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Barnyard Buddies:  sick chick?  |
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chick-chick
True Blue Farmgirl
322 Posts
Liz
New Britain
CT
USA
322 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 12 2012 : 04:19:52 AM
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You ladies know alot about raising our 'girls', I have a hen that has been kinda 'off' lately, she's been sluggish and the last couple of nights she hasn't been on the perch with the other girls, she's been on the floor of the coop kinda in the corner, I'm getting worried about her any suggestions?
Liz
Wanna be farm girl in my heart, semi- city girl in life |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2012 : 07:27:39 AM
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dear hen boy I just hate when I see this with hen..it suggest egg bound...is she a young or older hen...by older i mean over 2 yrs old....they will also do this when gizzard or crop bound but the being in the corner is on of the signs she needs to lay an egg she isn't getting out....
1st check her crop area...is it rock hard if so you need to get warm water in her & massage the area to break up the mass & then turn her upside down to throw up...keep doing the water & massage & turning upside down until it runs clear...
if its gizzard bound you will see what looks like very watery poo with flakes of dark green in it....switch her to a very wet feed & add a pinch or two of play ground sand to the feed each time you make it....if a gizzard is bound up normal grit can't get in there & break up whatever she got into...like extra long grass...the sand is smaller & can get in there & hopefully with time break up the stuff & the wet feed insures she is getting food so she doesn't starve to death.
if egg bound, do you know when the last day she laid?...if it was only a few days ago you can maybe help her...take some warmer not hot oil...baby oil, mineral oil even cooking oil & use a small needleless syringe & go into the vent area just a little ways being careful & slow not to tear anything...gently shoot the oil at a upward right angle...the reason for this is if you shoot it at a normal angle or downward angle you are hitting the area where the poo comes from & it will just come back out with the next poo...the upward angle & to the right is a small pocket area that will allow some of the oil to work its way down wards & hopefully lub the area better so the egg can get thur & out.
also warm heat under her will help greatly as it will cause her to relax...so either place a fluffy towel in the dryer slightly damp or use hot water bottles & lay her on top of those..they like this when they are gizzard bound as well.
you need to get her to an area by herself where there are no other chickens so her stress level is completely gone & the other chickens can not bother her......I would check on her every 2 hours, replacing the heat under her...oh & don't make the towels or hot water bottles boiling hot or that will hurt/burn her & she won't stay on them....
No if she has been what you think egg bound for more than a few days & her wings start to drag the ground she is pretty much done for...if you can't handle her suffering any longer, put her down cause she will eventually die & horrible death......if you need anymore help please email me thur here & I will do everything I can to help you thur this...Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
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chick-chick
True Blue Farmgirl
322 Posts
Liz
New Britain
CT
USA
322 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2012 : 06:33:46 AM
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Oh Michele,
Thank you for responding, I actually started writng this in my meat question section hoping to get a response from you, You seem to know so much I'm glad you found this.
I'm so scared right now for my Lucy,I have 8 girls and they have 4 laying boxes so they all lay together Most of the time in the same 2 boxes and I have been getting anywhere from 4 to 8 eggs a day but I don't reember when I got 8, so I'm not really sure who lays when. She is around 2 1/2to 3 years old. I'm going out to see what I can do for her now, I printed out your instructions to take with me. I don't know, maybe I'm just not cut out for this... first the meat birds now this, maybe I should just go back to buying my eggs and meat at the store.
Wanna be farm girl in my heart, semi- city girl in life |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2012 : 6:36:02 PM
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oh yes the apple cider vinegar is the best for worms & just overall balance in a chicken...it won't help with gizzard or egg bound but like Kristina says its something I too think every chicken person should use daily for the chickens...you only need a capful per gallon of water so a bottle of it will last a long time.........I can never get anything but what I find in the store but it works just as well as unfiltered pure organic apple cider vinegar....& the chickens love it so they actually will drink more water...Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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chick-chick
True Blue Farmgirl
322 Posts
Liz
New Britain
CT
USA
322 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2012 : 06:00:12 AM
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My hens, I am so sad to report that my hen Lucy died this morning.
