Help! Young pullet brutalized by young cockerel

[Eggcessive]

Thank you, Eggcessive. Rosie is in very good spirits today and eager to eat. I've been wondering if her cloaca is damaged. I'll trim her feathers today. She has few pasty stool matter in her litter this morning, which could be good or bad. I'll stop the herbs (oregano, mint, lavender, verbena, calendula and maybe another 2 or 3, approx. 1 tsp. with am and pm feeding. She does have access to her crumbles, free feed. The Probios arrived yesterday. Will that be good for her? I will give her the cottage cheese curds and I can give her an apple to peck at (which may help with boredom while she's confined. You say, "cottage cheese curds or....an apple." I'll try one or the other, then. Maybe a couple of days on one, switch to the other. Would you suggest stopping the calcium (egg shells or oyster shells)? I'm concerned that her body will attempt to produce eggs and possible egg impaction. I don't mind treating her if this is a chronic problem, but is this necessarily a death sentence? Thank you, once again, for your help.

Connie

I wouldn't stop the calcium since she is only getting the calcium in her grower feed. If she did lay, the shells could be too thin and break inside. I assume you will want her to lay eggs again soon? They don't need extra calcium when not laying, but it depends on how long.Lowering the protein in her diet can help to prevent her from laying, but that would mean changing food. Do you have any layer feed--that would contain the extra calcium, and lower her protein some, but still not low enough to prevent laying. Spaying can stop laying, but it would be an expensive surgery. Probios and another product Gro2Max are excellent probiotics for chickens. With the probiotics, eventually she may not need all of the additives such as cottage cheese, apple, or pumpkin.

 

[SassysMom]

Good luck to you and Rosie.

Thank you! I think she's still making progress, but I don't think it's going to be a short process.

Connie

 

[JensChickies]

Thank you!  I think she's still making progress, but I don't think it's going to be a short process.

Connie

That's good to hear. It seems like since they don't show symptoms until they are really sick, that it takes forever for them to get better. If it helps, it took a month of tube feeding my hen before she fully recovered. Hanf in there.

 

[SassysMom]

I wouldn't stop the calcium since she is only getting the calcium in her grower feed. If she did lay, the shells could be too thin and break inside. I assume you will want her to lay eggs again soon? They don't need extra calcium when not laying, but it depends on how long.Lowering the protein in her diet can help to prevent her from laying, but that would mean changing food. Do you have any layer feed--that would contain the extra calcium, and lower her protein some, but still not low enough to prevent laying. Spayinge can stop laying, but it would be an expensive surgery. Probios and another product Gro2Max are excellent probiotics for chickens. With the probiotics, eventually she may not need all of the additives such as cottage cheese, apple, or pumpkin.

OK, I won't. If she could start laying eggs, that would be great. If not, maybe she can become a broody. I just want her well. I can deal with a chronic condition as long as she's not suffering. I have layer pellets but haven't read the ingredients in awhile. If there's not extra calcium, would it hurt to top dress her food with egg shell? This is day 2 of ProBios and a scant tbls. of pumpkin. She really likes the pumpkin. I'll get her an apple tomorrow for variety.

With each litter change there is less and less feces and urates. Her cloaca still has stool in it and it's a little softer. I think that should be a good sign, in case she's having to strain otherwise.

Should I worm her, just in case. There still aren't any overt signs of worms. I just don't want to overwhelm her if I don't have to.

Connie

 

[Eggcessive]

If the layer pellets are very old, I wouldn't use them. Layer contains 4% calcium where starter/grower contains 1%. When I use all flock or starter/grower, I put out oyster shell and egg shells for free feeding, but I see that you are offering that already. When she is strong enough and can tolerate it, worming her with Valbazen 1/2 ml orally, then repeat in 10 days. It gets all chicken worms.

 

[SassysMom]

If the layer pellets are very old, I wouldn't use them. Layer contains 4% calcium where starter/grower contains 1%. When I use all flock or starter/grower, I put out oyster shell and egg shells for free feeding, but I see that you are offering that already. When she is strong enough and can tolerate it, worming her with Valbazen 1/2 ml orally, then repeat in 10 days. It gets all chicken worms.

We go through a bag of 50 lb layer pellets about every 10 days-2wks, so it doesn't have a chance to get old (I still check it as it's coming out of the bag, though) We've been using the same brand for so long that I just haven't read the ingredients lately.

What would I look for in Rosie's behavior to know she's strong enough to tolerate a worming? I'll order it now so I have it when she's ready. I have to say, from the outside, she looks better than she has in a couple of months. She's turning out to be a very dark red and she's well feathered even now (despite the mess of her back-end). And, she has grown quite a bit in the last month. She seemed so small for such a long time. I wash washing off her feathers/cloaca tonight and she is very sensitive back there. Not surprising. Otherwise, she has no problem being picked up and carried around.

Thank you for laying out all this information. It's really very helpful.

 

[SassysMom]

Update on Rosie with a Twist ---

I'm happy to say that Rosie is healing. I'm not willing to put her outside, yet. Seattle winter has settled in and the temps are between 40-60F, but the wind and pouring rain are miserable right now. Her stools are soft, but not runny anymore, and even the soft ones have little caps on them. The litter in her crate has less and less messy and wet and she's just chattering away. When I let her out (in our laundry room, she stretches, flaps her wings, talks up a storm and is currently eying the different places she can fly up to to roost. Worms are cleared out, and eating and drinking aren't any problem.

however...
THIS is a problem to me...I have not been able to feel her crop. I check it every few hours b/c I can't figure out how she can exist without eating, then digesting her food over the day and evening. She's not losing weight, but has anyone ever heard of this? She's doing so well otherwise.

Any info is welcome

Connie

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm glad to hear that Rosie is doing well, and is enjoying her life in the house. Her crop should be fullest in the evening. Even with my slimmer birds I can feel a little food in the crop. As long as she is gaining weight, and not eating too many treats then I wouldn't worry. A good layer feed with some scrambled egg now and then should be good. My hens love it when I put water in their feed and stir it into an oatmeal consistency. Keep us updated on her.

 

[SassysMom]

I'm glad to hear that Rosie is doing well, and is enjoying her life in the house. Her crop should be fullest in the evening. Even with my slimmer birds I can feel a little food in the crop. As long as she is gaining weight, and not eating too many treats then I wouldn't worry. A good layer feed with some scrambled egg now and then should be good. My hens love it when I put water in their feed and stir it into an oatmeal consistency. Keep us updated on her.

Thanks, Eggcessive. I'm pleased with her progress. Sometimes she likes the mash, other days she just wants dry. She's great at picking through her food to see if there's something special in it. No, she hasn't had any treats through this ordeal. I can walk my fingers down her neck then down her breastbone w/o feeling anything else day or night. Baffling. She's not really gaining weight, but she's not losing any either. She may never leave the house --- she's developed quite a personality, loves the attention, and doesn't seem to be searching for her flock