Sick Buff Orpington hen. Please, I need help!!!!!!!

[lsg1007]

I think we all understand how you feel. Please don't beat yourself up too much. Animals, unlike people, aren't able to vocalize what they need or how they feel that well. Signs of illness or injury can be very subtle and even more so in birds as they often "pretend" to be well - ie feign interest in eating, drinking etc - either to protect themselves from being picked on by healthier peers or just as a ingrained behavior. Regardless, they can appear well and not actually be well resulting in a delay in diagnosis and treatment. I know it is heartbreaking to lose a pet. It's easier said than done, but try not to feel guilty. I lost some hens to a pair of red tailed hawks recently and felt so guilty about the fact that I had noticed one of my pullets ducking more and more alert to what was above her a few days prior and I had not recognized this as a threat from above until after they had been killed. You have provided a good home for your chickens, tried to nurse your hen back to health when others (and this isn't wrong either) would have culled her, and truly care for her well being. Most of us are not chicken experts and so we unfortunately learn through trial and error. It happens. And sometimes, regardless what we do, we have an animal who is more susceptible and sensitive to illness that cannot be saved. The most important thing for a bird is while treating them, hand feed them or closely monitor food intake as they do not have the same reserve that other animals have. However, if she is starting to have labored, shallow breaths, I think her time is soon (if not already). If this is the case and she is beyond hope, forcing her to eat/drink just causes more discomfort. Instead keep her comfortable and wait (if you don't think you can euthanize her). We feel your heartbreak.

 

[dandydoodle]

Well two my shock was still with us when I went down and now able to hold her head up again and breathing fine. I think possibly yesterdays flea and tick bath was just draining to her in her weakened state. Anyway back to meal worms and vitamin water and hopefully I can get her to eat eggs with yogurt in a little bit. Has anyone had this happen to one of your birds before? How long did it take before they had the strength to stand and eat on their own again?

Thanks,
Michelle

 

[dandydoodle]

I think we all understand how you feel. Please don't beat yourself up too much. Animals, unlike people, aren't able to vocalize what they need or how they feel that well. Signs of illness or injury can be very subtle and even more so in birds as they often "pretend" to be well - ie feign interest in eating, drinking etc - either to protect themselves from being picked on by healthier peers or just as a ingrained behavior. Regardless, they can appear well and not actually be well resulting in a delay in diagnosis and treatment. I know it is heartbreaking to lose a pet. It's easier said than done, but try not to feel guilty. I lost some hens to a pair of red tailed hawks recently and felt so guilty about the fact that I had noticed one of my pullets ducking more and more alert to what was above her a few days prior and I had not recognized this as a threat from above until after they had been killed. You have provided a good home for your chickens, tried to nurse your hen back to health when others (and this isn't wrong either) would have culled her, and truly care for her well being. Most of us are not chicken experts and so we unfortunately learn through trial and error. It happens. And sometimes, regardless what we do, we have an animal who is more susceptible and sensitive to illness that cannot be saved. The most important thing for a bird is while treating them, hand feed them or closely monitor food intake as they do not have the same reserve that other animals have. However, if she is starting to have labored, shallow breaths, I think her time is soon (if not already). If this is the case and she is beyond hope, forcing her to eat/drink just causes more discomfort. Instead keep her comfortable and wait (if you don't think you can euthanize her). We feel your heartbreak.

Sorry about your birds. :0( We had a felled hawk attack a few months back. Pretty scary stuff and they didn't understand the lock down afterwards but, everyone is still here so I guess lockdown worked. Don't beat yourself up either I wouldn't have known either except the hawk ripped out a bunch of tail feathers and they were all over the ground when I went to lock up. If the feathers hadn't been there and I hadn't found my roo with a bald hiney I am sure I would have lost one to that hawk also.

 

[leannag123]

I know that my hens were very unhappy when I had a mite problem. They wouldn't go in their hen house at all and at one point i thought i would lose my sussex. After a thorough clean of the pen and then mite powder inside the hen house and on all the hens, they sprung back to health very quickly. Chickens do get funny coloured pooh sometimes and green is not uncommon if she has had a lot of veg. Look at her eyes and at her nose to see if they are clear. I would be using the mite powder and worm her anyway in case it is that. It might be that she is egg bound, but that is just a guess. I have kept Buff Orpingtons for years along side other breeds and they can be fragile at times. I would try that before you call the vet.

