New from Ada Oklahoma

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New Momma Hen

New Momma Hen

Hatching
5 Years
Aug 11, 2014
7
0
7
Ada Oklahoma
So.. I'm new. I have been searching and seeking for help and advice, but I still find myself at a loss.. So now I am in need of picking every one of y'all's brains! Lol
Ok, I got 33 chickens (Rhode Island, Americauna, Rainbow, Orpington, Faverolle) & 23 guineas at the end of May. Being my first time, I expected to lose most of them. But I think I'm doing something right! I have 6 roosters though.. I lost 2 hens and a chick about a month ago to a Cotten Mouth. And lost another chick about a week later, scissor beak.. She was my sweet heart!! Lost a Guinea from others pecking. Well, we moved all birds and guineas into the big run, and they are happy!! Just until I can fix the fencing around the big coop. Now I have a new problem... Miss Queen B (you can figure out what the B stands for) is not my biggest hen, but is the meanest! She likes to intimidate and fight with everyone.. Never fights though, just trying to be tough. Last week she all of a sudden started having scissor beak. And then started walking funny, losing balance, being singled off by others, and her neck started twisting. so I separated her to help with stress levels. She was so bad with wry neck, that she would lay on her back, kick her feet to the side against the wall & rest her head on her belly & if you didn't know she was on her back, you would think she was normal. Today, her neck isn't as twisted. When using her muscles, she's still twisting.. She's standing and trying to balance. I've been giving her water from a medicine dropper. And she actually ate dry food out of my hand today!! What should I be feeding her? And how do I go about trimming her beak right? & can birds heal from wry neck?
 
:highfive:Hi Ada, so sorry you are having trouble. I don't know about recovering from wry neck? But wish you the the best, it is hard to lose any birds that you get close too. I live south of you right on the Ok. And Tx. Border at Lake Texoma. I have 23 assorted hens,1 Roo,10breeding rabbits, about 24 babies and 1 husky F dog . I call it my mini farm LOL We also have lots of wildlife here,we feed, deer,Canadian geese, wild rabbits, turkey's, squirrels,and wild birds
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


Sorry for your losses. It is never easy to lose them. As for your aggression issues, make sure they all have enough room. Cramped conditions, boredom and the having sick birds around will cause aggression. So make more space for your birds, (5 square feet per bird in the coop, 10 square feet per bird in the run), give them things to do like ladders, mirrors, hanging veggies, seed pecking blocks, straw to scratch around in, just keep them occupied if they can't go free ranging.

As for your bird with the wry neck, this bird needs vitamin B, E and Selenium. So get some poultry vitamins into her. You should also post this in our emergency section for more help with her...https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

Good luck with your flock and I hope you can get this one healed up soon.
 
I've been to lake texoma once.. It beautiful there. I have dogs, cats, & rabbits too. And it is hard hard to lose a bird. My birds will be free range, eventually. Thank you for the tips! I will post there as well and hopefully get more info.
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Sorry for your flock problems. You've gotten some good links/suggestions above, hope the sick hen is OK.
 
Thanks all! I really don't know if she's eating & drinking on her own. He eats from my hand & I give her water. She's trying to rub her beak. But I will have to assist her with that. She's trying to stand and keep her balance. I hope I'm not getting my hopes up
 
Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. I'm sorry for your losses. It's always sad to lose some of our flock. TwoCrows has given you some good advice and a good link. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. I hope your hen recovers. Good luck.
 
Her symptoms can also be brought on by a blow to the head or a stroke. Wry neck etc.,is very common in silkies to the point that it is generally considered "silkie syndrome." I don't believe this has ever caused natural death but, some people freak out and extinguish their life rather than treat them.

Some cases respond to steroid use -ordered by a vet if swelling around the brain is the issue, others are helped by vitamins etc, often Polyvisol (NO IRON) infant drops 2 or 3 drops 3 x a time (if older than baby chicks). plus a few drops of vit. E (from capsule).

I hope your hen recovers.
 
Thank you. I had considered it may have been caused by trauma of some kind or a deficiency. She is about 15 wks old and is doing much, much better!! She still has some recovering to do.
-- what should a healthy poop like?
 

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