I have a bantam cochin that someone gave to me because she was just laying in their run, and sleeping in the rain rather than going into the coop. Clearly she was sick. I have chickens, but I brought her into my house and dropper fed her to try to help her.
She spent about 3 days completely limp, not even opening her eyes. Her head was on backwards (she had no head control) and she couldn't hold her head up or stand. I was going to have her put to sleep Monday morning, but she seemed like she was fighting and I wanted to give her a chance. So, I started tube feeding her a mix of baby bird food, vitatmin E, selenium, BHP, and tylan 200 (let me know if anyone wants dosages). She started to perk up! She started to stand but would only walk backward, and would sit with her feet in front of her. A few more days and she was walking forward and sitting properly on her feet.
I setup an A-frame hutch for her in the run with my chickens after a couple of weeks, so she could be outside. She was eating and drinking on her own, but still slept almost all day long (with her head tucked under her wing, rather than on backwards!) and barely ate enough to stay alive, so I kept tube feeding her just once daily. I weaned her off the vitamins and went on a 4 day vacation out of town. She stayed in her A-frame with access to food and water and seemed fine when I returned. But, about 2 days after I returned, she went backwards. I brought her back into the house. Even though she was eating normal layer feed, she was not digesting (I think) and she was regurgitating some of her food, and started having a gurgling sound to her breathing, and some gasping for air. I tube fed her again, but added a bit of apple cider vinegar wondering if she had sour crop? I also started the Tylan 200 again (just today). I wish I hadn't tube fed her though, as her gurgling is so much worse now and she's gasping for air pretty badly. She's propped up in a cat bed and puts her head back really far and just breaths open mouth pretty heavily.
She came so close to being ok, I really want to save her, if possible. Does anyone have suggestions of what I can do? I haven't tube fed her for about 12 hours now, and I'm worried that she needs nutrition and water, but I'm very concerned with the gurgling and her crop feeling like it's not really emptying (though I can't really tell, as her crop hasn't been completely full for some time anyway). Any suggestions welcome!!!! Thank you!
She spent about 3 days completely limp, not even opening her eyes. Her head was on backwards (she had no head control) and she couldn't hold her head up or stand. I was going to have her put to sleep Monday morning, but she seemed like she was fighting and I wanted to give her a chance. So, I started tube feeding her a mix of baby bird food, vitatmin E, selenium, BHP, and tylan 200 (let me know if anyone wants dosages). She started to perk up! She started to stand but would only walk backward, and would sit with her feet in front of her. A few more days and she was walking forward and sitting properly on her feet.
I setup an A-frame hutch for her in the run with my chickens after a couple of weeks, so she could be outside. She was eating and drinking on her own, but still slept almost all day long (with her head tucked under her wing, rather than on backwards!) and barely ate enough to stay alive, so I kept tube feeding her just once daily. I weaned her off the vitamins and went on a 4 day vacation out of town. She stayed in her A-frame with access to food and water and seemed fine when I returned. But, about 2 days after I returned, she went backwards. I brought her back into the house. Even though she was eating normal layer feed, she was not digesting (I think) and she was regurgitating some of her food, and started having a gurgling sound to her breathing, and some gasping for air. I tube fed her again, but added a bit of apple cider vinegar wondering if she had sour crop? I also started the Tylan 200 again (just today). I wish I hadn't tube fed her though, as her gurgling is so much worse now and she's gasping for air pretty badly. She's propped up in a cat bed and puts her head back really far and just breaths open mouth pretty heavily.
She came so close to being ok, I really want to save her, if possible. Does anyone have suggestions of what I can do? I haven't tube fed her for about 12 hours now, and I'm worried that she needs nutrition and water, but I'm very concerned with the gurgling and her crop feeling like it's not really emptying (though I can't really tell, as her crop hasn't been completely full for some time anyway). Any suggestions welcome!!!! Thank you!
