High cal foods? Related to Olivia is sick thread

[LynneP]

Just stopping by, to see how your Olivia is doing...

 

[pawsplus]

She's MUCH MUCH better!! Up and acting perfectly normally. Not eating as much as I'd like, but eating SOME -- the mealworms were a great idea, and she eats those really well. She's also eating greens, whole wheat pasta w/ calcium, and I think a little layer pellets. She wasn't at all interested in the egg, oddly, but I popped some pieces of scrambled down her anyway.

I talked to the vet on Sat. and he said, re: her so-so appetite and loose poops, that all that is probably due to the antibiotics. He says he finds in cases like this that they get better to a point and then plateau, but that once they're off the abios the appetite returns. But that I need to keep her on the abios b/c if it IS egg yolk peritonitis, she'll go back downhill if she doesn't get the full course.

So I plan to keep her inside until the abios are done. I don't think I can get the pill down her if she's in the coop, esp. b/c Clarice (Head Honcho Hen) is very protective of Olivia and will probably attack me if she thinks I'm attacking Olivia (which is pretty much what pilling her looks like!). I'm also concerned about her having to expend cals to stay warm, and I'm also worried that she may get treated like the new chicken after her absence.

So my plan is that when it warms up at the end of the week, I'll put her out w/ them during the day (assuming they don't hassle her), and bring her in at night. Then I can give her the pill and make sure she gets some special food before putting her out for the day.

She's got a nice setup inside -- I paved the floor of my storage room with papers so she has the whole thing. She's about as happy as it's possible for her to be, given that she's not w/ her flock!

 

[MoodyChicken]

Glad to hear shes doing better!

Her flockmates will remember her for 2 weeks, then she'll be treated as a new chicken. You could put her cage in the coop, that way she won't be hurt but she can still see her buddies.

 

[pawsplus]

I'll get her out there w/ them as soon as it warms up, then, at least during the day. I'd rather not have to leave her in the crate -- it's a big dog crate, but it's still small and that's no life. It's cold today but is supposed to be 55F on Wed, so I'll try it then.

 

[chickenlady]

You can also make some chopped hamburger meat for her, my birds LOVE it. sometimes I boil it, mostly i just fry it up in a pan, mince it real small and they go crazy. Glad she is doing better for you.

 

[pawsplus]

Quote:
Huh, really? What about raw? Wouldn't that be more natural? My dogs eat raw meat and one eats hamburger b/c she is 10 and refuses to transition to tearing off chunks of things, LOL, so I have lovely grass-fed, free-range hamburger.

 

[chickenlady]

I've never given it raw for fear of illness. I always cook it first. I just know it is high in protein and fat.

 

[MoodyChicken]

My friend's fed raw hamburger meat for years and no problems. I wouldn't recommend it though... parasites could be in that thar meat! :O Cook it medium rare... mm mm good for those birdies.

 

[pawsplus]

Quote:
Dogs and cats are MORE than equipped to handle any parasites (which are extremly unlikely in US beef anyway), and I suspect chickens are as well. Cooking it takes all the goodness out of it. I'll try raw first.

 

[pawsplus]

NEW QUERY: Any suggestions to help w/ Olivia's loose poos? Vet says caused by abios, which I am sure is correct, and she's getting yogurt w/ added acidophilus forcefed before the pill goes down.

Any other suggestions for helping w/ this? I want her to get ALL the nutrition she can and the loose poo isn't helping there.