Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Cheery_Daff

Well, it's done now. Mr Cheery held her tight, and I stuck my finger in her beak. Absolutely not brave enough to shove the syringe down a wriggling throat and hope I miss her airway 🙄 so I dripped it at the front of her beak instead and waited for her to swallow each bit herself. 

She wasn't impressed 🙄  but I think overall Mr Cheery was more distressed than her 🙄 I found the whole thing far less stressful than separating her for an hour and trying to encourage her to eat bits of her favourite food which she becomes more and more suspicious of 🙄

Only another four days of this nonsense to go! 🙄

edwink

Hi Cheery

Blimey, what a day you must have had especially with the stress of it all.  It is not easy trying to get medication down a hen's throat, I have had to do it that's why I know how difficult and worrying it can be especially as it is your first time in having to do this.  I think the only thing you can do Cheery is to do it exactly as the vet showed you how to do it. I am sure it will be all done quicker than you might think. As she is not taking the medication in on her food or with treats it would probably be the best and quickest option for her, you, and Mr Cheery. Just make sure you gently tip her head right back and then put the syringe in, that will stop her from closing her mouth and gently squirt the liquid into her throat. Then hold her beak just to make sure she swallows it and make sure she doesn't shake her head and make it all come out everywhere. Once you have done this Cheery you should find it easier next time and then it won't be so stressful for you both.  Just remember Cheery that you are only doing this to help her and whatever happens she must take this medication and if that means using the syringe that will be the easiest way to do it from what you have said in your posts.

I know it is of no use to you but I wish I was there to help you with this at the moment.

Please let me know how you get on Cheery.

Edwink x

edwink

Hi everyone

I have a poorly hen on my hands here. I noticed she was quiet 3 days ago and on checking her over I have found that she has "Sour Crop", bless her heart.  Hens can get sour crop when there is an imbalance of the bacteria in their crop. I have dealt with this situation before so I am confident of what I need to do to help her through this.  I've given her some Apple Cider Vinegar which helps to correct the imbalance and also put some Oregano in it.  We separated her from the others 2 days ago and sectioned off Hoppys duck run so she could spend time in there without being bothered by the others.  At night we put her in our little hospital hut with another hen that was being slightly picked on, only because we have noticed that she is being a complete and utter pest and annoying the others, a little devil she is. It gives the poorly hen some company at night in the hospital hut as hens don't like being on their own at all. I'll update as and when on her condition, bless her.

Edwink x

ETA: Hi Cheery I wasn't sure if you had seen it or not but I responded to your post about your poorly hen in the post before this one.  How is she now and how did it go at the vets?  Hope all went well! 

Cheery_Daff

Aw, sorry to hear you have a poorly hen too edwink ☹ Hope she gets better soon. We've thankfully never had one with sour crop. There just seem to be so many things to look out for, don't there?! 

Rusty is doing well, seems to be ok. We have indeed abandoned all attempts to give her medicine on treats, and have resorted to grabbing and squirting. I'm not brave enough to shove the syringe right down her throat so have been squirting it at the front of her beak and waiting for her to swallow it - she mostly does, although sometimes flicks some back out 🙄 Back to the vets for a check up tomorrow, and I'm going to get them to do the final dose as she'll hate us enough for putting her in the car 🙄 (although actually they don't seem to mind that once we get going, they tend to just nod off). 

Anyway, they've had a nice few days - I've been bringing my laptop out to work in the garden and the older ladies have been snuggled up dozing off in the hay under my swing seat, while the young ones potter about in the grass and dust bath. I have a video meeting earlier and came back outside to find Mr Cheery asleep on a blanket on the lawn surrounded by sleeping chickens 😂😂 I wish I'd managed to get a photo!

Fingers crossed for your little one edwink xx

SisterAnna

I've been thinking about your hens Cheery Daff and Edwink and I hope they are both improving and starting to feel so much better now. 

I know it is worrying when your hens are poorly but posting about this makes this thread so interesting. That is why I do like to catch up with your news on here. 

