The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Kassaundra]

Lynn, I don't think stroke since she would have involvement w/ the wing (droop) and weak or paralized leg. Humans have cranial nerves in the head and neck area that govern things like eye lid movement, eyeball movement, tongue movement, shoulder movement, blood pressure, facial symmetry. I do not know chicken anatomy well enough to know if they have these same or similar nerves, but suspect so. If one or more of those nerves are damaged or bruised, or swollen around that could explain the s/sx. If it is just swollen around the nerves or bruised in the nerves they should recover, but if the nerves have been actually damaged it could be permenant (if that is what it is, just guessing here)

 

[Pozees]

Well, we lost Google, my big BR around noon. So I am left with just 2 injured ones.


Big Mama, the BO stayed on the roost all night and she put herself up there last night. She is trying to eat, but it seems like she is having trouble seeing with just one eye open, plus she seems to not have full control of her tongue. While I was out there around noon I did get some wet food in her by putting it into the side of her mouth and my husband helped hold her while I gave her more. She did drink on her own, which is an improvement from when I had her inside. I did take her off the roost later in the morning, she was not happy with me and I kept following her around and putting a little wet food in her mouth and making her walk. I put her in the run and threw down some scratch and she went for it and I did see her get a piece of scratch or two and eat it. She also pecked at some wet food and meal worms at first and it was like she was doing the motions but not actually getting anything.

It's weird, but I think maybe she has some type of brain issue or something from the shock? We checked the eye that she keeps closed, I pulled down the lid and the eye looks fine and it opened easy. Could it be some sort of stroke maybe? She is walking more and scratching the ground and trying to eat and drink, a big improvement from yesterday. Her tongue also seemed to stay out a little when she was eating at first but I think it is staying in better now. She looks and acts more aware, not so dazed as before. I think and hope she is coming back to us. She also just walked from the coop into the run and is trying to eat again. She's a big girl and has some weight on her because she always loved to eat so hopefully that will help her out in this recovery.


Has anyone ever heard of a chicken that pecks and does not really pick up food? Or one that temporarily lost control of their tongue. It is so strange.






Here is Big Mama, the BO. This is the side where her eye is shut. She still is a pretty hefty weight. Her other side looks completely normal.

Maybe it is just the moment you snapped the pic, but to me she appears not to be bearing equal weight on both feet. The left foot isn't really down on the perch or gripping. This would support the theory of a brain injury affecting both the eye and the foot/leg, and also probably the tongue. If she seems to be improving, it could be swelling that is going down, or a bleed that stopped and blood is being reabsorbed, reducing pressure.

I am so sorry you lost Google, and have fingers crossed Oreo and Big Mama recover. Regardless, you are doing all you can by supporting and encouraging them. You are a good chicken Mama.

 

[Pozees]

With the excessive rain problem many are having, I have often wondered why we don't have pipelines in our country to transfer water from areas where it always floods to dry areas where they always seem to have droughts or wildfires. I guess that is too simplistic, and of course it isn't a profitable commodity like oil, so it would never get done because it would be too expensive..

I have been saying for months now, scrap the oil pipeline and build a water pipeline - and as soon as someone figures out a profitable way to do it, rest assured, there will be a water pipeline. The west is burning up, and some of you back east and up north are drowning.

 

[Kassaundra]

Thanks! Do you feed them daily all of these or each periodically? Can you use ground garlic and red pepper like you could get in bulk from Sam's? Or, minced garlic you can get in a big container? We are growing pumpkins for them but I wasn't wondering if seeds are fine either fresh or dry. Is this enough unless a bird actually gets sick? Should I be doing anything else? We have not seen mites or anything. They dust bathe and I believe some people give de for dusting. We don't but can if we should. Thanks again!

Parasite control is a "loaded can of worms" there is no short cut, you need to research both sides w/ an open mind. Know what the strengths and weaknessess are of both or a combination of treatments. There are those who do not believe in worming at all, those who only use "natural" methods, and those who use chemicals. There are those that only use worming products w/ fecal samples and those who have a schedule and do it regardless. You need to really take a look at your husbandry, how many chickens you have, how much room they have, are they always on dirty dirt, are they on green grass etc..... You need to know how much proof you require that your methods are working. Most chemicals have effacy testing to prove they work, most natural (but not all) have anticdotal "proof" How much time do you want to spend tx for parasites, most natural methods take much longer and are actually more routine food items, are you going to have access to those items and include that in your daily/weekly whatever feedng routine, most chemicals require a couple of doses, once or twice a year. Most natural methods do not require stopping using eggs, most chemicals do.

