Squirlz2018
In the Brooder
- Mar 8, 2018
- 13
- 15
- 37
I'm dealing with a very unwell black Sex Link hen. I don't know her exact age but I'm sure she's up there in bird years. She used to be an amazing layer but it's probably been at least a year since she has laid. Our chickens are our pets and egg production is not a requirement to live.
She has been living in my bathroom for a week now because I can keep that tiny room super warm. And she has since made VERY good friends with my portable heater. Whenever it reaches temp and turns off, she talks to it. Its pretty cute. Anyway....Her name is Alpha because for her entire life she has been the alpha chicken. Until recently. I thought she was as big as always until she got super lethargic and I picked her up. She is disgustingly thin. Her chest bone is very pointy and freaking me out! I brought her in because I felt like she was showing signs of internal laying, penguin stance, super slow, etc. After reading about that, it basically said if she wasn't miraculously healed in 2 days she would be dead. I figured she may as well enjoy her last 2 days in the warmth of the house. Its been almost 9days. Shes not dead. This evening I decided it wasn't internal laying and keept searching. I came to the conclusion she has some type of ascites/fluid building up. I watched some YouTube, went to the feed store, bought some needles and began! I got quite a bit of fluid out, but it doesn't really look/feel like it. But we both got tired so I'll try again tomorrow. The fluid seems much darker than the fluid in the videos I watched. Those fluids I could see through. Hers I cannot.
She hasn't been eating like normal. In fact she has meal worms just sitting next to her and she doesn't care! I don't see her drink but again, its been 8 days and shes not dead so she must drink something?? Or her body is absorbing fluid instead.
When I first brought her inside, the first 1-3 days her poop was sooooo runny and honestly the consistency of egg which is what made me think internal laying. But now she has very dry little poops.
Yes our chickens are our pets but I can't justify taking them to the vet. She has had a very long reign as Alpha and if its her time, its her time. I just want her to be comfortable. I know if this is a heart/liver failure thing there is no cure but I can keep draining her so she can at least sit down, breath, walk, etc.
I'm mostly just wondering if anyone has seen fluid this color and why it's not clear like the others. I'm also open to suggestions to make her more comfortable. I've considered antibiotics? On hand I have 400mg tabs amoxicillin for dogs or Bactrim for humans. I'm not really experienced in chicken wrangling and have no idea how to give a chicken antibiotics. I've read you could drown them if you lut liquid in their mouth and I'm not confident that she's drinking enough for me to put it in her water. Shes also not eating enough for me to hide it in food.
I'm looking for any help I can get! Thank you!!
She has been living in my bathroom for a week now because I can keep that tiny room super warm. And she has since made VERY good friends with my portable heater. Whenever it reaches temp and turns off, she talks to it. Its pretty cute. Anyway....Her name is Alpha because for her entire life she has been the alpha chicken. Until recently. I thought she was as big as always until she got super lethargic and I picked her up. She is disgustingly thin. Her chest bone is very pointy and freaking me out! I brought her in because I felt like she was showing signs of internal laying, penguin stance, super slow, etc. After reading about that, it basically said if she wasn't miraculously healed in 2 days she would be dead. I figured she may as well enjoy her last 2 days in the warmth of the house. Its been almost 9days. Shes not dead. This evening I decided it wasn't internal laying and keept searching. I came to the conclusion she has some type of ascites/fluid building up. I watched some YouTube, went to the feed store, bought some needles and began! I got quite a bit of fluid out, but it doesn't really look/feel like it. But we both got tired so I'll try again tomorrow. The fluid seems much darker than the fluid in the videos I watched. Those fluids I could see through. Hers I cannot.
She hasn't been eating like normal. In fact she has meal worms just sitting next to her and she doesn't care! I don't see her drink but again, its been 8 days and shes not dead so she must drink something?? Or her body is absorbing fluid instead.
When I first brought her inside, the first 1-3 days her poop was sooooo runny and honestly the consistency of egg which is what made me think internal laying. But now she has very dry little poops.
Yes our chickens are our pets but I can't justify taking them to the vet. She has had a very long reign as Alpha and if its her time, its her time. I just want her to be comfortable. I know if this is a heart/liver failure thing there is no cure but I can keep draining her so she can at least sit down, breath, walk, etc.
I'm mostly just wondering if anyone has seen fluid this color and why it's not clear like the others. I'm also open to suggestions to make her more comfortable. I've considered antibiotics? On hand I have 400mg tabs amoxicillin for dogs or Bactrim for humans. I'm not really experienced in chicken wrangling and have no idea how to give a chicken antibiotics. I've read you could drown them if you lut liquid in their mouth and I'm not confident that she's drinking enough for me to put it in her water. Shes also not eating enough for me to hide it in food.
I'm looking for any help I can get! Thank you!!