 

[lsg1007]

She's a strong bird. She may be able to fight this after all!

 

[dandydoodle]

Sorry about your birds. :0( We had a felled hawk attack a few months back. Pretty scary stuff and they didn't understand the lock down afterwards but, everyone is still here so I guess lockdown worked. Don't beat yourself up either I wouldn't have known either except the hawk ripped out a bunch of tail feathers and they were all over the ground when I went to lock up. If the feathers hadn't been there and I hadn't found my roo with a bald hiney I am sure I would have lost one to that hawk also.

Oops I meant failed. :0)

 

[dandydoodle]

Okay, I force fed her about 10 or 15 meal worms this morning and vitamin water. Then at about lunch time I was hoping maybe I could get her to eat some eggs with yogurt. Ugggh, nothing I just don't understand why she won't eat on her own. She has her head up and is very alert to her surroundings right now and something she would have been fighting to get a hold of before she just won't touch. I am about to go force her to eat some and drink.

This couldn't have come at a worse time. I had just replaced all of their bedding and I don't have any extra cash right now. I know time is of the essence, I sprinkled the Sevin 5 % but, I don't have the money to get new bedding and purchase more seven dust and the other preventative I was told to use. Not to mention when I clean out all the bedding before putting any new down I want to purchase sand and cover all the dirt at least two to three inches. If anything is left after cleaning it out and doing another run of the Sevin 5% I want it to be under at least two to three inches of sand and then I am gonna treat again and then start putting the preventative. I have done everything I can do for my little sick girl. I just hope everyone can hold out and not get sick until payday. :0( Uggh!!!!

Does anyone know how much DE and where to get it. Ya'll did say to feed them some right? How much?

Thanks everyone for all your help and support.

 

[GhostRider65]

I feed my chickens DE every 4 days or so in a dozen scrambled eggs for breakfast, I have 20 chickens though so adjust to what you need, I use a 1/2 cup per dozen eggs, and mix a little kefir in if you don't have that yogurt is fine, just so it isn't dry when you give it.......... you could use water if need be....... add the liquid first then the DE to coat it....... it will help with bugs I also use it in there dust bath, and everytime I clean the coop.(I use shavings), i sprinkle it around, I used sand last year, but as you no money to do it this year and I get my shavings from the local pallet company 25 dollars for a 3/4 ton pick load............ I dump it in my extra horse stall. I also sprinkle the seven dust in the dust bath area 1tx a month just to help with them......... I was toid chickens alwasy have them to some degree because of the wild birds, I never had them until this spring and they are a pain a get rid of, just when ya think there gone ya see some on one of them............ so I check at least once a week a couple different hens or the rooster, who seems to get them easier or something, cuz he is always the first to have some.
Still praying for you and your girl, I hope she gets better soon................ males me tear up she looks so much like my Henrietta.............. and I really would fall apart if I lost her, she is my sweetest hen. Kim

 

[dawg53]

DE is useless when wet, just like inside the chickens innards and wont prevent nor kill worms. Here's proof:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=576245
Dandyydoodle, if you suspect worms (which it might be,) get a real wormer. Safeguard liquid goat wormer or valbazen liquid cattle/sheep wormer are your best bests. If your feed store doesnt carry them, Jefferslivestock.com does.

 

[GhostRider65]

DE is useless when wet, just like inside the chickens innards and wont prevent nor kill worms. Here's proof:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=576245
Dandyydoodle, if you suspect worms (which it might be,) get a real wormer. Safeguard liquid goat wormer or valbazen liquid cattle/sheep wormer are your best bests. If your feed store doesnt carry them, Jefferslivestock.com does.

Who ever started this rumor is an idiot...........DE does not break down in water or liquid of any kind......anyone with common sense and knows what DE is would know if it were ever to breakdown in water it would not even exist !!!!!!!!!!!!!! because it is the calcified remains of sea creatures.....................from the bottom of alot of water called the ocean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really wish ppl would do some research before spreading untruths, about something they apparently do not know anything or about or do not understand the process that makes it works !!!!!!!!!

Sorry to burst the bubble Dawg but whoever told you this knows nothing about it..................
My horses have gotten it since I owned them and I have never had a worm problem, my dogs get it, my cats and now my chickens, I have never had a bad infestion of any kind of worm in over 12 years....it will also not make your animals sick or kill them like some of the so called miracle wormers on the market that are making the worms immune to the chemicals that kill them, and pretty soon none of them will work at all.........Kim..