The Poultry Keeper

sallyh · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

Yesterday morning when I let the girls out I noticed that there was one hen missing. After searching round the garden I found her (Treacle) up in a tree. She was very quiet and had one eye closed which we thought was due to a frightening night. She remained quiet all day yesterday but went out and about with the rest of the girls but today she is worse. Both eyes are closed and as far as I know she has not eaten. Please help.
They were all recently wormed by the way.
Thanks.

CP · Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:58 am Post subject:

Welcome to the forum sallyh.

Do you mean your hen was up in the tree all night?

Are there any other symptoms you can see? Does she have noisy breathing, smelly breath, anything swollen around the face? What are her poos like?

I assume you have isolated her from the others. Maybe she just had a fright, as you say, but I would keep her warm & see what she eats/drinks for now.

Let us know how you get on.

sallyh · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

Thanks for the welcome. Yes poor thing was up in the tree all night. I think she has diarrhoea but can't confirm that, but breathing OK and not egg bound. She feels warm (as normal). She appears very sleepy, eyes closing, neck in, puffed up feathers. We've just given her 40 mls of water via a tube (I used to be a nurse, hubby is a GP) and isolated her in a large rabbit hutch.
I know she was perfectly OK before the tree episode but thought she would have recovered from that experience by now. Can't think why she did not go back with the other 11 at bedtime.
The food has not been touched although she made a half hearted attempt at eating a grape without any enthusiasm and then dropped it.
Thanks for your help.

NannyP · Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2005 2:42 pm Post subject:

She does sound quite ill, and it's good she's getting fluids. The problem with chickens is that they are nromally really ill by the time we get to notice, this due to them being at risk if they show illness. It would be important to get a vet opinion tomorrow.
Confused

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

If a farm or pet store near you is open today....try and get a vitamin electrolyte supplement for her water. Also try and get some non-filtered (cloudy) ACV...apple cider vinegar, this is usually sold by the horse products. ACV should be added at 2%....the supplement will have directions on the package.

Also some live yogurt might be a good idea to try and feed her with. Grapes should have the skins peeled and then maybe she will try harder to eat it.

I would definitely ring the vet asap.

Aussie Chick · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 7:06 am Post subject:

Why peel the grapes Deb?

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

sallyh · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

Thanks for your replies. I have given her peeled chopped grapes and she has had a couple of tiny bits. We have given her some Super Gar which I already have in stock, as I give it once weekly and she appears this morning to be still sleepy looking but comfortable in her rabbit hutch. Her poos don't look too bad at all. I'm just hoping that this is all due to the shock of spending the night up the tree down the bottom of the garden. (I know we get visited by foxes, badgers and weasels to name but a few!). Later I shall ring around our local vets and see if I can find one that is interested in chickens. The last time I visited a vet was with an ill white dove which I found in the garden and I got the impression I knew more than she did!

Incidentally how much fluids should we be giving her? I was always surprised at the large quantity it was necessary to give to orphaned pigeons but I don't want to overload her.