My DH thought that she may have been crop bound (the smell from the coop was soo foul, way beyond normal chicken poop smell) and he thought he felt a hard lump kinda in her chest, he worked on her over the weekend while I was at work. This morning when I let her out at 7 a.m. she pranced out like the other girls, (lately she had been coming out last really slow)but she was one of the first ones out and I thought, gee she looks better, I went out at about 8:30 and she was laying on her side not moving, I took her out of the chicken run and wraped her in a bag for now. I'm am going back out to throuly clean the coop, food dish and waterer and add acv to their water. The other girls seem to be doing fine. I hope that it isn't something that can spread.
Wanna be farm girl in my heart, semi- city girl in life |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2012 : 06:33:12 AM
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oh dear hen I am so sorry you lost the hen...yes if you smelled a awful smell from the crop & it was hard then yes it was crop bound...there is no reason to worry about the others as this is not something the others can 'catch' from the hen....Crop bound or impacted is due to not taking in enough water...so the food is drying out & hardening in the crop where it will slowly rot causing massive infections to their systems & prevent other food from moving along to the stomach then on to the gizzard...I am so sorry I failed to write about that above with everything else I wrote....to help insure they are drinking more water add 2 capfuls of ACV to a gallon of water right now, they love it so being able to smell it it will encourage them to go drink more....the extra ACV will not hurt them in any way but with adding more you might get the ones not drinking water to drink it more often....also if its humid like it is here right now....you might want to add ice to the water...they like colder water so if it gets hot they tend to also not drink as much.....I have even frozen bowls of water & placed that out with a bit of water on top of it to get them to drink it....the water stays cooler for them this way.........................
Ok next time you feel or smell a bad crop you need to get a needle less syringeor turkey baster fill it with water.....force it down into the crop & massage the crop to break up the hard parts....you may have to add water, a small amount at a time until you feel it getting mushy then turn the bird up side down...hold legs & then massage crop to force them to throw up...repeat water & throwing up until you feel the crop is empty & the water runs clear........make sure the birds head is straight down, if fighting let it relax upside down then massage crop & encourage it to throw up.....once the water is clear, fill syringe/turkey baster with slightly cool water, fill crop but do not over fill so it looks like a balloon...just get some fresh water in the bird....you will need to put the bird some place quiet with some water for at least an hour so it can rest as it may be a bit shocky. again I am so sorry I failed to mention this to you & hope this will help you if it ever happens again....Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
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chick-chick
True Blue Farmgirl
322 Posts
Liz
New Britain
CT
USA
322 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2012 : 6:27:32 PM
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Michele, thanks for your advice, I cleaned the coop today just to be sure and added the acv and ice to their water,you have so much knowledge, I really have learned alot from you ltely. Can you suggest any good chicken books?
Wanna be farm girl in my heart, semi- city girl in life |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 05:11:00 AM
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ok Liz the chicken book I recommend to everyone is the "The chicken handbook"...its about everything medical you may have with your chickens....its scary at first since you will think your chickens have everything you are reading but its a godsent once you really start understanding your chickens......only problem with it it doesn't teach you what to do except giving shots or meds...but not to blow my own horn I am publishing a book that will be ready in a few weeks (self- published_ but has everything in it from how to clean a coop, to heat stroke, medical ER, how to trim beaks, claws ect...it will be set up like a note book, with blank work pages in the back & a pocket for receipts, info ect..................anyway if interested once sent to the copier I will let you know the cost...other wise please get the chicken handbook...its well worth the price...I got mine on amazon used for under $10
thank you sooo much for the compliments, I really love chickens & have made it my life mission to do everything i can for them....xoxo...Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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chick-chick
True Blue Farmgirl
322 Posts
Liz
New Britain
CT
USA
322 Posts |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 6:46:02 PM
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Michele thanks for the tip about the chicken book, I am going to look for it this week and please keep me posted about your book. You can always email me thru here. I would like to order one.
