Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[ladyrsanti]

She's got a pile of meal worms in front of her that she hasn't touched all day. *shrug*

 

[hickchick55]

I've got a hen that's not eating. Frustrating. She just stands around, follows the flock in and out of the coop but lags behind a bit. She's drinking, I witnessed her drinking. Pooping liquid which makes sense since she's not eating. I separated her so I could observe her but nothing's changed so far. Hasn't touched the food I gave her. Everything feels okay. Crop is normal, rear end is messy but she's so stinking fluffy that this is normal for her. Vent looks normal. Tail is down now that she's out of the coop and away from her buddies. She's been like this all week. No worse, no better. *sigh*

Lady- When I had a chicken acting like that I think she had egg periodontitis. I hope that is not what yours has, as I finally had to put her down. Good luck.

 

[SillyChicken]

isn't that an issue with teeth and gums? Wouldn't hurt to check her mouth for sores or abscesses.

What about being egg bound? Is she laying eggs?

 

[Totalcolour]

Got some new babies in the mail this morning! 5 serama, 3 of which are frizzled, 1 swedish flower hen and 1 black isbar!

Okay, second look, it's NOT a candle in there with them!

 

[Totalcolour]

Hmm, I can't remember but wasn't it Mom2 who had the Uggos? I want some. Haven't seen her on here for a while. I NEED some Uggos. Got to find a source, ort I'll go mad. Any help out there?!?!?!

(mom to em all)

 

[ladyrsanti]

isn't that an issue with teeth and gums? Wouldn't hurt to check her mouth for sores or abscesses.

What about being egg bound? Is she laying eggs?

Her mouth is fine, I had checked that too. No noticeable congestion or runny nose. No breathing issues. Comb and waddles are fine. She only started laying within the last month or so, the last of my pullets to start but I'm only getting 2-3 eggs a day now for my 11 hens so I can't really expect her to be laying.

I ended up taking her back out to the coop this afternoon after cleaning her rear. I trimmed the feathers around her vent because it was caked on a bit. Palpitating the cavity behind her rib cage and all seemed fine, no lumps or masses that I could feel while being semi-gentle about it. As far as I can tell she's just wasting.

 

[HooverHenHouse]

You know you love your chickens when you bring out a lawn chair and let them have supervised play time in the middle of winter.

Granted it is 50 degrees out...but I will not let that darn hawk take another chicken.

 

[RBahmer]

Her mouth is fine, I had checked that too. No noticeable congestion or runny nose. No breathing issues. Comb and waddles are fine. She only started laying within the last month or so, the last of my pullets to start but I'm only getting 2-3 eggs a day now for my 11 hens so I can't really expect her to be laying.

I ended up taking her back out to the coop this afternoon after cleaning her rear. I trimmed the feathers around her vent because it was caked on a bit. Palpitating the cavity behind her rib cage and all seemed fine, no lumps or masses that I could feel while being semi-gentle about it. As far as I can tell she's just wasting.

I have a Calico Cochin hen that is doing the same thing. Nothing apparent that I can tell is wrong, no respritory issues, just not eating and standing around.

 

[Ferrret]

I know I don't post often, but ladyrsanti's chicken issue struck me as familiar.

I had a Maran pullet, the only one that didn't lay, do something similar last year. She started out lagging behind the group, then gradually lost interest in treats and food, didn't move far from the coop and eventually just laid in the yard all day. She spent a lot of time with her tail tucked down whenever she was up and moving.
I tried isolating and feeding her, and for a day or two she'd get better, but then go right back to being listless. I spent well over a month going back and forth with her until one evening I found her slumped over at the end of the coop ramp. I thought she'd died, but when I moved her she fluttered a bit, so I brought her in to warm her up and see if she'd recover.
By morning she wasn't any better and BF and I decided that it was for the best to cull her.

She showed no signs of respiratory problems, no lumps, her comb only became pale when she stopped moving around, other than becoming so despondent she didn't appear to have any issues.
I have no idea what it was, if she had an illness I am unaware of or if she simply lost the will to live. None of my other birds appeared to 'contract' whatever that Maran had either.

I hope that your hen has not fallen into the same thing.

 

[Scifisarah]

I got attacked today by the neighbors rooster. I was walking a few of his girls back in the dark, they had come over to visit, they had heard me whistling for my birds to come down off the roost and get some mac and cheese. Anyway, I am walking them home and their freaking stud cakes rear attacked me. I have a cut on my lower calf, and one on my ankle just above where my shoe sits. I tell you, I kicked that crap out of that boy as gently and firmly as I could, but he would not stop! I finally caught him between my legs, which could lead to a whole slew of umm... jokes. SO there I stand, a rooster stuck between my knees, a bag of suet in my one hand... I put the bag between my teeth, reached down grabbed the ratturd's feet, held him upside down only for a second so I could shift him around and tucked his @$$ under my arm. Everytime he tired to squirm free, I held him tighter. Carl told me I should have kicked him more, but I was like, DUDE, I kicked him 4 times and he still kept coming. I held him for about 10 minutes while I was talking to Carl. Carl says he's going to get rid of him, because he'll be fine, won't attack anybody, then all of the sudden he attacks only when your back is turned. I told him when if he wanted a nice rooster, let me know, I'll be working on faverolles this spring, I'll give him a pair, a boy and a girl. He said, well they all get mean at about 2 years. I said, NO they don't. Mr. Fluffers was nearly 4, and he never attacked any one. Roger was a year and a half, he never attacked anyone. Depends on the breed, and with his being a factory columbian wyandotte, and not a good quality one either... they aren't bred for niceness... I told him he needs a nice fat cochin boy or a faverolle. OR keep one of his older hens, even if she's stopped laying as his head hen.. she'll keep them in line then...

RaZ, I do not envy you the task you have. Nope.

UGH! Appendix... glad you guys were on time getting it taken care of. My nephew was at his step mama's and he starte having problems, and she didn't feel like taking him to emergency. My sister drove down to LaGrange to get him, from Holland, and took him to ER... Emergency surgery. The step mom said she though he was just being dramatic. Man was my sister p-oed.

Bahaha! I know I am way behind, but this gave me a laugh. Maybe you should introduce him to Pat? I doubt he will ever draw blood from anyone.