What should we be doing?

[Kathyb2]

I have had chickens off and on for many years. I have never had one that I have had to nurse for more than a couple of days. They either got better or passed away.

This Thursday it will be 3 weeks since Sassy (she is our only chicken with a name) was attacked by our dog. There was never any blood or big wound. At first we thought she was just scared and had shut down. We left her in the coop for a day and a half, thinking she would be ok. She wasn't eating or even really moving much. Brought her in the house and put her in a very large dog crate. Fed her water, vitamins, and wet chicken food using a spoon. She did not eat or drink much. Her neck was turned and she could not stand up. After a couple of days of that she started flopping around in the dog crate. We thought she need more room so we moved her out to the barn where we usually keep chicks so she had some room and a red light. Her crop got very hard and was like a golf ball. We started feeding her olive oil and massaging and stopped the chicken food. Her croup seems to be going down, she has starting to walk, her neck is straighter. We go out there at least 5 times a day. I have no idea if the problem has been injuries or her crop. We are now seeing improvement every day, but her crop is better but still not right and I am very worried about the lack of food and what to feed her. She is a fighter and if she lives she will be Queen hen for many years to come. Any advice would be much appreciated. Crop surgery is completely out of the question but very open to any other suggestions.

Thanks

 

[jgoldy2]

Sorry to here that, what breed is she? When I know the breed I could tell you some more of what to do.

 

[Kathyb2]

Wyandotte

 

[jgoldy2]

could you post a picture

 

[Kathyb2]

Giving this a bump.

Her croup seems to be ok now. She definitely has a neck injury. I have been taking her outside for short periods a few times a day. She tries to peck at the ground but can't quite get her head all the way there. Today she was trying to eat a tall weed. Gave me the idea to chop up some salad into small pieces and put in plate. I held the plate in the air so she could reach. This was the first time she has eaten on her own and she ate a ton. More I think than she has eaten in two weeks. She also drank. Her neck has been steadily, if slowing, improving. Any advise on what to feed her now that she is eating a much more normal amount of food? Keep in mind she has had little to eat in the past 3 weeks.

 

[Michael Apple]

Slow crop issues can result from a number of things. Eating too much difficult to digest material with lack of grit, capillary worms, enteritis are few. The stress and a possible internal injury weakens the immune system. That is good the crop is emptying. I would avoid fibrous foods and back off on greens. Good that you are supplying vitamins-electrolytes. Probiotics would help also 1 to 2 times a week. Probios dispersable powder is a very good product added 1 tsp to each gallon of water. It can be used with vitamins-electrolytes that don't contain probiotics. I know direct fed olive oil is an old remedy, but I've found when mixed with water, old feed in the crop bind together. Soft, moist foods for a couple days will be easier to digest. Moistened crumbles, buttermilk soaked bread are a few that work well with recuperative crop/intestinal problems.

 

[casportpony]

If she were mine I would feed her nothing but crumbles and crumbles mixed with water. No grains, no grass.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Sorry if I wasn't clear, vitamins and probiotics are fine.

-Kathy

Edited out atibiotics and replaced with vitamins.

 

[Kathyb2]

Thank you both. I will try crumbles only and the probiotics.

 

[casportpony]

Oh, sorry, my post said antibiotics and probios... I meant vitamins and probios! Just

me! Sorry about that.

Have corrected my previous post to say what I meant.

-Kathy