- Thread starter
- #31
miniwarrior
Chirping
Thanks so much for your post, Andrea. Honestly, I was having second thoughts about worming her because I don't think this is worms. There are no signs of them in her poop and i wouldn't think she would start doing better so quickly without being treated for them. But I will take a sample of her feces to the vet today just to be sure- I am waiting on a call back from them to confirm they will do the test. I will go ahead and give Peter Brown a call today and check the links about crop issues- thanks for those.
So here's the latest update on Butters: She has started eating a little more now and showing a small appetite- I literally spoon fed her some yogurt/applesauce/crumble mix for her gentle flush and that was the only way she was going to eat it as far as i could tell. I went ahead just now and switched out the dry crumbles for yogurt mixed with crumbles (blended as fine as i could). She did not seem interested and just dipped her beak in to eat but then stopped. The other thing that I am getting concerned about now is that she does not seem to be drinking. Earlier today I saw her dip her beak in the water and then lift if out without drinking. I change it 1-2 times a day so it's clean, but she just isn't interested. She was most interested in eating plain dry crumbles earlier but just a little bit.
I gave her another examination today- and every time I pick her up she makes this noise that I can only describe as wheezing. I don't think it is rattling in the chest, though- it seems more to be in the throat area but I am not really sure what it is. Her eyes are clear and I haven't seen any more discharge from her beak. There's no discharge from her nose at all. She is still alert today and walking around her crate and scratching, so she must still be feeling better. I can tell she just wants to get out and walk around the yard! She still hasn't pooped much- just once since last night- and when she does it's really dry- I'm guessing from not drinking much water. The wheezing thing when I pick her up is the only indication it could be respiratory. Her crop emptied last night- I did not leave her food overnight and checked it this morning. She still feels the same weight and is not bony. And no more seizures, thankfully!
The new thing I found today was that her earlobes have this whitish stuff growing on them. I hadn't noticed it before because they were hidden in the folds of her earlobes. I read in another thread that this can be from laying lots of eggs or maybe a fungus... I checked on the rest of the ladies and nobody else seems to have it. (and I borrowed my roommate's camera to get you a better picture!)
As for the rest of the flock, the only real disease I've ever had come through was fowl pox, and that was over a year ago now and they all completely recovered except one, who I thought was not going to make it but she pulled through in the end. I've never really had a problem with lots of sneezing or illness- overall I'd say they are a healthy flock. Their combs are bright and they are quite active. They eat organic layer crumbles from Coyote Creek- they are very good. I give them oyster shell on the side, but I don't give them extra grit right now. I already have some crushed granite that i use in the garden so I can easily put that out for them. Here's some pics of my setup:
This is the run- there is a scrap woodpile they have access roam around behind the run:
This is the other side of the run:
And this is the coop. So they actually have a coop in a run in a bigger run. And I just lock up the smaller run at night.
So here's the latest update on Butters: She has started eating a little more now and showing a small appetite- I literally spoon fed her some yogurt/applesauce/crumble mix for her gentle flush and that was the only way she was going to eat it as far as i could tell. I went ahead just now and switched out the dry crumbles for yogurt mixed with crumbles (blended as fine as i could). She did not seem interested and just dipped her beak in to eat but then stopped. The other thing that I am getting concerned about now is that she does not seem to be drinking. Earlier today I saw her dip her beak in the water and then lift if out without drinking. I change it 1-2 times a day so it's clean, but she just isn't interested. She was most interested in eating plain dry crumbles earlier but just a little bit.
I gave her another examination today- and every time I pick her up she makes this noise that I can only describe as wheezing. I don't think it is rattling in the chest, though- it seems more to be in the throat area but I am not really sure what it is. Her eyes are clear and I haven't seen any more discharge from her beak. There's no discharge from her nose at all. She is still alert today and walking around her crate and scratching, so she must still be feeling better. I can tell she just wants to get out and walk around the yard! She still hasn't pooped much- just once since last night- and when she does it's really dry- I'm guessing from not drinking much water. The wheezing thing when I pick her up is the only indication it could be respiratory. Her crop emptied last night- I did not leave her food overnight and checked it this morning. She still feels the same weight and is not bony. And no more seizures, thankfully!
The new thing I found today was that her earlobes have this whitish stuff growing on them. I hadn't noticed it before because they were hidden in the folds of her earlobes. I read in another thread that this can be from laying lots of eggs or maybe a fungus... I checked on the rest of the ladies and nobody else seems to have it. (and I borrowed my roommate's camera to get you a better picture!)
As for the rest of the flock, the only real disease I've ever had come through was fowl pox, and that was over a year ago now and they all completely recovered except one, who I thought was not going to make it but she pulled through in the end. I've never really had a problem with lots of sneezing or illness- overall I'd say they are a healthy flock. Their combs are bright and they are quite active. They eat organic layer crumbles from Coyote Creek- they are very good. I give them oyster shell on the side, but I don't give them extra grit right now. I already have some crushed granite that i use in the garden so I can easily put that out for them. Here's some pics of my setup:
This is the run- there is a scrap woodpile they have access roam around behind the run:
This is the other side of the run:
And this is the coop. So they actually have a coop in a run in a bigger run. And I just lock up the smaller run at night.