Large abdomen - The final chapter...

[vantain]

When she takes calcium, does she tend to get the problem with her crop? If her crop becomes full and firm again after calcium, I would skip it in the future, since the calcium does not seem to make a difference in her egg shells. Calcium has a tendency to slow down the intestinal tract, at least in humans.

Good to know..I'll stop for sure.

I keep hearing people talking about worming. Is that even something I should consider for my flock? I have never done it, they are 1 year old.

 

[vantain]

Good to know..I'll stop for sure.

I keep hearing people talking about worming. Is that even something I should consider for my flock? I have never done it, they are 1 year old.

Is there anything I should consider giving to her, either as food or an additive? She is currently eating layer feed with the others, and has free choice grit and oyster shell available all the time.

 

[Eggcessive]

In colder climates such as yours, worming may only need to be done once a year. But worming does not harm them, and many have the droppings checked by a vet to look for egg larvae. Only large roundworms are easy to see without a microscope, but roundworm larvae or other poultry worms may not be seen with the eyes. Valbazen or SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer are common ones that treat most of the common worms. Valbazen is more expensive, but the bottle treats more. Safguard is less, but adequate for mist flocks. Valbazen dosage is 0.08 ml per pound (around 1/2 ml for a 6 pound hen, given orally once and repeated in 10 days. Safeguard dosage is 1/4 ml per pound for 5 straight days to treat difficult worms, such as capillary or gapeworms. Or treat once and and in 10 days for more common worms.

 

[vantain]

In colder climates such as yours, worming may only need to be done once a year. But worming does not harm them, and many have the droppings checked by a vet to look for egg larvae. Only large roundworms are easy to see without a microscope, but roundworm larvae or other poultry worms may not be seen with the eyes. Valbazen or SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer are common ones that treat most of the common worms. Valbazen is more expensive, but the bottle treats more. Safguard is less, but adequate for mist flocks. Valbazen dosage is 0.08 ml per pound (around 1/2 ml for a 6 pound hen, given orally once and repeated in 10 days. Safeguard dosage is 1/4 ml per pound for 5 straight days to treat difficult worms, such as capillary or gapeworms. Or treat once and and in 10 days for more common worms.

Is that a dosage per chicken, or is this something I can simply put in their water?

 

[vantain]

Is that a dosage per chicken, or is this something I can simply put in their water?

never mind..it's per chicken. I have not had much luck giving things orally using a syringe. They don't play nicely for that. For the hen with the problems, I gave here the baytril with food, which she normally ate all of.

 

[vantain]

Today she was ok till late afternoon. I fed her some of her normal feed, mixed with some other grains, and she gobbled that up. She will still take meal worms with gusto, if offered, even when she appears to be lethargic.

I let them all out of the run today, supervised, to spend some time free ranging in the yard. She came out for a bit, then went back into the run and stayed there.

After they were all back in the run, i gave them some fresh water, and Merry May drank quite a bit. She then went back to standing in the corner.

I think I’m getting closer to having to end this. I just want to be sure she is at that point where the bad days area greater than the good days. She is still on her feet, and enjoys being held. But I think she is really starting to deteriorate.

 

[BugStalker]

I've tried formulas with magnesium complex, vitamin C, and sometimes zinc with the calcium/D3 in similar cases, but don't know what's best, exactly.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that it looks like the end may be coming soon. I usually don’t end things until they stop eating, don’t enjoy your interaction, or if they begin to be pecked by other chickens in the flock. Will you do a necropsy yourself to look for what was wrong, or have one done by your state vet? Wish she was feleling better.

 

[BugStalker]

I am wondering if a hen I just lost that tended to be low in calcium had a scirrhous reaction going on (from cancer) which basically took the calcium as it was absorbed. I think there are other kinds of calcifications as well, though I don't really know what I'm talking about, or if it would be helpful. I wish you the best.

 

[vantain]

In colder climates such as yours, worming may only need to be done once a year. But worming does not harm them, and many have the droppings checked by a vet to look for egg larvae. Only large roundworms are easy to see without a microscope, but roundworm larvae or other poultry worms may not be seen with the eyes. Valbazen or SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer are common ones that treat most of the common worms. Valbazen is more expensive, but the bottle treats more. Safguard is less, but adequate for mist flocks. Valbazen dosage is 0.08 ml per pound (around 1/2 ml for a 6 pound hen, given orally once and repeated in 10 days. Safeguard dosage is 1/4 ml per pound for 5 straight days to treat difficult worms, such as capillary or gapeworms. Or treat once and and in 10 days for more common worms.

I got safeguard and gave that to them. Figured it can’t hurt, and just maybe might help.

She is doing better today, after passing another egg membrane and loose yolk and albumin. I didn’t get out to the coop soon enough this morning, and the others were chowing down on it.