- Apr 2, 2014
- 10
- 0
- 22
Hello,
I really hope somebody can help me - I'm getting worked up and stressed because I don't know what the best thing to do is!
I had a flock of 4 chickens:
My oldest, Pepper, is 1 1/2yrs old and is a Plymouth Rock bantam.
I also had 3 older chicks (5months old at a guess; 1 Brahma bantam and 2 chochin bantams)
We gave them enough food and water for 2 days, cleaned everything out, and then we left (Friday morning til Saturday evening)
Saturday evening, my husband commented that the chickens were subdued and maybe needed attention. I went in and immediatly noticed something DEFINITELY wrong; all 3 of the chicks were quiet, rather lethargic and weren't eating with their usual gusto.
My youngest (a cochin), normally by far the most active and greedy, was the most lethargic looking and wasn't walking far.
Sunday morning - no change in 2 of the chicks, but my youngest was visibally worse (not walking far, fluffed up, eyes droopy, eating just a little).
With 4 chickens, I couldn't tell which poo came from her, although I found a very strange shell-less egg on the dirt - not smelly, so obviously fresh, but a strange find never the less! Assumed it's from my Plymouth Rock - she's the only one who lays.
Anyway, based on the symptoms I wondered if it could be coccidiosis. I immediatly ordered avian medication for intestinal disorders and diseases - Beaphar Gezasept Infecties Vogel - Geneesmiddel - 50 ml. We live in the Netherlands and I couldn't find the ones recommended for use in America or UK. This was recommended on a Dutch website as an alternative and would arrive the next day.
Monday morning - Buttercup was in a bad way. Not eating/drinking (I coaxed drops of water into her using a syringe). She was sitting oddly, sometimes rolling over on her side. She didn't put up any protest when I examined her. I spotted tiny fly larvea (a new development) in some fresh poo stuck in the fluff near her cloaca. Looked up this symptom and then started wondering about Flystrike. I thought that a warm saline bath and rinse wouldn't make it any worse and it'd clean the poo off her anyway. Ran a tub for her........... and she was dead before I could get her in.
Monday afternoon - had a very thorough check and clean of the other 2 chicks. No fly maggots visible, reasonably clean, washed/trimmed/checked feet feathers for mud and poo, and trimmed dirty fluff from around cloaca(so I could check better and to deter any flies).
Both chicks are lethargic and didn't put up much fight - a little flapping, a few vocal complaints, but all-round less than I was expecting. Either they really like being stroked, trimmed and washed, or else they're also not feeling themselves.
Thing is, I'm no closer to finding out why Buttercup died, which makes me worry even more about the other 2 chicks.
Monday evening - no change in the 2 chicks - no better or worse. It seems that Pepper has been more agressive than normal towards them. Pepper seems fine and in good spirits.
Tuesday morning - They're still lethargic, and 1 of them didn't leave the chicken house in the morning. Worrying about dehydration and Pepper, I've put the 2 chicks back into the rabbit hutch for the time being. They drank a lot of water, both have eaten and both have poo-ed (I think normal looking - I took photos! 1 was watery but this can apparently be when they're hot). They're now sleeping, and I can't see anything out of the ordinary besides their lethargy and lack of interest in things.
So... what to do now? Any ideas what it could be? Could they just be sad because Buttercup was so sick and died? I am thinking I will put some of the medication in their water, to treat all bases.
Also... I realise this is already a long post, but perhaps this is also relevant:
End of April, the chicks were getting too big for the rabbit hutch. I sectioned off part of my run so I could introduce them to being outside and let my Plymouth Rock get used to them being around.
Mid May everything was looking settled and the chicks could sleep happily up against the separating wire, without getting any grief from Pepper. I removed the wire, but kept their lean-to sleeping/hiding area, and kept providing 2 sources of food and water.
Usual tussles among the flock, but no blood drawn or too many feathers pulled thankfully!
End May: Things much more settled.
May 31st Buttercup got sick. Panicking, I cleaned the run/turned the earth and removed their lean-to sleeping shelter. I am now putting the chicks into the chicken house with Pepper. A few complaints, but generally peaceful.
The only reason I add this info is because Pepper is NOT sick, from what I can tell. Older, perhaps more hardy breed? Or maybe used ot the bugs in the run? Though surely if it was the latter, the chicks would have become ill within the first weeks of me adding them.
Any advice and help that anyone can give would be very appreciated.
