The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2014/04/preventing-and-treating-wry-neck-in.html Is it possible that she got into something that may have been contaminated?

 

[BlueMouse]

ok. so selinium and vit. E. I have vit. E drops because I use them in homemade beauty products. I can give her some in addition to the polyvisol. She hasn't touched the liver. Would I be better offering her some eggs or trying to make liver paste and feed with syringe? I'm mixing pumpkin seeds into her food in case of worms, and giving a drop in her food of mixed lemon/peppermint/fennel essential oils, which is supposed to be good in case of worms as well.

I don't see how my feed would be rancid, since I go through it so quick. it is a good incentive to try to go back to whole grains instead of crumbles though (had trouble sourcing some stuff where I am though). What I want to know is why is this ONE chicken emaciated and ill when everyone else is fine? she is smaller than some of the flock, but I really watch to make sure everyone is getting in to get their fair share of the feed, and has seemed to be..... UGH.

This particular chicken is my daughter's pet, and she doesn't seem to be suffering terribly, just, floppy necked. She's definitely eating, although I haven't seen her drink (so I've been giving her water by dropper three times a day when I give her the polyvisol drops).

 

[Leahs Mom]

Be careful that your vitamin e oil isn't old...it also goes rancid very quickly.

Are you sure she hasn't gotten into anything that may have had botulism? It's always possible that she found something the others didn't and ate it.

Also...could just be a genetic issue.

Do the iris of the eyes appear gray at all?

 

[ChickChickChicky]

ok. so selinium and vit. E. I have vit. E drops because I use them in homemade beauty products. I can give her some in addition to the polyvisol. She hasn't touched the liver. Would I be better offering her some eggs or trying to make liver paste and feed with syringe? I'm mixing pumpkin seeds into her food in case of worms, and giving a drop in her food of mixed lemon/peppermint/fennel essential oils, which is supposed to be good in case of worms as well.

I don't see how my feed would be rancid, since I go through it so quick. it is a good incentive to try to go back to whole grains instead of crumbles though (had trouble sourcing some stuff where I am though). What I want to know is why is this ONE chicken emaciated and ill when everyone else is fine? she is smaller than some of the flock, but I really watch to make sure everyone is getting in to get their fair share of the feed, and has seemed to be..... UGH.

This particular chicken is my daughter's pet, and she doesn't seem to be suffering terribly, just, floppy necked. She's definitely eating, although I haven't seen her drink (so I've been giving her water by dropper three times a day when I give her the polyvisol drops).

Instead of piddling around "wondering" if worms have any bearing on this, break down and spend the $10 or so a vet will charge you to run a fecal float test. Since the bird is in bad condition, you don't want to be wasting time and resources treating for something that may not be a problem at all. And if worms ARE the problem, it will be SO much easier to treat because you'll know exactly WHAT to treat for. And contrary to what many on here seem to think, most worms are NOT visible to the naked eye (especially not the most lethal ones).

 

[BlueMouse]

Chicky, You do raise a valid point about the fecal float, and that would be the ideal course of action. However, since it's not feasible for me to get that done immediately (no local vet, lack of weekday acess to car) neither the pumpkin seeds or the EO's are going to hurt her, so I figure better that in case of possiblity than nothing. Hopefully I can get the fecal float done later in the week when I have a car.

leahs mom, Her eyes look fine, clear and bright. just the thinness, which has come on suddenly, I picked her up last week, and she was a bit spare, she always runs a bit thin, but nothing like this. and the floppy/twisted neck.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I agree on getting a fecal. And if there aren't worms, it's best not to keep giving her things that treat them as they deplete the system of needed nutrients. Think of wormers as a kind-of "cleanse"... If you cleanse too much it will weaken your system.

Hopefully you could get a stool to take in and set your mind at ease at least on that.

 

[Leahs Mom]

AFL - how are those pickles coming?

And...update us on the herb boxes around the coop. How are they working out?

 

[armorfirelady]

AFL - how are those pickles coming?

And...update us on the herb boxes around the coop.  How are they working out?

