Zane Made REAL Progress (New Pics Pg 99)!RIP Lorelei...

[gumpsgirl]

I hope that Dr. Brown will get back with you soon, Cyn. Bless those girls hearts.

I just can't tell you how sorry I am that you are having to go through so much bad luck. I truly wish I did have a magic wand.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

and

My girls aren't improving either!

 

[speckledhen]

I'm so sorry, Kitty. Ruby looks like death warmed over today and Rosemary isn't much better. At least Lorelei is eating still and walking all over the place with the rest of the flock and alone as well.

for you today, hon.

 

[Pinenot]

Is it possible for them to get into any kind of poison? When was the last time you dusted them? I lost a chicken from 10% seven dust...it was to strong.

Can you force feed the girl that isn't eating? It may pull her through it or out of it.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

 

[d.k]

*What about just treating what sounds like the obvious anemic symtoms in Ruby-- with a dose of iron molasses in her water and B-12 by mouth??? And, you know I've used the Co-Q-1O like 2-3 times on Chook w/good result for that " going cardiac" look, yes?? May help Ruby, too.

 

[jjthink]

Hi Cyn - Just read all 60 pages of posts for the first time. I'm so sorry for all these awfully sad happenings.

I hope so very much that sweet Zane is on his way to mending - no doubt whatsoever that he feels the love you and your DH have for him and this gives him both courage and comfort. Pain relief, good nutrition, love, interesting things to watch, warm sunshine and time - such a good recipe for success, if there ever was one!

Your girls - I hope somehow they rally.
If it gets to where it seems hopeless for any of them, sparing from further suffering may be the kindest thing. I think I let hen Betty suffer for too long when I had her - antibiotics and antiinflammatories for suspected internal laying really helped for awhile but then there was maybe a couple/few months of listless - pale - sad - when nothing was working anymore - her laying around all day leaning against her roo buddy, who never left her side. She lost all interest in food and really struggled when I tried to give her her meds, poor girl. The few months must have seemed an eternity to her. Me calling everyone I could think of to see if maybe a different med would be more effective. Tried switching antibiotics per U of PA rec- no luck. Finally a hysterectomy (I should have done it sooner but an x-ray taken earlier in her illness seemed to indicate no eggs in there and it really threw me off in terms of understanding what was going on). She died 2 hours afterward all alone in a cage at the vets office- still haunts me (I tried to get the vet's office to let her roo buddy stay ina cage next to her for comfort - was willing to pay but they said no)- the vet said her body was full of "festering" eggs - she was riddled with infection, my poor sweet girl. I hope so very much that whatever is happening with your girls that it can be treated before it gets this bad. If it's internal laying, they may get a restored quality of life for a quite while with antibiotics/antiinflammatories. Whatever is going on, pain relief may at least take the edge off. At least I hope so.

When it rains, it really pours like he11, doesn't it?
I'm so sorry - sending hopes and wishes for happier days ahead. I feel like Zane is going to slowly heal and get stronger and feel less pain with time.
JJ

 

[speckledhen]

Pinenot, I only dust them with food grade DE and not very often. They have the best powdery fine red clay dirt next to my house foundation that they dust in daily, so that's why I rarely dust them. I do look them over from time to time to make sure there are no pests on them, so there is no poison here. They just had a molasses flush and also runny oatmeal with molasses in it. Ruby has just stopped eating in the last three days or so, so recently in fact, that she and Rosie still have ample weight on them. We did force Ruby and Rosie to eat tonight. DH made some pinto beans and cornbread and he mashed that up together and fed it to all three of my critical girls. Actually, Lorelei ate on her own. She still has some appetite in spite of being so thin.
I remember you saying something about Co Q 10, DK, and I'll try to get some next time we go out. Curses on whoever is responsible for both milk and gasoline being $4/gallon or I'd run the 15 miles to town to get that tonight!! It's killing me that I cant just do everything the moment I think of it for my girls.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I know what you mean by not being able to run for stuff. I have been very fortunate this last week trying stuff that DH works in a feedmill and can bring a lot of what I wanted home with him.

My good news is that I let Sir Roo out with the girls this aft, after being locked in a crate the last couple of days and he is behaving himself! Now if we can just figure the girls out. I truly believe that Zane just needs time and his sling therapy.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Quote:
Cyn nothing in particular comes immediately to mind except internal/false layer ... might be in combo with something else.
I would look into a proper necropsy (so with histological testing and such also ) ... perhaps state vet (call extension office) can help to arrange this? (tell him you have something affecting your entire flock ) ...
constant laying without a break including the winter would be very hard on them and it is well known that high producers have more reproductive problems (so might be a genetic thing also involved)

 

[speckledhen]

nothing in particular comes immediately to mind except internal/false layer ... might be in combo with something else.

constant laying without a break including the winter would be very hard on them and it is well known that high producers have more reproductive problems (so might be a genetic thing also involved)

Diana, I have had those things in my mind as well. It could be that Lorelei is something slightly different than the two RIRs, who are acting in an identical manner, but then again, maybe not. Could be it's the same thing, just manifesting itself in a slightly different manner between the two breeds. All were high producers, even through both winters, only taking a two week break during the worst of their molts. This group of girls only molted at about 19 months old, one time. They didn't take any other breaks from laying their entire lives.
I would like to have a necropsy done, but with the closest lab over an hour away and the price of gasoline, I have my doubts that my DH would do it, seeing as it isn't something that appears to be contagious, but a mechanical/internal issue.

Judy, I remember what happened with your Betty and I'm so sorry. It's heartbreaking because I know how much you love your birds and give them the very best care. Thank you for taking the time to read Zane's story. He really has a will to live. Today, he jumped on and ate a huge disgusting bug when we put him out on the ground at the end of the day to catch the last rays of sunshine. He was really excited about that bug, too, LOL! And then he discovered strawberries, which we picked from our patch for him. Yum! If he could walk, our strawberry patch would really be in danger now! He is alert and interested in his environment when he's outside the kennel.​