There's Always Something New to Fret About

[seminolewind]

I'm just getting thru the Marek's nightmare, enjoying my new vaccinated chicks, and Maybelline, my Blue Jersey Giant, has been all fluffed up and molting. But she's been sleeping in a nest, not on the roost, and in the morning on one side of the nest is poo, and on the other side is like chunks of green fiber, sortof like those dried out grass clumps . No smell. I locked them all in last night, she has a huge crop, with bones underneath. I caught her this morning and the big crop was still there.

Looks like Maybelline will be getting massages, mush with oil, bread soaked in oil and yogurt, etc. Poor baby, just starving away. Her crop is softening up a bit.
I'm just venting, it feels like one thing after another. I have chicks coming next week, and really don't feel like it. I may give them away. Maybe.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Whenever I feel discouraged and overwhelmed, I have found that it helps to sell about 10 chickens.

I feel a load off my chest at the fact that I am now responsible for 10 fewer lives.

Hugs to you and yours.

 

[KandiandJerry]

When stuff like this happens it is so nerve wracking....but most of the time it's just part of raising and keeping chickens....keep your chin up...it will get better....just remember that you are doing the best you can for all of them....and I'm sorry you are having to go thru this.....

 

[remuda1]

Seminole, there are times when I feel the same way

. Right now it looks like I have a hen that has developed pendulous crop so it looks like it will be something that I will have to continue to contend with on her. Some days it feels like not such a big deal other days I feel like I just need to cull her

. When I feel like that, I always talk myself I to waiting one day to see if things still seem so grim. I just dint like to make those kinds of decisions when I'm in an emotional state

. I'm determined to give her as good and happy a life as possible as long as she's not suffering and her quality of life is good.

I have finally pared my flock down to where I want it to be for the winter. Some GREAT people came and picked up a trio yesterday so that was good. NOW I get to stress about integrating the younguns with the older birds before cold weather hits so that they can all stay in the big coop together for the winter

. Keep your chin up and if you feel like you need to give the chicks away, give them away and don't feel bad about trying to minimize your stress level

.

I'm going out now with a flashlight to check Betty Boop's crop

. Haha, and yes, I go ahead and check the rest of the older birds while I'm at it!! I hope you have a GREAT day today!!

 

[Dowie]

Thanks for posting Seminole, I feel like that too today. Good to know that getting the chicken blues is normal. It's a lot of work for a few eggs!

 

[Beekissed]

It's good to take a learning approach to raising livestock and consider each crisis as a learning point. I've never had impacted crops in any of my flocks over these many years and I don't know why that is but, if I did, I'd be finding out what I'm doing that others who don't have the problem are doing to correct it in my own flocks.

Same with any other illness, problem, infestation, etc. Like hens becoming egg bound...there is a solution to every problem if one only studies the variables~are the hens too fat, too old, wrong breed? Illness? Preventative works best, so who is doing what to prevent illness in their flocks and will it work on mine?

There is a learning curve to raising chickens. Some of the learning is passed down generation to generation and some is picked up along the way...but either way, it is still imperative to learn from mistakes, illnesses, deaths, etc. That way you don't feel so defeated by the whole process...you can mark it down to something you've learned and will not repeat again.

 

[seminolewind]

Maybelline has been vomiting green fibrous stuff with no real smell. She's now on my patio in a hospital cage getting her crop massaged every few hours. She's also slurping down some concoction I made her.

I am leaning towards giving the chicks to my friend. I am just not in the mood for chicks right now.

But I am glad (not) that some of you go through the same thing sometimes.