SmiYa0126
Free Ranging
Once again BYC saves the day. 
I had a hen go into molt in late September, she usually has hard molt so I can't really handle her too much since she's a literal pin cushion. Two weeks ago I saw her stumble as she was walking around the run. I grabbed her and gasped as she was completely emaciated. Her crop felt like a water balloon.
I set up the hospital wing in my basement. Dosed her with coconut oil, antibiotics, vitamins, calcium citrate, monistat, nutri drench, stuffed a little meat in her beak, made sure she had watermelon, cucumber, fresh food and water. Her digestive system was glacial. Very little activity, usually just a yellow liquidy squirt. No amount of massaging decreased her crop. A week and a couple of days later I was at my wits end. I wasn't even sure how she was still alive. I was pouring through the BYC posts and someone had mentioned candidase ( thank you whoever you are!). I immediately ordered it and paid for the shipping to overnight it. Stuffed it into her beak and finally her crop went down. It took another three to four days for it go completely down. I was still forcing liquids down here beak, stuffing meat down her throat and bits of watermelon. I was just trying to keep her alive until she felt better to eat on her own. Well, today is the day, she was actively eating watermelon and scratch that she found in the basement that had spilled from a small hole. She's not out of the woods yet but I wanted to get this out on here, if it helps one back yard chicken keeper it will be worth it.
I had a hen go into molt in late September, she usually has hard molt so I can't really handle her too much since she's a literal pin cushion. Two weeks ago I saw her stumble as she was walking around the run. I grabbed her and gasped as she was completely emaciated. Her crop felt like a water balloon.
I set up the hospital wing in my basement. Dosed her with coconut oil, antibiotics, vitamins, calcium citrate, monistat, nutri drench, stuffed a little meat in her beak, made sure she had watermelon, cucumber, fresh food and water. Her digestive system was glacial. Very little activity, usually just a yellow liquidy squirt. No amount of massaging decreased her crop. A week and a couple of days later I was at my wits end. I wasn't even sure how she was still alive. I was pouring through the BYC posts and someone had mentioned candidase ( thank you whoever you are!). I immediately ordered it and paid for the shipping to overnight it. Stuffed it into her beak and finally her crop went down. It took another three to four days for it go completely down. I was still forcing liquids down here beak, stuffing meat down her throat and bits of watermelon. I was just trying to keep her alive until she felt better to eat on her own. Well, today is the day, she was actively eating watermelon and scratch that she found in the basement that had spilled from a small hole. She's not out of the woods yet but I wanted to get this out on here, if it helps one back yard chicken keeper it will be worth it.
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