Need advice/help for sick, dying flock

[NatJ]

Sounds like they are drinking a lot of water--I would trust their judgement, and let them do that.

If the feed has too much salt (manufacturing mistake), they could be extra-thirsty and drinking a lot, and feeling ill.

If the feed has something else wrong with it, and made them ill, they may be drinking lots of water because they're hungry but afraid to eat the feed. Or drinking a lot to try to flush the problem out of their systems.

(Of course, there are lots of other possible explanations too.)

New feed, and access to as much water as they want, is probably a sensible approach right now.

Have you got new feed for them yet? If so, did they act interested in eating it?

 

[alladnar]

Sounds like they are drinking a lot of water--I would trust their judgement, and let them do that.

....

New feed, and access to as much water as they want, is probably a sensible approach right now.

Have you got new feed for them yet? If so, did they act interested in eating it?

I've been afraid to give them more feed for the time being. I only took it away yesterday. There is one or two hens whose crop feels pretty firm, so I was hoping just giving them water only for a day or two would flush things out.

 

[NatJ]

I've been afraid to give them more feed for the time being. I only took it away yesterday. There is one or two hens whose crop feels pretty firm, so I was hoping just giving them water only for a day or two would flush things out.

You are the one on the spot, and I'm just the one guessing over the internet.

But I would be more afraid of leaving them with no feed. I consider that chickens should have food and water available the entire time they are awake, all day every day, unless I know for sure there is a really good reason to do otherwise.

In this case, it's guesswork either way--but if the feed was bad, then the solution is good feed. If the feed was not bad, then something else is wrong, but we still don't know whether feed will make it better or worse.

Animals (including chickens) will often avoid food when they feel ill, so I usually assume I can leave the choice to them.

What can go wrong with no feed? Not enough nutrition to recover from whatever was wrong. Chickens eating things they should not (like litter/bedding) because they are hungry and have no other choices. Chickens picking at each other. Chickens drinking a lot of water and worrying their owner with watery droppings and crops full of water. (etc, etc)

But, as I said before, I'm just guessing from a distance--if I were there, I might be saying something different. You are the only one actually seeing the situation in person.

 

[alladnar]

You are the one on the spot, and I'm just the one guessing over the internet.

But I would be more afraid of leaving them with no feed. I consider that chickens should have food and water available the entire time they are awake, all day every day, unless I know for sure there is a really good reason to do otherwise.

In this case, it's guesswork either way--but if the feed was bad, then the solution is good feed. If the feed was not bad, then something else is wrong, but we still don't know whether feed will make it better or worse.

Animals (including chickens) will often avoid food when they feel ill, so I usually assume I can leave the choice to them.

What can go wrong with no feed? Not enough nutrition to recover from whatever was wrong. Chickens eating things they should not (like litter/bedding) because they are hungry and have no other choices. Chickens picking at each other. Chickens drinking a lot of water and worrying their owner with watery droppings and crops full of water. (etc, etc)

But, as I said before, I'm just guessing from a distance--if I were there, I might be saying something different. You are the only one actually seeing the situation in person.

Thanks for the advice. I will get some chick feed as mentioned somewhere above in the morning and see if they act hungry. They didn't eat much when I let them out in the yard yesterday, just sort of stood or sat around.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I tried flushing on a couple birds with very large soft crops and what I got up looked like mostly all water.

How did you administer the flush/what did you use?
What do you mean what you "got up" looked like mostly water"

 

[alladnar]

How did you administer the flush/what did you use?
What do you mean what you "got up" looked like mostly water"

They have been drinking a lot of water so they took care of that for me. I held them a bit head down while massaging the crop until it came up. It was pretty clear, maybe just a little cloudy.

 

[RainbowHen]

Please do not try to get anything out of their crops. They will aspirate.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They have been drinking a lot of water so they took care of that for me. I held them a bit head down while massaging the crop until it came up. It was pretty clear, maybe just a little cloudy.

So what flush did you give them?
There's no instructions to massage or vomit the chicken when giving a flush - flushes are meant to go through the system (out the other end - flush them out)
Personally, I would not massage a fluid filled crop or vomit a chicken - they can easily aspirate.

 

[alladnar]

My thought was if they will die without help, emptying their crop is worth the risk of aspiration.

I found that I lost another hen when I checked them this morning. Some still have full crops this morning, while some are much smaller. None appear completely empty. They only have access to water right now; perhaps I should have removed that as well last night until I checked crops this morning.