What did you do with your flock today?

[Nomadicus]

When my wife went out to do the chores Honey met her like she does for me looking for a little bit of bread as a breakfast treat. She already has tanked on 27% crumbles and greens from a small patch I don't mow just for the kids that free range as soon as the sun is up good. Ma brought her into see me for a minute. One of the other pullets came with her this morning and the two shared the treat without a squabble. The other girl is Ms. Godiva. She had been nearly killed by a gang of hormonal roosters when she was younger and still has a bare spot like a naked neck breed of chicken. Ms Godiva is a White Giant girl that will never be a really big girl. She used to meet me in the mornings or any other chance she would get and fly up to my shoulder like Honey does now. I'll have the company of these two later when I get out in the sunshine. Wishing everyone a great day.

 

[Shetland lover]

All I'll be doing with my kids for awhile now will be in the way of instructions for some one else to do. I'm already crazy now from not being out there to see what needs doing where.

Poor you! You have my sympathy. I've broken my ribs 5 or 6 times over the years and it's no fun. Ouch!
The frustration of not being able to do things is the worst but please let yourself heal before you start playing catch up!

 

[Shetland lover]

I was wondering how long to give the electrolyte solution? This morning she was not liking to drink it. She is fighting me, struggling more as she woke me up a few times last night, kicking around in the box which is in the adjacent room. Her neck and head control is slightly better today. Now that she's on meloxicam, probably stop the vodka and electrolytes? What are signs that she is over the shock? You have been a great help. I am hoping she will be able to peck at and eat more on her own. She's been eating about one egg yolk a day, with about 45 -60 ml of oat milk mixed in so not so thick, over 3 or 4 meals. She readily drinks that in the mornings, until she gets sleepy. Gave her the Vit. B half tab, which she swallowed just fine.

I'd stop the electrolytes. If she's fighting you on it, she's probably over needing them. I'd definitely stop the vodka too. I can't imagine it interacts well with meloxicam.
If she's struggling more it could be she's regaining mobility which is a further improvement.
Shock in birds is so dangerous because it disrupts the cardiovascular system, causing blood pressure to plummet which means the internal organs don't receive enough oxygen, which in turn, causes the organs to fail. Symptoms to look for in any bird include the following:

• Weak/tired appearance
• Unresponsive
• Rapid breathing
• Fluffed up feathers
• Minimal or no movement
• Unable to perch
• Sitting at the bottom of cage (obviously less applicable to chickens)
• Eyes consistently closed
• Unconsciousness
• Uncoordinated/disorientated
• Loss of appetite
• Droopy wings

The first priority when treating suspected shock is to move the bird to a warm, dark-ish place, with little stimulus. Don't force them to eat or drink in the early stages of treatment.
Birds in shock need help maintaining their normal body temperature (41°C) and a particularly susceptible to hypothermic shock. You can easily help a chicken by wrapping a hot water bottle in a towel and placing it in a box with the bird. Or you could put the box under a heat lamp.
Shock only normally lasts a few minutes to a few hours so I'd guess your girl isn't in shock any longer. Symptoms become much more prominent if the bird is deteriorating and that doesn't seem to be the case from what you've said.

Honestly, with the exception of having her x-rayed for spine and neck fractures, I think there's not much else you can do. You have to be patient now and carry on the great nursing.

 

[Shetland lover]

Another question. She has had quite watery poop in the morning. Could this be from too much electrolyte solution? At least I know she is hydrated. Have stopped giving it to her today. Would her current limited diet have that effect?

Yes to both! Electrolytes can indeed cause loose droppings and really shouldn't be given for more than 3-4 days. From what you've said, she's on a pretty much liquid diet? I'd try to start introducing more solid food. Go slowly to help her re-adjust to her solid diet. Try scrambled eggs with chopped sunflower seeds or other small seeds added and increase the ratio each day. A warm mash made from her normal feed is another good starting point. I tend to add a probiotic and a quarter teaspoon of molassass added for the first couple of days to make it more plalatable. Remember, she may not be as hydrated as you think as watery droppings long term will dehydrate her.
Is there any possibility she has a temperature? Just thinking that watery droppings can be a sign she's too warm too. Chickens don't have sweat glands so expelling watery droppings is one of the ways they cool down.
Might be a good idea to post a picture of her droppings if it persists.

 

[Shetland lover]

I offer water and her oatmilk egg yolk mixture which she prefers. Thank you I am trusting her instincts at this point. She gets sleepy when she eats, seems normal from videos I've seen of wry neck chooks when they eat. I'm going to make her a sling tomorrow so she can be upright some of the time. If I understand correctly, they shouldn't sleep in it. Is that right? What's your experience?

When I had Peggy in a wheelchair, I would never let her sleep in it. I was too worried about compromising her circulation or causing pressure sores. She enjoyed her chair as it meant she could roll around with the girls. I started her off with a sling to keep the weight off her injured leg. It worked very well but Peggy being Peggy, she became frustrated very quickly that she was stationary!

A sling could be a great move towards rehabilitation but I'd not put her in one just yet. Give her a few more days to negate any swelling or bruising.

