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

[Ellie]

Praying for your girls and Zane.

Ellie

 

[Jyrrah]

d.k :

* Seems like they all have the one common symtom of getting pale; is that right, Cyn?? That's bugging at me for some reason. Somebody mentioned poisons. Could they have shared a mouse or something???

Just chiming in on this. Given how long the hens have been having these symptoms it's probably not poison. Poisons used to control pests (mice, snails, ect.) work very rapidly. They'd have gotten over the symptoms or have died a while ago unless it was repeated poisonings normally due to pesticide. Even then (in the case of pesticide) it's only affecting three hens and there isn't any blood in the poop making this unlikely. No clue what the hens are actually suffering from unfortunately.​

 

[LoneCowboy]

Gosh, poor chickens and poor chicken parents. It's so hard to handle these issues that come up. I have Hawkeye's son I'm trying to rehome. Not much luck so far, but he's a good looking roo and the only one in the yard that knows how to crow right.

 

[speckledhen]

Deniece, I so miss Hawkeye's crow! What you said reminded me. Suede crows like a wolf howling or something, LOL. Right now, Zane is outside, dozing in his sling, which is facing and adjacent to the pen with the 32 month old chicks running loose for his entertainment.
My smallest RIR hen, Rosemary, seems completely recovered except that she is not laying. She is outside dustbathing and was in the middle of the fray fighting for treats awhile ago. She seems okay now. Ruby is slightly more mobile today. She is actually in a dust hole herself, not just sitting on the ground like a lump about to die. I'm not sure if that's going to continue into even better signs throughout the day, but I'll let you know. Wonder if the olive oil dose helped somehow...

 

[d.k]

* How are you testing Zane's leg strength?? Just wondering.

 

[MissPrissy]

I was just going to ask if you were going to give them some olive oil bread daily as a treat and see if they continue to improve. And didn't you give those girls a molasses flush too?

 

[gumpsgirl]

Fingers are crossed, Cyn!

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, I did just give them the molasses treatment, Angie. I dont dare be too optimistic, but Ruby is looking a tad better today. Caught her in a dust hole! Also, Lorelei is dustbathing right now. We crumbled cornbread in milk and she was eating it like she was starving (which, I guess she is; I know, milk isn't good, but right now, any food is good and I'm out of buttermilk and yogurt). Ruby is walking around, very slowly, but with her head up rather than down and hunched. Rosie looks like nothing was ever wrong. She's running and fussing with the lesser ranking ladies, etc, dustbathing up a storm. All right after the dosing with olive oil. Wonder if that had anything to do with it? None are laying, and it may be premature to say they are on the road to recovery, but this is positive today. I think I may try the olive oil on bread today, too, to be safe.
As far as Zane's leg strength, DH is in charge of that dept. He's placing Zane's feet flat on the ground when he's in the sling and stretching his legs straight slowly, so as not to strain him any. At least the legs are relaxing and touching the ground on their own now rather than being drawn up at his body and shaking. This may just be a long process.

****Just put a bowl of crumbled cornbread with olive oil, softened with milk in front of Ruby and for the first time in days, she ate on her own. She has more color in her face, too! Maybe, just maybe...

 

[SpottedCrow]

I was looking for something else and came across this:
If you have a serious problem with thin-shelled or shell-less eggs, or a marked reduction in egg production, then you could be dealing with EGG DROP SYNDROME. I would not worry about the occasional thin-shelled or shell-less egg that comes at either the beginning or the end of the production season, nor the occasional less-than-perfect egg that is produced by a young hen when she comes into ‘first egg’ (sexual maturity). Egg Drop Syndrome (EDS 76), should be considered though when you have a chronic problem in your flock in terms of egg quality or quantity – especially at the height of production.

EDS 76 is caused by a duck adenovirus and is typically spread vertically, although the incidence of lateral spread does exist. The virus affects the pouch shell gland, which is responsible for producing the eggshell.

EDS 76 is not typically a big problem with domestic ducks or geese, which are natural hosts, but when affected through drinking water contaminated by feces, chickens can experience a profound affect on their egg production. Although the virus doesn’t actually spread through the feces, what happens is that there could be exudates from the oviduct, which finds its way into the feces.

There are several things you can look for in the eggs that your hens produce to determine if you’re dealing with an EDS 76 problem in your flock.

A loss of pigment in an otherwise brown or dark-shelled egg is one. Thinning at the pole of the egg is another. This is when the egg appears normal except for an appearance of thinning or translucence at the large end of the egg. When pressure is applied, the shell will break at this point first. Eggs that are thin-shelled and fragile overall is also a sign. Sometimes these eggs will feel like sandpaper to the touch. The most noticeable signs though are in the soft-shelled, or shell-less eggs. Sometimes these are hard to detect because the hens typically eat these before you see them. Look for the shriveled membranes in their litter – they’ll leave those. Otherwise, check early in the morning before the hens have a chance to eat the shell-less eggs.

Although a loss of appetite and dullness can occur, affected hens typically remain healthy otherwise. It can become a serious problem for the breeder, but if you’re just keeping a little backyard flock for fun, then EDS 76 is not something that I would consider serious as a ‘pet owner’.

If you are a breeder and you have EDS 76 in your flock, then you can, over time, systematically eliminate the virus from your flock. Not all hens will actually receive the virus vertically, and as soon as you can identify them, you can slowly eliminate the problem. But while you’re undergoing this process, you must make sure that you don’t reinfect your flock through other means.

There is no known treatment for Egg Drop Syndrome. Some breeders simply live with the results of EDS 76 in their flock. Hens will appear healthy and happy whether they produce good eggs or not. Ducks that are infected and are hosts of EDS 76 show almost no signs of it and their eggs are usually good. This makes it even more difficult to identify the ducks or geese that are carriers.

Egg Drop Syndrome can be quite frustrating to the serious breeder. If it becomes a real problem for your breeding program, then vaccination is always an option. The vaccine lasts at least one year. Revaccination is usually necessary every year afterwards. Initial vaccination occurs between 14 and 16 weeks of age. Adults not previously exposed to EDS 76 can be vaccinated as well, but must receive a booster each year also. Most people find this to be quite an ordeal though when you consider the expense and the stress on the birds for something that is not life threatening, and does not carry any human health risk.

I think it's more of Kitty's contretemps, but you never know either...

Glad to hear that your ladies seem to be doing alright, Cyn and Zanester too.

 

[hinkjc]

Glad to hear there is improvement in the gals Cyn. I hope things continue to look brighter for them.

Jody