Poultry Keeping General Discussion #1

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

I think 1 of our girls is sick.

She has poo all over her bum, she seems slow and almost tripping over herself.
I've 'quarantined' her tonight in the other room with some fresh water and the mix we got for them.

What could be wrong? Will she die? Should I put garlic in the water in case it's a worm or something? The girls will be devestated!


Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!

[Floweryfields]

When you pick her up, does she feel really heavy? Does her tummy feel really fat and swollen? I've had a number of ISAs (red layers) develop sudden illness like that - I had two gowithin a short time so the local vet got the DPI to do a free autopsy. Basically it was a cancerous growth of some sort (probably reproductive tract in commerical layers) that causes ascites (fluid build up in abdo). It is very sad but true fact with hens that are bred to lay constantly that they more often than not end up with diseases of the reproductive organs.....this is why I will never by commercially bred layers again- I went for pure breeds or crosses of pure breeds and haven't had that problem since.

I am really sorry if that is what it is, and am very sorry to have to give you that news.....I really hope it's not that. Do worm her, with a commercial wormer - garlic really doesn't do it. It may help.

A few other questions incase it's something else - is she eating? Do you know how to find her crop to see if it's full? Under her beak on her breast, if she's a normal chook, this time of day it will be stuffed full from eating all day. Check if it's full. If it is, can you check first thing the am to see if it's emptied over night...that will give us more info as to if her digestive tract is functioning well....

Check the fullness now if you can and get back to me....

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

I didn't get to check her last night but she doesn't seem well AT ALL this morning.. DP wants me to put her out of her misery but i can't do it and he's at work
She does actually look puffy to look at, she's basically just sitting now, i kept her apart from the other girls last night and when i went in this morning she was sitting in 1 corner and didn't even attempt to move when i approached her, i picked her up, gave her a pat and then set her down and gave her a couple of strokes and she was just closing her eyes.
I went alone and don't really want to take the girls down today so i let the other girls out into the paddock and closed off the door so poor Roast can have her own time.
I have a feeling when i go and check her around lunch time she may not be alive.
When i told DP last night i thought she wasn't well he joked about Roasting ROAST... hmmm doomed from the beginning with that name i think.

Will go down after lunch with all new fresh water and clean out their hotel, we still have to dust them properly with the pestene aswell..... god what will i do with her if she does pass... the girls will be upset... poor Roast.. she's the only one showing any signs of being sick though so thats a bonus i guess and the other girls seem to be enjoying getting out and getting into the greenery and playing in the sun.

[~me~]

Diarrhoea or 'dirty pants' can be one of many stomach upsets.
My books says to give 1/2 tsp of slippery elm powder to ease inflamed instestines, to which you might add a similar amount of yoghurt, yoghurt powder or brewer's yeast. Make the mixture into a slurry by adding water and it pour it down the birds throat using a teaspoon. Dill and powdered charcoal can also be given.


Good luck.

ETA: I have a book by Alanna Moore called Backyard Poultry Naturally. I purchased mine, you can also borrow it from the library. It could be worth investing in a good poultry book.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Thx Hun, might borrow a book from the library, sadly I think she is on her way out and I dont have any of that stuff here and we won't be out at all today.

Will check her again soon I think.


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[Jennifer13]

ZF we lost one of our girls suddenly after a year (she was in great condition and had laid the previous day). Just didn't want to come out of the coop in the morning and was gone around lunch. DD1 was devastated, we buried her and she made a sign. But she did get to see and pat her and say goodbye. I think she got a real understanding of death from losing Dottie.

Hope Roast pulls through unexpectedly.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Thanks hun, just checked her again, she's still not moving and is basically leaning on her side and not standing up at all
Think i will go and buy a book on keeping chickens, what is the best to look at buying?
Will clean out their hotel this afternoon and maybe get DP to help me dust them tonight, Market is on next week but i'm not sure if we should replace Roast or just wait and see how we go with the other 4 ladies.
I really wish i knew when they would lay, the girls are getting anxious to find some eggs, we've had them nearly a month now.

DD knows about the death of a pet after her cat got run over, she buried him and gave him a pat goodbye but i don't think we will make a habit of burying chickens.. JIC.

[Astrid]

Just check that she is not fly blown in her vent. If so, do the right thing and despatch her right away. I find the older girls do just slow down and eventually they just find a corner to site down in for their last hours/days.