 

[PopoMyers]

I'd stop the electrolytes. If she's fighting you on it, she's probably over needing them. I'd definitely stop the vodka too. I can't imagine it interacts well with meloxicam.
If she's struggling more it could be she's regaining mobility which is a further improvement.
Shock in birds is so dangerous because it disrupts the cardiovascular system, causing blood pressure to plummet which means the internal organs don't receive enough oxygen, which in turn, causes the organs to fail. Symptoms to look for in any bird include the following:

• Weak/tired appearance
• Unresponsive
• Rapid breathing
• Fluffed up feathers
• Minimal or no movement
• Unable to perch
• Sitting at the bottom of cage (obviously less applicable to chickens)
• Eyes consistently closed
• Unconsciousness
• Uncoordinated/disorientated
• Loss of appetite
• Droopy wings

The first priority when treating suspected shock is to move the bird to a warm, dark-ish place, with little stimulus. Don't force them to eat or drink in the early stages of treatment.
Birds in shock need help maintaining their normal body temperature (41°C) and a particularly susceptible to hypothermic shock. You can easily help a chicken by wrapping a hot water bottle in a towel and placing it in a box with the bird. Or you could put the box under a heat lamp.
Shock only normally lasts a few minutes to a few hours so I'd guess your girl isn't in shock any longer. Symptoms become much more prominent if the bird is deteriorating and that doesn't seem to be the case from what you've said.

Honestly, with the exception of having her x-rayed for spine and neck fractures, I think there's not much else you can do. You have to be patient now and carry on the great nursing.

Yes to both! Electrolytes can indeed cause loose droppings and really shouldn't be given for more than 3-4 days. From what you've said, she's on a pretty much liquid diet? I'd try to start introducing more solid food. Go slowly to help her re-adjust to her solid diet. Try scrambled eggs with chopped sunflower seeds or other small seeds added and increase the ratio each day. A warm mash made from her normal feed is another good starting point. I tend to add a probiotic and a quarter teaspoon of molassass added for the first couple of days to make it more plalatable. Remember, she may not be as hydrated as you think as watery droppings long term will dehydrate her.
Is there any possibility she has a temperature? Just thinking that watery droppings can be a sign she's too warm too. Chickens don't have sweat glands so expelling watery droppings is one of the ways they cool down.
Might be a good idea to post a picture of her droppings if it persists.

I knew I could rely on the wealth of knowledge that you have. Thank you, again, for riding this out with me. Also to this fantastic community @TropicalBabies @ChicksnMore @kurby22

Here's a picture of the ingredients in the oat milk. Do you think it could have added to the poop issue?

Last night she sprayed poo all over my couch ( brown with a few solids) and more of the same this morning after I had checked on her. Pretty smelly. Probably some cecal material mixed in, I imagine. I have a bucket of towels and sweaters (old) to wash, as that's been her blankets. Had to spray her off this morning as well, as there was so much. There were some dark solids and white material mixed in. Not being able to be on her feet didn't help.
Before getting this info on reintroducing food, this morning I offered both mash and dry food. 18% mixed flock. I held her upright and she ate some of both on her own, though she preferred the dry. Her neck has improved , and she doesn't seem as uncomfortable laying on her other side. Vitamin B, and meloxicam. How long should I continue this medication? The hematoma has also decreased and seems to be gone. This is how she spends her days.

Today's project is a sling. I have a bag of newspaper kitty litter(looks like big rabbit feed pellets) not sure if that would work, as her legs still don't want to bend voluntarily as in squatting position.

 

[Shetland lover]

I knew I could rely on the wealth of knowledge that you have. Thank you, again, for riding this out with me. Also to this fantastic community @TropicalBabies @ChicksnMore @kurby22

Here's a picture of the ingredients in the oat milk. Do you think it could have added to the poop issue? View attachment 3678557
Last night she sprayed poo all over my couch ( brown with a few solids) and more of the same this morning after I had checked on her. Pretty smelly. Probably some cecal material mixed in, I imagine. I have a bucket of towels and sweaters (old) to wash, as that's been her blankets. Had to spray her off this morning as well, as there was so much. There were some dark solids and white material mixed in. Not being able to be on her feet didn't help.
Before getting this info on reintroducing food, this morning I offered both mash and dry food. 18% mixed flock. I held her upright and she ate some of both on her own, though she preferred the dry. Her neck has improved , and she doesn't seem as uncomfortable laying on her other side. Vitamin B, and meloxicam. How long should I continue this medication? The hematoma has also decreased and seems to be gone. This is how she spends her days.View attachment 3678575View attachment 3678576View attachment 3678577
Today's project is a sling. I have a bag of newspaper kitty litter(looks like big rabbit feed pellets) not sure if that would work, as her legs still don't want to bend voluntarily as in squatting position.

