Keeping hens and ducks chat. 7 July 2015 at 5:07PM edited 27 April at 11:46PM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 3K replies 334.7K views

edwink

Hi everyone

I have a very quiet and very poorly hen here, sadly.  She didn't appear too good when we let them out this morning so we separated her from the others and put her in a sectioned off area of Hoppys duck run for her safety.  Her comb looks purple-ish so tonight we have her indoors with us now to keep her comfortable and warm. She also has some dark areas on her comb so it could be her heart or maybe her liver. It is possible because of the comb colour that she has had a stroke, perhaps. I felt she was too ill to take to the vets as I didn't want to cause her to be stressed in any way on the journey or whilst there. I have thoroughly checked her over in case she had hurt herself during the night and I can't see anything at all. I thought the kindest thing to do for her was to keep her quiet and keep checking on her throughout the day to see how she was.  Sadly I don't think she will be with us in the morning though as she appears terribly unwell 😢

Aww, these little girls do cause us heartache sometimes.  I hate seeing them so unwell especially just after nursing the other hen who had a sour crop.  That little hen is fine again now thankfully but I am still keeping an eye on her. 

Hope everyone and their hens are doing ok.

Edwink x


3.10am   ETA......  Just nipped downstairs to check on her and sadly she has gone.  Bless her heart she went so quickly. 

Cheery_Daff

Aw edwink, I' so sorry, that is so fast. You did what you could, and it looks like not going to the vets was the right decision, she had a peaceful and quiet end with you at least xxx

Our Beaky is doing ok, I do hate trying to give them medication though 😕 She's out with the others under the swing at the minute, pottering about.

Cheery_Daff

Well, that was a revelation! 

When we were at the vets with Rusty the other week, the vet gave us a feeding tube and giant syringe, and showed us how to thread it down into her crop to give her medication (or, in a more serious situation, food).

It looked difficult and complicated, so we'd not tried it, but Beaky would just NOT eat medicated treats, and was flicking the liquid medicine back out of her beak, so we just attempted the tube.

It was actually pretty easy! The most difficult bit was opening her beak, but I only had to do that once (rather than several times for the little syringe we were using before), and it slid down her throat really easily (they have no gag reflex). No chance of going down her trachea with her neck held high either. 

The whole thing was remarkably untraumatic and very quick, and straight afterwards she was pottering about on the floor eating treats.

No nasty taste for her either, like there was when we were squirting a bit at a time into the front of her beak and trying to get her to swallow. 

This is GREAT, because it means chicken medicine becomes something pretty straightforward, rather than a giant trial every day. 

Have any of you used a tube like this before? I think it's a special lamb feeding tube she gave us, with a rounded end.

edwink

Hi Cheery

So glad that Beaky is doing ok, bless her.

We have a feeding tube here which our vets provided us with when we had a seriously unwell hen with a respiratory infection that just would not eat anything.  It is actually easier than what it looks to insert as you say with their neck held high.  Once you have done it once it definitely becomes so much easier to give them any liquid medication.  Although it would appear to be stressful for anyone watching the procedure it is actually so much less stressful for the hen and its owner as it is so quick to do.  Well done both of you, that is a massive step forward in being able to help your hens should any of them be unwell and need medication.

Take care

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Yes, we definitely found it less stressful than what we'd been doing before - we only had to open her beak once for a start, and we know she got all the medication, rather than her flicking her head and half of it ending up over Mr Cheery's shirt 🙄

They've had a good day today, bless them, pottering about in the garden. Mr Cheery is very sad about Beaky not having long left, so he's spending a lot more time out there with them (and also making good progress on building their extension).

Here's a picture of Beaky enjoying the sun lounger the other day 🥰

edwink

Cheery_Daff said: Yes, we definitely found it less stressful than what we'd been doing before - we only had to open her beak once for a start, and we know she got all the medication, rather than her flicking her head and half of it ending up over Mr Cheery's shirt 🙄

They've had a good day today, bless them, pottering about in the garden. Mr Cheery is very sad about Beaky not having long left, so he's spending a lot more time out there with them (and also making good progress on building their extension).

Here's a picture of Beaky enjoying the sun lounger the other day 🥰

 
Wow, Cheery what a content and super chilled out hen she looks like just sitting there watching the world go by. Aww, bless her heart.  Her feathers look absolutely beautiful.

Glad progress is being made on their extension, well done Mr cheery, and getting to spend more time with the hens too, can't be bad eh?.  Pics please when you have the time and the extension is finished. 

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Aw, she certainly is a finely feathered hen 🥰 She's had almost two and a half years free with us now, after her first 18 months in those horrid cages. So pleased they've made it this far 😊 I'll take some progress pics of the extension tomorrow. It's not pretty!! 😮😂

Cheery_Daff

Hmm, well that did NOT go well today 😮 Beaky struggled, I struggled to get the tube down her throat, medicine came out into her mouth, she was gurgling and holding her beak open and I ended up ringing the vets in a panic thinking I'd tipped it into her lungs 😮😮😕 Looks like I didn't - she was just objecting to the taste and having a tube chucked down her neck, and is now happily eating cheese and glaring at me 😕

Not having any more chickens after this lot have gone, it's far too stressful! 😕

edwink

Cheery_Daff said:

Hmm, well that did NOT go well today 😮 Beaky struggled, I struggled to get the tube down her throat, medicine came out into her mouth, she was gurgling and holding her beak open and I ended up ringing the vets in a panic thinking I'd tipped it into her lungs 😮😮😕 Looks like I didn't - she was just objecting to the taste and having a tube chucked down her neck, and is now happily eating cheese and glaring at me 😕

Not having any more chickens after this lot have gone, it's far too stressful! 😕

Aww, Cheery bless you and Mr Cheery. 🥰

I did have a chuckle though about her "happily eating cheese and glaring at you" comment. Yes, it can be stressful but once you have done it that way a few times you won't worry as much.  I say that because when I first had to insert a tube down one of my hens throats I was petrified of puncturing something, but, after several times I felt so much more confident and pleasantly surprised about how quick it could be done.  I guess a bit like you found it yesterday. Maybe try and put today behind you and try again tomorrow eh?.

How many days of medication are left for her to take?

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Thanks edwink - yes I'm going to try again, but without the medication already in the tube this time, just in case. It was so easy the first day! 

After today she'll have had a week of antibiotics, but Mr Cheery thinks the vet said we'd have to give her steroids for the rest of her life 😕 I'm not convinced that's what she did say though... and she didn't give us very much of the steroid medication, so not sure. Going to ring today anyway as she wanted us to check in after a week or so. 
She seems alright this morning though, so we clearly haven't done her any permanent damage. Bunty was making that cute little clucking egg laying noise when I let them out🥰 Always makes me smile 😊