Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Brennigan]

Hi, everyone! I think yesterday's heat wave might've gotten to my six-year old chicken. Last night, she was panting and wouldn't sit down on the roost (she'd stand and just tuck her tail down). She's had watery poops with a little solid all day / night and today she is not her normal self. Kinda lethargic and quiet, but still eating scrambled eggs and black seed though. She laid an egg yesterday, her vent looks fine, her comb is perfectly colored, and I checked under her wings for mites. She tried jumping directly to the roost last night and missed, but when I touch her, she doesn't wince or act hurt. Could this be from the heat? Can she recover? Its cooler today, so I'm just letting her sit under her favorite shade tree and checking on her every few hours. I gave her the option of water with electrolytes, but she hasn't touched it yet.

 

[aart]

Could this be from the heat? Can she recover?

Yes, and Yes.
Get some electrolytes into her pronto...give some to the whole flock.

Deep all day shade is best but....

I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

 

[Brennigan]

She won’t willingly drink on her own. Do I need to syringe it to her? I brought her inside because I didn’t know what else to do.

Yes, and Yes.
Get some electrolytes into her pronto...give some to the whole flock.

Deep all day shade is best but....

I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

 

[aart]

She won’t willingly drink on her own. Do I need to syringe it to her? I brought her inside because I didn’t know what else to do.

Had hen suffer heat exhaustion/stroke one summer, she was standing stock still and let me walk right up to her(not at all normal for this bird). I determined she could not see out of one eye at all and the other was dicey. I started hydrating her with Qtip soaked in Sav-a-Chik solution held against the side of her beak, had to rub under her beak and the front of her neck to get her to swallow at first. Did this until she got too stressed, about 10 minutes, put her in a cage with a fan nearby to rest. Repeated this about every hour for half the day until she would drink out of a cup held in front of her.


I would be very careful with a syringe.
This should help you not drown her:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Brennigan]

THANK YOU for all the advice! I've just been using the syringe to put the liquid ON her beak (not in her mouth) and letting her swallow on her own. She's breathing a little better since I brought her inside and is pecking a little at the food. I think maybe I'll put her back outside once the sun has gone down if she's doing better.

Had hen suffer heat exhaustion/stroke one summer, she was standing stock still and let me walk right up to her(not at all normal for this bird). I determined she could not see out of one eye at all and the other was dicey. I started hydrating her with Qtip soaked in Sav-a-Chik solution held against the side of her beak, had to rub under her beak and the front of her neck to get her to swallow at first. Did this until she got too stressed, about 10 minutes, put her in a cage with a fan nearby to rest. Repeated this about every hour for half the day until she would drink out of a cup held in front of her.


I would be very careful with a syringe.
This should help you not drown her:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Brennigan]

This is new, she wasn’t doing this earlier. after I gave her the first round of electrolytes, her tail perked up and she ate some food (leftover grower from my latest batch of chicks). You don’t think it’s the food, do you? They’ve been eating it now for two weeks after someone said I could put the whole flock on it until it runs out. Link to 10 second video here:: Chicken open mouth

Had hen suffer heat exhaustion/stroke one summer, she was standing stock still and let me walk right up to her(not at all normal for this bird). I determined she could not see out of one eye at all and the other was dicey. I started hydrating her with Qtip soaked in Sav-a-Chik solution held against the side of her beak, had to rub under her beak and the front of her neck to get her to swallow at first. Did this until she got too stressed, about 10 minutes, put her in a cage with a fan nearby to rest. Repeated this about every hour for half the day until she would drink out of a cup held in front of her.


I would be very careful with a syringe.
This should help you not drown her:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[aart]

letting her swallow on her own

Will she drink on her own?

You don’t think it’s the food, do you?

I wouldn't think so, unless it's really old and might be moldy.
What's the manufacturing date on the bag and how was it stored?
MFG date should be on tag sewn into bottom of bag, or printed on the sew strip.

Link to 10 second video here:: Chicken open mouth

That looks to be a 'gasp' rather than 'panting'.
Hopefully she didn't aspirate any of the liquid.

 

[RaZ]

Heat wave came on pretty quick. Animals didn't have any time to adjust. Fortunately, my coop is in the woods and shaded. I've let them free range since I was off work and could keep an eye on them. They split their time in shade under the pine trees, and dust bathed in the full sun.
I'm liking this warmth. 90 degrees for the last 3 days. The only downside is that everything is so dry and dusty. I had to water the garden. Maybe we will get some rain in the next 2 days. That's what the radio weather report says. I'll believe it if it happens.

 

[Brennigan]

That looks to be a 'gasp' rather than 'panting'.
Hopefully she didn't aspirate any of the liquid.

She isn’t doing that anymore, thank goodness. She might have just been adjusting something? She’s a little more chatty and finally drank some on her own from her dish! That is improvement to me! I am keeping her inside tonight and have been giving her a little Greek yogurt and scrambled eggs if she’ll eat. I’ve never had anything like this happen since starting chickens six years ago, so THANK YOU for replying and walking me through things. I’ve been a mess today!

 

[aart]

I'm liking this warmth. 90 degrees for the last 3 days.

UHG!!! I hate it makes me sick with no AC for any relief.

I did the whole EL and ice blocks for the birds.
And scrambled to get some shade up, winter baffles down, and the coop fan installed.