I've had the pullets/roo for three weeks. We put one (Echo) down on the 4th of July - here's a link to that thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/798505/newbie-pullet-with-impacted-crop#post_11566821
Here is info on Jasmine:
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) - English Orpington, 12 weeks. Weight feels good - compared to Echo who was skin and bones.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Lethargic. Like she can't keep her eyes open. She is holding her wings normally. Tries to keep with the flock, if she's awake enough to see them move.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? I noticed that she seemed less active yesterday.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No, but lost one last week who I believe starved to death. Could not find cause of decline.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Don't know.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Medicated starter, water, yogurt. I have seen her eating today, but not with gusto. Crop is empty.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. She is isolated tonight, so will be able to check her poop in morning.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? She is isolated. I have given her reduced sodium chicken broth. (May still have too much sodium, but that's what I had.)
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Not sure.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use Three sided coop/covered run, sand.
I have a water fountain, but had been leaving them a bowl of water. The bowl would get very dirty. I did not give them the bowl yesterday, but left a rubber band on one of the nipples to keep it dripping. I did not put the rubber band on today. I am pretty sure that this pullet has previously used the waterer, but I am not positive. DH has not run water to the coop yet, so we have the fountain hooked to a garden hose. It's been rainy and cloudy, so the hose has not gotten hot this weekend.
Feed is in a DIY feeder - cooler on the outside of the coop, with a pvc pipe into the pen. 50 lbs of feed in the feeder at one time. Roaches have already found the feed. Also, they made a huge mess of the feed in the first week - inches of feed under the feeder. I placed a mesh over the feed so that they couldn't kick it out so easily.
DH and I went out this evening and checked crops. Everyone but Jasmine had a full crop. I cannot find Jasmine's crop, and I could not find Echo's either. If it was impacted, wouldn't I be able to find a mass?
I got no answers with Echo, so I assume that I was already doing what was recommended. I could really use some advice here, now that I have a second sick chick. Things that come to mind:
1 - impacted/sour crop - but why can't I find it? Echo was moving her head as if trying to clear a blockage. I have not observed Jasmine doing this.
2 - poisonous plant - not much green left in the coop and I haven't let them free range yet. I haven't given many table scraps - lettuce & cabbage (not much interest), and green beans one evening (yum!) Otherwise, meal worms.
3 - cocci - but wouldn't the medicated feed prevent that?
4 - disease - new coop, so only source is wild birds - unlikely. Purchased from breeder - I've been happy with my interface with them and the remaining birds seem healthy. While possibly something with breeder, I suspect that I, as a newbie, am the culprit here.
5 - something with the sand - but, as I read in another thread, lots of people have sand with no problems. Not sure that the sand is course enough - I clean the best I can but am sure I miss a lot.
6 - mites, lice, etc - maybe. I have looked but haven't seen anything. We do have fire ants, and I have seen them in the coop, feeding on poops.
What should we do? Should we give olive oil? Vegetable oil? If so, how much? We tried to give some to Echo, but didn't give her much. We used a syringe and put a drop at a time in her mouth. Not knowing where the air passage on the tongue is, I don't know how far back to go. Will we do more harm than good by forcing oil down her beak?
Thanks in advance!
Erica
Here is info on Jasmine:
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) - English Orpington, 12 weeks. Weight feels good - compared to Echo who was skin and bones.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Lethargic. Like she can't keep her eyes open. She is holding her wings normally. Tries to keep with the flock, if she's awake enough to see them move.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? I noticed that she seemed less active yesterday.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No, but lost one last week who I believe starved to death. Could not find cause of decline.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Don't know.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Medicated starter, water, yogurt. I have seen her eating today, but not with gusto. Crop is empty.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. She is isolated tonight, so will be able to check her poop in morning.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? She is isolated. I have given her reduced sodium chicken broth. (May still have too much sodium, but that's what I had.)
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Not sure.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use Three sided coop/covered run, sand.
I have a water fountain, but had been leaving them a bowl of water. The bowl would get very dirty. I did not give them the bowl yesterday, but left a rubber band on one of the nipples to keep it dripping. I did not put the rubber band on today. I am pretty sure that this pullet has previously used the waterer, but I am not positive. DH has not run water to the coop yet, so we have the fountain hooked to a garden hose. It's been rainy and cloudy, so the hose has not gotten hot this weekend.
Feed is in a DIY feeder - cooler on the outside of the coop, with a pvc pipe into the pen. 50 lbs of feed in the feeder at one time. Roaches have already found the feed. Also, they made a huge mess of the feed in the first week - inches of feed under the feeder. I placed a mesh over the feed so that they couldn't kick it out so easily.
DH and I went out this evening and checked crops. Everyone but Jasmine had a full crop. I cannot find Jasmine's crop, and I could not find Echo's either. If it was impacted, wouldn't I be able to find a mass?
I got no answers with Echo, so I assume that I was already doing what was recommended. I could really use some advice here, now that I have a second sick chick. Things that come to mind:
1 - impacted/sour crop - but why can't I find it? Echo was moving her head as if trying to clear a blockage. I have not observed Jasmine doing this.
2 - poisonous plant - not much green left in the coop and I haven't let them free range yet. I haven't given many table scraps - lettuce & cabbage (not much interest), and green beans one evening (yum!) Otherwise, meal worms.
3 - cocci - but wouldn't the medicated feed prevent that?
4 - disease - new coop, so only source is wild birds - unlikely. Purchased from breeder - I've been happy with my interface with them and the remaining birds seem healthy. While possibly something with breeder, I suspect that I, as a newbie, am the culprit here.
5 - something with the sand - but, as I read in another thread, lots of people have sand with no problems. Not sure that the sand is course enough - I clean the best I can but am sure I miss a lot.
6 - mites, lice, etc - maybe. I have looked but haven't seen anything. We do have fire ants, and I have seen them in the coop, feeding on poops.
What should we do? Should we give olive oil? Vegetable oil? If so, how much? We tried to give some to Echo, but didn't give her much. We used a syringe and put a drop at a time in her mouth. Not knowing where the air passage on the tongue is, I don't know how far back to go. Will we do more harm than good by forcing oil down her beak?
Thanks in advance!
Erica
