Minnesota!

[The BlanchRanch]

Sad news... My dear old cluck LuLu passed away at the old age of 5½ years old. She passed away last night on the nest. She must not have had enough feathers to stay warm since she just started molting.

Sorry Holm!! 5 1/2 years is a long time.

 

[The BlanchRanch]

it isn't anything serious, LaLa. Maybe she was jealous of Goldie?

 

[Cluckies]

Well, I put away the little heated waterer and kennel cage too soon. Goldie is fine, but I came home to find a 2 year old buff orpington nesting/roosting in the hatchway to the coop.

She can't stand. I popped her in on a clean bed of hay in the corner. Tomorrow when it is light out I will take a look and see - I am amazed she was able to make it into the coop since it involves a good jump up and a long ramp. Poor girl!

I am guessing she sprained something? Didn't really do a good inspection, she is calm and in the dark with just my cell phone for light....it will wait til morning especially since likely there is nothing I can do anyway. I did see there was no blood, no obvious injuries to her legs or feet. Darn it, I just finished with Goldie.

Oh no! when it rains it pours. I sure hope it is nothing serious!

 

[Minniechickmama]

@holm23 I am sorry to hear about your duck. That is never fun. I am sure you gave her the best life a duck could want. If she was sitting on a nest, she might have weakened herself too by not eating and drinking enough to hold on in the cold that moved in.

@lala I hope she pulls through.

 

[lalaland]

thanks, all. I am feeling pretty grumpy about it.

As soon as it is light out I will bring her in for a good look. I am really hoping it is just a sprained something, but....something about the way that she didn't move at all except for one wing has me thinking maybe mareks. Keeping my fingers crossed.

edited to update: I started thinking about hypocalcemia - where a sudden paralysis is the result of inadequate calcium in the blood. can happen even when there is always oyster shell, etc. treatment is crushed tums and it is an immediate emergency.

so went out with a lantern and gave her crushed tums mixed with nutritional yeast, whipping cream, and corn grit. sounds yummy, right? She ate some.
I've never had luck feeding chickens in the dark, even when there is some light avail, so I am not sure if she is lacking in appetite or it was just dark!

half the chickens were up with the lantern light and prowling.

she tried to stand once but only made it up half way. she's a big orpington with a ton of feathers so I couldn't see which leg was halfway working.

 

[scandiafowl]

Well, I put away the little heated waterer and kennel cage too soon.  Goldie is fine, but I came home to find a 2 year old buff orpington nesting/roosting in the hatchway to the coop.

She can't stand.  I popped her in on a clean bed of hay in the corner.  Tomorrow when it is light out I will take a look and see - I am amazed she was able to make it into the coop since it involves a good jump up and a long ramp.  Poor girl!

I am guessing she sprained something?  Didn't really do a good inspection, she is calm and in the dark with just my cell phone for light....it will wait til morning especially since likely there is nothing I can do anyway.  I did see there was no blood, no obvious injuries to her legs or feet.  Darn it, I just finished with Goldie.

Lala, Medicine Woman to the rescue?

What a bummer ((((

 

[Minniechickmama]

Well, I put away the little heated waterer and kennel cage too soon. Goldie is fine, but I came home to find a 2 year old buff orpington nesting/roosting in the hatchway to the coop.

She can't stand. I popped her in on a clean bed of hay in the corner. Tomorrow when it is light out I will take a look and see - I am amazed she was able to make it into the coop since it involves a good jump up and a long ramp. Poor girl!

I am guessing she sprained something? Didn't really do a good inspection, she is calm and in the dark with just my cell phone for light....it will wait til morning especially since likely there is nothing I can do anyway. I did see there was no blood, no obvious injuries to her legs or feet. Darn it, I just finished with Goldie.

I believe she has something other than Mareks going on, reason being, it is a disease that normally attacks at a much younger age. I won't completely rule it out, but it almost always becomes symptomatic at a much earlier age, and usually around 4-6 months. I do think there is something nutritionally wrong with her. It could be a vitamin imbalance, or like you said, overload of calcium. Have you checked her for being egg bound? That too, depending on the size and location of the egg can effect their ability to walk. I would rule out botulism since that is something you would find in the Summer rather than when the temps are what they are now. Is she pooping? What does that look like?

 

[lalaland]

well, I mistook her in the low light with the other bo. this one, she is about 6 months - so mareks is possible - but she isn't doing the classic mareks split with one leg in front.

she hasn't pooped yet that I can see.

I am going to bring her in later this morning for an epsom soak , get a better check on whether she is egg bound, and to see if I can see if there is something with her legs. She can manuever in a circle sort of.....wasn't thrilled with the tums concoction but very happy to see a pile of feed to eat. bright eyed, red comb, clear nares.

I would think if she was egg bound she would be able to walk, even if penguin style.
best option would be if she sprained something....

 

[lalaland]

I believe she has something other than Mareks going on, reason being, it is a disease that normally attacks at a much younger age. I won't completely rule it out, but it almost always becomes symptomatic at a much earlier age, and usually around 4-6 months. I do think there is something nutritionally wrong with her. It could be a vitamin imbalance, or like you said, overload of calcium. Have you checked her for being egg bound? That too, depending on the size and location of the egg can effect their ability to walk. I would rule out botulism since that is something you would find in the Summer rather than when the temps are what they are now. Is she pooping? What does that look like?

Minnie, I went through the same reasoning on botulism and mareks til I figured out she is about 6 months. on the older edge, but.

I will give her some cod liver oil after the bath, and put some electrolytes in her water.

thats a bitter wind out there! my hands were freezing, but when I went to hand feed the quail (trying to get them a little calmer so I can separate them out this spring when they mate up) I couldn't believe how warm they are on the outside of their feathers! They lean on my hand while eating their treats, and it was so warm.

 

[holm25]

@holm23
 I am sorry to hear about your duck.  That is never fun.  I am sure you gave her the best life a duck could want.  If she was sitting on a nest, she might have weakened herself too by not eating and drinking enough to hold on in the cold that moved in.

@lala I hope she pulls through.  

She was actually a blak Australorp. She wasn't broody she just always slept in the boxes as long as knowone had chicks. Then she would sleep with them. She got in a fight woth a big Brahma a week or two ago and was never the same after. I looked and she had zero visible wounds. So I think it was internal. I have never seen gens fight so hard in my life. She got smacked in the breast area by the Brahmas hocks many times.