- Mar 28, 2011
- 259
- 13
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I lost my hen, Trixie, to something yesterday. It seemed like it could have been either sour crop or egg-binding, though she didn't completely exhibit either. She didn't walk upright like a penguin... She didn't shake her head around...
Anyway, today, my Speckled Sussex,Susie, is acting weird. To look at her, you'd think she was fine, but to know her? Well, she's more like a pig than a chicken, the way she eats, but she's showing no interest in food this morning. And she IS shaking her head. I felt her crop and it feels full yet squishy. The other 3 girls feel completely empty.
So my question is this... Could worms mimic other problems? It seems very coincidental that 2 of my chickens would get sour crop in one week, especially since I've fed them nothing out of the ordinary. They get Dumor layer pellets, fresh veggies about once a week, a handful of mealworms a few times a week, oyster shell, grit, and some free range time when the weather is nice. I wondered if the pellets were the problem, since I just switched from crumbles, but they've had pellets in the past with no troubles.
I'm thinking about buying some deworming stuff, just in case. But what does everyone think?
Oh, one last thing... Susie went into the coop twice this week, acting like she was going to lay an egg, but then she didn't. She did lay one today. This is the 1st time I've seen any of them act like they were laying and then not. My Buff Orpington has gone broody twice, but she doesn't come out of the coop. Susie comes out so I don't think she's going broody. If she's got worms, would she feel like she might need to lay and then not?
Anyway, today, my Speckled Sussex,Susie, is acting weird. To look at her, you'd think she was fine, but to know her? Well, she's more like a pig than a chicken, the way she eats, but she's showing no interest in food this morning. And she IS shaking her head. I felt her crop and it feels full yet squishy. The other 3 girls feel completely empty.
So my question is this... Could worms mimic other problems? It seems very coincidental that 2 of my chickens would get sour crop in one week, especially since I've fed them nothing out of the ordinary. They get Dumor layer pellets, fresh veggies about once a week, a handful of mealworms a few times a week, oyster shell, grit, and some free range time when the weather is nice. I wondered if the pellets were the problem, since I just switched from crumbles, but they've had pellets in the past with no troubles.
I'm thinking about buying some deworming stuff, just in case. But what does everyone think?
Oh, one last thing... Susie went into the coop twice this week, acting like she was going to lay an egg, but then she didn't. She did lay one today. This is the 1st time I've seen any of them act like they were laying and then not. My Buff Orpington has gone broody twice, but she doesn't come out of the coop. Susie comes out so I don't think she's going broody. If she's got worms, would she feel like she might need to lay and then not?
