- Feb 1, 2014
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Hi all, I'm new to the forum although I have been referring to BYC on FB and via website for months now. I love reading all the forum posts, so many knowledgeable, helpful people out there!
We live in Queensland, Australia and a week ago I forgot to close the door to my chook pen - ONLY night I haven't done it! A python got in, sucked on one of my girls and then must've realised she was too big for him and regurgitated and left. The others escaped thank goodness, but I noticed the next day that my girl Esme was limping. I have kept an eye on her and figured she must've hurt her leg in the panic to get away from the snakey wake-up call. Today I have noticed that she has one eye closed and on closer inspection it was crusty and reddened around and inside the eye. I have also noticed that she has spent a lot of time laying down while Rudy the rooster pecks around beside. When they went to bed I cleaned her eye with a betadine (iodine) solution on a cotton wool ball in the hope that it's just an eye infection and not something more serious.
This is the most ill-fated bunch of chooks I have ever had - originally I had 4 platinum sussex and one sussex. 2 of the chicks died before I even got them home and the plain sussex (Lavagirl) died on Xmas day. She was the healthiest of the lot, but I noticed on that day that she was sitting down a lot too..... what is going on with these girls? No other respiratory snuffley secretions and eating and drinking normally. She is still only young and hasn't started laying yet. Is it possible that she got so stressed from the snake attack that she is making herself sick or does it sound like something 'disease-ish'? Sorry for the long-winded story, just wanted to give some background info. Also, I have never had platinum sussex before, usually RIR or Isa Browns - they seem to be a very sturdy and not so fretful chook.
Thanks for any help!
Cali
We live in Queensland, Australia and a week ago I forgot to close the door to my chook pen - ONLY night I haven't done it! A python got in, sucked on one of my girls and then must've realised she was too big for him and regurgitated and left. The others escaped thank goodness, but I noticed the next day that my girl Esme was limping. I have kept an eye on her and figured she must've hurt her leg in the panic to get away from the snakey wake-up call. Today I have noticed that she has one eye closed and on closer inspection it was crusty and reddened around and inside the eye. I have also noticed that she has spent a lot of time laying down while Rudy the rooster pecks around beside. When they went to bed I cleaned her eye with a betadine (iodine) solution on a cotton wool ball in the hope that it's just an eye infection and not something more serious.
This is the most ill-fated bunch of chooks I have ever had - originally I had 4 platinum sussex and one sussex. 2 of the chicks died before I even got them home and the plain sussex (Lavagirl) died on Xmas day. She was the healthiest of the lot, but I noticed on that day that she was sitting down a lot too..... what is going on with these girls? No other respiratory snuffley secretions and eating and drinking normally. She is still only young and hasn't started laying yet. Is it possible that she got so stressed from the snake attack that she is making herself sick or does it sound like something 'disease-ish'? Sorry for the long-winded story, just wanted to give some background info. Also, I have never had platinum sussex before, usually RIR or Isa Browns - they seem to be a very sturdy and not so fretful chook.
Thanks for any help!
Cali