Maine

[Mainechick168]

That is one of the hardest parts of having a sick bird, - not knowing if they have something contagious that could affect the flock.
I'm glad she is not acting worse, at least.
Mine is staying the same also. No better, no worse. Every time she attempts to fully stand or move, she pants like she ran a marathon. I wonder if she has heart failure. She still likes to eat and look around, she just can't really move.

How long has yours been having issues?

I guess I didn't know I was going to need to basically be pre-vet if I wanted to own chickens! I suppose I better get used to it if I plan on having goats and maybe more.

It is the not knowing whats up that gets to me the most- I don't have an issue doing what I need to do, whether it's cull, treat, isolate, whatever- Maybe there is some need for a full time chicken vet in central Maine...

 

[MustardTiger]

How long has yours been having issues?

I guess I didn't know I was going to need to basically be pre-vet if I wanted to own chickens! I suppose I better get used to it if I plan on having goats and maybe more.

It is the not knowing whats up that gets to me the most- I don't have an issue doing what I need to do, whether it's cull, treat, isolate, whatever- Maybe there is some need for a full time chicken vet in central Maine...

Mainechick... one of mine started doing something similar the other day. I felt her up and it felt a little like impacted crop or sour crop (or what I think that would feel like since I have no real experience) I do know that crop issues can cause lethargy and shaking heads...I gave her some olive oil down the hatch and massaged her crop and she sprung back to life the next day and is fine now. Your issue sounds a tad different, but you never know.

Man chickens aint nothing but trouble!

 

[Mainechick168]

Mainechick... one of mine started doing something similar the other day. I felt her up and it felt a little like impacted crop or sour crop (or what I think that would feel like since I have no real experience) I do know that crop issues can cause lethargy and shaking heads...I gave her some olive oil down the hatch and massaged her crop and she sprung back to life the next day and is fine now. Your issue sounds a tad different, but you never know.

Man chickens aint nothing but trouble!

You got that right! ( trouble!)

I'll check her crop out tomorrow morning. You had one that you suspected had Merek's, right? how did that start out?

 

[buckabucka]

Quote: Mine has only had this problem for 2 days, or at least it didn't get bad enough that I noticed until then. Often, I am in and out in the semi-darkness in the morning. If I work late, DH locks them up.

There is a woman vet who owns chickens that is trying to start a chicken vet consulting service or something. Back in the spring, when I had two very ill chickens, I called the University of Maine asking about a necropsy. That eventually led to the name of a vet who would speak with me for $2/ minute or something. (I just remember trying to talk fast!). She never asked for my name or anything, and I was never billed. It will take some searching in the rubble, but I'll look for her name for you. She never solved my problem, but still, it was somehow reassuring.

 

[buckabucka]

Mainechick, while I was searching through the rubble, DH managed to find the info online!

Go to this website: http://penobscotvet.com/index.php?id=36&sub_id=37 The woman I spoke to is Laura Leighton (scroll down to find her name). Also, if you scroll down to the very bottom of the page, where it says FAQ Poultry, that takes you to a page that talks about the phone consultation service. I didn't find a mention of price anywhere, so you'll want to investigate that.

I was totally overwhelmed with first one, and then very quickly 2 very sick hens last spring. I feared something horrible was spreading through my flock, and I had no clue what, or what to do about it. One hen recovered very slowly. I almost think she was weakened by a serious case of mites, but she was near death for a while, only staying alive by force-feeding. I tried Ivermectin on a whim, having no idea what I was doing. The second died very quickly. She felt flaming hot, and the necropsy showed a reproductive infection.

Now, I try not to worry about a sick hen too much, I just get them out of the flock as soon as I notice, just to be safe. I just hope my hen either lives or dies. I can only take so much of this chicken-in-the-house nursing service, with no sign of improvement or decline!
Best of luck with yours!

 

[Mainechick168]

Mainechick, while I was searching through the rubble, DH managed to find the info online!

