constipation

[operator16]

I did post similar post when my bird was sick. But, now that I know she's ok and know what the problem was, I want to know how to prevent it again. My hen had a terribly sour, filled crop. It was full of yellow muck, undigested seeds, grassy stuff (could be try weeks, straw, or alfalfa, or dried wild natural grasses). In 7 days she only pooped out one finger size mass of rock hard fibrous stuff. On day 7, with lots of dropper feeding and love and support, she pooped again about another cup of the same hard fiber. What was that? Is it any of the grasses that I mentioned? How can I keep it from happening again? It hasn't happened to any of my other birds. Does this sound familiar. How can I keep her from eating whatever it was? It looked like the stringy stuff inside a baseball or a mass of elk or deer hair. I couldn't break it by pulling it apart. Ideas??

 

[Chickengal505]

I think she just got a hold of somthing she wasn't supposed to have. Is she okay?

 

[operator16]

I can't say that she had gotten into anything that everyone else didn't also have access to. We recently acquired some pygmy goats and they have some alfalfa and the chickens are really interested in that. We didn't have that before. Other than that, it's just dry as a bone here in colorado and all the vegetation is dry and sharp. I wonder if it was plant fiber from alfalfa. Hummm.

 

[Chickengal505]

Could be the alfalfa. Or could be goat hair. hmmmmm

 

[operator16]

I never though of that! I'm going to do some research on the issues of coarse animal hair and or alfalfa and chickens. Thanks for the idea!!!


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[purpletree23]

Sounds like it could be the alfalfa or the hair (excellent thought). Do you make sure they are never without water and they always have free access to grit and crushed oyster shell? She may have eaten too much good stuff or didn't have enough grit to break everything down.

You did a great job of getting her 'unplugged'. Sounds like she was close to having or had an impacted crop.

 

[WallTenters]

Adding some liquid fat to their diet might help in the future. Mineral oil works well for passing things through, but it's not good I think to give it long term.

I give bacon grease from cooking to my chickens. We make more of the grease than we can use and after a month or so our little container overfills so I give it to the chickens. I don't give them all of it at once - just a couple of tablespoons for the (about 15 chickens) bunch every other day or so until my container is near empty.

Alternative, cod liver oil is really good for chickens (and the eggs!) and will help in the same way. Any fish oil is good, and probably much healthier than bacon grease (for us and the birds!!). Vegetable oil would be a last alternative. It doesn't have near the amino acids that the birds need from animal products. Chickens are omnivores yet commercial chicken food is almost entirely grains.

Maybe just start adding a dollop of fat to their food every day or other day will help prevent it?

 

[operator16]

Thanks for the information. I'm going to add some cod liver oil to their diets. I appreciate your time!!!


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