- Jun 16, 2011
- 169
- 11
- 91
I woke up this morning to a sick baby Barnevelder. They are three weeks old yesterday, hatched by me, fantastic hatch rate, and up till now vigorous and well. Just starting to put on shoulder feathers.
They were without food for no more than about eight hours overnight (probably quite a bit less, as when they were tucked in for the night there was a moderate amount of food there), and when I put food in this morning the other nine ran and started eating merrily, but my little Barney just stood, eyes closed, as if half asleep on her feet. She is also breathing about twice as fast as the others. Eyes are clear, nothing else to see. No signs of being pecked or anything. No nasal discharge.
They're in a grower hutch in the chookshed. Temps are ok - they were about 23-24 C overnight under the light. Towels are on to exclude drafts, and the hutch is about a metre long, with plenty of room to get away from the lamp. No physical contact with the bigger hens or their droppings or anything. They're on medicated starter crumble. Fresh water twice daily with a dash of apple cider vinegar. No way to get wet (drinker is suspended on a wire). Pine shavings bedding in the bedding tray area, clean; wire floor in the rest of the hutch with shavings under. Stools are all looking fine, usual consistency, no blood.
I've managed to get a tiny bit of warm honey-water into her by dipping her beak carefully in a shallow lidful, and she then put her beak up and swallowed - this about three times. I've nestled her under the light. If she wakes up enough, I plan to offer her a little boiled egg yolk and starter mash. Is there anything else to be done?
They were without food for no more than about eight hours overnight (probably quite a bit less, as when they were tucked in for the night there was a moderate amount of food there), and when I put food in this morning the other nine ran and started eating merrily, but my little Barney just stood, eyes closed, as if half asleep on her feet. She is also breathing about twice as fast as the others. Eyes are clear, nothing else to see. No signs of being pecked or anything. No nasal discharge.
They're in a grower hutch in the chookshed. Temps are ok - they were about 23-24 C overnight under the light. Towels are on to exclude drafts, and the hutch is about a metre long, with plenty of room to get away from the lamp. No physical contact with the bigger hens or their droppings or anything. They're on medicated starter crumble. Fresh water twice daily with a dash of apple cider vinegar. No way to get wet (drinker is suspended on a wire). Pine shavings bedding in the bedding tray area, clean; wire floor in the rest of the hutch with shavings under. Stools are all looking fine, usual consistency, no blood.
I've managed to get a tiny bit of warm honey-water into her by dipping her beak carefully in a shallow lidful, and she then put her beak up and swallowed - this about three times. I've nestled her under the light. If she wakes up enough, I plan to offer her a little boiled egg yolk and starter mash. Is there anything else to be done?
