My hen is making odd "swallowing" gesture is she ill?-please help!

[deerman]

The safe guard for goats is not a paste(...you can treat one bird at a time....but with large number of birds. Add it to their water works fine, don't give them any other water.....they will drink it... Myself and other peafowl breeders have treat thousands of birds this way.

I worm 3 time a year ....this keep all birds worm free.........most pick up worms from eating bugs and earthworms.

If a bird is so sick its not eating or drinking by far best way..give down the throat.

fenbendazole is safeguard.


If giving in the water(mixes great) for 3 days and repeated in 14 days.....it will get all the birds........How many birds can go 3 days without drinking.

 

[fifibreen]

Hello,

UPDATE for today 12/12/2011

-My hen today is still showing vigor, eating, drinking normal pooping

-massaged the crop after feeding some bread soaked in olive oil 12/11/2011 to the best of my novice ability.

-yesterday 12/11/2011 crop was full, not hard, no odor detected yet

-this morning 12/12/2011 checked her crop-it was larger then the other birds and had contents in it, but was also defiantly smaller then last night when it was full (so some seems to be getting through)

-This morning before she was allowed to eat or drink anything she was given more bread soaked in olive oil. After eating some she again made the "swallowing" gesture again

. She got a good long crop massage (the best I can tell there is small particle grit in her crop, and I believe I could feel a larger piece of something too) I worked around all parts of the crop focusing on the lower part. I am no expert on how to work out the contents, but did my best. I don't want to cause injury.

-They were started today on "safeguard for goats...3 cc per gal of water for 3 days repeat in 14 days" as another precaution.

So Question, If there is indeed a partial crop impaction what is the next plan of treatment? More massages?

If it is the gapworm and we caught it early enough, will the safeguard be enough? (She is breathing normally so far, and does not seem to yarn excessively, or at all.)

Off the subject question-Sine I will not be able to eat the eggs for while due to the worming any suggestions besides composting them? Thanks for everyone help!!

 

[aoxa]

It looks like what my hens do at night if they've eaten too much and are adjusting their crops.

 

[Fiddlehead]

Quote:
I'm not disputing you in anyway (in fact I try to read all of your advice and find it extremely helpful), but I'm wondering why you think it couldn't be gapeworm? Isn't that the primary symptom for gapeworm- constantly yawning or adjusting the crop? Just curious is all. OP- to check for gapeworm, you use a q-tip and swab the birds throat. When you pull the q-tip out look for blood spots. When my chickens have impacted or sour crops they usually puff up and aren't very active. My first thought was gapeworm too.....good luck!

OP stated that the bird is eating and drinking. Birds with gapeworm cant eat or drink, they shake their heads, gasp and grunt for air because their windpipe is clogged with the worms. Breathing is priority #1 with birds with gapes, not eating or drinking. The youtube video says it all. The bird is either adjusting its crop or has something stuck in it. A piece of bread soaked in olive oil will hopefully move whatever is stuck. Also notice that the bird is scratching around in the leaves...birds with gapes will have their heads held high trying to prevent suffocation, trying to breathe, not scratching around. Here's a chickens windpipe clogged with gapes, notice the clear one free from gapes. Gapeworm arent common in chickens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19157_gapeworms-in-windpipe.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19157_gapeworms1.jpg

Thank God, because that is GROSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Yes the safe guard will take care of any gapeworms,

Have you try with holding feed for a day, make sure she still has the water....then you could check to make sure she has a empty crop.

 

[top of the hill]

This is exactly what my girl did when she had sour crop. We just got over it.

I would seperate her and withhold food for 24 hours. Give her some apple cider vinegar in water (1tbls per gallon) it will help kill any bad bacteria in her crop. make sure to only use the kind with the "mother" I use Braggs brand. and only put it in a plastic waterer, metal will degrade.

Once she's been seperated for 24hrs, then check her crop and you should have a better feel for what is wrong.

good luck!

 

[fifibreen]

UPDATE 12/13/2011

-My hen is still eating, drinking, pooping normally, although she is still making the "swallowing" gesture even when her crop is not full.

-This morning her crop again was smaller but not entirely emptied like my other girls were. (I did lock them in so they could not eat untill I let them out, so she had nothing overnight or in the morning when I checked)

-Today she got more olive oil soaked in bread, and more massage. I can feel a suspicious object like a piece of hay in her crop.

-All are on their first round/second day of safegaurd to worm them.

I found a vet tech who has chickens that was willing to look at her. He does not think that she is impacted, but did also suggest and agree with the worming, cider vinegar, and crop massages. He also suggested no scratch be given until she is better.

Hopefully this will cure the odd "swallowing" gesture

I appreciate everyone help and suggestions thank you

 

[fifibreen]

Hello,

Still looking for further suggestions and help...

-Now 19 days ago, our hen began making the "odd swallowing gesture"
-After going to two vets booth agree that it is not impacted, and it is not gape worms. It is most likely a foreign object in the crop that will not pass.
-Vet thinks it seems too big to go back up as well.
-I personally have noticed the same persistent object over this time as well. It has never seemed to soften or want to break apart.
-During the 19 days she has had many many olive oil massages, and much yogurt in attempt to dislodge the object in her crop.
- She is still very often bobbing her head and making the "swallowing gesture"
-They are all on their second round of worming with safeguard. Other then being a good precaution this seems to have not changed her condition.
-She is still eating drinking and pooping, but has lost some weight.
-I have started feeding her soft rich food such as a scrambled egg with yogurt in addition to her crumbles each day to help her keep her weight.

So crop surgery seems to be the best answer to remove the "object" but at around $500.00 it does not seem to fit into our budget

Since her quality of life may not be good for a long period of time with the object in there, it seems her option ultimately is to go to the chopping block. With this is mind, we were considering attempting the crop surgery ourselves. It seems her chances are better if we try.

So with this in mind, where would we get the antibiotics, how do we does them, and how do we restrain the her well without causing further trauma??

Bad idea? Any other suggestions?


Quote:

 

[cstoner]

I just had a Wheaton Maran with the same problem. She had crop stasis which results in the crop failing to empty properly. She was lagging behind others of her age, was well past the egg laying stage and had not laid any eggs. Yesterday, when she went off to freezer camp her crop was full, sagging, and very pliable. She had no eggs at any stage of development in her system. She would never have laid any eggs due to this problem. Your hen will need to be culled. Sorry!

 

[fifibreen]

She is still laying even through all this and does egg squats! She has not missed a beat, there seems to be a foreign object in there. She has much vigor and will and does not seem to be lethargic or lagging yet.. This issue only began 19 days ago, otherwise she has developed fully and had not had any previous issues. After two vet visits we are fairly confident she ate a foreign object that will not break up or digest.

This is why we are considering the crop surgery as a last ditch effort before culling. Any information on the dosing of antibiotics and how to obtain the right one(s) would be greatly appreciated. Also the best way to restrain the bird without injury, she is very strong and spunky still.