Sister Anna

edwink

SisterAnna said:I've been thinking about your hens Cheery Daff and Edwink and I hope they are both improving and starting to feel so much better now. 

I know it is worrying when your hens are poorly but posting about this makes this thread so interesting. That is why I do like to catch up with your news on here.

Thank you so much for reading and following us on our hen and duck thread. It is nice to know that there are others who are as interested as we are.

My little hen is doing ok but is not out of the woods yet I fear. Basically, she just needs to eat more now her crop feels fine and is no longer squishy.  We have been adding a tonic to her water and are encouraging her to eat with sweetcorn and cucumber during the day besides her having pellets in the morning and at night.  Her appetite appeared better yesterday than it is today but often hens don't eat as much when it is very hot and today it is really hot here. We've kept her away from most of the others but she does have the company of 2 of our slower girls with her all the time.  Where she is during the day there is a lot of shelter from the sun as although in direct sunlight there are a lot of shrubs and trees there for them to shelter under. The only thing is when it is bedtime for them I heed to literally crawl in there to find all three of them and that's not easy I must admit. 

Will update more soon.

Edwink x

edwink

Hi everyone

Hope you and all your hens are doing fine.

An update on my little poorly hen...... She appears to have picked up and is eating more than I have seen her do over this past week, She is still a little quiet but that could be down to this really hot weather we are experiencing right now and boy is it hot here.  Due to the weather, a lot of my hens are just sitting quietly or dustbathing in the shaded areas trying to keep cool, and to be honest I don't blame them.

I'm not keen on this hot weather although my fruit and veg are loving it and growing like mad.  I'm not complaining because we were late getting some of it in because of all the rain we previously had and now thanks to the hot weather it is catching up to where it roughly should be in June. So I am happy really as long as it all doesn't start to bolt that is. 😀

I'll update again soon.

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Glad your poorly hen is doing well edwink! Good news indeed. Ours lave been lounging around a lot too - a couple of them in particular like to sit on the sun lounger on a blanket which always makes me laugh 😂

We are back to the vets this afternoon, this time with Beaky. Our older ladies are taking it in turns at the minute! She's napping a lot, comb is going slightly darker, twitching her head a bit. Had to clean a mucky backside for her last weekend and it's built up again now 🙄 Vet said it could be a number of different things so taking her over for a look. Just wish they were closer! 🙄

Hey ho. I'd do pretty much anything for our beaky pals, bless em. And these are ex battery hens, nearly four years old now, so it's not surprising they're all starting to need more and more attention. Poor little things. 

Cheery_Daff

Well, it seems poor old Beaky has a tumor 😢 Theoretically they can operate, but it's difficult on a chicken, and as she's an old lady, she likely wouldn't survive anyway. So we're getting antibiotics and steroids which will hopefully at least make her feel better and we'll likely lose her over the next few weeks/months 😢

Mr Cheery is distraught - I'm sad but being slightly more practical about it (while we're still sat outside the vets, at least!) Poor old Beaky. You get so attached 😢

edwink

Cheery_Daff said:

Well, it seems poor old Beaky has a tumor 😢 Theoretically they can operate, but it's difficult on a chicken, and as she's an old lady, she likely wouldn't survive anyway. So we're getting antibiotics and steroids which will hopefully at least make her feel better and we'll likely lose her over the next few weeks/months 😢

Mr Cheery is distraught - I'm sad but being slightly more practical about it (while we're still sat outside the vets, at least!) Poor old Beaky. You get so attached 😢

Aww, Cheery that is so sad.  You are definitely right in that we get so attached to them. How can we not when we care for them so well in their retirement, bless them.  We get to know them so well as they are with us every day, they rely on us every day and we care for them every day. Some say that you can not have a chicken/hen as a pet but I disagree because I know myself you can. It's because they become much loved pets that it is so sad when they are poorly especially if it is with something we or the vets can't physically do anything about.  But, medication to help with any pain and discomfort is always there for these poor little girls if it is needed which is good. 

Bless you, Cheery and Mr Cheery too.  I know how much you adore your hens.

Take care

Edwink x