Top Ten Ways to Accidently Kill a Sick Bird

[casportpony]

well it seems it's a flock thing. I have 2 in sick bay and now 2 more in the flock showing signs of same thing. I don't know what else to do so nature will have to take over.

You should have a necropsy done if another dies.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

@getreal

Name: Dr. James Averill
Title: State Veterinarian
Department: Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 30017 Lansing, MI 48909
Office Address: 525 W. Allegan Lansing, MI 48933
Office Telephone No: (800) 292-3939
Fax No: (517) 373-6015
E-mail : [email protected]

http://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/
Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health Michigan State University
4125 Beaumont Rd, Ste 201H
Lansing, Michigan 48910
Phone: 517-353-1683
Fax 517-432-5836

 

[getreal]

well it seems it's a flock thing. I have 2 in sick bay and now 2 more in the flock showing signs of same thing. I don't know what else to do so nature will have to take over.

one has died. other back in flock.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Necropsy! Call and ask about it:

Name: Dr. James Averill
Title: State Veterinarian
Department: Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 30017 Lansing, MI 48909
Office Address: 525 W. Allegan Lansing, MI 48933
Office Telephone No: (800) 292-3939
Fax No: (517) 373-6015
E-mail : [email protected]

http://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/
Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health Michigan State University
4125 Beaumont Rd, Ste 201H
Lansing, Michigan 48910
Phone: 517-353-1683
Fax 517-432-5836

This is how I send mine for a necropsy:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/799747/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Okay... several weeks ago someone suggested to someone else that they should treat their egg bound bird by injecting 50ml of fluids into the cloaca. I searched and searched, but could not find any veterinary references to doing that. What I did next is sort of interesting... The last necropsy I did I tried injecting 50ml of fluids... anyone wanna guess where it went?

-Kathy

 

[KayTee]

Okay... several weeks ago someone suggested to someone else that they should treat their egg bound bird by injecting 50ml of fluids into the cloaca. I searched and searched, but could not find any veterinary references to doing that. What I did next is sort of interesting... The last necropsy I did I tried injecting 50ml of fluids... anyone wanna guess where it went?

-Kathy

Into the belly, ascites-style? An absolute guess, but given gravity, the laws of physics and the anatomy of a chicken, I can't imagine that it would go anywhere that it needs to!

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Correct! Some went into the intestines, which is fine, I guess, but a bunch went into the repro tract and then into the belly! Perhaps I should start another "top ten" and call it worst advice ever given!

-Kathy

 

[KayTee]

Perhaps I should start another "top ten" and call it worst advice ever given!

-Kathy

You definitely should, Kathy - although I don't think a top ten would be enough!

I've just seen a great one on here about wood ducks. Someone posted that wood duck ducklings are often very reluctant to start eating once they hatch, and that this is because they usually hatch in nests that are up off the ground (in tree holes etc.), so then they fall out of the nest on the first day, and that this stimulates them to eat. Therefore the poster says they drop all their ducklings (I don't know from what height) after they hatch, to get them to start eating! I'm sure many people have successfully raised wood ducks without resorting to throwing them around in the first 24 hours of their lives! Even if there is some truth to this idea (of which I am doubtful), a little knowledge is a dangerous thing - although ducklings and chicks are resiliant creatures, I am certain that many would be injured by people dropping them and damaging their legs / wings etc.

 

[Ladyhawk12]

Omg ...yeah 10...not enough!

 

[Luvmy9hens]

Kathy, we've all been there. <sigh> I lost my very favorite hen several weeks ago because I wasn't diligent enough to check for snipped off bits of fencing from building the run and Pearl got a small piece of metal lodged in her throat. It just makes ya sick, doesn't it? When she first had problems, I got some really great advice - and some really bad advice. The most logical thing was that she'd gotten a long strand of grass lodged from when we put grass clippings in the run and as advised I gave her some bread. The goofy noise and head shaking stopped for several days. But then it started up again. I was told to give her antibiotics, even though I didn't know if she had an infection anywhere, to de-worm her, to soak her throat with a hot wet rag, and someone even told me to rub her throat with Vicks. The simplest solution was the bread, and it did work, but after she died we did a chicken-topsy and spotted the tiny bit of wire lodged deep in her throat. The bread probably worked to help push it down and gave her some relief until it lodged deeper, and this time it wasn't coming out. I'm glad I didn't run out and buy a bunch of meds that I don't understand and that would have made no difference anyway. I'm no vet, and nothing will go into my chickens unless it's essential and prescribed by a vet with clear dosage instructions specific to chickens and to her size.

I just love reading your posts - very grounded and filled with excellent advise. I, too, believe that over-medicating a sick animal with drugs that are not meant for a little bird could be lethal. I was just reading a post in which an owner stated that she was giving her hen 1000 mg of calcium to relieve a "stuck" egg. According to my vet, too much calcium will cause a chicken's heart to stop. My hen has a calcium deficiency and we almost lost her again due to a shell-less egg. She rapidly declined after passing the shell-less egg. In this situation, although the contents of the egg are excreted, the membrane is not. This could lead to infection. The vet said that shell-less eggs are NOT "normal" and that it indicates that there is a nutritional deficiency (vitamin D or calcium). After nearly a week of medical intervention, antibiotics (Clavamox drops .1ml - 2xs daily), calcium supplementation ( .2ml of Cal-Nate - 23% calcium - 1x daily), hand feeding (Emer-Aid Two), etc, she excreted the membrane. She is as good as new but ever have we come so close to losing her. Her refusal to intake anything was rough but I made it through those 3 days. I had blood work done on her and it seems as though her potassium and phosphorus levels are low. Calcium is near normal after a week of daily doses of . It was suggested that I buy bone meal at a health food store and dust her food with the powder to bring up her levels.

I just read about your beautiful hen. So sorry for your loss. You could never have known that she swallowed a piece of the wire. I have an article written by a veterinarian about the dangers of chickens eating chips of lead-based paint! Would have never thought of that one, either. There are many dangers present for free-ranging hens! They also hide their symptoms very very well until they are almost near death!