Jenni
I really hope somebody can help me - I'm getting worked up and stressed because I don't know what the best thing to do is!
I had a flock of 4 chickens:
My oldest, Pepper, is 1 1/2yrs old and is a Plymouth Rock bantam.
I also had 3 older chicks (5months old at a guess; 1 Brahma bantam and 2 chochin bantams)
We gave them enough food and water for 2 days, cleaned everything out, and then we left (Friday morning til Saturday evening)
Saturday evening, my husband commented that the chickens were subdued and maybe needed attention. I went in and immediatly noticed something DEFINITELY wrong; all 3 of the chicks were quiet, rather lethargic and weren't eating with their usual gusto.
My youngest (a cochin), normally by far the most active and greedy, was the most lethargic looking and wasn't walking far.
Sunday morning - no change in 2 of the chicks, but my youngest was visibally worse (not walking far, fluffed up, eyes droopy, eating just a little).
With 4 chickens, I couldn't tell which poo came from her, although I found a very strange shell-less egg on the dirt - not smelly, so obviously fresh, but a strange find never the less! Assumed it's from my Plymouth Rock - she's the only one who lays.
Anyway, based on the symptoms I wondered if it could be coccidiosis. I immediatly ordered avian medication for intestinal disorders and diseases - Beaphar Gezasept Infecties Vogel - Geneesmiddel - 50 ml. We live in the Netherlands and I couldn't find the ones recommended for use in America or UK. This was recommended on a Dutch website as an alternative and would arrive the next day.
Monday morning - Buttercup was in a bad way. Not eating/drinking (I coaxed drops of water into her using a syringe). She was sitting oddly, sometimes rolling over on her side. She didn't put up any protest when I examined her. I spotted tiny fly larvea (a new development) in some fresh poo stuck in the fluff near her cloaca. Looked up this symptom and then started wondering about Flystrike. I thought that a warm saline bath and rinse wouldn't make it any worse and it'd clean the poo off her anyway. Ran a tub for her........... and she was dead before I could get her in.
Monday afternoon - had a very thorough check and clean of the other 2 chicks. No fly maggots visible, reasonably clean, washed/trimmed/checked feet feathers for mud and poo, and trimmed dirty fluff from around cloaca(so I could check better and to deter any flies).
Both chicks are lethargic and didn't put up much fight - a little flapping, a few vocal complaints, but all-round less than I was expecting. Either they really like being stroked, trimmed and washed, or else they're also not feeling themselves.
Thing is, I'm no closer to finding out why Buttercup died, which makes me worry even more about the other 2 chicks.
Monday evening - no change in the 2 chicks - no better or worse. It seems that Pepper has been more agressive than normal towards them. Pepper seems fine and in good spirits.
Tuesday morning - They're still lethargic, and 1 of them didn't leave the chicken house in the morning. Worrying about dehydration and Pepper, I've put the 2 chicks back into the rabbit hutch for the time being. They drank a lot of water, both have eaten and both have poo-ed (I think normal looking - I took photos! 1 was watery but this can apparently be when they're hot). They're now sleeping, and I can't see anything out of the ordinary besides their lethargy and lack of interest in things.
So... what to do now? Any ideas what it could be? Could they just be sad because Buttercup was so sick and died? I am thinking I will put some of the medication in their water, to treat all bases.
Also... I realise this is already a long post, but perhaps this is also relevant:
End of April, the chicks were getting too big for the rabbit hutch. I sectioned off part of my run so I could introduce them to being outside and let my Plymouth Rock get used to them being around.
Mid May everything was looking settled and the chicks could sleep happily up against the separating wire, without getting any grief from Pepper. I removed the wire, but kept their lean-to sleeping/hiding area, and kept providing 2 sources of food and water.
Usual tussles among the flock, but no blood drawn or too many feathers pulled thankfully!
End May: Things much more settled.
May 31st Buttercup got sick. Panicking, I cleaned the run/turned the earth and removed their lean-to sleeping shelter. I am now putting the chicks into the chicken house with Pepper. A few complaints, but generally peaceful.
The only reason I add this info is because Pepper is NOT sick, from what I can tell. Older, perhaps more hardy breed? Or maybe used ot the bugs in the run? Though surely if it was the latter, the chicks would have become ill within the first weeks of me adding them.
Any advice and help that anyone can give would be very appreciated.
Jenni
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