I think Ellie may be sick- heavy molt, no energy, 1/2 hearted appetite

[bwebb7]

Has Ellie improved?

 

[jjthink]

Thanks for checking

I had thought Ellie's feather dropping was ending but it has picked back up big time and she is a mess. So much bare skin. What isn't bare is porcupine. She does have some feathers but it's just about the most fierce molt I've seen. And it's so cold and miserable out.

Most troubling is that she is now walking sideways half the time as of this afternoon and her right side is giving out some of the time. This happened after a dog attack last December but to my knowledge had healed some months ago after lots of nursing care, meds and time. She healed to where she was doing very well. Not sure why on earth it is happening again now.

Ellie was accepting mealworms but now has stopped that. She did accept a bit of high end wet cat food today and refused yogurt and also refused bread and olive oil. I saw her eat a bit of chicken food. She did eat a blueberry and a bit of blackberry, both organic.

Kept them warm and cozy most of the day and let them stretch and roam for a bit to break up the monotony. Her walking issue was troubling to watch as I can't fathom why it's happening or what to do about it. I am providing heat to the coop so she doesn't have to expend energy keeping warm - I don't think she has it to spare. Started yesterday giving her 3 drops Polyvisol liquid children's vitamins daily.

BJ continues to stay right by her side and she draws great comfort from his loyalty and quiet strength.

Sigh...
JJ

 

[bwebb7]

Be well Ellie.
Take care of her BJ
Do you think a "saddle" would help? I cut one out of fleece (so I wouldn't have to sew) and it fit snug and looked very warm?

 

[raylastanford]

Thanks for this post. I have a couple going through a hard molt right now (not as bad as your girl), and was really getting worried, but it sounds like hiding, and decreased appetite might not be so unusual after all. Do you see lots of new spikes coming? When you pull on the remaining feathers, do they pull out really easily? If you see new growth, that would make me lean toward the molt end. If they pull out easily and no new growth, I would start to wonder about something else like botulism. Is she able to free range to where she could get into a dead animal? Please let us know how she does. And I agree, I'd like to know who said chickens are easy!!!!

 

[jjthink]

bwebb7 wrote:

Do you think a "saddle" would help? I cut one out of fleece (so I wouldn't have to sew) and it fit snug and looked very warm?

- - - jjthink: I have been thinking of doing that tho a little uncertain how to do it - saw a pattern somewhere and then would need to figure the right size. Ellie's issue also is that she is naked in a lot of places other than the back area that a saddle would cover (e.g. her neck - brrr!!!!), though some coverage is definitely better than nothing! For her sake I can't wait till it's back in the 60's on Tuesday (essentially just 30's during this several day northeaster we're in the middle of, though I'm keeping their coop at 60 degrees for her - it matches the normal weather that will return Tuesday). Thanks for your good wishes

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[SpottedCrow]

Oh Crud, Judy!!!
The poor girl...I feel her misery and know Obelisk does too...She started moulting at the end of July. Grew her feathers in and now is doing it all over again...pfft.

I swear it's the stupid weather. Obelisk wasn't too keen on her food, but mine certainly held her interest.

She did a lot of grumbling and had bare spots too especially her neck and didn't want to held, patted or even looked at.

 

[speckledhen]

Molting can be so hard on them, Judy. My best blue Orp hen, Skye, is having a really hard time. I've put her in the little broody pen, which is inside Suede's coop area, with a light over her for warmth and am giving her extra stuff like scrambled eggs with olive oil and yogurt. She was really looking bad yesterday, purplish color to her comb, hunched up in the cold outside, so I decided she needed some extra TLC. Hope Ellie gets through this soon! BTW, I have an Ellie now, too, a Delaware pullet.

 

[jjthink]

Hi Brenda, Cyn,
Yeah, nature can be so mean! You would think molting would happen when it's warmer and not as much a stressor. Go figure. It's really a project to get them through sometimes. I am warming some cat food for Ellie now - not my first choice of protein but was the only thing she would tolerate yesterday and even then, only a bit of it (she turned me down cold when I offered mealworms yogurt, etc., things that worked in the days prior). She hates eggs. And I am officially on her s**t list for the Polyvisol drops - stuff must taste like poison - it sure smells like it!
Hope Obelisk (twice - yeesh! ) and Skye (purplish color to her comb

) will be okay too! Hello from Ellie to Ellie.
JJ

 

[SpottedCrow]

Hi Judy, how is Ellie doing? I could always make her a coat...
have you tried that new Catfood...the appetizers line...Obelisk likes it...