Emergency! Old English Game Hen acting sick/strangely

[Wingleader]

(Apologies for the double-post! I want to keep this as up-to-date as possible!)

Okay, I just called the future mom-in-law and got a chicken update. The hen (whose name is Frass) was presented with a flanel, rice-filled heating pad under her little nesting towel and apparently adores laying on it. She was given a warm water bath again just in case it is something related to a bound egg, and has been eating little bits of fruit and drinking water. She was allowed to tromp around on the carpet and apparently made an impressively large poo in the middle of the room. She isn't back to normal yet, but she seems to be getting stronger by the minute!

 

[cowcreekgeek]

You're welcome, and I'm glad she's showing some signs of improvement. The heat mighta helped her turn around a bit, so I'd keep her in ... and, I'd remain cautiously optimistic.

The ACV in the water is never a bad idea, so far as I've ever seen, except that I'd not mix it w/ other chemical compounds. In some cases? The ACV is the only truly effective treatment, as the antibiotics against botulism toxins isn't (and is ridiculously expensive, so I'm told).

Check around for any decaying matter or maggots, as these are sources for the toxins, and make sure the food isn't spoiled/infested as well ... there's a poultry conditioner for show that isn't all that much more expensive than normal layer pellets, and can be mixed in up to 25% w/ their food as an additional boost to their immune systems (which the ACV will indirectly improve dramatically ~'-)

In case of egg binding, y'all should study the following article: >>peck here<< to open it in a new window.

Wish you good luck w/ her ...

 

[Wingleader]

She does seem to have many of the symptoms of a bound egg... but I'm really not very familiar with chickens yet, as this is the first year I've ever kept any, so I can't really tell if there IS an egg or not. Frass is also a bantam sized bird, so she's quite small and I'm not sure how much I'd be able to do to help the egg along without seriously stressing or hurting her. Egg binding seems to be quite the serious issue....Almost all of the resources for egg binding I've been finding show the examples with normal sized birds.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

She does seem to have many of the symptoms of a bound egg... but I'm really not very familiar with chickens yet, as this is the first year I've ever kept any, so I can't really tell if there IS an egg or not. Frass is also a bantam sized bird, so she's quite small and I'm not sure how much I'd be able to do to help the egg along without seriously stressing or hurting her. Egg binding seems to be quite the serious issue....Almost all of the resources for egg binding I've been finding show the examples with normal sized birds.

That's a good point, but I'm guessin' that bantams are just abnormal sized versions of those normal sized birds ... and, that your future mother-in-law is gonna expect her future son-in-law to get that bantam named Frass is proper condition, or that your name's gonna be somethin' that rhymes w/ hers ~'-)

screenshot of swf presentation of the anatomy of the chicken
http://www.gallusgallusdomesticus.com/anatomy/presentation/​

There's a screenshot of the Anatomy of the Chicken presentation, and as you can see from the tabs? I was tryin' to find additional answers for ya ... but this interactive presentation is still the best I can find, and the chicken chick's egg binding article is really great, too.

 

[Wingleader]

Sweet, thank you. I'll definitely check that out, and if she doesn't shape up within a day or two I'll probably break down and get her to the vet for an xray and treatment, if necessary.

 

[Wingleader]

Hey all! Another update on Frass. She's almost entirely back to normal and is moving around very well, as well as eating, drinking, and making proper, healthy poos. She was flying around from lap to lap earlier when everyone was gathered around to check on her and then she decided to bed down and take a nap on my fiance's chest when he was laying on the floor. I'm still not entirely sure what ailed her other than she maybe ate something she shouldn't have.

All in all, this has been an enlightening, albeit harrowing experience. I strongly feel Frass will make a full recovery.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Hey all! Another update on Frass. She's almost entirely back to normal and is moving around very well, as well as eating, drinking, and making proper, healthy poos. She was flying around from lap to lap earlier when everyone was gathered around to check on her and then she decided to bed down and take a nap on my fiance's chest when he was laying on the floor. I'm still not entirely sure what ailed her other than she maybe ate something she shouldn't have.

All in all, this has been an enlightening, albeit harrowing experience. I strongly feel Frass will make a full recovery.

Excellent ... this has been a good day for recoveries (I found 1 dead, and had to put down a second, but all else have recovered from the toxins of botulism, with the worst by far refusing to remain in it's basket (and, healthy poos, in my lap ~'-)

Had I been continuously giving the ACV, rather than exploring reasonable theories, this most probably woulda never happened. The limber neck that follows was terrible, w/ the neck literally pinned to the spine. ehh ... I'm ruining this happy news.

Glad she's doin' better. Study up on those possible causes ... our birds are fragile by design, and temporary in nature, so it pays to be prepared.

 

[Wingleader]

Excellent ... this has been a good day for recoveries (I found 1 dead, and had to put down a second, but all else have recovered from the toxins of botulism, with the worst by far refusing to remain in it's basket (and, healthy poos, in my lap ~'-)

Had I been continuously giving the ACV, rather than exploring reasonable theories, this most probably woulda never happened. The limber neck that follows was terrible, w/ the neck literally pinned to the spine. ehh ... I'm ruining this happy news.

Glad she's doin' better. Study up on those possible causes ... our birds are fragile by design, and temporary in nature, so it pays to be prepared.

Aww man, that's really really upsetting. I will definitely be putting together a chicken first-aid kit sort of thing very soon as a result of this experience. I do hope all of your birds get healthy/remain healthy!

 

[Wingleader]

Hey all, just letting everyone know that the hen has made a full recovery! After her pampered stay with my mom-in-law (during which she earned herself the name Mary Poopins) she bounced back and is now in the coop with her buddies again. Her sister, Sass, also laid her first egg a few days ago, so I'm expecting the same of her sometime soon.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Hey all, just letting everyone know that the hen has made a full recovery! After her pampered stay with my mom-in-law (during which she earned herself the name Mary Poopins) she bounced back and is now in the coop with her buddies again. Her sister, Sass, also laid her first egg a few days ago, so I'm expecting the same of her sometime soon.

Lost the two smallest guineas since, which I feared might be problematic for the flock later anyhow ... forty percent mortality rate, and it all started over one bully that liked gently pokin' both eyes of every guinea she came across. But, although you're now in the in-law's better graces, the pressure's really on -- she's named it, which means you gotta keep it alive forever ~'-)