Sitting with a cup of coffee. (coffee lovers)

[chickisoup]

Evening all

long day today. ice breaking, trip to town, home to break some more ice. At least we were gifted with one more day of sunshine and near to 32o. High of only in the teens again. Got to love the beginning of mud season in the northwoods.

Good news

on the sick hen front. I really thought I had switched into hospice mode since she stopped eating 2 days ago and barely drinking. She didn't seem to be suffering, other than the diarrhea, she's been alert and clear eyed the whole time, just getting wekaer of course. she showed no other signs and seemed comfortable in her little infirmary. Fully expecting to find her gone this morning when I went in to check on her, instead I found her more alert. When we got back from town I could tell she had drank a little water and had possibly picked at the rolled oats I gave her. I offered her some warm mash and she ate! Still serious diarrhea, but I am back in nurse mode and if she wants to fight, so do I. Put probiotics in her water tonight and will hit her with erythromiacin in the morning. For those who don't know, that's what the commercial producers use to fight it. Unfortunately, they load up cattle and everything else, including poultry, whether they actually need it or not. This poor girl is the last of my rescued hens I brought home 2 years ago this May. I still remember the first time they got brave enough to leave their new coop. It made me want to cry at first and then I couldn't stop laughing when they discovered the loose dirt!!! I eventually had to break it up because they had worked so hard at figuring out how to dust they were cramping up!

 

[ronott1]

Evening all

long day today. ice breaking, trip to town, home to break some more ice. At least we were gifted with one more day of sunshine and near to 32o. High of only in the teens again. Got to love the beginning of mud season in the northwoods.

Good news

on the sick hen front. I really thought I had switched into hospice mode since she stopped eating 2 days ago and barely drinking. She didn't seem to be suffering, other than the diarrhea, she's been alert and clear eyed the whole time, just getting wekaer of course. she showed no other signs and seemed comfortable in her little infirmary. Fully expecting to find her gone this morning when I went in to check on her, instead I found her more alert. When we got back from town I could tell she had drank a little water and had possibly picked at the rolled oats I gave her. I offered her some warm mash and she ate! Still serious diarrhea, but I am back in nurse mode and if she wants to fight, so do I. Put probiotics in her water tonight and will hit her with erythromiacin in the morning. For those who don't know, that's what the commercial producers use to fight it. Unfortunately, they load up cattle and everything else, including poultry, whether they actually need it or not. This poor girl is the last of my rescued hens I brought home 2 years ago this May. I still remember the first time they got brave enough to leave their new coop. It made me want to cry at first and then I couldn't stop laughing when they discovered the loose dirt!!! I eventually had to break it up because they had worked so hard at figuring out how to dust they were cramping up!

I would give her a course of corid.

 

[pollitos2013]

Love the snow chicken!

 

[cindynkidsd]

@Alaskan Love your snow chicken!
@psyanki Sure hope you feel better quick! U hope the bad weather coming doesn't make it worse!
@ Chickisoup. So glad she's doing better! Best wishes!

 

[sourland]

Mornin'.

 

[chickisoup]

Quote: Hi Ron!
thought of that too, but finally figured out (with a lot of reading) what the root cause is. Never knew this before (guess an old chicken keeper can learn new tricks) but her diarrhea was most likely caused by extreme stress. I knew when my crazy roo recently figured out what he was supposed to be doing made her his prime target because the other much younger hens ( my 3 sex-link pullets and my 1 yr old "mutt" leghorn) would go after him if he tried anything, (boy, is his comb beatup

)I would hear her scream and she would hide in the nest box but I thought things were getting a little better because she was no longer hiding once the weather got better and I was able to let them out more but I still had to pick her up and put her in the coop in the evening because she would no longer go in on her own and I had bought her a saddle because of the damage the big clutz was doing. recently I noticed the sex-links were starting to pick on her which meant she was losing her status as top hen because of it. I also think he may have hurt her because she would squack if I picked her up just the wrong way (still does) otherwise she liked it. She would also run and hide behind me when I was in the coop and the only way she could eat her evening treat with the rest of the girls is if I made Max stay on the roost. I thought things would iron out by themselves but I guess I was wrong. She was much more alert this morning and gobbled a bit of bread I offered and ate some of her breakfast. Guess I just might have to give the poor old girl her own little world. May see if she will mix with the new chicks I have coming next month. BTW- I now have the bottom sex-link running from him and my mutt has clearly taken over the top hen position. I have a soap opera in my coop!!! If things don't get better come warm weather, I may be forced to look into re-homing my over zealous boy.

