Help I have a butt pecker

[Hannah2911]

I hope your girl is feeling better this morning. Unfortunately, I don't have any direct experience with worming and can't answer to that. I do have reasonable experience giving meds in general.

If you need to give liquid medication in the future, you can try adding it to a small amount of a high value treat (like cat food), but ensure your patient has the appetite first and will actually take it.

If you're only giving a small amount of liquid, and your patient won't take food, then I'd get it into their mouth by slowly smearing it along the crack of the beak. The liquid will naturally work its way in and be swallowed. Beware this is a slow process, but it's one I've had to do for chicks.

Hoping the educators will be along this afternoon to help.

Thank you! She has stood up and walked around. I brought her in because she couldn’t walk earlier. Her sitting posture looked like when they lay eggs. This girl hasn’t been laying. Her comb is getting redder and thicker so I wonder if she was gonna try and lay and is having a hard time but I don’t know. I gave her crumble mixed with water and added crushed calcium with d3. She is more lively than this morning but still wobbly. She is eating and drinking and pooping.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Thank you! She has stood up and walked around. I brought her in because she couldn’t walk earlier. Her sitting posture looked like when they lay eggs. This girl hasn’t been laying. Her comb is getting redder and thicker so I wonder if she was gonna try and lay and is having a hard time but I don’t know. I gave her crumble mixed with water and added crushed calcium with d3. She is more lively than this morning but still wobbly. She is eating and drinking and pooping.

If you ever suspect a hen is eggbound, try to find calcium citrate with D3 that's as close to 600mg as possible (some stores only sell 500mg versions). Gently pull down on her wattles to open her mouth, and pop in ONE tablet. She might spit it out a few times, but she'll eventually swallow without issue. Give this once per day for up to a week. I've heard of people also using Tums in a pinch (which is calcium carbonate), but my understanding is that's slower acting than citrate.

Eggbound signs:

• puffed up
• droopy tail
• lethargic
• "penguin stance"
• restlessness with trying to lay beforehand (in and out of nest box without success)
• my girl also felt warm and feverish

And I just realized I'm repeating the above advice on calcium citrate, but it's already typed out so... POST!

 

[Hannah2911]

If you ever suspect a hen is eggbound, try to find calcium citrate with D3 that's as close to 600mg as possible (some stores only sell 500mg versions). Gently pull down on her wattles to open her mouth, and pop in ONE tablet. She might spit it out a few times, but she'll eventually swallow without issue. Give this once per day for up to a week. I've heard of people also using Tums in a pinch (which is calcium carbonate), but my understanding is that's slower acting than citrate.

Eggbound signs:

• puffed up
• droopy tail
• lethargic
• "penguin stance"
• restlessness with trying to lay beforehand (in and out of nest box without success)
• my girl also felt warm and feverish

And I just realized I'm repeating the above advice on calcium citrate, but it's already typed out so... POST!

Haha well it still helped bc I didn’t know how to give it. I have it in 200 mg so I crushed three bc put it in crumble which she ate from earlier. I didn’t think I could give it in a hunk.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Haha well it still helped bc I didn’t know how to give it. I have it in 200 mg so I crushed three bc put it in crumble which she ate from earlier. I didn’t think I could give it in a hunk.

To be clear, the 600mg dose is normally TWO tablets. Only give one (which works out to 300mg).

I understand there's some confusion about what to buy (600mg) vs what to give (300mg).

Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong! But this is the dosage I've used with good success.

 

[Hannah2911]

To be clear, the 600mg dose is normally TWO tablets. Only give one (which works out to 300mg).

I understand there's some confusion about what to buy (600mg) vs what to give (300mg).

Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong! But this is the dosage I've used with good success.

I researched to give 4-600 mg. I have six crushed in the food assuming she wouldn’t eat it all. Update. She went in the make shift nest box I put in her tent and see her push. Could be an egg laying issue. I can’t see in the box with the camera so we shall see when I’m off work