sick hen

[bawkbawkbawk]

Very good info, casportpony - should be a sticky somewhere on a thread for Californians.

I knew about Davis, but neither it nor any of the others are close to me. I would have taken them in to my local vet for a necropsy but the first one died on Christmas Day and the second one on a weekend so the vet was closed.

 

[casportpony]

Very good info, casportpony - should be a sticky somewhere on a thread for Californians.

I knew about Davis, but neither it nor any of the others are close to me. I would have taken them in to my local vet for a necropsy but the first one died on Christmas Day and the second one on a weekend so the vet was closed.

I always ship mine, it's cheaper than the fuel it would cost to get them there. Just remember to refridgerate, do not freeze. FWIW, I've had a couple die on Friday and have waited to 2nd day them for Wednesday delivery on Monday, and they had no issue with the amount of time they were dead. Would have been best to overnight, but this was before I knew about the FedEx account number and I was trying to save money.

 

[Belly Belle]

Hi - Unfortunately we are in England so sending Belle to CA might be a bit tricky. I am not sure what might be available here to test her remains here (and for free).

Thank you for your kind words with regard to Belle. Losing a loved pet is very hard for us and I feel so responsible for their lives and happiness. It was made even harder because I tried so hard with her - so the bonding time was intensified by the experience and I hate to think of what I could have done wrong or better.

As for our last remaining chicken, Ginger. We do love her loads too. She's a real character and likes people. Follows us all around and always wants treats! If we have guests over she's not even shy about that, she'll hang around all of us looking for a little attention and obviously treats too. So yes, we're reluctant to get rid of her to somewhere else because we love her. If we did get others to keep her company - how do we proceed with the fact that we don't have separate accommodation for them? I know ours can be territorial as I watched her just yesterday chase away a magpie that was eating in her garden/yard. It was fortunate for the magpie that she did as our cat (who was sitting close by to the chicken) was also eyeing up that bird at the same time (which is why I was watching to stop him from doing anything). Anyway, I think she will be territorial with a new chicken as well. And of course there is the contagious part of things - on either side (Ginger contaminating the new or the new contaminating Ginger). So with no separate location for it and we can't exactly run out and buy something easily (or cheaply). And if we purchased something, we'd be stuck with it taking up precious space in our garden which is decent but far from large.

How long can she be on her own before too much loneliness gets to her? We took Belle inside on Thursday so she's been on her own pretty much since then (with the occasional moments we'd try to have Belle sit outside to get fresh air and see her friend).

Also may I ask for those who set up a coop on grass...our chickens have been recently picking through their food for parts they like (In the last month I moved them off pellets for the winter to a winter mix), how do you clear out this stuff that they've left lying around? As I mentioned, it worried me that this excess was around when Belle fell sick. Do you have to move the coop and dig up the ground and bury it all? I know some people have the coop/run on gravel or something that could be washed down but ours is just on grass (more or less ruined now of course but we've been reluctant to dig up turf for complete destruction)

 

[casportpony]

Try contacting the nearest vet school and ask them if they know where you could send her.

 

[DraigAthar]

Well, it almost sounds like you're Ginger's flock, now. If you interact with her often enough, and she thinks of you as her flockmates, then perhaps she won't be overly lonely. Because you're right, Ginger will probably be territorial with any new hens. I've introduced new hens to existing flocks several times, and usually it's just a matter of getting through the first week or two. You have to watch them closely to make sure everyone is getting food and no one is getting truly wounded, but after that you have to let them have their little spats. They'll establish the new pecking order, things will eventually settle down, and they'll be a flock. But it is stressful for all parties involved for those first few days.

As for coops on grass, do you have a small portable coop? You'd have to move it every few days to keep the grass from being completely destroyed by the chickens. They are great at killing vegetation, haha. We have a setup with a permanent coop, permanent run, and then portable fencing to give the chickens rotating pasture. You can see it on my coop page if you like:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/new-hampshire-coop-and-run
We add sand to the run now and then, and rake out the messes about once a month to throw on the compost pile along with the dirty bedding from the coop itself. In the winter we put straw in the run, and rake that out about once a month, too. We don't expect the grass to ever grow back in our run.

 

[Belly Belle]

You have a beautiful coop and run...ours is a bit bog standard but we've hoped that as we get more time we'd be able to build a little more for them but I don't think it will in any way compare to yours!

 

[Belly Belle]

Does anyone know how long is too long for Ginger to be on her own? Obviously I don't want her to feel lonely or be more susceptible to any illnesses because she gets depressed but at the moment, the loss of Belle is making it hard to look at other chickens. I guess I feel you should be excited for your new chickens and right now, I'll feel like I am replacing my Belle or not grieving her loss as she deserves. So I feel it is unfair to any new chickens to bring them in too quickly but on the other hand I want what's best for Ginger. So trying to find that balance. So anyone know how long is too long for a chicken to be alone?

