- Aug 26, 2012
- 1
- 0
- 7
Started: Thursday 8/23/12
Came home from work, she was sitting down. I thought she was just sun bathing b/c she got up and started roaming with the other chickens shortly afterwards. About an hour later her and the other hens and the turkey all went into the coop. The other chickens were scratching around and Peggy sat on the ground. Then the other chickens got on the roost to go to bed. Peggy got on the ramp to go to the roost but just sat on the ramp. She let me walk right up to her, which is unusual for her. She will let you get close but usually not touch her at all. She is normally quite cautious. She let me feel her crop and pet her, so I knew there was something serious wrong. The next morning she was still laying on the ramp, although facing the other direction and in a slightly different spot.
So her symptoms I have observed since then (from Thursday 8/23/12 to now, Saturday 8/25/12) have been the following:
Crop/Eating/Drinking habits: Friday morning I felt her crop and she did have a small amount in it, about the size of an egg yolk. She has continued to eat, however has not eaten as much or as quickly as she usually does. She pecked at the ground, but did not scratch. She drank water just fine. I put apple cider vinegar in their water. I clean their water container daily and scrub it every other day. I give them organic scratch and peck layer feed. I mix oyster shells and grit in with their food and/or give it in a separate container. I also give them organic steel cut oats and a variety of different grains and legumes (like split peas, quinoa, flax seeds, etc.) They also free range about 40% of the time. We have several acres that’s very green (so I do not suspect she at any long dry grass or anything that’s causing blockage or impacted crop - also her crop did seem to empty regularly and does not seem impacted)
Sitting a lot, not walking around much.
When she stands she often pulls one leg up and holds it up the majority of the time
She has been closing one or both eyes slowly often throught the day when out and about
Slight shivering for short periods of time
Her backside around vent is extremely dark red and irritated looking
She has mites/lice on her back side (I am not positive which (or both)
Slight loss of feathers by vent
She ate out of my hand, but completely missed the food as if she either cannot see well or is uncoordinated.
She also looked like she was pecking at something in the air, but there was nothing there. When laying in nest, she bumps beak on walk like her depth perception is messed up.
Today (Saturday) she started shaking her head. Not twisting or circling, but just quick small shakes back and forth.
She laid a very small egg with NO shell. The skin/sac part was perfectly in tact with no puncture but it was very small, about the size of an egg yolk.
Currently I am trying to eliminate the mites/lice on her. I prefer not to use any harsh chemicals; however, I do not want her to die and am willing to use the lesser of the evils. I put diatomaceous earth on her back side area earlier today and regularly put it around the coop and in the nesting boxes. Checked her vent area again a few hours after the DE application and it seems to not be as dark red and I didnt see any mites, lice although I didnt get to look long.
I am reading and learning as much as I can as fast as I can, but am afraid to not find the what the exact problem and solution are before its too late. Please help. I really hope someone may have an idea of what's going on with her and can tell me what to do.
PS. I currently do not have internet at home and have to go to town to check this/post/etc. so please do not think I am not responding to you if you ask questions and I do not respond quickly. Thank you so very much!
Came home from work, she was sitting down. I thought she was just sun bathing b/c she got up and started roaming with the other chickens shortly afterwards. About an hour later her and the other hens and the turkey all went into the coop. The other chickens were scratching around and Peggy sat on the ground. Then the other chickens got on the roost to go to bed. Peggy got on the ramp to go to the roost but just sat on the ramp. She let me walk right up to her, which is unusual for her. She will let you get close but usually not touch her at all. She is normally quite cautious. She let me feel her crop and pet her, so I knew there was something serious wrong. The next morning she was still laying on the ramp, although facing the other direction and in a slightly different spot.
So her symptoms I have observed since then (from Thursday 8/23/12 to now, Saturday 8/25/12) have been the following:
Crop/Eating/Drinking habits: Friday morning I felt her crop and she did have a small amount in it, about the size of an egg yolk. She has continued to eat, however has not eaten as much or as quickly as she usually does. She pecked at the ground, but did not scratch. She drank water just fine. I put apple cider vinegar in their water. I clean their water container daily and scrub it every other day. I give them organic scratch and peck layer feed. I mix oyster shells and grit in with their food and/or give it in a separate container. I also give them organic steel cut oats and a variety of different grains and legumes (like split peas, quinoa, flax seeds, etc.) They also free range about 40% of the time. We have several acres that’s very green (so I do not suspect she at any long dry grass or anything that’s causing blockage or impacted crop - also her crop did seem to empty regularly and does not seem impacted)
Sitting a lot, not walking around much.
When she stands she often pulls one leg up and holds it up the majority of the time
She has been closing one or both eyes slowly often throught the day when out and about
Slight shivering for short periods of time
Her backside around vent is extremely dark red and irritated looking
She has mites/lice on her back side (I am not positive which (or both)
Slight loss of feathers by vent
She ate out of my hand, but completely missed the food as if she either cannot see well or is uncoordinated.
She also looked like she was pecking at something in the air, but there was nothing there. When laying in nest, she bumps beak on walk like her depth perception is messed up.
Today (Saturday) she started shaking her head. Not twisting or circling, but just quick small shakes back and forth.
She laid a very small egg with NO shell. The skin/sac part was perfectly in tact with no puncture but it was very small, about the size of an egg yolk.
Currently I am trying to eliminate the mites/lice on her. I prefer not to use any harsh chemicals; however, I do not want her to die and am willing to use the lesser of the evils. I put diatomaceous earth on her back side area earlier today and regularly put it around the coop and in the nesting boxes. Checked her vent area again a few hours after the DE application and it seems to not be as dark red and I didnt see any mites, lice although I didnt get to look long.
I am reading and learning as much as I can as fast as I can, but am afraid to not find the what the exact problem and solution are before its too late. Please help. I really hope someone may have an idea of what's going on with her and can tell me what to do.
PS. I currently do not have internet at home and have to go to town to check this/post/etc. so please do not think I am not responding to you if you ask questions and I do not respond quickly. Thank you so very much!
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