I do suspect that your chooks are quite old. Even the half bald ex battery chooks we got pretty much laid straight away (think they are about 18mo when they sell them).

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Hmmm i'm wondering if this guy has tried to pull a fast one on us, he said they had laid but they will lay again they just needed to fluff out a bit and get used to their new home.
I see people buying from him all the time and one lady came back and bought another 4 from him and said she only lost her others due to old age.

I wonder if we are doing something wrong?

We give them fresh water every day, they now have a hanging water tub plus a water pot in 1 room and an old baby bath in the other, they have their hanging food (the pellets etc) plus basically all our fresh fruit & veg scraps (no citrus, no onion etc), we have been letting them out in the morning on days we are home and then getting them in around 7:30pm which they do happily.
The girls do tend to chase & try and pat them but the chickens don't seem to mind too much.
I've cleaned their hotel once a week of poop and remove any yuck hay and replace it with fresh.
I've dusted their beds and need to dust them.

I guess i should go and buy a book and read up on a few things, i wish i knew more about them but i guess it all comes from owning them and watching them.

The girls love checking on them twice a day and DD1 can't wait until the "blow eggs" (according to her).

I feel horrible wondering why she is sick... poor girl.

Ohhhh and the stuff we got from the guy is: Pro-Vit-Min Free Range Complete Poultry (contains omega oils & garlic) - air cleaned preium quality grain

[Dansta]

Aww zf im hoping roast is ok. I lost one last year who keeled over and died. But I dont know her age.
Or any others cept my two babies running around
Is it possable they're off the lay? Mine are atm and then when it cools down they start but mine are bantom X's and two red ones plus our rooster.

[Astrid]

The main chook bible is Backyard Chicken Naturally (Alanna Moore??? Could be wrong). Earth Gardens is a nice read, but really a reference book.

In the ABC Organic Gardener Mag there is a decent chook section, but I do find the writer very obsessed with mash.

[~me~]

Astrid: It's Backyard Poultry Naturally by Alanna Moore. I have mentioned it in one of my above posts I got mine from Diggers Club. On looking around, this book was great for us backyard keepers.

ZF, this is just my opinion and I mean no disrepect...I personally would not buy chickens from a market. Simply due to the fact I don't know how they have been kept. If they are ex battery, they are not going to be in the best condition, could already be unwell and ethically speaking, I would not purchase ex battery hens.

I would source a local breeder, go and look and pick your ladies, you may pay a little more, the hens will be in great conditions. We got ours from a gentlemen where we could look at how they were kept, he breeds all sorts of hens and is really knowledgeable on keeping them. They are pure breeds and got them at point of lay. They were laying within a month of us having them and lay nearly every day.

I hope your little roast makes a miraculous recovery.

[Floweryfields]

That's a great book, I read it cover to cover when I first got my girls. ZF I think you may have gotten duped, but don't feel bad, there are alot of unscruplious people out there.
I 2nd the finding a local breeder. I can pm you details to a great chook forum that has links to breeders all over Australia if you want.

[Astrid]

Astrid: It's Backyard Poultry Naturally by Alanna Moore.

:LOL: Almost had it, was too lazy to get of my butt and check our bookshelf.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Thanks ladies, might check the good old interwebs and see how much it is and also check local bookstores.

Haven't checked her this arvo as we took the boat out this morning and now it's ****ing down, after dinner i will go down again but she was still just hiding in her corner this morning, responding to touch though.

I might go and check out the alternative farming expo later this month in Seymour (HotI if your reading and up for a day out let me know) and see if i can find some interesting chicken related stuff.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

R.I.P ROAST!
Went down and she's definitely gone, got to go down and get rid of her (how horrible does that sound) have checked all the other girls vents and they are all clean!
Going to clean out the chicken hotel tomorrow & dust the girls and their beds again.
Washout all food& water containers and look at getting a wormer to start the girls fresh, might even try the garlic in their water!

I shed a tear when I told the girls but they are ok and understand she was sick.


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[Floweryfields]

Sorry to hear that. Having pets is a good way to teach children about the cycle of life though.

[Dansta]

Rip roast

Let me know if your going to that expo I might have a look at it too.

We lost one of our chicks to the dog but another hatched today! And another laid 10 eggs and is sitting on them! The wait starts again!