So I have a sick chicken. She's been off for days now. Listless, not reacting, eating very little, and very bizarrely, throwing up. Every time I pick her up to examine her (I have no idea what I am looking for), liquid comes out of her mouth. Kind of like I am squeezing it out. Sorry, gross.
I don't really think I can take her to the vet, unless she needs to be put down. I have googled "chickens throwing up" and have read everything from massaging the croup to get the gunk out, to syringing her with a garlic infusion. I am very squeamish and am not sure how I might go at either of these things, unless I really knew it was the right thing to do.
Do any of you have any ideas?
14 comments:
Oh dear. It does sound like your poor chicken may have a blocked crop. Do you know how to check this? If not just run you finger from under her beak and down her throat and if she has a blocked crop you will feel a solid mass at the bottom of her throat. If it feel big and hard it is probably blocked. The way I know of to resolve it is to use a teaspoon or two of vegetable oil mixed with a tablespoon of warm water. Pour it down her throat, then hold her head down and gently massage the crop to soften the contents. Repeat this in a couple of hours and work the food out of the crop. It can be caused by long grass and lawn clippings getting stuck and then the food cannot pass or chickens that eat too much dirt. Do you chickens have access to shell grit?
No Fiona, no shell grit, just commercial laying mash, porridge and kitchen scraps. And grass, I pick them grass every day. Should I not be giving them grass? I can get some shell grit tomorrow though.
When you say hold her head down, do you mean right down and massage the contents of her crop up and out of her mouth?
Is she likely to die from this do you know?
Hi Ali,
I'm no expert on chooks but did have issues with one of ours becoming ill and listless and laying weird soft almost shell-less eggs. We nursed her in a box overnight with heat packs to sit on and she recovered and we realized we had not been adding enough shell grit to her diet. She went off the lay for a few weeks and then went back to laying only 2-3 eggs a week until she also died of unnatural causes at the paws of a fox. Still too traumatised to get any more chooks yet. melx
Hey Bungalowgirl, this hen hasn't been laying for a while, but she is almost four years old now and has been laying on and off since the end of winter.
I will most definitely give them some shell grit. I am steeling myself to get out there and try to massage the gunk out. Have syringe ready.
And sorry about your fox taken chicken. It's very upsetting when we lose an animal under our care.
I am lucky I have a vet around the corner, who are good with chickens....I would take it to the vet Ali, and if it is an obstruction they may be able to get it out for you....only downside is the cost, yesterday our guinea pig got its nails cut for $35.00!!!!!!!!!! yikes....so check out the cost first...for that price he could have got a set of acrylic claws...
Good luck with your crook chookie......
Hi Ali,
I have been told that there is a vet that will see Chickens for free, you just pay for any medicine. I had issues with my chickens and I was told to take them to Koala Park Veterinary Surgery in Victoria Point. Is that close to you? I didn't end up needing to take my chickens there because they got better. But hopefully that helps.
Good luck, I hope she gets better.
Good luck.
How is she doing Ali? Sick chooks only show obvious signs when they're quite unwell :( Really hope she recovers. Hugs x
Hi Ali, How are things going? Yes chickens should have shell grit 100% of the time. They need the grit to grid up the food they eat. In terms of grass they should only eat grass they should pecked themselves. Because they have no teeth long strands of grass can get stuck. You would be better growing some grass, or other plants they like, in pots if they do not have access to lawn. You could get some seeds for Clucker Tucker from Green Harvest they based at Maleny http://www.greenharvest.com.au/seeds/poultry_forage.html In terms of holding a chickens head down this helps them relax and get kind of sleepy. then you can massage their crop. You have to do it a few times over the day, but if after a day there is no improvement go to a vet. Let us know how you get on.
Everytime I read this I read CHILDREN, not chicken, I get myself so confused. Anyway I hope she is better soon.
Oh, poor chickie and poor Ali. I can hear your sense of helplessness. I don't have anymore to add, but do let us know how it is going.
How is she Ali?
We all missed you today.
Email me your address as I've got something little to send your way... x
Ali - good advice re the shell grit. Hope the outcome is good. cheers Wendy
I'm really sorry to hear your girl is sick, Ali. I hope she recovers. I'm pretty squeamish too, and was really upset the last time one of ours was unwell (she recovered, thankfully). All the best...
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