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r ma
Joined: 24 Aug 2008
Posts: 2
Location: North Devon
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 Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 10:38 pm Post subject: Poorly chicken, I need your advice, please |
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Please can somebody advise me, I have 7 hens and 1 very active cockerel.
1 of my girls, a cream legbar has suddenly become lame,(i think thats the best word to describe her). My husband came home from work and found her lying on her side, he put her in a little home of her own separate from the others.
If you try to stand her up she falls straight on her side, her vent (I didn't know where this was til tonight) is clean and it contracts, She is fluffed up and her ear lobes are pale in colour.
I thought she may be eggbound she is about ready to begin or maybe my vigorous cockerel my have dislodged her egg, he is a really big buff orpington.
I've only had chickens for 12 months and never experienced any illness.
Have any of you guys ever experienced anything similar?
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CP
Moderator
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 16285
Location: Hampshire
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| Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:06 am Post subject: |
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Check the consistency of her poo for starters. Is she eating & drinking OK? Is her crop full first thing in the morning, & if it is, is it hard or squishy & does her breath smell?
Is she bright eyed, with no rattly breathing sounds or discharge from her nose?
If there's no sign of disease then it may be the cockerel has damaged her. Check on her sides to see if he's cut her with his spurs.
I hope she's feeling a bit better in the morning.  |
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Henwife
Joined: 31 Jan 2006
Posts: 3540
Location: Monmouthshire
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| Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:15 am Post subject: |
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| Cream legbars have white earlobes, so nothing to worry about there. However, some strains are prone to Mareks, and PoL is the time it can strike. I'd hope to be wrong, but I have kept Cream legbars for some years and think I have a resistant flock at last. The first years after I decided that this was the way to go, were pretty depressing. |
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jubilee
Joined: 04 Jun 2008
Posts: 125
Location: nottinghamshire
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| Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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| I too was thinking mareks henwife, this breed are prone to it, i too hope we're both wrong as the prognosis isn't good if we're right! but i also would just check her to make sure the ckl hasn't hurt her, we breed orpingtons, and the males get really heavy, it would be quite easy for him to cause some crush injuries to a small lady! including chest/keel bone damage, back damage, and also strain to the thighs and legs, if i were you, i would pop to the vets with her and let him give her a check over. good luck and i hope she recovers. xx |
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Henwife
Joined: 31 Jan 2006
Posts: 3540
Location: Monmouthshire
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| Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd overlooked the breed of the cock, so that might well be the trouble. Cream legbar cocks aren't particularly heavy birds, so I've never had a hen damaged. |
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r ma
Joined: 24 Aug 2008
Posts: 2
Location: North Devon
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| Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:54 am Post subject: porrly chicken |
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She looks a bit perkier today,
hopefully through the worst and now coming out the other end.
thank you all for you helpful advice. X |
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jubilee
Joined: 04 Jun 2008
Posts: 125
Location: nottinghamshire
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| Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Really pleased she looks better today, hope she continues to improve! |
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