Sick Chick - Lohmann Brown

[Marie Helen]

Hi. I have a single chicken, coming up to 4 years old. I had four girls until last September when I lost three simultaneously from different things (first egg bound; second resperatory - she heavy breathed ever since she first came; and third retained water). The day before yesterday before she went to roost I noticed she was eating a lot of oyster shell. Yesterday she let me feel her (which normally she wouldn'g do) and she feels like she may be egg bound. I've massaged her gently but she has barely eaten all day. Could it be the oyster shell sitting heavily there? None of the girls had laid since last year around this time. She didn't roost properly tonight, she's sitting in the nest box. Please help. Thanks.

 

[Marie Helen]

Update

I have taken Sweety to the vets, she isn't eating and has actually vomited a couple of times, bringing up clear water.

The vet said she is retaining water. He has drained some of it; it is clear. He has started her on antibiotics and kept her in overnight. He's hoping she will be well enough to come home today but I have to give her medication. I'm dreading this as she doesn't like to be held at all and I've never medicated a chicken. I'll update you again soon.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Wow! That was quick! Glad you were able to take her to a vet. I hope she's ok. In your original post you mentioned you thought she might be egg-bound, then asked if she was impacted with oyster shell. If she was egg-bound, you would soak her in epsom and give her calcium in the form of a supplement/tums. If she was impacted, you'd withhold food and water for a bit and massage her crop several times a day in order to get her crop to empty. But if she's retaining water from an infection, the antibiotics should help.

I hope she recovers! I lost my hen Magnolia in December to an infection that had progressed far beyond hope. I didn't notice a change in her until it was too late. Hopefully, you caught it in time!

 

[Marie Helen]

Wow! That was quick! Glad you were able to take her to a vet. I hope she's ok. In your original post you mentioned you thought she might be egg-bound, then asked if she was impacted with oyster shell. If she was egg-bound, you would soak her in epsom and give her calcium in the form of a supplement/tums. If she was impacted, you'd withhold food and water for a bit and massage her crop several times a day in order to get her crop to empty. But if she's retaining water from an infection, the antibiotics should help.

I hope she recovers! I lost my hen Magnolia in December to an infection that had progressed far beyond hope. I didn't notice a change in her until it was too late. Hopefully, you caught it in time!

Thank you. As it's clear fluid the vet is hoping it's early enough for her to get better. She's far from out of the woods yet. This morning he said she was reacting well - I'm just waiting for an update. He said he'd let me know later. No news is good news, hopefully. I don't think I can medicate her without it going into the wrong place, so she's stayed at the vets today. I'm on my own so would have to hold her, open her mouth and do the syringe ! Much as I want her home, I wouldn't want to harm her. She's my little girl and has kept me going through lockdown etc.

 

[micstrachan]

Thank you. As it's clear fluid the vet is hoping it's early enough for her to get better. She's far from out of the woods yet. This morning he said she was reacting well - I'm just waiting for an update. He said he'd let me know later. No news is good news, hopefully. I don't think I can medicate her without it going into the wrong place, so she's stayed at the vets today. I'm on my own so would have to hold her, open her mouth and do the syringe ! Much as I want her home, I wouldn't want to harm her. She's my little girl and has kept me going through lockdown etc.

So wonderful you got her to the vet. It sounds like she is in good hands. You can learn how to medicate a chicken and we can help you. The vet can also show you. For starters, remaining calm yourself helps, along with wrapping her in a towel tight enough to keep her wings under control, but loose enough not to squish her crop or interfere with her breathing.

 

[Marie Helen]

So wonderful you got her to the vet. It sounds like she is in good hands. You can learn how to medicate a chicken and we can help you. The vet can also show you. For starters, remaining calm yourself helps, along with wrapping her in a towel tight enough to keep her wings under control, but loose enough not to squish her crop or interfere with her breathing.

Unfortunately, due to covid, I can't go into the vets - not even for the loo. They come and collect from the car park, then phone to talk to you on the mobile. If I wasn't so frightened of hurting her, I'd try when she recovers enough so if I need to I could. We had extremely cold weather 10 days ago and I brought her into the house. I'm so glad I did otherwise I might not have spotted it so soon.

 

[micstrachan]

Unfortunately, due to covid, I can't go into the vets - not even for the loo. They come and collect from the car park, then phone to talk to you on the mobile. If I wasn't so frightened of hurting her, I'd try when she recovers enough so if I need to I could. We had extremely cold weather 10 days ago and I brought her into the house. I'm so glad I did otherwise I might not have spotted it so soon.

Oh, right. We have the same COVID issue and I had forgotten about that.

I recently had a chicken go through a hard winter molt. She seemed hypothermic and stopped eating and drinking completely. I was scared to death, but did learn how to tube feed her and I believe it saved her life. I had LOTS of help and moral support on the emergency forum here. My point is simply that we would be happy to help walk you through doing meds safely.

Here’s a good piece of info for you to have. When administering anything, you must either allow the chicken to swallow on her own or bypass the airway. The hole in the MIDDLE of the throat is the airway. I’m suddenly having trouble uploading a photo, but can try again.

 

[Marie Helen]

Oh, right. We have the same COVID issue and I had forgotten about that.

I recently had a chicken go through s hard winter molt. She seemed hypothermic and stopped eating and drinking completely. I was scared to death, but did learn how to tube feed her snd I believe it saved her life. I had LOTS of help and moral support on the emergency forum here. My point is simply that we would be happy to help walk you through doing meds safely.

Here’s a good piece of info for you to have. When administering anything, you must either allow the chicken to swallow on her own or bypass the airway. The home in the MIDDLE of the throat is the airway. I’m suddenly having trouble uploading a photo, but can try again.

When I asked the vet about this - having looked at an online video, he did say if I had experience I could do it, but not on my own, it would take two people. I'm happy to let them keep her for a day or two, as long as there's hope she'll come home ok. I feel guilty as it is without having her home and then she deteriorated. Thank you for your comments though, that's what I like about this forum, everyone is so helpful and friendly.

 

[micstrachan]

Oh gosh. Chicken guilt. I understand completely. Big hug. We’re here for you. I can’t to hear an update that your sweet girl is improving and coming home.

 

[Marie Helen]

Oh gosh. Chicken guilt. I understand completely. Big hug. We’re here for you. I can’t to hear an update that your sweet girl is improving and coming home.

I've just called the vet as they hadn't updated yet, and they said she is settled (I assume they mean she's sleeping as now is when she's usually 'tucked up'). Fingers crossed.