[egbert]

Hi

Following from my previous post wondering if she was broody, my ex-bat has today come out of the house, but spent all day just stood next to the water bowl with her eyes shut. When we picked her up to feel her crop I could feel a hard lump, but being a novice I am not sure if I was feeling her crop or a breast bone . . . both times we picked her up a stream of liquid came out her mouth.

I read that this can be just over drinking/excess water, but as she isnt moving about . .  we have now separated her, and I am waiting for my neighbour to be in to come take a look. Any ideas if this could be serious or not? 

[egbert]

Forgot to say she has day-glo yellow runny poo too.

[doganjo]

She's not well, I think.  No idea what it is, but fluid form all orifices isn't good.

[little blue]

the liquid from her beak - did it smell?
if so, could be sour crop.
we had an ex-bat die last week from just one day of poorly-ness, and day glo poo.... no signs we could do anything to help her.
(sorry, perhaps you didnt want to hear that     but I would keep her isolated and be prepared.... )

[Anke]

I had an old hybrid hen  (3 years old) that looked like that, she got weaker over a few days, and eventually I dispatched her, as she wasn't eating and started to be unsteady on her legs.

If it is an exbat, your chances are that she has brought something with her, and it is best to act quickly to not get the rest of the flock infected!

[pedigree porker]

Is she coughing and have runny nose? If so could be Respiratory disease, we have just lost 4 of our hens due to it.

[egbert]

She wasnt coughing or anything, just standing about not moving and everytime we picked her up she puked. My neighbour who is much more of an expert and ex-farmer came down, had a look and put her out of her misery for me. 


So, one chicken down, 2 ex-bats looking plumper and glossier than ever. I wonder why she went downhill but the other 2 look so good now. I am still not getting eggs from any of my ex-bats though, and am now thinking that if/when I replace my lost chook, I will stick with bought POL birds! 

[Frieslandfilly]

Sorry about your chicken  . But for future reference if it is sour or compacted crop there are things you can try with some limited sucess. We have tried this in the past and had one live and one die. For compacted crop you can give them drops of olive oil then massage the crop area, you will have to do this for a few days in a row, after giving the oil and massage if you hold the chicken upside down the 'stuff' will slowly dribble out. This depends on what is causing the compaction of course, for sour crop I believe you can feed natural youghurt and do a similar thing. In extreme circumstances and if you feel able you can cut into the crop and remove the offending mass. But only if you are sure you know what you are doing.