Homemade electrolytes

[MBBuffs]

Would a solution of 2 ounces water, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/8 tsp salt hurt my chicken? She stopped eating and drinking last Friday. I ordered omnivore critical care, but it won’t arrive right away.

 

[alinas2010]

Welcome to the site. Sorry your chicken isn’t feeling well. Here is a link to a homemade electrolyte recipe:

https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2017/02/homemade-electrolyte-recipe-chicks.html

Try gently dipping her beak in it to get her interested or dripping a few drops on her beak so they roll down into her mouth. Have you tried offering her scrambled eggs or wetted down chicken feed?

 

[MBBuffs]

Hi, thank you for your reply. I did try wetting her feed and offered her favorite treats, blueberries. She had no interest in water, food or foraging. She is 5 years old. Would the solution I gave her hurt her or make her more ill? I gave her some already and I’m more worried now.

 

[alinas2010]

Hi, thank you for your reply. I did try wetting her feed and offered her favorite treats, blueberries. She had no interest in water, food or foraging. She is 5 years old. Would the solution I gave her hurt her or make her more ill? I gave her some already and I’m more worried now.

It should not hurt her, if anything it should help her. 5 is getting up there for a chicken, depending on her breed that could be a pretty long life. Sorry she isn’t doing well. Does she have any other symptoms? Did she lay eggs before becoming ill?

 

[MBBuffs]

Hi,
She is a buff Orpington. Online says eight or more years, but maybe that’s incorrect.

She had stopped laying for a while and then started again recently in the past month or so laying eggs, but not every day. About a week ago I found she had slept in her nesting box instead of her perch.

She was herself and eating and drinking normally until last week. She doesn’t want to come out of her house and has been sitting down nearly all day. Not eating or drinking. Sunday night she didn’t move to the upstairs of her house on her own. I moved her.

Thanks for your concern and help. It’s sad to watch and not know what’s best to help her.

 

[alinas2010]

Hi,
She is a buff Orpington. Online says eight or more years, but maybe that’s incorrect.

She had stopped laying for a while and then started again recently in the past month or so laying eggs, but not every day. About a week ago I found she had slept in her nesting box instead of her perch.

She was herself and eating and drinking normally until last week. She doesn’t want to come out of her house and has been sitting down nearly all day. Not eating or drinking. Sunday night she didn’t move to the upstairs of her house on her own. I moved her.

Thanks for your concern and help. It’s sad to watch and not know what’s best to help her.

It’s tough watching them get older, I’m sorry. She is a heritage breed, so she could live a longer life. If you were to consider 8 her max lifespan, then 5 would be getting up to the last half of her lifespan, but she could still have quite a few years, too, hard to say. Sometimes they surprise us and live until 10.

Have you checked her crop? It should be flat first thing in the mornings and if she isn’t eating.

Could she be egg bound or having reproductive issues? When she was laying what were her eggs like? Ever soft or misshapen? How does her abdomen (between her legs) feel? Is it bulgy at all?

 

[NatJ]

About a week ago I found she had slept in her nesting box instead of her perch.

She was herself and eating and drinking normally until last week. She doesn’t want to come out of her house and has been sitting down nearly all day. Not eating or drinking. Sunday night she didn’t move to the upstairs of her house on her own. I moved her.

Any chance she could be broody? That is the most common reason for a hen to stay in the nest at this time of year.

 

[alinas2010]

Any chance she could be broody? That is the most common reason for a hen to stay in the nest at this time of year.

Good thought! My hens have never been broody, I didn’t even think of that!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Would a solution of 2 ounces water, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/8 tsp salt hurt my chicken? She stopped eating and drinking last Friday. I ordered omnivore critical care, but it won’t arrive right away.

Hi, thank you for your reply. I did try wetting her feed and offered her favorite treats, blueberries. She had no interest in water, food or foraging. She is 5 years old. Would the solution I gave her hurt her or make her more ill? I gave her some already and I’m more worried now.

She had stopped laying for a while and then started again recently in the past month or so laying eggs, but not every day. About a week ago I found she had slept in her nesting box instead of her perch.

She was herself and eating and drinking normally until last week. She doesn’t want to come out of her house and has been sitting down nearly all day. Not eating or drinking.

Please post photos of her and her poop.

Is she broody?!!
What's her behavior like, does she fluff up and scream if you move her?

If she's not broody and hasn't laid eggs in a while, I'd start giving her Extra Calcium. Give one Calcium Citrate+D3 tablet once daily for 5 days.

Work on hydration. You Electrolyte recipe is too heavy on the salt and baking soda for the volume of water.

Mix 1tsp sugar, a pinch of salt and pinch of baking soda to 1Cup (8oz) of water.

See that she's drinking well, once hydrated, offer her some wet mushy feed.

 

[MBBuffs]

Thank you for all the quick replies and advice. I went to the local er vet and got the omnivore critical care there instead of waiting on my order from Chewy. I gave her about 15 ml of the mixture while she sat on my lap. I felt her crop and it was squishy. Her eyes kept dozing though and she let me pet her head, something she never allowed before. I put her back in her house while I ran errands and I checked on her when I returned and she had passed away. She was sitting down in her house with her head down.

The critical care didn’t have time to even help her. I hate myself for not getting it to her sooner, maybe it would have helped or maybe it would have made it worse if she had sour crop? or maybe the electrolyte solution I gave her hurt her and made her pass away? I hope I didn’t hurt her in any way.
Macaroni was so beautiful. This is awful. The photo is her on Friday afternoon. She hadn’t eaten that day, but she still had energy to move around. I can’t believe she is gone.

It’s nice to know people care about these little creatures so much and you all are so willing to share your knowledge. I only wish I came here sooner for your help. Thank you.