Solar Chicken? *Pics on post #13*

[ArizonaNessa]

Oh thank you so much chinamom. I will definitely check out your suggestions. I am sure it is not the feed though. This bird has been different from day one which means this is either genetic or she needs something extra. I really feel it is a vitamin thing and I am just hoping it's vitamin D. Heck at this point I am not even sure that birds need vitamin D like we do. I have done so much reading it's crazy. I think I am going to experiment a bit and see if the liquid vitamin D3 that you and another person mentioned will help. I think at this point it can either work or not but surely it can't make things worse. Tomorrow I am going to try and get a pic of her up for you guys to see, not that a pic will help much in this situation but hey who don't like pics right? LOL.

 

[wildorchid053]

i took out a tuna sandwich to sit in the run and watch my hens.. they jumped at it and ate it like crazy.. i bet your hen would like cod liver oil.. i would add a couple of drops on her crumbles to try

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Okay so I took some pics with hubby's camera phone. They are not the greatest as I am photographically challenged LOL The little bird that you see is just company while she is in her treat pen.

 

[millie481]

bump

Interesting.

 

[clkingtx]

Are her eyes red? She almost looks like an albino, or at least a partial one. I hope you figure out how to help her.

Carrie

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Yes her eyes are a little more red than her sister but not like the red of a bunnies eyes. I know she is an easter egger which basically means she could be a wide range of things with a splash of real ameraucana somewhere down the lines. Out of 100 she was the only one to turn out this way. I never even thought of albino though.

 

[clkingtx]

It might be another direction to look in your research(like you need any more). I don't know much about it myself, except that some albinos do have health issues sometimes, and I have seen a person before that was partially albino, so I guess chickens could be, too. You said she was one of 100, are any of the others the same coloring? In the picture it is hard to tell, are her feathers all white? I can't tell if she is tan on her chest and wing, or just a little dirty. I know we got so much rain here recently, if my chickens were white, they would be brown now!

Carrie

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Yes her sister or her brood mate from the same shipment rather is the same color as her. They are mostly white with splashes of brown. I am in the desert so no mud here lol. Her brood mate is completely normal in every way a chicken can be.

 

[kickinchicken]

I am remembering an episode of House, MD

....but isn't parathyroid responsible for usage of vitamin D. She might have parathyroid disease where her body just isn't producing/processing vitamin D. I would be completely wrong

...I should honestly know this as I am a pre-nursing student and am currently taking Human Anatomy.

 

[Chick-a-roos]

okay, after reading this....and really making my "human" nursing mind go into over-drive.

Vitamin D does ONE THING in our bodies.. it helps our intestine to absorb calcium from the foods we eat. Thus, Vitamin D increases the amount of calcium in our bodies. (which also would explain soft shelled egg or no eggs).

If the blood calcium level is too HIGH, it should be associated with a LOW parathyroid hormone level--if the parathyroids are normal... (a normal parathyroid will shut down and go to sleep if the calcium level is high).

so my statement does not explain the chicken anatomy...only confused myself more!