Losing weight and not laying for 1 month

[eggfire]

Resolution-Here are my findings. The local CVS and Walgreen's produced no Nature's Resource CranAssure; however, I was able to find Nature's Bounty Triple Strength Cranberry. I have looked online and the only place I could even get CranAssure was MedExpress.com. When I tried to add it to my cart, the site said it was unavailable. So tonight the girl got the insides of the gel caps squeezed through a garlic press, pressed garlic, grapes, and tiny pieces of walnut....she did get some oatmeal, too. The oatmeal (minimal and cooked to mush) couldn't be helped because that is the only way I could entice her to eat the other things (etc, grape skins, walnut pieces)....at least the things that couldn't be put in her beak with an oral syringe. So, I will give this a go for 5 days. I will keep you posted on my progress, but I have to ask (and please remember I'm new)...how do you put a whole gel cap down into their crop. I keep reading about people who syringe feed and making sure you get the location just right, but she fights me when I try to open her mouth. I kept trying to do that when I was attempting to check her throat. Whenever she does attempt to pick up a piece of something, most times she shakes her head and the piece goes flying. Thanks again for your input. This may be an exercise in futility, but I'm on it.

 

[emjay]

Wow, your scenario sounds just like mine. Sadly, my hen died today. she had been off and in with being sick looking. She stopped laying basically after her moult ended. on the cooler days she would fluff up, so i figured she just hated wintrr, as some daays she was fine.
the last week or so she was more consistent with her being fluffed up and having droopy tail.
she was a viracious eater though when i threw in scrambled eggs , grapes etc.
she would free range with the others and forage.
today i came home to her in her side.
my daughter held her until she died, but she came in as she had bugs all over her, long , fast moving grodies.
i have thought all along it was an internal egg thing , but the bugs threw me off.

I hope you can save your hen, her symptoms sounded so much like my hens.
good luck

 

[eggfire]

I'm so sorry to hear about your hen! I'm expecting mine to not make it, but I still have to try. I have checked her for mites/lice, but I haven't seen anything. I'm getting ready to drag her inside and feed her......

 

[Resolution]

you don't need to break apart any of these items- indeed you want the entire gel cap- an entire clove of raw garlic and several whole grapes- several whole walnut meats- the gizzard is designed to ingest large items- they can swallow a whole mouse - don't worry about the size -within reason) these items need to be whole in order for them to remain in the digestive process long enough to deliver properly- the crop should feel a bit full- that enables the bird to do nothing- all its nutrients are in place - give it that time to heal up= and you just keep repeating the gel cap- ( cranassure is one brand name- its just critical that it be a gel cap and not a dry power) -
she'll pull through if you keep up the treatment- just an internal infection- brought about by hormonal dysfunction thanks to the soybean meal based proteins in the feed young hens are liable to suffer reproductive health issues when their only consistent basis of protein are soybean based- -

 

[eggfire]

Ok...I will keep it going. I know that garlic is nature's antibiotic; however, I'm just not sure how to get those whole items into her. She won't take anything big! She pecked at the gelcap a couple of times, but I knew she wasn't gonna have any of that! How do you get it in there? I'll break them up to at least get them down her for now. Better than nothing. And THANKS again.

 

[wolftracks]

OK don't think I'm crazy, but try soaking a piece of bread with just enough olive oil and ....well a few drops of red wine. I have a hen that my husband had bought for me before he died. She was part of a flock I wanted. All the others seemed fine, but she just wasn't. I gave her the bread with the oil and she pushed it aside. I thought about the red wine and figured she was going to die anyway, what could it hurt.

Chickens are boozers!

She gobbled it down and wanted more. The next day I gave her some and figured I'd give a little to the others just in case since I wasn't sure what was going on.

Chickens are boozers!

There was a party in the pen and coop and my husband was hysterical over me giving them wine.

It did take two days for them to eat bread without it though. After a couple of days my girl was eating and now attends regular AA meetings with the rest of the flock.

 

[Resolution]

Quote:
Be brave! Tuck the items down into the gullet with a confident finger- remember - they can swallow a whole mouse when they are up to it! Don't give up! Just hold the hen between your legs- grasp her head and neck with one hand and hold her beak open with the same hand- stuff the items down into her throat- gently but try not to overthink it- save her life by getting the confidence of a doctor- you can do it! And really, this hen must be kept in a cat carrier or dog carrier away from all other birds- the entire treatment- load up the carrier with shavings or straw-

 

[eggfire]

What a great story, wolftracks! Ever thought of installing a disco ball in your hen house?
Chicken had a horrible day yesterday! You could tell she felt crappy. Today is a different story. She OBVIOUSLY feels better. The roller coaster behavior is sooo frustrating.....geez

 

[ChristineDown]

Oh this story is very much like my araucana. She's been about 10 days without eating properly and i am handfeeding every day now. She's very thin and i have treated her for most things. Not Cocci yet but i am unsure if i should treat her with this if she hasn't got it. I've got coxoid coming tomorrow.

 

[eggfire]

I did it!!!! I got a garlic clove down her gullet!!! I even got the gelcap down her throat. I am so excited. Not to mention, she had a good day today. I am beginning to think there may be a crop problem here, too. Her crop feels "doughy." I compared it to the other girls, and her's is definitely different. I am just not sure if it's different because she is sooo skinny. I'm gonna keep crop massaging...just in case.
Christine- Good luck with your girl. The only thing I can say about Corid is that I think it may have caused an egg laying issue with another one of my Americaunas. It took a long time before she started laying again...and sometimes she lays soft shells. ICK! Keep us posted.