going on. If there is no smell than it's unlikely she has a yeast infection. And yes, crushed pills are fine to offer, I'd start with one.

This said, has she been wormed lately? Liquid poop can be an indication of internal worms or even Coccidiosis. If you haven't wormed her or your flock in the past year, I would start with this. And you can continue to use probiotics on her, they are always good for the gut.

 

[KimMMXVIII]

Thanks for the photo, helps to see what is going on. If there is no smell than it's unlikely she has a yeast infection. And yes, crushed pills are fine to offer, I'd start with one.

This said, has she been wormed lately? Liquid poop can be an indication of internal worms or even Coccidiosis. If you haven't wormed her or your flock in the past year, I would start with this. And you can continue to use probiotics on her, they are always good for the gut.

I wow is that something I need to go to the vet for?