Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[satay]

Something like this stuff?

http://eshop.bellsouth.com.au/AMPROLIUM-SOLUBLE-1KG

Any place to be able to buy it in smaller doses or locally?

http://www.brookfieldpoultryequipment.com/products.php?id=545

 

[Bens-Hens]

Awesome thanks Satay. I will get some from there in a smaller tub.

Summer is still with us, which is no even more concerning. She just seems so quiet. We think it may be a crop issue as we had not seen her eat in the past day and her crop was 'squishy' She got two crop massages yesterday and no improvement, then today we laid her on her back with her head way down and massaged her crop again. I got chicken spew down my leg, but nothing that came out looked any worse than it should be. No foul smell, no weird items.

There was almost no droppings under her sleeping spot last night.

Not really sure what else I can do without taking her to the vet.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Something like this stuff?

http://eshop.bellsouth.com.au/AMPROLIUM-SOLUBLE-1KG

Any place to be able to buy it in smaller doses or locally?

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner Ben, had our 350 people through the gardens yesterday. You can purchase it in 100g bags but the 200 g is what I buy.
Classic symptoms of coccidiosis are lethargy, wings down , and diarrhea (and sometimes traces of blood ) . If you haven't wormed them in over a year I would do that first. A worm overload will kill.

http://www.littlevalleypoultry.com/poultry-medications?product_id=82

 

[ozexpat]

Nothing like being taken to the cleaners by vet med supply companies

Amprol is USD 15.50 for 238g in USA and I buy it by the kilo for $22 in the Phils

It is unusual that adult birds are suffering from an overburdeon of cocci. They generally build up resistance as chicks and by 6-8 weeks can normally stave off symptom causing cocci loads.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Nothing like being taken to the cleaners by vet med supply companies

Amprol is USD 15.50 for 238g in USA and I buy it by the kilo for $22 in the Phils

It is unusual that adult birds are suffering from an overburdeon of cocci. They generally build up resistance as chicks and by 6-8 weeks can normally stave off symptom causing cocci loads.

While older birds can build a resistance , true age immunity doesn't occur. Cocci can wipe a good portion of your flock , regardless of age. I fear that Ben is probably dealing with impacted crop.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/coccidiosis/overview_of_coccidiosis_in_poultry.html

 

[ozexpat]

While older birds can build a resistance , true age immunity doesn't occur. Cocci can wipe a good portion of your flock , regardless of age. I fear that Ben is probably dealing with impacted crop.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/coccidiosis/overview_of_coccidiosis_in_poultry.html

indeed,

as far as potentiall cocci outbreak, one ouuld expect it in younger birds firsr as they have had less exposure. I have seen it hit a grow out pen of three month olds (not mine thank goodness)

Toltrazuril is a great treatment and I think its available in Oz.

I have no experience with impacted crop.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner Ben, had our 350 people through the gardens yesterday. You can purchase it in 100g bags but the 200 g is what I buy.
Classic symptoms of coccidiosis are lethargy, wings down , and diarrhea (and sometimes traces of blood ) . If you haven't wormed them in over a year I would do that first. A worm overload will kill.

http://www.littlevalleypoultry.com/poultry-medications?product_id=82

No worries Fancy, I know you have been busy. Honestly, I don't think there is much more we can do for Summer without either paying for a vet or following a DIY Youtube video. I am not really keen on either, so we have stuck to the less invasive measures but I don't think they are helping.

We are seeing some of those symptoms, lethargy and tail down. Wings are normal but walks very slowly, kind of like a sloth. We have not seen any blood, in fact very little droppings at all, which is adding to the impacted crop suspicions. I will still order the medicine, and I will worm them on the weekend.

Everyone else, including the chick is fine, all bright eyed and bushy tailed (except Rosie, who is kind of strutting around half naked)

Nothing like being taken to the cleaners by vet med supply companies

Amprol is USD 15.50 for 238g in USA and I buy it by the kilo for $22 in the Phils

It is unusual that adult birds are suffering from an overburdeon of cocci. They generally build up resistance as chicks and by 6-8 weeks can normally stave off symptom causing cocci loads.

I thought those costs were a bit high, I will get some of the stuff Satay has suggested and treat them all after the worming treatment.

Thanks for the feedback team, appreciated.

 

[vehve]

If you think those cost a lot, try snake anti-venoms, now there's something pricey.

Ben, keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Well, I have news.

In some ways it's for the better, and to be honest (if I am right with my diagnosis) a relief it's is not a case of a contagious disease.

Please, let me start from the start. It will be a in detail description, so if you are not comfortable with reading that, move away. There will be a graphic pic at the bottom of this post.

I went back down for another crop massage, while she was laid back, fluid, feed, seed and grit ran from her, she seemed relaxed. Then she flapped her wings and flicked her head a few times and the large gas bubble in her crop escaped. He passed away in my hands.

I am not certain if she drowned, choked or if she was that ill that she was going to pass away anyway. I then realised standing just outside the run with 13 chickens behind me it was dead quiet. The whole flock was standing quietly behind me in the run, not making a sound. It kind of freaked me out a bit looking over my shoulder. Like they were all giving respect or something. Impossible I know, but I have never seen my entire flock just stand still before.

The children said their goodbyes.

I had to know more, so I decided to give a necropsy a shot.

I checked her crop, and found normal things inside there, but what looked like a fair amount of fat around her neck, unusual compared to other birds we have slaughtered in the past.

I then thought I would check further down her abdomen as I had seen her go to the nest, but she did not lay an egg. While looking around, I found much more fat. The I realised, it was not fat I was looking at, fat is much more clear, this was thick yellow stuff. It was everywhere around the organs. I checked back around her neck, it was up there too. The stuff was right through her cavity.

I thought she may have a terrible disease, I got a quick photo about halfway through. We finished up and I hit the internet to find the answer, and what treatment we will need to give to the rest of the flock.

My diagnosis is Egg Peritonitis. I am no vet, but looking at descriptions, and others photo's thats what interfered with her internal process, and the yellow stuff was an accumulation of yolks.

Poor girl, she was a lovely hen, but her eggs had been a little different to normal, colour had become patchy where before they were consistent, and the past week or so before getting ill they had been matte and kind of rough. We didn't think anything of it as eggs come in all shapes and sizes, but maybe that was an early indicator that there was something wrong.

Here is a pic of her organs after the vent incision. Please advise if you think my diagnosis is wrong. The worming etc will still be going ahead.

 

[cwrite]

Sorry about your loss Ben, but that looks like good news on the contagious front for the rest of your flock & a timely reminder for the rest of us, or me anyway, about these less common problems.