Wanna be farm girl in my heart, semi- city girl in life |
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sissarge
True Blue Farmgirl
502 Posts
Linda
Montgomery
Texas
USA
502 Posts |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 6:58:09 PM
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| Michelle, just saw this topic, please let me know of the book you are having printed. Just talk to you on the other topic yesterday. Girls, Michelle, is the best, you need to know anything just ask her. I am excited about the book, please let me know. Farmgirl #946 Linda |
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chick-chick
True Blue Farmgirl
322 Posts
Liz
New Britain
CT
USA
322 Posts |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 7:06:17 PM
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Linda, you are so right about Michele, she has helped me so much recently I have had a few chicken problems, I'm happy we have
her to turn to.
Wanna be farm girl in my heart, semi- city girl in life |
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quiltingbea
True Blue Farmgirl
114 Posts
bea
gretna
va
USA
114 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2012 : 06:25:30 AM
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Michele....I just saw this post...It sound like i lost a few chicken to crop bound. But didn't know what was wrong with my girls. I look on line and asked my chicken friend and still no answers. I cleaned the coop, spread lime around the run even put kaopectate in their water but nothing worked. After reading this post I'm sure they had crop bound. Michele when you get your book publish I would love to buy a copy. Keep me updated on your book.
Bea campbell
quiltingbea #2575
To everything their is a season.... |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 06:53:37 AM
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Hey liz, just checking in to see how you are doing? how are the chickens?
Bea, glad to hear from you....if you have a few with crop bound/blockage then its something they have all gotten into....somewhere something they ate refused to break down in the crop before it moved to the stomach & then to the gizzard...or they over ate so much they aren't getting enough water to soften it & move it where it needs to go next......have you put them on a new feed? given them something new? thrown in their area grass clipping?...thats one that will block up chickens in no time as they don't have to peck it to break it off so they over eat it to the point of hurting themselves...as for the kaopectate...I hate to tell you that will not work in the crop...the crop is like a holding tank...it doesn't create bacteria ect to help break down the food, so that is traveling to the stomach/gizzard & intestines & may deplete water from their system as its a diarrhea medicene...so it may be doing the opposite of what you are wanting...but I can sure understand you trying to help them so don't feel like you did anything bad...but it may take them days to get that out of their system & get their water/liquid balance back in order..............With crop blockage if you add a bit more apple cider vinegar to their water they will drink more as they love the stuff...your goal with this type of ailment is to get water into them as often as possible............chickens unlike other animals will not bloat if they get too much water....
as for the book am doing the last spell checking on it & hope to have it started printing on the beginning of the week...will keep you all posted...Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
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chick-chick
True Blue Farmgirl
322 Posts
Liz
New Britain
CT
USA
322 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 08:58:18 AM
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Michele,
You said grass clippings could have caused my hen to get crop bound? Like long grass that you pull when weeding?!?!?
We have been doing alot of weeding and throwing the stuff into the chicken run, the girls seem to love the stuff and when we mow the lawn we empty the bag in the chicken run too.
Wanna be farm girl in my heart, semi- city girl in life |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 09:21:03 AM
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Yes Liz long grass clippings or pulled weeds can cause all types of troubles...they don't eat enough grit to tear it up once it gets to the gizzard so they end up with a nest & can't process the food into the intestines...if you do give grass clipping dump them out away from the chickens & remow over them to cut it up more for them (thats what we do for them)...as for pulled weeds if you will tie them up onto something where they have to work at getting it...gives them entertainment & exercise they can't swallow the entire plant at once......they have to tear it so they are not getting butches of it nesting inside them...I tie a bunch with heavy string & then tie it to the fencing, posts ect just a bit above their heads.....its fun to watch them go at it plus I know they can't get too much at one time...Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
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hereford girl
Farmgirl in Training
19 Posts
meredith
fairfield
virginia
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2012 : 5:37:43 PM
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| Michele, I would be interested in your book too! Hereford Girl (Meredith) |
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Barnyard Buddies: sick chick? |
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sick chick?
