The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Oh...and field peas .... no soy.

 

[armorfirelady]

AFL, I usually can feel the grains in the crop.  think the olive oil was the right idea.  its almost as if she has something stuck, isn't it?  I can't think of anything else you could do - greasing her up so if something is stuck it might pass.

I've seen something similiar and the hen was fine the next day.  hope that will be true for sophie too!

I looked down her throat. May be something in there but hard to tell. Later I will give her some more olive oil later and massage from her throat down to crop and see if it helps. She has been out all day scratching and eating. I was out trying to get more compost into the garden and didn't see her doing the neck stretch sooooooo maybe earlier helped.

Stella was checked out and she has pin feathers coming in on her head. Woohoo!!!! I still lathered on some Nustock. As soon as the yard dries out the electric netting is going up. But as flooded as the yard is it will be awhile :/' outdoor sump pump can only get,so much.

Red ridge beautiful rooster. We got up to 70 here today as well.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have killed my first chicken accidentally. I can't get it out of my head, and I feel absolutely horrible.

I had a hen with sour crop, and I have been trying to treat her.. I know, I should have made a good time line where I euthanized her, but she was still getting food through her system (pooping) but the crop was not going down as it should have been with yoghurt.

Anyway... I picked her up to massage her crop like I do every time I see her, and she started vomiting. I aspirated her lungs with the crop contents and she died right in front of me. It was 30 seconds. The crop contents were coming out every orifice.

Note.. if you have any issue with sour crop that is chronic: put them down.. If they are just starting the issue and you want to treat, BE CAREFUL how you handle them. NEVER try to get the contents out of the crop.

My poor poor girl. She was so very friendly. I cried for a good 10 minutes.

 

[subhanalah]

Oh, that's so sad about aoxa'aoxa's chicken. I always try to massage gently in a downward motion. I've been told about vomiting a bird, where you hold them upside down and massage the crop towards their head, never done it though.

 

[LadyBehir]

Regarding cock #52 - since there are 52 cards in a deck of cards, maybe name him Ace or some other card type name.

 

[subhanalah]

Regarding cock #52 - since there are 52 cards in a deck of cards, maybe name him Ace or some other card type name.

I like it! Maybe Gambit!

 

[armorfirelady]

 
I have killed my first chicken accidentally. I can't get it out of my head, and I feel absolutely horrible.

I had a hen with sour crop, and I have been trying to treat her.. I know, I should have made a good time line where I euthanized her, but she was still getting food through her system (pooping) but the crop was not going down as it should have been with yoghurt. 

Anyway... I picked her up to massage her crop like I do every time I see her, and she started vomiting. I aspirated her lungs with the crop contents and she died right in front of me. It was 30 seconds. The crop contents were coming out every orifice. 

Note.. if you have any issue with sour crop that is chronic: put them down.. If they are just starting the issue and you want to treat, BE CAREFUL how you handle them. NEVER try to get the contents out of the crop. 

My poor poor girl. She was so very friendly. I cried for a good 10 minutes. 

Oh, that's so sad about aoxa'aoxa's chicken. I always try to massage gently in a downward motion. I've been told about vomiting a bird, where you hold them upside down and massage the crop towards their head, never done it though.

I have only done it for a short time since I was also worried about her aspirating. I've seen the approach of hanging them upside down but I refuse to do that. I squirted some more olive oil down her and tomorrow will try the coconut oil. Her crop was large tonight but she has been foraging all day so it was expected. So she is def getting stuff thru. I'll just keep trying the coconut oil and see if it gets stuff to pass. He hard little things I felt this morning are gone.mi really wish I could figure out what's stuck in there. Feeling it reminds me of grass but they haven't been out on grass since last year. Must be hay maybe. But most of that has broken down in the DL. it's just plain weird.

Tomorrow if I get out of work early I'm going to put up one roll of the electric netting up off the person gate so they enjoy grass instead of mud during the day. I'm sick of watching them walk & scratch in the mud all day. The sump pump is slowly getting the water of the garden but it's going to take a few weeks of no rain and sun to dry it up some.

On a good note Stella has pin feathers coming in on her head. I nustocked her head again. Maybe she is finally learning to stop being so greedy

 

[subhanalah]

Coconut oil is a fantastic idea! Could you give her some grit, in case its hay? From the sounds of it, it doesn't seem like they have good grit in their run? I have clay soil, so have to provide grit.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I second some free-feed grit it you don't have any out.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@stonykill

Okay. I found a proper crate so that I can move them totally away from the flock. It is 3 ft. long x 22.5" wide x 2 ft. high. Is that large enough to put 2 birds in for that long?

I hate the idea of cramped quarters.