Dora is a 1 1/2 year old Rhode Island Red. She is my bold chicken, but since she started molting, she's been more subdued. Then yesterday she wasn't eating at all though she was still drinking), and she had a yellow poopy butt. Her comb also looked tiny to me. Still red, but tiny. She seemed to have a lot of liquid in her crop, she was pulsing her vent, and she seemed hunched and puffed up.
Here's what we've done so far: We soaked her in soapy water (Dawn). And massaged her crop, which brought up a little liquid. It didn't smell sour. Then we brought her in the house and put her in the bathtub with an old towel spread on the bottom for traction. I put about 3T apple cider vinegar in a one quart waterer, and tempted her with fresh corn, tuna fish and buttermilk. Yesterday she pecked just a bit at the corn and tuna. She stayed on her feet until sometime during the night. This morning she didn't stand up until I picked her up and put her on her feet. But she has stayed standing, ate the rest of the corn, including a few kernels that had fallen into the buttermilk, and has been drinking. After the first streak of yellow poop (it looks projectile) yesterday, she's had normal looking droppings. But she's still working her vent.
I think she may be on the mend. Well, at least she's not continuing to decline. But I have no idea what's wrong with her, or what else I should be doing.
I should probably also say that I lost another chicken about 3 weeks ago. I don't think the two are related, but since I don't know what was wrong with Lucy either, I could be wrong. Lucy was a 4 1/2 year old barred rock. She was molting, but right as rain, until she suddenly couldn't stand and liquid was running out of her mouth. She quickly died.
I don't think I can stand to lose Dora, too. Do you have any ideas for me?
Here's what we've done so far: We soaked her in soapy water (Dawn). And massaged her crop, which brought up a little liquid. It didn't smell sour. Then we brought her in the house and put her in the bathtub with an old towel spread on the bottom for traction. I put about 3T apple cider vinegar in a one quart waterer, and tempted her with fresh corn, tuna fish and buttermilk. Yesterday she pecked just a bit at the corn and tuna. She stayed on her feet until sometime during the night. This morning she didn't stand up until I picked her up and put her on her feet. But she has stayed standing, ate the rest of the corn, including a few kernels that had fallen into the buttermilk, and has been drinking. After the first streak of yellow poop (it looks projectile) yesterday, she's had normal looking droppings. But she's still working her vent.
I think she may be on the mend. Well, at least she's not continuing to decline. But I have no idea what's wrong with her, or what else I should be doing.
I should probably also say that I lost another chicken about 3 weeks ago. I don't think the two are related, but since I don't know what was wrong with Lucy either, I could be wrong. Lucy was a 4 1/2 year old barred rock. She was molting, but right as rain, until she suddenly couldn't stand and liquid was running out of her mouth. She quickly died.
I don't think I can stand to lose Dora, too. Do you have any ideas for me?
