We are new to chickens - just got chicks this spring. This is probably going to end up being a long post because I have a few birds with different issues going on, so bear with me.
Chicken #1 (Tina) is a Jersey Giant hen. About 3 or 4 weeks ago she started walking around with her neck cocked to the side. It's hard to explain but it looked like she just had a kink in her neck. We initially thought it was a vitamin deficiency because we have had several issues with this. I'm not sure why because we free range and always have food available to them. Well, after treating with vitamins she was getting worse and started not being able to walk. I noticed one morning that she had a squishy crop. I removed all food and only left garlic water for her. After about 24-48 hours I gave her some greek yogurt. She also got into my dogs water and gorged herself. Started having seizures and vomiting. I started treating with Monistat. We are on day 5 of that treatment and she still has a squishy crop in the morning. She also still has been having seizures now and again. She did vomit on me yesterday while trying to give her the Monistat and it did NOT have a smell to it.
Chicken #2 (Gladys) is a Standard Old English Game Fowl hen. She has been limping around for about a week now. We also put her in the house to separate her from our other birds. She went about 2 days without baring any weight on it. She no limps on it a little and uses her wing for stability sometimes. It doesn't appear to be broken, no bumblefoot, its not hot or swollen, and she still has full mobility of her toes. Do I just continue to let her rest in hopes it heals?
Chicken #3 (Frizzle) is a Polish chicken cockerel (hasn't crowed yet but has saddle feathers). We initially brought him in the house because he was sneezing. It was cold and rainy for a few days here in Michigan so assumed he might have a cold. There is no sinus drainage but does open his mouth to breathe now and again. This morning I checked all the chickens crops and his was small and hard. Assuming he also now has an impacted crop? Idk if his sneezing is from eating the crumbled food or respiratory issues?
Chicken #4 (Lil Daddy) is a Polish chicken cockerel that is a little about 2 months younger than everyone else. He has been having issues for a while now. Started out the same exact as Tina (chicken #1) with the crooked neck. Assumed that it was nutrients, treated him, and put him back with his friends because he was no longer stumbling but still walked with a crooked neck. Well yesterday he was worse and stumbling again. Checked his crop this morning expecting it to be like Tina's but it was empty. I have no idea what's going on with him.
We free range and provide feed at all times. Only buy one to two bags of feed at a time to keep it fresh. Fresh water daily. Clean the coop weekly. We have even brought a chicken to the emergency vet and paid $400 for them to tell us that it was most likely a nutrient deficiency, which they thought it was odd since they free range and are provided with food. I am at a loss of what to do with them. I feel like we have consistently have had issues with our chickens since we got them. Someone is always sick. I'm running out of places to separate our chickens and can't keep them in the house forever. Please help!
Chicken #1 (Tina) is a Jersey Giant hen. About 3 or 4 weeks ago she started walking around with her neck cocked to the side. It's hard to explain but it looked like she just had a kink in her neck. We initially thought it was a vitamin deficiency because we have had several issues with this. I'm not sure why because we free range and always have food available to them. Well, after treating with vitamins she was getting worse and started not being able to walk. I noticed one morning that she had a squishy crop. I removed all food and only left garlic water for her. After about 24-48 hours I gave her some greek yogurt. She also got into my dogs water and gorged herself. Started having seizures and vomiting. I started treating with Monistat. We are on day 5 of that treatment and she still has a squishy crop in the morning. She also still has been having seizures now and again. She did vomit on me yesterday while trying to give her the Monistat and it did NOT have a smell to it.
Chicken #2 (Gladys) is a Standard Old English Game Fowl hen. She has been limping around for about a week now. We also put her in the house to separate her from our other birds. She went about 2 days without baring any weight on it. She no limps on it a little and uses her wing for stability sometimes. It doesn't appear to be broken, no bumblefoot, its not hot or swollen, and she still has full mobility of her toes. Do I just continue to let her rest in hopes it heals?
Chicken #3 (Frizzle) is a Polish chicken cockerel (hasn't crowed yet but has saddle feathers). We initially brought him in the house because he was sneezing. It was cold and rainy for a few days here in Michigan so assumed he might have a cold. There is no sinus drainage but does open his mouth to breathe now and again. This morning I checked all the chickens crops and his was small and hard. Assuming he also now has an impacted crop? Idk if his sneezing is from eating the crumbled food or respiratory issues?
Chicken #4 (Lil Daddy) is a Polish chicken cockerel that is a little about 2 months younger than everyone else. He has been having issues for a while now. Started out the same exact as Tina (chicken #1) with the crooked neck. Assumed that it was nutrients, treated him, and put him back with his friends because he was no longer stumbling but still walked with a crooked neck. Well yesterday he was worse and stumbling again. Checked his crop this morning expecting it to be like Tina's but it was empty. I have no idea what's going on with him.
We free range and provide feed at all times. Only buy one to two bags of feed at a time to keep it fresh. Fresh water daily. Clean the coop weekly. We have even brought a chicken to the emergency vet and paid $400 for them to tell us that it was most likely a nutrient deficiency, which they thought it was odd since they free range and are provided with food. I am at a loss of what to do with them. I feel like we have consistently have had issues with our chickens since we got them. Someone is always sick. I'm running out of places to separate our chickens and can't keep them in the house forever. Please help!
