Suspected sour crop... (possibly coryza?)

[AmyRey]

Okay, vet thinks coryza too. She's on Baytril and everyone else is on Durvet for prevention.

Thanks all for pointing me in that direction.

 

[AmyRey]

Update:

Lefty has been on Baytril now for five days. The bubbles are gone from the eyes, although there still seems to be a little drainage from her mouth. (The foul smell is considerably better.) All in all, she seems to be improving.

However, she still is not very interested in eating. Each night at bedtime, her crop is empty or nearly empty while the other girls have eaten their fill. This morning, when I let them all out, three girls crowded around the feeder as usual. Lefty stood preening, by herself.

Any ideas?

 

[AmyRey]

*bump*

 

[AmyRey]

*bump again*

She ate some treats yesterday and acted fine, but still nothing much in the crop at night. And she wasn't out at the feeder again this morning.

I worry that she's going to regress if she doesn't start eating soon.

 

[fiberart57]

I'm glad your hen is feeling better. I hope she starts to eat better soon.

Have you tried making a mash out of her feed? Although mine aren't sick, I've been giving them their feed in the form of a wet, warm mash when I can and it seems that whether or not they're hungry, they'll eat some. If that doesn't entice her, try scrambled eggs or other high protein stuff. Last night when it was below zero at my house I made the girls a gruel of polenta and put some raw hamburger in it and they ate it all up. They like the meat protein at this time of the year. Just don't give them too much. I give my standards a portion about half the size of my thumb.

Good luck,
Mary

 

[AmyRey]

I have tried oatmeal when she was still feeling a bit poorly, but she didn't much care for it.

A good warm mash would help get some water into her too. I think she's drinking, as she'd have REALLY gone downhill by now if she weren't, but she can't drink too much.

I may try that tonight. If I soak pellets long enough, they'll get mushy, right?

 

[fiberart57]

Sorry it took a while to answer.

I don't know about pellets but my crumbles soften right up. If you use boiling water and then cool it with cooler water to warmish consistency it might work. I would suggest the consistency of baby cereal.

Mary

 

[AmyRey]

Ugh. Darn these winter days! It's dark when I leave home in the mornings, dark when I get home at night. Roosted chickens don't care a BIT about food.

Maybe I can get some down her over the weekend. She still seems to be feeling fine. Pecking and scratching and preening with the rest of the girls. *shrug*

It's possible that I'm just a worrywart.