The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Ya know..some chickens when they are going to start to come into POl take is really bad..

Have you ever had a daughter who started puberty and she acted like she was in pain?..that might be what is going on. I would assume her reproductive tract is messed up and her *change* is painful. She is not POL, however she might be coming into POL.

She is defiantly in pain and it is a cause for concern. She is a pretty girl. I would open her beak and check for something lodged. If you don't see anything, we will look into something else.

 

[Bulldogma]

Could she have worms but not be responding to your methods?

It does not look good.

My hunch says that parasites aren't the problem. She was just fine, then started slowing down about 3 days ago... just all of a sudden. They get pumpkin seeds fairly regularly and I put Dawn dish soap in their water each time... as well as ACV.

The other thing is that generally I wouldn't think worms would constipate her. I would think it would be opposite unless she had so many that they caused a blockage... but as healthy as she's been, I don't believe that to be the case.

How would I tell if she had an impacted gizzard? My other thought would be a blockage somewhere in her intestines. This girl will eat anything and goodness only knows what she might have gobbled up outside!

 

[Bulldogma]

Ya know..some chickens when they are going to start to come into POl take is really bad..

Have you ever had a daughter who started puberty and she acted like she was in pain?..that might be what is going on. I would assume her reproductive tract is messed up and her *change* is painful. She is not POL, however she might be coming into POL.

She is defiantly in pain and it is a cause for concern. She is a pretty girl. I would open her beak and check for something lodged. If you don't see anything, we will look into something else.

I didn't see anything in there earlier... but then again she still has some "fight" in her when I'm trying to take a gander down her throat. I'll look again in a little while.

 

[aoxa]

My hunch says that parasites aren't the problem. She was just fine, then started slowing down about 3 days ago... just all of a sudden. They get pumpkin seeds fairly regularly and I put Dawn dish soap in their water each time... as well as ACV.

The other thing is that generally I wouldn't think worms would constipate her. I would think it would be opposite unless she had so many that they caused a blockage... but as healthy as she's been, I don't believe that to be the case.

How would I tell if she had an impacted gizzard? My other thought would be a blockage somewhere in her intestines. This girl will eat anything and goodness only knows what she might have gobbled up outside!

Well I don't know what to say.

If it's not parasites or egg binding.. I just don't know. I would offer her anything she is willing to eat. She needs to get food in her. Not sure what it is.

As for impacted gizzard.. Again not sure. Her crop looks big in the picture. Is that just an optical illusion?

 

[aoxa]

What are the signs and symptoms of a blocked gizzard?

The symptoms of a foreign body obstruction and a blocked gizzard are similar. The first signs are an increased thirst and fluffed up appearance. Birds will develop a stomach ache and will lean forward on the perch. Droppings will have no faecal component and may be watery and appear clear or white. Birds may vomit and stop eating. Symptoms of a blocked gizzard or foreign body obstruction appear suddenly, over a period of a day or two. It is important to recognize these symptoms early, so treatment can be implemented as early as possible. The likelihood of recovery is dramatically increased when the problem is identified and treated early. If left unattended for a period of time, the chances of recovery are slim.

 

[delisha]

If she has lost weight..it is not reproductive issues.

3 days and lost weight? or weight shifted?

Showing a bit of keel is not a bad thing as long as she had not lost weight every where. Some birds as they mature distribute weight in different areas.

I am going to be honest here..

With the way she looks, I am saying it is something ..like parasites, be they internal or external or an internal blockage.

As a suggestion:

Crush up a clove of garlic , two oregano leaves, some olive oil and some how get them in her. It will not hurt anything, and it might help get things moving along. If it does not work in 12 hours you will need to do it again.

 

[Bulldogma]

What are the signs and symptoms of a blocked gizzard?

The symptoms of a foreign body obstruction and a blocked gizzard are similar. The first signs are an increased thirst and fluffed up appearance. Birds will develop a stomach ache and will lean forward on the perch. Droppings will have no faecal component and may be watery and appear clear or white. Birds may vomit and stop eating. Symptoms of a blocked gizzard or foreign body obstruction appear suddenly, over a period of a day or two. It is important to recognize these symptoms early, so treatment can be implemented as early as possible. The likelihood of recovery is dramatically increased when the problem is identified and treated early. If left unattended for a period of time, the chances of recovery are slim.

OK - where do I find information on treatment??

That said, while she had no interest in the FF I had given her earlier, she's currently gobbling up some venison. I'm wondering if the oil into the crop, the warm bath and long massage (yes... I did) got things moving. I massaged her crop area, gizzard area and underbelly firmly, with motions toward her tail. I'll keep you updated. I haven't wanted a chicken to poop this badly in a while.

 

[Bulldogma]

As a suggestion:

Crush up a clove of garlic , two oregano leaves, some olive oil and some how get them in her. It will not hurt anything, and it might help get things moving along. If it does not work in 12 hours you will need to do it again.

I'll do that if she doesn't poop soon... I'm going to give her a little time since she is currently eating meat.

 

[aoxa]

Her eating is a good sign.
This treatment info is from a website for house birds. Not chickens, so take that into consideration. Though all birds have gizzards, and therefore can have impacted gizzards.


How is it treated?

A blocked gizzard or foreign body obstruction must be treated as an emergency. Treatment starts by injecting a lubricating feed mix into the crop, using a crop needle. The birds must be hospitalized in a warmed cage and fed three times a day, in an effort to flush the obstruction through. A high energy formula is incorporated in the feed mix and is critical in re-establishing the sick bird's mineral and fluid levels.
At this time it may also be necessary to give anti-spasm injections, antibiotics or additional fluids. A culture of the droppings is taken to treat concurrent infections and help identify any underlying cause. The procedure of unblocking the gizzard with an injection into the crop may be stressful to critically ill birds and birds with a longstanding obstruction or low resilience. Unfortunately, shock and sudden death following this procedure is possible. We make every effort that this does not occur.
We can recognize when the blockage has been flushed through by the re-appearance of a faecal component (green) in the droppings. If no faecal component is seen after three days of treatment, the likelihood of recovery is poor. It may not be possible to clear longstanding obstructions. We will keep your bird hospitalized until a normal dropping has been passed.

 

[lalaland]

BDM,
sorry to hear of your hen's problems, and even sorrier that i don't have any suggestions. Please keep us posted.