 

[DraigAthar]

Does anyone know how long is too long for Ginger to be on her own? Obviously I don't want her to feel lonely or be more susceptible to any illnesses because she gets depressed but at the moment, the loss of Belle is making it hard to look at other chickens. I guess I feel you should be excited for your new chickens and right now, I'll feel like I am replacing my Belle or not grieving her loss as she deserves. So I feel it is unfair to any new chickens to bring them in too quickly but on the other hand I want what's best for Ginger. So trying to find that balance. So anyone know how long is too long for a chicken to be alone?

I don't think anyone can give you a solid answer on this issue. You're going to just have to judge for yourself how well she is handling her isolation. In the past, when I've had to isolate hens for any reason, the ones who don't bear it well tend to pace back and forth a lot, eat less, and lay less frequently. You may just have to watch Ginger and see if she gives you any cues as to how soon she needs a new friend.

 

[casportpony]

I don't think anyone can give you a solid answer on this issue. You're going to just have to judge for yourself how well she is handling her isolation. In the past, when I've had to isolate hens for any reason, the ones who don't bear it well tend to pace back and forth a lot, eat less, and lay less frequently. You may just have to watch Ginger and see if she gives you any cues as to how soon she needs a new friend.

Very good advice!

 

[Silkie mama1]

Did you know that California provides a free necropsy service on backyard chickens, turkeys and waterfowl? They'll even let you use their FedEx number to save on shipping. I use the one in Tulare since it's the one that my avian vet recommended.

Lab Locations

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Each laboratory in the CAHFS System performs specific tests. If the CAHFS Lab nearest your location does not perform the test(s) needed for your submission, the specimen may be forwarded to the lab in the CAHFS System that does perform the test.
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The Davis Laboratory accepts AVIAN, LIVESTOCK, and HORSE submissions. Carcasses may be submitted for necropsy. Submissions for livestock and horse biopsies, serology, bacterial cultures and electron microscopy are also accepted. The Toxicology section of the Davis Lab will accept specimens from all animal species, including domestic animals, wildlife, and sea mammals.
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(530) 752-8700
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Turlock Laboratory

The Turlock laboratory provides diagnostic support for the needs of the poultry industry in the northern San Joaquin valley. It provides diagnostic services in pathology, bacteriology, serology, mycology, and in some aspects of virology. The Turlock Laboratory serves as a point of access to the CAHFS and all of its services except necropsies of large animals. Specimens (except large animals, cats and dogs) will be transported to other laboratories of the CAHFS for diagnostic procedures that cannot be conducted at Turlock.
The Turlock Laboratory accepts all AVIAN submissions including carcasses, serology samples and bacterial cultures. The Turlock Laboratory now performs the Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) Elisa test on ear notch samples.
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Address
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Tulare Laboratory

The Tulare laboratory is located in the facilities of the Veterinary Medical Teaching and Research Center, University of California, Tulare. It provides diagnostic laboratory support for the food animal industries and the veterinarians who serve these industries in the central and southern San Joaquin valley. Services offered on-site include pathology, bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, regulatory serology and certain aspects of virology. The Tulare Laboratory accepts all AVIAN, LIVESTOCK and HORSE submissions.
Serology and toxicology samples are sent, as necessary, to other CAHFS laboratories for testing.
Address
18830 Road 112
Tulare, CA 93274-9042
(559) 688-7543
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[email protected]

San Bernardino Laboratory

The San Bernardino laboratory provides diagnostic laboratory support for the livestock and poultry industries of southern California, and conducts serological tests required for programs of the Animal Health Branch. It is staffed and equipped to provide diagnostic support in pathology, bacteriology, mycology, milk quality, serology, and some aspects of virology and parasitology. It serves as a point of access for all services offered by the CAHFS.
The San Bernardino Laboratory accepts AVIAN, LIVESTOCK, and HORSE submissions: avian carcasses and biopsies, livestock and horse carcasses and biopsies, serology and bacterial cultures.
105 W Central Avenue
San Bernardino, CA 92408 2113
(909) 383-4287
(909) 884-5980 (FAX)
[email protected]

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Hi I was wondering if you know of a good vets for chickens Near Reseda or LA area. Some place where I could bring her in she has been sick for awhile now and I have taken her to the vet once already, but the person didn't specialize in chickens and just pit her on some medication to see if it would do the trick. I guess any advice would be appreciated!!