****UPDATE****** Icky thing that FREAKS Me OUT

[Right On Reds]

Okay so hen is in bathroom and this morning laid what I believe to be a shell less egg. It's an inch long, egg shaped, brownish egg color and holds its shape when squished in between fingers. A few other brownish/fleshish color yuckies were on the side.

Now what? Have called every vet in phone book, no one does chickens.

She is eating and drinking. More greenish stuff in poop, now it looks green with clear liquid along with this icky brown shell less egg look thing. It almost looks like if you went to supermarket, bought chicken meat and rolled it into a hardy egg shaped ball.

She has access to oyster shells. I just brought a liquid vitamin supplement and will give it tonight in water. Currently water has sulmet in it.

Been feeding farina with some apple sauce. She is eating and drinking. She roams my bathroom and poops (not enjoying that part) but is still not running from me the way her sister would.

HHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




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I have a pullet who hasn't been herself. Please help.

1) What type of bird , age and weight.

Recently acquired this pullet, one of two about a month ago. The other one has gained weight and is laying an egg daily. This one hasn't laid any. Both are red comets with snubbed beaks and came from a chicken farmer (so I'm guessing inoculated) along with about 22 others the farmer brought to the auction. I bought them at a NJ auction. Farmer said they were about a year old.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.

Not bright like her "sister". She drinks well, but has lost weight while the other, plus my other two RIR/NHR acquired a week before these, have gained weight. There is head shaking. Poop had been normal, then for two days white with some green "stuff" and today, clear liquidy stuff. Chicken in a very light molt in that her feathers look fine, but there are pin feathers that I can find when I look.

3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.

Nope. I live in NYC (thus no chicken vets though there is a bird vet) and they free range in my small backyard. My dogs and cats keep coons and such away. Dogs are seperated from chickens and cats are terrified of 'em. No blood nor injury or any other sign of trauma.

4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.

Nothing that I can think of. I hadn't wormed them though but I imagine that since they were on an egg production line and had their beaks blunted that they've been inoculated, though that just an educated guess.

She shakes head like with gapeworm and there is a bulge, but it's almost where the underside of the neck meets the breastbone. I've been massaging it.

5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.

Today I fet her some nice warm farina which she ate well. I also gave her a BB size of ivermecterin which I mixed with food in addition to the licks she gave of it on a teaspoon. She drank well yesterday and in front of me only a bit today, though that doesn't mean she hasn't drank at all, just means I wasn't watching when she did.

Additionally it should be noted that before her illness she, along with the others "free range" in my backyard. There are tons of earthworms and slugs (or at least there WAS). Since I take care of the backyard, I know that nothing toxic has been used for at least two years. I even got grass seed from Agway that didn't contain chemicals. Chickens went wild on the bug populations and gobbled up earthworms and slugs.

I've never had chickens before so the ground couldn't be previously contaminated. First chicken didn't come in until 9/10/09.

There is a bird feeder however.

6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.

Last nights was white with no lumps of poo but it did have green stuff which I believe means she hadn't eaten much. Today it's much clearer but doesn't have any poo in it.

The other chickens poo, aside from the morning ones being huge, seem to fit quite well into the normal range based upon chicken poop links I've found on this forum and others.

7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?

In my feeble attempt to get her better before she got too bad to save I've done the following.

a) ivermecterin/praziquantel mix paste known in the horse world as Zimecterin Gold. (Ivermectin 1.55% and praziquantel 7.75%) BB size mixed in food and then whatever she licked off the spoon.
b) Tetramycin in water two nights ago.
c) she's in my bathroom nice and warm.
d) gave a warm water bath in my sink yesterday, just in case eggbound.
e) put in water today some Sulmet.
f) massaging crop, throat, abdomen where I "think" an egg might be LOL.

I did treat the two huge RIR's with vaseline to take care of leg mites. It worked fabulously.

8 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?

I wouldn't mind going to a vet, but I don't believe any here have much experience with chickens. There is a local bird vet which I pass every night on the way home from work and there's never any cars in the parking lot. Does that bode omen as to ability? I don't know.

9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.

No pics.

10) Describe the housing/bedding in use

Bedding is exquisite hay which I use for my show horse. Fresh, green and beautiful. I've recently put some DE on the ground of the coop where two pullets are. The two RIR's seem to like my Rubbermaid shed, and that too is full of hay.

The red comets were housed in a brand spanking new $425 wooden cage with nest boxes and a wire meshed run. It can be seen here:


http://www.wholesalechickencoops.com/hss09 chicken coop.html

They have free access to fresh water, I feed Purina Layena, oyster shells, grit and scratch in addition of table food.

I can't think of anything else.