Well the pickles got great reviews when I took a jar to the fair for my friends in the firehall to try. Only my mom didn't like he sour taste but said they would be good on a sandwich. The other 2 crocks are in the basement making the pantry smell pickly lol. I made up 28 jars of bread & butter pickles also. And some spaghetti sauce and stewed tomatoes. I'm hoping to get more tomatoes this weekend to make some more sauce and salsa.

As for the herb boxes well the plants in them would of done better if I watered them more lol. Tho the babies think they are perfect for roosting at night time. I truly don't know how to get them to roost inside.

I also sold 3 of the hens today. 2 of the partridge rocks & Lucy. That way I can keep a couple of the babies. Just waiting to see if little grey is a girl (all the gray chicks sally8 hatched have been Roos) I thought maybe with them gone the babies would roost inside but I had to move them in tonight.

And Stella doesn't look any better. She either starting to molt or just in poor health. she laid 3 giant eggs about a month ago and has not laid since.

 

[lazy gardener]

back after a long abscence from forums in general precipitated by real life... anyways. my flock has been bumming along healthily and happily, until last night... I have what seems to be an adult chicken with wry neck. Of course this is my daughters pet chicken....

Found her last night in the coop lying on her side with her neck twisted back against her back. I thought she was dead, but picked her up and she was breathing and somewhat active but couldn't straighten her neck. So I brought her inside to see if I can care for her. She is absolutely Emaciated, but the rest of the flock is FINE. My two big cornish cross girls are probably overweight. She's a year old cream legbar. Everyone has been shut up for a week and a bit right now because i had a series of hawk attacks, so no forage, but getting weeds from the garden to scratch and pick at in the run, compost, and fed crumble/scratch mixed to about 16% protien. Soaked, not Fermented for now. My ferment bucket got nasty in the heat and I haven't restarted it yet. Last month I ran everyone a week of ground pumpkin seeds and cayenne pepper as a general preventative for worms.

what it looks like most to me is wry neck, although I 've never encountered that in person. I'm giving her liquid polyvisol (w/out iron) in her water as well as un pasturized ACV, and plenty of soaked feed. she is eating and trying to pick around, but can't hold her head straight, and seems to find it tiring to try. She lies down every so often, and her head just pulls back against her back.I thawed some chopped heart and liver that I keep for chicks and gave it to her, but she hasn't eaten that, I don't know if she just can't peck it with her head twisted? she's eaten a fair amount of the soaked feed, and her crop feels full. I'm worried she can't drink well with her neck so floppy and strange so I've been giving her 4 drops of polyvisol by mouth 3x per day and also at the same time giving her water by dropper. She is idignant about being dropper fed, but swallows fine. She's even trying to perch on the little training roost I have thn the grow out pen, although her head either lies against her back, or hangs in front of her chest, sort of floppy and twisted.

Any thoughts? This is my daughter's really beloved pet and I'm worried sick because she would be devestated if we lost her.

What kind of chicken is she? Some breeds are more susceptible to wry neck. Also, you describe the neck as being floppy. That doesn't sound like wry neck to me. Sounds more like botulism or some other neuro disorder. Wry neck tends to present as hypertonic mm tone. I agree with the previous posts re: Vitamin E, selenium plus the broad based vitamin supplements. An excellent product is Poultry Nutri-drench. If you put it in the waterer, be sure to change it every day, as it will quickly go rancid, especially in this heat. Good luck. I wish you the best, but you may find that even if the neck improves, she will have other internal issues associated with this which may lead to an eventual need to cull.

 

[BlueMouse]

she's a cream legbar. She seems a little better tonight. she is eating the soaked feed i have down for her at least some. And I made a witches brew of liver and fresh raw egg in the blender, and she drank a couple tbsp of that out of a spoon for me. she was having trouble getting the pieces of liver up so that was my compromise. Seriously gag worthy but also nutrient dense. She's perching on the little roost I have in there, and trying to preen herself, but seems to have very little control over her neck, and her head is constantly twisted sideways. I don't know what she would have gotten into that would have given her botulism shut up in the coop/run?

Thank you everyone so much for your advice/input.