Hmm. Not sure about the oat milk making her loose. Ferdy absolutely adores oat milk and he's never had an issue with loose stools. However, he only gets it 3-4 times a week, approx 40ml from a syringe. More importantly, the oat milk I give him is a brand that's literally oats and water. If I can't get it for any reason, I make it. Just oats and water soaked overnight then strained through a fine muslin bag. It's not as creamy as commercial oat milk but it does mean I know exactly what's in it. I'm worried about the salt content of some bought milk and some have oils and ingredients that aren't chicken friendly. Having said all that, I can't see anything in yours that would be an issue. It's good it has the extra B vits too. Fair bit of calcium too.
Have you considered she may have lower spinal nerve damage? Could be contributing to the runny poop if she's not getting the right signals down there. I think she probably has multiple things going on, a combination of nerve damage, the diet she's been on, the amount of electrolytes etc. Additionally, meloxicam can irritate the digestive tract and actually cause diahoea. In my view though, even runny poop is better than no poop!
Get some pre and probiotics mixed in to her food to help settle her gastrointestinal tract. I have something called Digestihealth, which commercial chicken farmers use to keep guts healthy. I've only had one incidence of loose stools since I started using it 3 years ago. If you can't get it or something similar, I've mixed blueberries and Greek yoghurt with good results.
Now she has control of her neck, just let her eat more of her dry food, if that's what she prefers.
From what you've described, her poop is containing some urates, which is good. I have a poop chart somewhere with examples of different types of poop. Will see if I can find it.
On the meloxicam, I'd give it for no more than a week. Personally, I'd give it for a couple more days to potentially help any residual swelling affecting her nerves. No more than that, though.
I'd also leave it a few days before I put her in a sling, if she's comfortable enough where she is. She's going to need a long recovery, just be patient and don't rush her.
What happens if you gently manipulate her feet? Can she grip your finger?

Although she's clearly unwell still, she looks so much better than when you first posted. A bit of a sparkle back in her eyes? Fingers crossed. You know I will help as much as I can and I really hope she makes a good recovery, however long it takes. You are doing a fantastic job.

 

[Debbie292d]

I tend to add a probiotic

I'm a huge proponent of probiotics and am fermenting grains and chia mostly for that reason alone. I only do one jar so every 3 days until snow covers the ground so free-ranging is out, then I'll do it daily.

 

[PopoMyers]

On a positive note, the remaining flock is back to business as usual. They have still been laying 3-4 eggs a day, only skipped one day as if there was no previous trauma. The sun is out so I let them out to range when I went to get feed for Ginger (the injured one)

Hmm. Not sure about the oat milk making her loose. Ferdy absolutely adores oat milk and he's never had an issue with loose stools. However, he only gets it 3-4 times a week, approx 40ml from a syringe. More importantly, the oat milk I give him is a brand that's literally oats and water. If I can't get it for any reason, I make it. Just oats and water soaked overnight then strained through a fine muslin bag. It's not as creamy as commercial oat milk but it does mean I know exactly what's in it. I'm worried about the salt content of some bought milk and some have oils and ingredients that aren't chicken friendly. Having said all that, I can't see anything in yours that would be an issue. It's good it has the extra B vits too. Fair bit of calcium too.
Have you considered she may have lower spinal nerve damage? Could be contributing to the runny poop if she's not getting the right signals down there. I think she probably has multiple things going on, a combination of nerve damage, the diet she's been on, the amount of electrolytes etc. Additionally, meloxicam can irritate the digestive tract and actually cause diahoea. In my view though, even runny poop is better than no poop!
Get some pre and probiotics mixed in to her food to help settle her gastrointestinal tract. I have something called Digestihealth, which commercial chicken farmers use to keep guts healthy. I've only had one incidence of loose stools since I started using it 3 years ago. If you can't get it or something similar, I've mixed blueberries and Greek yoghurt with good results.
Now she has control of her neck, just let her eat more of her dry food, if that's what she prefers.
From what you've described, her poop is containing some urates, which is good. I have a poop chart somewhere with examples of different types of poop. Will see if I can find it.
On the meloxicam, I'd give it for no more than a week. Personally, I'd give it for a couple more days to potentially help any residual swelling affecting her nerves. No more than that, though.
I'd also leave it a few days before I put her in a sling, if she's comfortable enough where she is. She's going to need a long recovery, just be patient and don't rush her.
What happens if you gently manipulate her feet? Can she grip your finger?

Although she's clearly unwell still, she looks so much better than when you first posted. A bit of a sparkle back in her eyes? Fingers crossed. You know I will help as much as I can and I really hope she makes a good recovery, however long it takes. You are doing a fantastic job.

Her eyes are definitely brighter, and she stays awake more.. As for her feet, her toes curl when I push up, but the grip isn't voluntary. I have Greek yogurt, perhaps some acv in her water. She drank on her own by choice this evening. Crossing my fingers that her bowels will be happier. I sure hope she doesn't have lower spine nerve injuries. What are signs of that? She seems to know when she is going to let loose, her tail moves to balance, and she kicks to adjust herself, if only to spin around from her position. Her head is not as severely wry as before, and she has been holding it up. It only occasionally flops back there when her body starts tilting somewhat backwards while I have her in my lap and she pushes too hard with her legs. Temperature wise, she doesn't feel hot on her skin.
Today is day 5. Thanks again!

 

[fuzzi]

Martha...my mom's the only one that ever called me that but it's my full name.

It's a good name. My dh's aunt is Martha, and she's my favorite person on his side of the family.