 

[pickitfarm]

That's high for grower/starter. My starter is 18%. I feed unmedicated starter to everyone. Never, ever do I feed layer. I have strong feelings about layer. Just not a fan of it. It is not good for any bird that is not producing, and that includes broodies, roosters, molting hens, older hens out of lay and young birds not yet in lay. It is only suitable for the hen who is laying eggs regularly.

I feed starter to everyone and offer oyster shell for those hens that need it. It's just easier that way.

Your older hens are less likely to have problems with the additional protein than the chicks would with too much calcium.

Please tell what you feed your broodies, molting hens and roos.

Aoxa - Saw you answer posted later in the thread. Thanks.

 

[salt and pepper]

Thanks! Do you feed them daily all of these or each periodically? Can you use ground garlic and red pepper like you could get in bulk from Sam's? Or, minced garlic you can get in a big container? We are growing pumpkins for them but I wasn't wondering if seeds are fine either fresh or dry. Is this enough unless a bird actually gets sick? Should I be doing anything else? We have not seen mites or anything. They dust bathe and I believe some people give de for dusting. We don't but can if we should. Thanks again!

Probably only two to three times a year. I feed the garlic twice a week though, but the others are for if I'm worried that they already have worms. Cayenne can be used, make the food RED. The garlic from the container doesn't have the same affects. Fresh is what works with the pumpkin seeds. DE keeps things at bay, but only if they don't have anything yet, useless as a treatment. Wood ash is good though. Hope this helps!

 

[groverlvchx]

During the summer they really don't need any manufactured feed at all if they free range. I still feed my free range flock two scoops a day. They clean it up within an hour. I would feed them just one, but I'm trying to condition the geese for show, and they need the protein in the feed.

You can do grower, all-flock or starter all the time. Up to you

Thank you so much, Aoxa! I value your opinion and advice.

 

[pickitfarm]

Lynne - There is hope for your BO. Like others said it could be swelling and that can take some time. She could have a scratch on her cornea and keeping the lid closed keeps it clean and will provide a natural wash for the eye. You giving her TLC is what she needs.

We acquired a hen that has only one eye. We were told by her original owner that her eye was pecked out when she was a chick. Her original owner did not have the heart to cull her. We named her Precious. Early this spring she scratched it and caused it to bleed badly and we moved her to separate pen to protect her from pecking. She was not happy because she could not be in the spot in the roost that she takes each time she is in the coop. After keeping her separate overnight and the bleeding stopped we put her back in with the other hens which perked her up. I hand feed her a little and she finally felt good enough to go out in their large pen. Because she can only see from one side, she is very cautious when eating because of others running up to her bad side to snatch treats or food. Now she comes up to us during feeding time and after feeding the larger group (away from her) she patiently waits for us to give her a pile of food or treats of her own. Smart and spoiled.

 

[delisha]

question...I have oyster shell available at all times...no one eats it...how do you get them to?

They will eat it if they need it.

Quote: Great post and advise

I have never wormed my birds. I had my first chicks in 1982. I test twice a year. I use garlic, red pepper, and things like natural herbs that I put in the coop and they choose what they need. I free range. My situation is different than your situation and you have to make choices what works for your environment and your birds. I recommend testing and make choices after that.

 

[lalaland]

Well, we lost Google, my big BR around noon. So I am left with just 2 injured ones.



If Oreo the BR does not look better tomorrow, I may need to explore other options, I actually was planning this for Google today, but thankfully she passed on her own. She ate so well this morning though, so I’m still holding on to hope and she does not appear to be in pain.

Has anyone ever heard of a chicken that pecks and does not really pick up food? Or one that temporarily lost control of their tongue. It is so strange.

Lynn, sorry to hear about Google.

Chickens try not to show illness - and will go through the motions . I've had ill hens act like they were eating, but if you watch close you see they are just pecking and not eating. It is a survival thing - can't appear weak. I have no idea about the tongue, I don't know if I have ever seen a chicken use a tongue!

Recovery might take a couple of weeks or more.. As long as she is eating and drinking (with your help) you can decide if she is making progress - but it may take some time. What ever you decide will be the right thing.