Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Scifisarah]

Aaaaaaannnnnddd, also, hey, how about kitty litter? It's getting pretty hard these days to shovel myself more sand when I need it for the poop board, could I use and compost kitty litter on it until the sand is not solid ice? no idea if you can compost kitty litter.

<3 to you all!

Not sure if someone else chimed in yet, but I would stay clear of clay or clumping kitty litter. When I left for college my mom just dumped the cat box out the window, rather than throwing it away like she should. She still just dumps stuff like that and the vacuum contents out the window. Drives me crazy! Anyway....my family's pet african goose thought it was a treat, ate a bunch and died of a compacted crop.

 

[hickchick55]

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 might have the name wrong, but it is when the yolk goes the "wrong way" and causes problems, much as being egg bound. I found the info here last summer when I was having the problem, but don't seem to find it now in a quick look.

 

[ladyrsanti]

Yeah, I have better luck searching google to find things in this forum nowadays.

 

[1muttsfan]

Ferret, it sounds like your hen had heart trouble.

Internal laying is when the yolks enter the abdominal cavity instead of the oviduct.

 

[snowflake]

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 l

have you wormed? parasites can do this Mareks can also act this way in slightly older hens, 3 to 8 mo paralysis can be slow or affect the throat so they can not eat. or swallow

 

[ladyrsanti]

This thread is a good read, and has lots of links to follow for more info: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/684913/egg-bound-chicken-or-what

Found it on google. For some reason the internal search engine brings up squat for me.

 

[NovaAman]

Speaking of internal laying, both my SLW's had that happen... Horrible thing for such young birds... The GLW was showing those same signs, but after reading some information about another problem it could actually be, and a different round of antibiotics, my GLW is back to normal like nothing was ever wrong. She hasn't started laying again yet, but she's no longer in the garage under the heat lamp, she's back in the coop with everyone else. She poopy butt is cleared up and YEAH! She's looking good. I would have missed having dottes in the yard.. They are just visually stunning!

Anyway, after a round of tylan 50, with NO SUCCESS, I ended up using albon from the vet, since it is not only for cocci, but also for different respiratory illnesses. One of fuzzy's links led me in the right direction, and Bader and I decided to treat for IB since one of the symptoms of that is developing something that looks akin to EYP, but it isn't EYP. Now I wonder if maybe the SLW's may have had this as a problem and not EYP...

Just a thought...

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Hmm. found this to buy it, sounds like a good one to have in the emergency chest
http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/poultry-products/poultry-medications/545-albon-powder-sulfadimthoxine

 

[Ferrret]

Ferret, it sounds like your hen had heart trouble.

Hm. In the event I have another chicken with similar issues, is there any way to determine the cause of heart troubles or any treatment beyond culling?
Attempting to care for her was distressing for me and I imagine for her as well. If there's something I can do early on, I'd like to at least try before her time comes.

 

[Stacykins]

Not 100% sure yet, but I am thinking of selling a trio of young Araucanas.

The cockerel is a rumpless and double tufted lad, blue with gold leakage.


This girl, columbian, is also rumpless and double tufted.


The last girl, I don't have any direct pictures of her. She is the blue girl in these shots. Cleanfaced and tailed, but if bred to the above laddie, might produce some nice chicks!


Another picture of the blue girl, but she hadn't been the focus of the picture. The splash rooster is her father.