The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: jameslindsay on March 01, 2010, 12:29:30 pm

Title: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 01, 2010, 12:29:30 pm
I have a chook looking miserable, any one able to help? She is puffed up in to a ball with no neck. She is eating ok but looking pathetic, seemed quite light when I lifted her.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: Rosemary on March 01, 2010, 01:24:58 pm
Colour of comb and watttles? Any lice?
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 01, 2010, 01:28:16 pm
No lice and her comb is upright and still red.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: shetlandpaul on March 01, 2010, 02:34:50 pm
wormed, laying ok.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 01, 2010, 02:55:19 pm
Yes to wormed, not sure about laying as I have some older girls that don't lay every day so no idea who lays and who doesn't.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: harry on March 01, 2010, 03:16:04 pm
if i ever find one like that and it is easy to pick up ie wont run away, thin, sad looking obviously somethings wrong and this weather will probably get worse i end its misery the quick way. if its skinny it isnt eating.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: Farmer on March 01, 2010, 05:52:55 pm
Found one of ours in the same condition just before winter set in...lost her...still don't know what was wrong...hope you find the answer...oh, just remembered that a friend told me to try a drop of Brandy/whiskey...it was too late for ours by then.

Best of luck

John  :farmer:
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: shetlandpaul on March 01, 2010, 06:11:00 pm
for you or the chuck
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: Farmer on March 01, 2010, 07:18:37 pm
Oops...is that why it died?  :-[
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: shetlandpaul on March 01, 2010, 08:02:12 pm
are you sure it was dead and not snoring.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 01, 2010, 08:03:54 pm
She's still alive anyway. I have put her in to a bed on her own tonight. She was walking around this afternoon but still just not her self.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: langdon on March 01, 2010, 08:35:43 pm
we just had one last week with same symptoums when i say we had her,
we unfortuntley had to kill her.
like your she was like a ball but really healthy looking eating ok come was not that great
isolated from others all the time her choice or the others we dont know.
but when we were checking over all the other ghucks last week we done her last.
my wife took her and checked her breast if there might be a growth or something which might explain her puffness,
as beth stroked her this green smelly poisionus stuff came pouring out with some indigested feed.
as said she was ill so as not to let her suffer anymore and chance of others catching something i put her out of her misery.
dont know if this might help but how you explained her condition i thought i might send this ;)
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: spoon on March 01, 2010, 08:49:08 pm
sounds like it went light same thing happens in greenfinches
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: shetlandpaul on March 01, 2010, 08:56:35 pm
we just had one last week with same symptoms when i say we had her,
we unfortunately had to kill her.
like your she was like a ball but really healthy looking eating OK come was not that great
isolated from others all the time her choice or the others we don't know.
but when we were checking over all the other chucks last week we done her last.
my wife took her and checked her breast if there might be a growth or something which might explain her puffiness,
as beth stroked her this green smelly poisonous stuff came pouring out with some indigested feed.
as said she was ill so as not to let her suffer anymore and chance of others catching something i put her out of her misery.
don't know if this might help but how you explained her condition i thought i might send this ;)
sounds like sour crop. there was an intresting discussion on its treatment. maybe worth looking it up. its not always fatal.

Quote
To treat sour crop if it develops you should start by holding your chicken upside down with the head away from you and gently massage the crop from bottom to top so that the fluid is released.

Once this has been done mix some natural (live) yogurt into the layers pellets or mash and feed this to the bird along with water mixed with apple cider vinegar as described below throughout the day.

You will probably need to repeat this over three days until the crop stops filling and the bacteria in the crop returns to normal. In the event the problem persists for more than a week seek a vet's advice as a course of antiphonal medicine may be required.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 02, 2010, 11:03:47 am
When I went out this morning she was in a terrible way so we had to let her go. Weird how she just went down hill.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: Farmer on March 02, 2010, 11:27:09 am
Sorry James...but it sounds like you made the right decision...

John
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 03, 2010, 04:01:14 pm
I noticed one of my Buff Orpington Dreakes had a prolapse this afternoon. Took him to the vets and sadly had to have him put to sleep. What a bloody awful year with animals health so far.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: doganjo on March 03, 2010, 05:55:15 pm
Poor James and Kenny, you HAVE had a bad year so far.  It must get better!  Here's a suggestion - how about a TAS lunch at your place before mid May so HH can come - she's under house arrest one month before the next tootie arrives. ;)
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 03, 2010, 06:02:50 pm
Sounds good. :)
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: doganjo on March 03, 2010, 10:48:59 pm
OK new thread coming.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: langdon on March 04, 2010, 09:27:59 am
what a waste of good brandy and whisky ;D
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: Farmer on March 04, 2010, 09:43:56 am
Not at all Langdon...I enjoyed every drop!  ;)

Farmer,  :farmer:
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: langdon on March 05, 2010, 09:37:36 am
james do you remember that post i replied to you about your chuck and you sent one back about what you thought
might be wrong with ours?
well this morning i noticed another chuck looking the same.
can this thing be passed on, im hoping this time its been egg bound if so how do you help the chuck. :goat:
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 05, 2010, 11:26:48 am
Langdon my chook didn't have any stuff flow from her chest, she just took unwell and decided it was time to give up. I guess if your hen had an infection then it could spread but seems like it's been over a week since the last one took ill, so possibly something different all together. I hope you don't loose another.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: sagehen on March 05, 2010, 02:00:25 pm
Langdon, is the chook all fluffed up, has pulled her head close to her body and appears sleepy? And have you checked her crop? If it's like a water balloon and hot to the touch, she probably has sour crop.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: langdon on March 05, 2010, 07:23:22 pm
ta james for reply ;)
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: langdon on March 06, 2010, 04:49:56 pm
james you know that chuck i told you about that was looking like the other one that was ill?
well i checked her today to see was she egg bound, but she was clear,she is still puffed up but her comb is
looking alot red than the other and her wattles looking firey red too.
feathers looking great is well.
we are confused as what it is that is going on with our chucks.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 06, 2010, 05:00:13 pm
This seems to be dragging on for a while with her. I suppose one good thing is she is still with you, don't know what to suggest.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: langdon on March 06, 2010, 05:11:58 pm
ya its frustrating tho aint it, you do all you can anyway time will tell.
thanks for reply mate ;) how your goats
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 06, 2010, 05:41:09 pm
I hope all goes well. I have just been out feeding all the animals - the goats are all doing brilliantly and feeding time is always fun. I have to try and keep the ponies seperate or they would eat all the goats food. In the last week the disabled Shetland has kicked me and took a bite out of my back. The goats are easy compared to that.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: shetlandpaul on March 06, 2010, 06:16:47 pm
naughty shetland. they do like there nosh and attention
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: langdon on March 06, 2010, 07:40:31 pm
flipping heck! how bad was bite?
kids was asking for pony that has settled it for me! ;D
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: jameslindsay on March 06, 2010, 07:47:44 pm
Och it stung at the time and them bruised but it wasn't bad. She was going to be shot by her previous owner as she is short in the stifle. However, she is doing grand and th vet is very pleased with her. She is the hungriest animal on this planet. Shetlands are grumpy buggers. I have so say, in her defence, that's only twice she has been bad in almost 3 years.
Title: Re: Advice required
Post by: shetlandpaul on March 06, 2010, 08:31:48 pm
one of ours gave the wife a nice nip on the cheek. serves her right she was sat watching the rest of us refencing there fromt fence. they have lots of personality. brutus took 6 month to forgive us for giving him the snip.

don't worry about your daughter they are lovely animals but you need two or they get upset then you will have trouble.