We just lost a hen to WB two months ago. She was older. Now we have the following:
1) What type of bird, age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) - She's always been small and thin, laying giant eggs, But now is not quite 2 years old, Longhorn with a giant healthy looking comb
2) What is the behavior, exactly. - She's acting normal but hasn't laid an egg in over two weeks and she's always been very regular, our best layer. Has had poopy butt about that long as well. The last two days she's gone to the laying box without results. Her butt was dark pink after the bath, seems lighter this afternoon. When I grabbed her this morning I also felt a slight waterballoon feeling below the vent between her legs, which makes me fear another WB girl. Could it be something else, or is slight bouncy down there normal? She's currently walking normally as well.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? - about two weeks no egg
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?- no
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. - no
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. - WB or maybe ate something off or has internal parasites? No sign of mites.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.- seems normal. They have auto feeder 20% organic layer feed and then get kitchen scraps and some scratch in the afternoons. Occasionally give black sunflower seeds, yoghurt, sardines, cottage cheese, tofu. They have recycled crushed egg shells for calcium. They don't like electrolyte mixes. Neither one seems to be eating greens the last several months and they don't have grass to graze on in this desert. Her crop looks full. I'll have to check it in the morning when I can grab her again.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. - I'd say close to runny diarrhea, sort of taupe colored oozed out as soon as she jumped out of her poopy butt bath this morning. Maybe some white.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? - just the bath, ACV and raw garlic added to the water a few days ago.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? - We have no vet closer than 2 hours, so that's not an option. My husband did a drainage maneuver on a previous WB hen to give her a bit more time, but she was a lot more "full" than what I felt this morning.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use - They have a secure 3 x 4' coop on legs, with a long ramp down to the ground. I use straw in the laying boxes and aspen sawdust and shavings (under the roost) from a friend who makes furniture. I'm using the deep litter method and there is no smell (to my good nose) that I detect. Their coop is really just for laying and roosting and they don't spend time in there stirring anything up. There are air vents at the roof and only the small auto door so good circulation, but not a dusty wind tunnel. it's very dry here and it seems I don't even smell when working outside! They have two water bowls and a wading container. In the low 90s the last two days and they are hanging out in the shade in the dirt we wet down. We do have an abundance of wild sparrows that visit often and poop in that area, as well as eat their leftover scratch. The little birds can't get into the layer feeder. I did dust the layer feed with diatomaceous earth about a week ago when I thought it might be parasites.
1) What type of bird, age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) - She's always been small and thin, laying giant eggs, But now is not quite 2 years old, Longhorn with a giant healthy looking comb
2) What is the behavior, exactly. - She's acting normal but hasn't laid an egg in over two weeks and she's always been very regular, our best layer. Has had poopy butt about that long as well. The last two days she's gone to the laying box without results. Her butt was dark pink after the bath, seems lighter this afternoon. When I grabbed her this morning I also felt a slight waterballoon feeling below the vent between her legs, which makes me fear another WB girl. Could it be something else, or is slight bouncy down there normal? She's currently walking normally as well.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? - about two weeks no egg
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?- no
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. - no
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. - WB or maybe ate something off or has internal parasites? No sign of mites.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.- seems normal. They have auto feeder 20% organic layer feed and then get kitchen scraps and some scratch in the afternoons. Occasionally give black sunflower seeds, yoghurt, sardines, cottage cheese, tofu. They have recycled crushed egg shells for calcium. They don't like electrolyte mixes. Neither one seems to be eating greens the last several months and they don't have grass to graze on in this desert. Her crop looks full. I'll have to check it in the morning when I can grab her again.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. - I'd say close to runny diarrhea, sort of taupe colored oozed out as soon as she jumped out of her poopy butt bath this morning. Maybe some white.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? - just the bath, ACV and raw garlic added to the water a few days ago.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? - We have no vet closer than 2 hours, so that's not an option. My husband did a drainage maneuver on a previous WB hen to give her a bit more time, but she was a lot more "full" than what I felt this morning.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use - They have a secure 3 x 4' coop on legs, with a long ramp down to the ground. I use straw in the laying boxes and aspen sawdust and shavings (under the roost) from a friend who makes furniture. I'm using the deep litter method and there is no smell (to my good nose) that I detect. Their coop is really just for laying and roosting and they don't spend time in there stirring anything up. There are air vents at the roof and only the small auto door so good circulation, but not a dusty wind tunnel. it's very dry here and it seems I don't even smell when working outside! They have two water bowls and a wading container. In the low 90s the last two days and they are hanging out in the shade in the dirt we wet down. We do have an abundance of wild sparrows that visit often and poop in that area, as well as eat their leftover scratch. The little birds can't get into the layer feeder. I did dust the layer feed with diatomaceous earth about a week ago when I thought it might be parasites.
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