Go to this website: http://penobscotvet.com/index.php?id=36&sub_id=37 The woman I spoke to is Laura Leighton (scroll down to find her name). Also, if you scroll down to the very bottom of the page, where it says FAQ Poultry, that takes you to a page that talks about the phone consultation service. I didn't find a mention of price anywhere, so you'll want to investigate that.

I was totally overwhelmed with first one, and then very quickly 2 very sick hens last spring. I feared something horrible was spreading through my flock, and I had no clue what, or what to do about it. One hen recovered very slowly. I almost think she was weakened by a serious case of mites, but she was near death for a while, only staying alive by force-feeding. I tried Ivermectin on a whim, having no idea what I was doing. The second died very quickly. She felt flaming hot, and the necropsy showed a reproductive infection.

Now, I try not to worry about a sick hen too much, I just get them out of the flock as soon as I notice, just to be safe. I just hope my hen either lives or dies. I can only take so much of this chicken-in-the-house nursing service, with no sign of improvement or decline!
Best of luck with yours!

Bucka, Thanks so much for this link! I may not need it this time, but I have a feeling this is going to be a very handy thing to have....

I hear you on the live or die thing- worst case scenario is one that slowly declines...It's hard to decide if they are suffering and if you should put them out of their misery. We had to do this this spring- one of the chicks slowly dwindled- no eating, no drinking- I think we let it go on for almost a week. We decided finally we should help her go- and DH and I both cried like babies. I know we are dealing with livestock here, but when you first realize it's not all rosy ( which I knew already!) and you can cure everything, it's a bit of a shock!

ALso, thank god for this website/ forum. I am super thankful for this Maine thread- It's nice to get advice from fellow mainers, and people that know more about chickens than I do!

 

[MKandtheforce]

They are Marraduna Basque. Good for meat or eggs. I hear they are great egg-layers, and mine are off to a great start, but time will tell if they live up to their reputation.
Most people have the experience of this breed being exceptionally friendly. Mine did hop up on the edge of the brooder constantly as chicks, but after that, I did not find them to be any friendlier than any other breed. I guess my experience is unusual, though.

I think I may have to look a little more at those. I like me some dual-purpose birds!

Do any of you guys know how to spin fiber? I've been toying with the idea of learning. I know how to weave, and I'd like to learn how to knit and/or crochet (could anyone here teach me either?). I know it's not exactly a chicken thing, but hey, it's worth a shot to ask!

 

[snowpetals907]

It's strange.. My Greenfire basque don't want anything to do with me. The skyline basque however jump in my lap and the pullet likes to be pet and carried around. I think it just depends on the individual birds to be honest. Maybe basque are MORE likely to be people oriented ... But definitely not all of them.

 

[MustardTiger]

You got that right! ( trouble!)

I'll check her crop out tomorrow morning. You had one that you suspected had Merek's, right? how did that start out?

Yes, one of mine did have Myrek's. I think I posted a video of her a while back if you can search my posts. That was once it was pretty bad though. At the beginning I think I noticed her walking funny, like she was tripping up on her own feet, she would fall down sometimes, totally just faceplant, then her legs became increasingly splayed out until she could not stand up and was in the splits position. She also started to lose weight. at that point we put her out of her misery. Makes me sad to know I can't get some rare chickens since I have to make sure all my new ones will be vaccinated..

 

[buckabucka]

It's strange.. My Greenfire basque don't want anything to do with me. The skyline basque however jump in my lap and the pullet likes to be pet and carried around. I think it just depends on the individual birds to be honest. Maybe basque are MORE likely to be people oriented ... But definitely not all of them.

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one with Basques that are not super friendly. They're not mean or anything, just more like regualr chickens, but they at least have been my most productive pullets.

I'd like to know more about the Hedemora. Are they good layers, or are they more "yard art"? I'm trying to strike a balance between production, interesting breeds, and variety of eggs colors. I kind of wish I had picked up a couple of leghorn chicks when I was hatching last spring. People are clamoring for fresh eggs and I can't fill orders (nor do we eat many, because we're trying to please customers).