[Kitchen Cottage]

Emily, my 6 year old hen has been very quiet and off her food.  I was worried that she was dehydrated so I looked on the internet about getting some water into her.  I used a syringe on top of her beak, but I think she's got some in her lung.  She gurgled but seemed to clear up.  I've put her back in her isolation box.... is there anything else to do?  I don't know what is wrong with her, she just has become listless and off her food for the last week. 

Poor Emily, she is my favourite hen, she doesn't mix with the other hens and is quite "feral".   

[HesterF]

She is, how to say this nicely, quite 'mature' so maybe her time has come?  If you're worried about her being dehydrated, could you pen her for a bit with easy access to food and water. Unless she's seriously sick, she should be able to drink enough to stop herself getting dehydrated. What makes you think the fluid went into her lung? I've syringed various meds into various chickens and never a sign of it going anywhere near their lungs and I'm not sure what made you think it did from the description.

If you're really worried about her, I personally think the vet is the best bet. But that's because I have excellent vets who know their poultry (and since one was out here yesterday swabbing, he's met all of mine personally although the gander didn't take well to him).

H

[chrismahon]

When was she last wormed KC? Depending on the breed 6 years is ancient or just middle aged. Syringe the water to the back and base of the throat -the airways are in the top beak.

[Alicenz]

Ive handreared alot of baby birds, and they have airholes behind the tongue, i would expect hens do too, so do make sure to avoid them. Id imagine though if it has gone the wrong way her breathing would be hard and wheezy, and very uncomfortable - and tends to lead to pneumonia in little birds and lambs so prob in hens too  You would have noticed that.   If the hen has water down into its lungs  a vet should give it antibiotics which may help, baby birds it definitely helps.  My vet would most likely give her a steroid injection (I think that is what it is), antibiotics and possibly a vitamin boost. These things can all pick an animal up health and energy wise.  Ive had an old hen similar, and she came right quite quick after vet treatment.  But I have learnt that often for some reason hens are hard to get back to good health once they go off their food.  An odd suggestion, but someone told me to try it and it worked- try fresh tomato, they love them, and plenty moisture in them. good luck to you and Emily

[Kitchen Cottage]

Well. Emily was alive tonight but is very very listless.  I have been handfeeding her, I've blended her pellets down and am spooning them in her and still giving her water with a pippet, much slower this time!.  My friend says she still has some condition but she has no appetite for food or water.  If she is alive in the morning I will definitely try tomatoes.

I am not hopeful.

[Alicenz]

how did Emily go?

[Kitchen Cottage]

She recovered!!!

I hand fed her for two weeks and then she just "picked up".  I think I damaged her throat a bit because she does sometimes gag for a second.  I was a day or two away from killing her, the food that seemed to help was boiled eggs and honey water...

She was sooo ill, and didn't eat and wouldn't get up so it was little short of a miracle.  I still don't know what was wrong with her.

[TheSmilingSheep]

Kitchen Cottage, how lovely to hear of a happy ending!  So many of these tales end miserably (as did mine on Monday), and it's easy to forget that there are as many good outcomes as rubbish ones.  Lucky hen to have such care lavished!

[chrismahon]

Hi Kitchen Cottage. We grind up pellets, add water and then roll into firm balls about 6mm diameter. Then open the beak by prying fingers in and hold the top beak only, the bottom is hinged and easily damaged. Just drop the balls down and syringe water after about 6, release her beak and let her swallow. Then another 6 and so on.

[Kitchen Cottage]

Oh no !!   I pulled her bottom beak down to feed her!  She seems perfectly fine now but thank you so much for telling me, I'll know for the future.  Before I got the chooks I read several books on keeping them but that's the fact that only gets passed mouth to mouth.

She was very ill, she ended up not being a able to stand, and her head starting to lean, she was in that condition for about a week, it was only after I started adding honey (agave which is really cactus juice!) and feeding boiled eggs that she picked up...

One thing I hesitate to say is that, after 2-3 weeks of hand feeding 4 times a day and seeing no improvement, I was at the point where I wanted her to drop dead or get better and I was considering, the trip to the end of the bottom paddock... most people here would have been a lot more patient

[HesterF]

One thing I hesitate to say is that, after 2-3 weeks of hand feeding 4 times a day and seeing no improvement, I was at the point where I wanted her to drop dead or get better and I was considering, the trip to the end of the bottom paddock... most people here would have been a lot more patient

I doubt it - there's not many that have so much time and energy to dedicate to a sick hen. I don't even spend that much time on my children! Well done 

H

[chrismahon]

Great result KC. We got good results with crushed egg added as a feed with the balls and it must be the high protein that's needed to mend whatever internal problem they have.

[Alicenz]

that is fabulous that Emily came right ! You did a great job, i wasnt expecting that she would survive as she sounded really crook.   Its wonderful!