- Nov 24, 2009
- 5
- 0
- 7
Hello. This forum has been priceless to us as this is our first experience with chickens. We will do ALL we can for them because we love them and they produce eggs for us. Chicken-friendly vets are few and far between, far away, and expensive. Often, I have found, issues can be identified and treated with homeopathic means. That was the case for my rooster w/ scaly leg mites, which was scary, but this - this is horrible. I really think my hen is very sick and I don't know if I am helping her!!! I cut and pasted the questions I should answer from the guidelines sticky, so here goes:
1) Silver-Laced Wyandotte, 7 months old, looks normal weight, but feels very light when picked up, and feels "bony" through feathers.
2) For about 4-5 days, when my husband was going out after dark to shut the hatch to the coop from the run, she would be alone on the outdoor perch, huddled against the wall (winter in Maine!). He would pick her up and put her inside, and she'd roost with the rest (plenty of room). Then, the day before yesterday, he was giving them bread treats in the morning, and she was not interested, which is REALLY odd because those guys LOVE bread. So he separated her while I searched this site, and figured she either was egg-bound or had a crop issue. I brought her inside, in a cat-carrier with a towel inside. When I took her out of the carrier, (backed her out, tail higher than head), she spewed vomit, the smell of which nearly caused me to vomit (I was nauseous all day from it, because the smell took a long time to go away after cleaning). It was mostly clear, a little whitish-cloudy, no chunks, "watery". I felt her lower body, no "egg" felt inside, then I felt her crop, and, not knowing what a normal crop feels like (I never felt one before that), it did feel a little "poofy" and "squishy", no hard object felt at all. Smaller than a golf ball. Her breath was BAAAD. I was so startled by her vomiting that I brought her back upright to look at her, and I think she may have inhaled a little vomit. She is very rarely "wheezy" sounding - perhaps that is the cause? I let her sleep the night in the cage upstairs, where it is quiet and warm. The next morning, I tried a few things. My husband wrapped her in a towel, we stood in the bathtub, and I put a dropper on veg oil into her throat (careful not to go in her trachea), then massaged her crop. Then, I put baking soda and warm water together, and used a syringe and a little tube, and got about 5cc's in her. Then Marcel flipped her upside down and I massaged her crop a while. She did not bring anything up but burped a couple of those STINKY smelling burps. I put her in her cage with new towel, water with apple cider vinegar and a little plain yogurt. I gave her a little off my fingers first. She slept well through the night, although she definitely had alot of diarrhea after the flush. This morning she was alert, and I let her out the case and she walked around the bedroom a little, and was checking things out, which was encouraging. Her wings look a little droopy today, she has fine balance, but also her facial "skin" and comb look paler to me. I soaked bread in milk and yogurt until mushy. She took only two small chunks, plus a little bit of plain yogurt, mostly off our fingers. She vigorously wiped her beak on the floor after eating this. She vocally responds to me with little chirps.
3) No bleeding, outward signs or knowledge of trauma. No changes other than weather, plenty food, water, oyster shell, bread for treats, chickens give good production, have lamp that turns on to give extra light in coop. All get along well, inc. the two guineas, all raised together since day 1.
4) Her poop is diarrhea - very copious, runny and watery, especially after the flushing. Smells strong of diarrhea, clear, w/ whitish parts (which dries like reg. urates), and yellowish (yolk-ish??) parts. No green, she did not lay any eggs during this time.
5) A vet I called thought it is "crop stasis" and basically said to keep doing what I am - yogurt, etc. - and that's the best I can do.
6) She is in a cat carrier with a towel, with the before-mentioned food and ACV water. Darkened room so she can relax.
Am I missing anything? Is there anyone with experience in this problem that can give me any pointers? Does she sound like she is in recovery? Or is she taking a turn for the worse? I wish these guys could talk and tell me how they feel! Any help would be SO VERY appreciated! Thank you for your time and help....
Sincerely,
CarlaRose
1) Silver-Laced Wyandotte, 7 months old, looks normal weight, but feels very light when picked up, and feels "bony" through feathers.
2) For about 4-5 days, when my husband was going out after dark to shut the hatch to the coop from the run, she would be alone on the outdoor perch, huddled against the wall (winter in Maine!). He would pick her up and put her inside, and she'd roost with the rest (plenty of room). Then, the day before yesterday, he was giving them bread treats in the morning, and she was not interested, which is REALLY odd because those guys LOVE bread. So he separated her while I searched this site, and figured she either was egg-bound or had a crop issue. I brought her inside, in a cat-carrier with a towel inside. When I took her out of the carrier, (backed her out, tail higher than head), she spewed vomit, the smell of which nearly caused me to vomit (I was nauseous all day from it, because the smell took a long time to go away after cleaning). It was mostly clear, a little whitish-cloudy, no chunks, "watery". I felt her lower body, no "egg" felt inside, then I felt her crop, and, not knowing what a normal crop feels like (I never felt one before that), it did feel a little "poofy" and "squishy", no hard object felt at all. Smaller than a golf ball. Her breath was BAAAD. I was so startled by her vomiting that I brought her back upright to look at her, and I think she may have inhaled a little vomit. She is very rarely "wheezy" sounding - perhaps that is the cause? I let her sleep the night in the cage upstairs, where it is quiet and warm. The next morning, I tried a few things. My husband wrapped her in a towel, we stood in the bathtub, and I put a dropper on veg oil into her throat (careful not to go in her trachea), then massaged her crop. Then, I put baking soda and warm water together, and used a syringe and a little tube, and got about 5cc's in her. Then Marcel flipped her upside down and I massaged her crop a while. She did not bring anything up but burped a couple of those STINKY smelling burps. I put her in her cage with new towel, water with apple cider vinegar and a little plain yogurt. I gave her a little off my fingers first. She slept well through the night, although she definitely had alot of diarrhea after the flush. This morning she was alert, and I let her out the case and she walked around the bedroom a little, and was checking things out, which was encouraging. Her wings look a little droopy today, she has fine balance, but also her facial "skin" and comb look paler to me. I soaked bread in milk and yogurt until mushy. She took only two small chunks, plus a little bit of plain yogurt, mostly off our fingers. She vigorously wiped her beak on the floor after eating this. She vocally responds to me with little chirps.
3) No bleeding, outward signs or knowledge of trauma. No changes other than weather, plenty food, water, oyster shell, bread for treats, chickens give good production, have lamp that turns on to give extra light in coop. All get along well, inc. the two guineas, all raised together since day 1.
4) Her poop is diarrhea - very copious, runny and watery, especially after the flushing. Smells strong of diarrhea, clear, w/ whitish parts (which dries like reg. urates), and yellowish (yolk-ish??) parts. No green, she did not lay any eggs during this time.
5) A vet I called thought it is "crop stasis" and basically said to keep doing what I am - yogurt, etc. - and that's the best I can do.
6) She is in a cat carrier with a towel, with the before-mentioned food and ACV water. Darkened room so she can relax.
Am I missing anything? Is there anyone with experience in this problem that can give me any pointers? Does she sound like she is in recovery? Or is she taking a turn for the worse? I wish these guys could talk and tell me how they feel! Any help would be SO VERY appreciated! Thank you for your time and help....
Sincerely,
CarlaRose