Chicken (her name is Stella after my favorite aunt) seems almost bright right now in the bathroom, just not as energetic as her wild sister Celia who is creating havoc outside in the yard.

Sorry for the length of this, I just want to right by Stella.

 

[Jajika]

I'm not a chicken health expert, but I will share my experience with you.

I found one of my pullets sitting, without moving, one morning. At first it appeared she had fallen, but I couldn't be sure.

She would not stand up. And, if she tried, she plopped down right away.

She drank little and barely ate. Her poop looked OK.

I could not tell what was wrong, but thought she may have been egg bound as she had some seepage from her vent area. I put a finger up there, but did not feel anything.

Then I "delivered" an egg.

She still would not stand. I kept her inside the house in my office. She seemed happy but still would not walk. the longer she lived inside, the less she would eat. She was not out in a normal environment, so her eating instincts seemed to go away. I got very concerned she would starve.

After trying everything I could think of, I found a vet that treated farm animals and drove out there.

After blood tests, they found fairly high levels of mercury and suspected it affected her vertebrae. None of the other chickens had this problem.

After several months she recovered, but it was a long, slow process.

Go figure.

Good luck. I know what you are going through is very upsetting. I encourage you to find a vet and make the trip. You can only do so much your self. You need to get her professional help.

My best.

 

[Right On Reds]

Thank you very much for responding.

She seemed a wee bit this evening, but nevertheless, if there is no return to normalcy by tomorrow, I'll try to find a place in the neighboring state of New Jersey. Surely there must be someone qualified there.

 

[Jajika]

Good luck.

I know it is difficult, but you are doing what you can and no one can ask for anything more.

It is obvious you care which makes the frustration that much more difficult.

Again, my best.

 

[Right On Reds]

I have to say that I find it somewhat alarming that so many folks are having so many problems regarding their chickens health.

As a newbie to chickenland I am surprised as to the fragility of these birds which are a staple to our food chain.

I scoured NJ today, picking up meds and such at a feed store. The feed store then sent me to a chicken farm in the hope I could speak to the farmer and get his input which I did.

This place was the type of place where people go to buy live chickens for food consumption. Watching them lift up and hold five chickens at a time by the legs and watching them flap around and then go into the "other" building where they were............ uhm............ dispatched was very creepy to me and my sensibilities.

I thought of everything I was going through (just spent sixty bucks on meds/vitamins/wormer etc.) for my two dollar chicken.

Then I had chicken for lunch (not mine LOL) and the whole thing has left me very confuzzled.

 

[Right On Reds]

bumped to show update

 

[Right On Reds]

I finally got a call from a vet who does house calls and he will be coming tomorrow afternoon to check on the chicken. He seems to have at least some familiarity with chickens (I hope).

I figure it'll be worth the money since he can also evaluate my set up and check on the others.

Not happy about the expense, but once I take on the responsibility of an animal, I cannot let my ignorance be it's downfall........

 

[PortageGirl]

Quote:
Chickens aren't all THAT fragile. There's THOUSANDS of members here, thing is, people are here, reading, looking for info, and talking back and forth, but really in the grand scheme of things, very few actually have problems... and then, there's a problem they post, learn, get info, and go on to have little or no problems afterwards.

Lots of us have had very few problems.

 

[Jajika]

I'm very confused at the tone of your posts.

You seemed very concerned about your chickens, then you sound somewhat removed?

I can understand the disconnect between raising meat birds and suburban backyarders who name the chickens and keep them for pets.

Eating chicken and raising chickens is not hypocritical. I would not eat my chickens either..as I'm not a farmer and I don't have the dispassionate distance to do that.

Try not to overthink the issue. You don't have to create a hard line between raising and caring for your pets, which you are doing very well, and enoying a well roasted bird.

It's OK, really.

 

[Right On Reds]

I guess I see the irony in humans.

My hen cost me $2.50. We, I, eat hens everyday. Yet here I am, spending and willing to spend probably hundreds to save her, even though I've only known her a month.

The hens I saw at the chicken meat farm were just so expendable. It didn't matter how they were treated. Their feelings didn't matter. If they were frightened it didn't matter. I frankly found it mortifying and I found myself cringing with the sight.

Yet with mine, I want to save her from any moment of uncomfortabiltiy. I couldn't think of not gently cradling her when I lift and hold her. I could never lift her by her legs and let her dangle, squawking with wings flapping. I find myself very empathic as to her FEELINGS.

It's just an interesting irony is all.

This is the first time I've had a pet of a species that I also eat. With parrots, cats, dogs, horses it was easy to seperate the two, pet from food.

I guess I'm lacking in the abililty to adequately explain myself. Please forgive that.

Now can someone please tell me what the heck is wrong with my little Stella?