Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[GregnLety]

Red certainly took a beating from Cholo. At the moment we only let out one of the 2 tribes. His eye is still swollen but is open now. My wife cleans it regularly with saline solution and applies Terramycin. Same treatment we gave Cholo when he was a young cockrell and took a beating from Red.

 

[Shadrach]

Everybody hungry.

Luckily I had brought a new bag of layers pellets hence the shopping trolly minus the bag this time.

After a bit of a scrum for food they all headed off to do a bit of foraging.

That

bit bare bum belongs to the hen that ate something that made her ill.
What I couldn't clean up she pulled out in the end.

Henry's legs are getting better finally. Most of the damaged scales are gone from one leg and the other is a lot better than it was.

 

[Shadrach]

When I began reading your thread this was the exact things that made me feel you were some sort of chicken saints. Not going there everyday, or bringing them food, or spending three hours on the bus back and forth, or dealing with C. (Although all of this is certainly to your credit I think you made it clear that was it something you wanted and that being with chickens was a daily task that gave your day sense and structure.)
Having to deal with the fact that with all you do for them, you will see quite a few of them through their last days and death, that will necessarily come on a regular basis due to their age... that's something I find really admirable. I hope you can find some way to deal emotionally with it, I wouldn't be able to.

This and Rib's words lift a heavy weight for me! I've never had to cull a chicken yet. When Vanille was sick we kept wondering what we should do, not having experience, or a vet's advice. We did hesitate to cull her but then she healed completely and has had another six months with a very good quality of life, up to now.
I think I would be way more serene to know that if it feels like a hen is very near to certain death I will leave her with her tribe, and only cull if death does not come naturally after a given number of days. Pain medication changes the deal.

For the terminally ill chicken junior asprin is handy if Metacam isn't available. I've use Metacam here because I have it but when it runs out I don't know yet where I can get more without going to a vet. In Spain Gloria my vet ended up giving me whatever I said I needed with a phone call. It wasn't like that at the start.

 

[bruceha2000]

Red certainly took a beating from Cholo. ... My wife cleans it regularly with saline solution and applies Terramycin. Same treatment we gave Cholo when he was a young cockrell and took a beating from Red.

Turnabout is fair play But sometimes you have to look over your shoulder for a long time. I guess Red stopped looking.

 

[RoyalChick]

For the terminally ill chicken junior asprin is handy if Metacam isn't available. I've use Metacam here because I have it but when it runs out I don't know yet where I can get more without going to a vet. In Spain Gloria my vet ended up giving me whatever I said I needed with a phone call. It wasn't like that at the start.

Meloxicam (the active ingredient in Metacam) works in a very similar way to Ibuprofen. Meloxicam is more potent and (in people) causes more side effects. Ibuprofen is available without prescription in many countries so I wonder if that would be a good alternative.

 

[Shadrach]

Meloxicam (the active ingredient in Metacam) works in a very similar way to Ibuprofen. Meloxicam is more potent and (in people) causes more side effects. Ibuprofen is available without prescription in many countries so I wonder if that would be a good alternative.

I can't remember who told me, or maybe I read it somewhere but I don't think Ibuprofen is suitable for chickens. I can't take it and I know quite a few others who can't either.

 

[RoyalChick]

I can't remember who told me, or maybe I read it somewhere but I don't think Ibuprofen is suitable for chickens. I can't take it and I know quite a few others who can't either.

Interesting given how similar it is to Meloxicam in its mechanism of action - but these things can be idiosynchratic for sure.

 

[Shadrach]

Interesting given how similar it is to Meloxicam in its mechanism of action - but these things can be idiosynchratic for sure.

I'm not certain about this.

 

[RoyalChick]

I'm not certain about this.

This suggests it is OK - particularly terminally
https://www.researchgate.net/public...rofen_and_diclofenac_sodium_in_broiler_chicks

 

[Shadrach]

This suggests it is OK - particularly terminally
https://www.researchgate.net/public...rofen_and_diclofenac_sodium_in_broiler_chicks

Well done RC. I was just about to do a search.
Need to find out about dosage.