On the mend, but still questions: UPDATE, 20 week old banty wormy as heck,

[casportpony]

Many people don't realize how much a chicken needs to eat in order not to lose weight. If anyone wants to learn how to tube, buy the items below and I'll teach you.

I use a size 18 french catheter for most birds



When I am going to give less than 60cc's, I use a 35cc catheter tip syringe like this one.


This is the food I use, it's 22% protein and it has probiotics in it.


-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Here are two good links on how to tube feed:

• https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...cken-and-give-subcutaneous-fluid#post_9910754
• https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-for-visuals-very-detailed-post#post_11652991

-Kathy

 

[lalaland]

her crop is full, and was empty this morning. judging from her droppings, which are not watery any more, she is eating ok. I agree that she is not probably getting enough nutrition from eating, as her droopings still evidence some lighter green.

I feel confident that the mix of mealworms, garlic, feed, yogurt, and vitamins is sufficient for her nutritional needs. I don't think tube feeding would add anything at this point.

Interesting that each time she eats the gruel paste, she gets to a point where she stands up or struggles to stand if she is in the towel, extends her neck and acts like she is going to vomit. it lasts for just a few seconds, it is as if her body wants to reject the food.

Also strange that she will eat the paste globs if, and only if, I have her on the towel, have globs on the towel, and move my finger towards the globs. Wont eat them from my finger, or in her feed dish, or in front of her when she is grazing on spilled feed.

she seems to have reached a plateau - is holding her own weight wise, but not gaining. Her weight increases a few ounces from eating, later on it goes back to the morning level. My sense is that she is not digesting or emptying the crop fast enough. I think her body is slowing down and she is on the decline.

I have some chores to do outside, and will re-evaluate later this afternoon. culling looks probable today unless she convinces me otherwise.

 

[casportpony]

I'm not saying you shouldn't cull, but ff you change your mind and want to try, just let me know. FYI, I took the tube feeding plunge when I realized how much time it was taking to hand feed. I clocked myself yesterday and it took two minutes to give three of my birds with wet fowl pox the following:

• Cochin Bantam rooster - 90ml
• Rhode Island Red Hen - 140ml
• Game bird mutt - 120ml

Of course it took a couple of minutes to make it, but four minutes twice a day is much easier for me than trying to find stuff they will eat.

-Kathy

 

[lalaland]

thanks, Kathy.

please don't take this wrong, but didn't you say you have some with mareks that you are treating? and you have fowl pox? thats double bad luck. are you taking in sick birds or is this your own flock? hope they recover soon. I am totally unfamiliar with fowl pox, and am just learning about mareks. its a tough world out there.

 

[casportpony]

thanks, Kathy.

please don't take this wrong, but didn't you say you have some with mareks that you are treating? and you have fowl pox? thats double bad luck. are you taking in sick birds or is this your own flock? hope they recover soon. I am totally unfamiliar with fowl pox, and am just learning about mareks. its a tough world out there.

I have one with neural Marek's that I found limping a few days ago and now she can't walk, so she's in a hospital cage with food and water in front of her until I get enough courage to cull her. I'm pretty sure Marek's probably came with one of the birds that I got from the feed store, 'cause they don't buy vaccinated chicks and they buy from the public, and who knows what diseases those come with... Lesson learned, buy only vaccinated chicks, maintain as closed a flock as possible and practice much better bio-security.

Pox is from mosquitoes, so I've dried up my duck ponds and make sure all other water sources are changed daily. So far so good, no new pox in several weeks, but I still have a couple that got secondary infections from it and I'm trying to figure out the best way to deal with them.

Marek's affects flocks differently, some get hit hard, but others, like mine, only see a few losses a year. I'm no expert, but it seems that most of my losses happen during molt or when it gets cold, so maybe stress plays a part in it, too.

-Kathy

 

[lalaland]

Mrs. Murphy continued to decline yestersday, so I knew it was time. Although she ate more that morning than in a very long time, I think her body was shutting down and she was getting weaker.
Thanks everyone for your support, ideas and information.

 

[Leahs Mom]

 

[Shabana]

Really sorry to hear that

You really did everything you could and I'm sure she knows that you tried very hard for her.
Bless you for caring. I'm so sorry she's not going to make it and I hope you'll not be too upset.
I'm glad she had you to care for her.
God bless. Xx

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry for your loss. You did everything I would do including not letting her suffer. She was a little beauty.