Final note. I always knew stress was bad of course, I just didn't realize it could cause extreme diarrhea. lesson learned.

 

[ronott1]

Hi Ron!
thought of that too, but finally figured out (with a lot of reading) what the root cause is. Never knew this before (guess an old chicken keeper can learn new tricks) but her diarrhea was most likely caused by extreme stress. I knew when my crazy roo recently figured out what he was supposed to be doing made her his prime target because the other much younger hens ( my 3 sex-link pullets and my 1 yr old "mutt" leghorn) would go after him if he tried anything, (boy, is his comb beatup

)I would hear her scream and she would hide in the nest box but I thought things were getting a little better because she was no longer hiding once the weather got better and I was able to let them out more but I still had to pick her up and put her in the coop in the evening because she would no longer go in on her own and I had bought her a saddle because of the damage the big clutz was doing. recently I noticed the sex-links were starting to pick on her which meant she was losing her status as top hen because of it. I also think he may have hurt her because she would squack if I picked her up just the wrong way (still does) otherwise she liked it. She would also run and hide behind me when I was in the coop and the only way she could eat her evening treat with the rest of the girls is if I made Max stay on the roost. I thought things would iron out by themselves but I guess I was wrong. She was much more alert this morning and gobbled a bit of bread I offered and ate some of her breakfast. Guess I just might have to give the poor old girl her own little world. May see if she will mix with the new chicks I have coming next month. BTW- I now have the bottom sex-link running from him and my mutt has clearly taken over the top hen position. I have a soap opera in my coop!!! If things don't get better come warm weather, I may be forced to look into re-homing my over zealous boy.

Final note. I always knew stress was bad of course, I just didn't realize it could cause extreme diarrhea. lesson learned.

Stress weakens their immune system and then the "whatever" that they have been resisting builds to a level that they can no longer fight.

I sent in a Poo sample last winter and had it tested. They found cocci in the stool but no round worms. I am supposed to give them two or three days of cord a month. I do that about every three months and they are fine so far.

Removing the stress is a good thing. I might be tempted to have some Rooster and Dumplings.....

Doggone rooster!

 

[chickwhispers]

@chickisoup I'm so glad you have figured out your hens problem. Too bad it's the roo though. But better than something more serious for your flock.

We have 7 inches of new snow today, Winds 30 mph gusts to 40., "level 3" snow emergency. No one on the roads except emergency personnel. I called into work. Should have said I was dying. Better response. I won't go into details but I never call off work, and the last level 3, We'll just say a double standard and let it go at that.

Anyway, on a very good thought Smell :
Fresh, warm Gingerbread cookies and hot Gevalia Coffee.

YUMMM!

 

[Alaskan]

@chickisoup
 I'm so glad you have figured out your hens problem. Too bad it's the roo though. But better than something more serious for your flock. 

We have 7 inches of new snow today, Winds 30 mph gusts to 40.,  "level 3" snow emergency. No one on the roads except emergency personnel.  I called into work. Should have said I was dying. Better response. I won't go into details but I never call off work, and the last level 3, We'll just say a double standard and let it go at that.   

Anyway, on a very good thought   Smell :
[COLOR=A52A2A]Fresh, warm Gingerbread cookies and hot Gevalia Coffee.[/COLOR]

              

          [COLOR=A52A2A]YUMMM!    [/COLOR]    

Thats weird.... why would everything shut down for just 7 inches of snow, and a bit o' wind?

However... I wish I could sit in your house thus morning and join you. Cookies and coffee sound lovely!

 

[chickwhispers]

We aren't as experienced with 9 months of winter like you brave souls of the north!

We only have 3 months usually. And here it's illegal to drive a snowmobile on the road.

Why can't we be more like Alaska!

You are welcome to join me for coffee and cookies!