Good-bye Goldilocks (bronchitis ... diarrhea ... fleas (rescue hen))

[reginak]

Thanks, Unicorn. I will order Avia Charge 2000, and in the meantime borrow some more of my neighbor's pigeon vitamins.

Speaking of seasonal changes .... the 3 healthy chickens are complaining of the cold. They want in the house. It got down to, I guess, 30 overnight -- they're fine, right? Not happy, but the cold's not going to hurt them? This is not their first winter, and they were fine last year, it's just ... they do seem to mind it. The Easter Egger (Crow) slept in the house overnight, of course, but she's out with the others now. The Polish (Bebop) and Serama (Lover Boy) sleep in an Eglu, with the door shut overnight to keep in their warmth.

Lover Boy seems to feel the cold more than Bebop. When I let them out this morning he ran up to the porch, flew up onto the back of a chair, and said "Pick me up, Mommy!" So I did, I let Crow outside (she had been snuggled in my sweatshirt) and snuggled Lover Boy instead, till he warmed up, then sent him back out. They LOVE that ... and of course, so do I..... Crow was panicking in her little cage this morning when I was walking around and she couldn't fly away. So I took her out and stuffed her in my sweatshirt. Then she didn't want to get away, and it kills me that the same snuggly cuddly chickie runs away from me just as fast the next time! Well, I haven't even had her for a week, and she's still young -- hopefully she'll warm up.

Meanwhile Goldilocks (the faverolle) is in the basement, dutifully drinking water with Sulmet. She just has layena to eat right now, but I'm off to mix her up some oatmeal and yogurt.



(Yes, I bought an Eglu .... I had more money than time back then, the opposite of now .... time is much better than money, but I do like my Eglu!)

 

[reginak]

Progress ...

Goldilocks still sleeps a lot, but poops are solid now and she is eating normally. At this point, I'm afraid she is going to die of boredom, stuck in this dog kennel in my kitchen. Plus she can't get in and out of a cardboard box without tipping it over, so there are pine shavings all over my kitchen floor.

But I'm afraid to shock her little recovering system by putting her out in the cold back yard -- it's about 40F out there now, today's forecast high 48F, and light rain off and on predicted till noonish. Maybe I could take the poop tray from the bottom of the kennel cage and put it on top instead, for shelter from the rain. That way she could stay enclosed in it, keep her separate water dish (with the Sulmet mixed in), and not be so bothered by the other chickens. Of course the ground is already wet.....

What do you all think? Keep her inside and bored, or outside and damp and chilly? Maybe split the difference and leave her bored until, hopefully, the sky clears after noon? Trying to put myself in her position ... I've had bronchitis myself, and it took forever to get my energy back, but the boredom was brutal, too.

All advice will be gratefully appreciated.

Regina

 

[dlhunicorn]

Reintroducing her back into the "cold" of outside weather should indeed be done slowly so as not to shock her system... hmmmm
Is there any way to "roof" off a section outside the coop so they can still be "out" and yet dry (do you have something like a pallet to use as a "dry floor" to use under the "roof" ... I have those cheap see through wavy plastic panels to use as a "roof" for various little sheltered spots in my yard (they refuse to remain in the coops run) ... I also have this movable little "greenhouse (with a see thru tarping to keep dry underneath) ...
You can do this for a few days only bringing her inside at night till whe is well and truly 100% but I would make sure you start the reintroduction slowly and then with a dry place for her.

 

[SpottedCrow]

When I go somewhere I leave the TV or the radio on for Obelisk and Penny.
I'm glad that you took Goldilocks home...sometimes these "impulse" buys are the best things.
You can order the correct DE from Foy's Pigeon Supply. I bought DE and a couple of other things from them.

 

[reginak]

Unicorn: they hang out under the porch overhang, it stays dry there. Or they crawl under the holly bush. It's just this one, I want to keep her separate from the others still. I guess I could put her under the porch overhang. Or even ON the porch, and just keep the poop tray in so it doesn't get too gross.

Crow: thanks for the idea, radio is now on.

 

[reginak]

She's gone.....

I finally took her to a vet yesterday -- had a hard time finding one that treats chickens -- and well .... he kept her, to put her down. Poor Goldilocks. I just hope I made her last days comfortable.

There was no meat on her breast. Her crop was puffy, though, might have been impacted or just inflamed or filled with mucus. She didn't stand up straight or walk, she squatted. Didn't hold her head up, her beak touched the table. She had little white mites, visibly active under his magnifying glass. There seemed to be multiple things wrong with her, unrelated to each other. She may have been very old, too, the breeder couldn't tell me how old she was.

Poor girl. Well, he'll have done it humanely, and he will report back to me to let me know what he finds in the necropsy. Of course it's required by law, and I'm a bit nervous because he's also required to report certain findings to the state. I don't expect the state to be real sensitve to the possibility of treating anything my other birds have been exposed to, they'll just want to kill them and ask questions later. Not only that, but I'm not zoned for poultry anyway. So my babies may have to go into hiding, depending on what the vet says. I will cross that bridge when I come to it..... Meanwhile, he gave me some Ivermectin for the others, because they have all been in contact with Goldie. And I will make sure they all get lap time every day so I can watch their condition. And today will be a big cleaning day, all the coops and cages, kitchen and porch and the bathroom where I bathed Goldilocks, laundry, all the clothes and towels she or the others came into contact with. Of course, she also pooped in the yard, so they cannot be kept totally isolated from that.

So say a little prayer for my babies, that they will be spared. And Goldilocks, poor girl, rest in peace.

 

[justusnak]

:aww Regina.....im so sorry you lost Goldilocks. I have one little salmon faverole...she is a sweet bird. A thorough cleaning is in order, for the mites especially. I hope it was just age for th epoor hen, and nothing reportable! Keep us posted of the outcome from the necropsy.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Crud...I'm so sorry you lost her.
Feel some comfort in the fact that she was loved and cared for well when she was with you.

 

[verthandi]

Regina, I am sorry that you lost Goldilocks. But your posts were well thought out and your logic pretty darn good for a new owner. Welcome to the chicken world, sorry you had to learn so much in such a short time. But it will all come in handy when you or someone else faces these types of illnesses in their birds.

You gave her the best chance at making it, it just sounds like someone dumped their problem on you. Shame on them!

 

[Jemjoop]

So sorry about your Goldilocks, Regina