Hi all sorry for the long post but could do with some advice,
My gold laced orpington started to look a little removed for the others a week ago today and was quite happy to stay in her shady spot in the garden even though the others had moved to another location, I put it down to having very hot weather at the time which is not all that common here in the UK. (we did give her underbelly a dunking in the pond to help keep her cool as we do with the others.)
As the next few days passed it was obvious that she was showing no interest in anything and looking for lack of better wording like a wilted flower and having loose watery stools as well, her comb was also more pale tham normal. On Thursday she did not even come out of her bed into the run and only had a half hearted attempt to eat. Sage is not a hen you can normally pick up with ease, however I had no problem in picking her up and putting her in a box to the vet she was like putty in my hands (she never even showed even the slightest sign of concern during the car ride to the vets)
I have to admit I was tearful all the way there. The vet took a fluid sample from Sage's crop which did smell a little sour and she still had corn in her crop from the previous day so it was decided to operate and clear out her crop. Sage was also given an injection of multi vits and a shot of antibiotics. there was nothing of note found in her crop apart from mixed corn. She weighed in at 2.5kg
When I went to collect her the vet said that she had concerns that Sage would last the night as she had not responded as well as they had thought, Well that was me in tears again. I was sent home with X4 2ml of 2.5% Baytril I have to inject once daily under the skin (last one tomorrow) and X5 Metronidazole tablets 200mg 1/2 a tablet to be given twice daily this goes down well with crushed strawberries after trying many different other ways.
She was in a poor state that frist night and I was up all night on chook patrol encrouaging fluid as she would not take it herself unless it was put under her nose. We are now 3 days on and she does appear a little more alert as each day passes and her comb has more colour (we have kept her apart from all the others just incase so she is in a large box in our bedroom) However, she appears more sleepy than normal which may be the medication I guess and she is still not wanting to be stood up for long. I did have her outside today while the others locked in their run and she did perk up for a bit and made a little hen noise which she had not done for days and even walked a little before sitting down and going to sleep. I kept her apart as she is/was top of the pecking order and I do not want her attacked as she is ill, I have X3 broodies who can be aggressive when they are off the nest at present.
Trouble is I cant seem to get her to eat her layers pellets and am concerned that as she has not taken in any grit since he operation even though she has some available and she had only had a little scrambled egg to eat. She was given a mushed up couple of stawberries yesterday and some cherries and she ate them with a passion so I know she must be hungry now. Today I got her some corn on the cobb which is keeping her interest for sure and for good measure I have put in some broccoli. I have acv in her drinking water as normal. Im not sure I can do the tough love thing and only offer layers pellets until she decides to eat. (am I too soft?)
Don't get me wrong I am over the moon that she is eating something but the foods she is eating will on their own not promote a well formed stool, I do not want to put fluid into her only to loose it straight out the other end if you catch my drift.
In my 15 months of keeping chickens this is the first time one has been ill, they have no lice or other bugs on their skin and are in fantastic condition according to the vet. I do worm them with a pellet wormer that you put on top of their food for three days every month and I did say to the vet that you can never tell how much wormer each hen gets.
I will be contacting the vets again tomorrow but still would be very grateful for any advice you may have.
Oh by the way I must share this info..... the vet told me that the Baytrill 2.5% I am injecting Sage with is not licenced on layers in the UK therefore her eggs must be disposed of for a period of a calander month after the last dose given. (just out of interest she is only one of only a handful of vets in the UK who can neutre chickens and chickens are her speciality)
Best wishes
Angie a chook a holic
My gold laced orpington started to look a little removed for the others a week ago today and was quite happy to stay in her shady spot in the garden even though the others had moved to another location, I put it down to having very hot weather at the time which is not all that common here in the UK. (we did give her underbelly a dunking in the pond to help keep her cool as we do with the others.)
As the next few days passed it was obvious that she was showing no interest in anything and looking for lack of better wording like a wilted flower and having loose watery stools as well, her comb was also more pale tham normal. On Thursday she did not even come out of her bed into the run and only had a half hearted attempt to eat. Sage is not a hen you can normally pick up with ease, however I had no problem in picking her up and putting her in a box to the vet she was like putty in my hands (she never even showed even the slightest sign of concern during the car ride to the vets)
I have to admit I was tearful all the way there. The vet took a fluid sample from Sage's crop which did smell a little sour and she still had corn in her crop from the previous day so it was decided to operate and clear out her crop. Sage was also given an injection of multi vits and a shot of antibiotics. there was nothing of note found in her crop apart from mixed corn. She weighed in at 2.5kg
When I went to collect her the vet said that she had concerns that Sage would last the night as she had not responded as well as they had thought, Well that was me in tears again. I was sent home with X4 2ml of 2.5% Baytril I have to inject once daily under the skin (last one tomorrow) and X5 Metronidazole tablets 200mg 1/2 a tablet to be given twice daily this goes down well with crushed strawberries after trying many different other ways.
She was in a poor state that frist night and I was up all night on chook patrol encrouaging fluid as she would not take it herself unless it was put under her nose. We are now 3 days on and she does appear a little more alert as each day passes and her comb has more colour (we have kept her apart from all the others just incase so she is in a large box in our bedroom) However, she appears more sleepy than normal which may be the medication I guess and she is still not wanting to be stood up for long. I did have her outside today while the others locked in their run and she did perk up for a bit and made a little hen noise which she had not done for days and even walked a little before sitting down and going to sleep. I kept her apart as she is/was top of the pecking order and I do not want her attacked as she is ill, I have X3 broodies who can be aggressive when they are off the nest at present.
Trouble is I cant seem to get her to eat her layers pellets and am concerned that as she has not taken in any grit since he operation even though she has some available and she had only had a little scrambled egg to eat. She was given a mushed up couple of stawberries yesterday and some cherries and she ate them with a passion so I know she must be hungry now. Today I got her some corn on the cobb which is keeping her interest for sure and for good measure I have put in some broccoli. I have acv in her drinking water as normal. Im not sure I can do the tough love thing and only offer layers pellets until she decides to eat. (am I too soft?)
Don't get me wrong I am over the moon that she is eating something but the foods she is eating will on their own not promote a well formed stool, I do not want to put fluid into her only to loose it straight out the other end if you catch my drift.
In my 15 months of keeping chickens this is the first time one has been ill, they have no lice or other bugs on their skin and are in fantastic condition according to the vet. I do worm them with a pellet wormer that you put on top of their food for three days every month and I did say to the vet that you can never tell how much wormer each hen gets.
I will be contacting the vets again tomorrow but still would be very grateful for any advice you may have.
Oh by the way I must share this info..... the vet told me that the Baytrill 2.5% I am injecting Sage with is not licenced on layers in the UK therefore her eggs must be disposed of for a period of a calander month after the last dose given. (just out of interest she is only one of only a handful of vets in the UK who can neutre chickens and chickens are her speciality)
Best wishes
Angie a chook a holic
