Help, chicken attacked by dog.

[mar]

Yes, she has her own coop and small run. They are separated by wire but they can stick their beaks through and peck at her if she gets too close. I could tell one of her friends wanted to be with her but the others were just too mean.

 

[getaclue]

That sounds about right. When I reintroduced, I could get them settled down, except for a bully, that I would put in the pen for a few days. That shifts the pecking order enough, that when the bully is let out with everyone, they are more docile. If not, back in the pen alone for a few more days. It works, but takes a little time.

 

[mar]

So a little bit of a set back. I went out to check on her yesterday. She was getting a little bubbly again. I gave her some more medicine last night. So I checked on her again today. Even more coming out of her beak. Her crop was pretty full so I'm wondering if now she has a slow crop. Any suggestions. I'm starting to wonder if I should take her to a vet. I just don't know if mine takes chickens.

 

[mar]

Ok. I 'm complete idiot. I've just realized all this time that its not her crop. When she swallows her food there is a little pouch that the food collects in directly underneath her neck. Its very visible to see. It sits there for about 30 minutes. Thats when she starts to bubble then eventually it passes down her esophagus into her crop. Could she have something wrong with her esophagus.

 

[mar]

Here is a picture of what I’m talking about. It’s the unfeathered portion directly under her beak. It gets big when she eats and then she starts getting saliva coming out of her beak as she tries to swallow. This picture is three hours after she ate. So it’s much smaller now. It was almost the size of a large bouncy ball. She just sits and tries to swallow and then is fine afterwards. Should i take her to the vet? Or could it be because the skin is growing back to tight from her injury.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If vet care is an option, that's best.

What you are saying is that food is accumulating somewhere in the area I have circled instead of in the crop - or this area fills, then finally after a lot of swallowing, it eventually makes it to the crop.

I just don't know - I think you might be onto something -since her neck was injured, it could be damaged. Is she losing any weight? You may want to get a baseline weight to make sure she is not losing.

 

[mar]

Yes, the circled area. So as she eats, it gathers there and then eventually goes away. But the saliva/mucus comes back when it’s really big. Almost like she’s producing it to help her get it moving. I don’t think her weight has changed much. But she is pooping more than she was. I’m just wondering if i should switch her to a wet feed to see if she can eat more. She hasn’t laid an egg for almost two weeks. I don’t know if she is eating enough for her to lay.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You can try wet feed, that may be easier for her to manage.

When the bulge under the throat fills up, does the food eventually seem to make it to her crop - do you notice if the crop fills at all?

 

[mar]

I checked tonight and it wasn’t huge. She is still pooping but it’s not moist. She is drinking. So i don’t know if she is eating smaller portions more often or not. She seems to have an easier time with scratch versus the feed so i don’t know if i switched to crumble if it would be better for her.

 

[NickTheHick]

I no its feels reel bad i looked outside the other day and saw my dog eatin' one of my babies. I dont know wat to do its too sad. My dog is ouuta control.....