PLEASE HELP

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amber66
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PLEASE HELP

Post by amber66 »

Hello.
Please can you help me. As you know i got 2 new hens 2 weeks ago and was worried that Sophie was not eating. I picked her up tonight to put her in the coop and she is just skin and bone.
I have put 3 bowls of layers pellets in different areas.
I have also spread corn and sunflower hearts around the floor of the run. In the coop i have put corn, meal worms and pellets.
I have tried her on sardines, egg and tuna but she will not touch them.
I did see her picking some corn off the floor and take a few pellets but she is very subdued and i am worried with the cold weather she will not survive if she won't eat.
Should i bring her in the house and try and feed her here? She is so shy i don't think she will.
I am sitting here welling up as i am soo worried about her, Please help.
Amber.

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KarenE
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by KarenE »

Hi Amber

How does she appear, health wise? What are her poos like?

Perhaps try her with mash, she may be more used to it? If you've had her for 2 weeks she must be eating something, although maybe not enough. is she drinking too? She may be eating more than you know - have you checked her crop at night?

If you think her health is basically sound, try her on some scrambled egg and tomato juice. If you need to, you may have to feed her yourself although with such a shy girl that will be the last thing you want.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
amber66
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by amber66 »

Hello Karen.
She seems quiet and stands hunched up and then her tail is up and she looks like she is pecking something off the floor but very half- heartedly. I haven't got any mash but i have added water to the pellets to soften them.
Do you think i should syringe some egg down her beak tomorrow. I am petrified she won't survive and will starve to death.
I feel so helpless and just don't know what to do.
Amber.
amber66
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by amber66 »

Just to add.
When she arrived her poo's were normal, i think they are ok.
She is drinking but her crop felt empty when i put her in the coop tonight.
Amber.
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KarenE
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by KarenE »

Hi Amber

You could crush or grind up some pellets to make mash, or as you have done add water to make a porridge. Also present her with some runny egg but see if she'll eat it herself before you syringe. You'll need to be careful if you syringe, to make sure it doesn't go into her lungs.

Perhaps get her to the vet for a check up? At least you'll find out if there's anything going on, and if not your mind will be at rest.

Is she being bullied? How old is she, and is she laying? Does she seem hotter than usual, and how does she feel underneath?
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
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sandy
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by sandy »

Aw Amber, first of all a very big {hug} to you. I cannot add anything to what Karen has said except to say has she got little flakes on her skin? I say this as Maureen who had moulted then stopped then became very thin and would'nt eat doing the pecking at the floor routine. My vet said she was in mid moult and sure enough she is now moulting again heavily. I gave her anything she wanted bread,egg,treats and tuna which she ate along with fishy cat food. Syringing egg yolk or sugar water into her may be a good idea if you can. Maureen has some vitamins from the vets to give her a boost. Whatever the problem is I hope it can be sorted Amber. Lots of >fi< on a recovery for little Sophie. Trust me you are doing your absolute best for her {hug&kiss}
Thinking of you
Sandy
xxx
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
amber66
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by amber66 »

Hello Karen.
I was told she was 24 weeks old when i picked her up. She was in a pen with others of the same breed and they were all supposed to be the same age, they had larger red combs but hers are really small and grey in colour. She is not laying yet and she is being bullied a bit by Molly and Lily, just the odd peck now if she gets in the way. No blood has been drawn. She is at the bottom of the pecking order i think.
I don't think she feels hot and i can't feel anything underneath.
Could it be that as she is young moving her has made her fret and that is why she won't eat?
I feel awful that it could be my fault and am, in one way dreading the morning in case she has died over night and on the other hand i want to try and get her to eat asap and would go and get her now if i think that would help.
Thank you so much for replying as i feel out of my depth and really upset.
Amber.
amber66
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by amber66 »

Hello Sandy.
I will have a look at her tomorrow to see if she has something on her skin.
Thank you .
Amber.
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sandy
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by sandy »

Please do not feel awlful, You are doing exactly what any of us would do , our very best. Anything could be wrong with her , none of us our trained experts so please stop beating yourself up. All I can add is if she wont eat tomorrow can you get her to the vets? Easy to say but please try and relax tonight {hug&kiss}
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
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kitla
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by kitla »

Poor thing, I dont think it would just be the bullying that would stop her eating, I think she'd find a way to get some, being poorly can make the others bully them though. Moulting can make them poorly but she's a bit young to go into a really big moult, that's usually the second year. She's the right age to start laying, I wonder if she's having some problems there, does she ever sit in the nestbox? & have you checked her vent is looking ok? I think her tail would be down if it was that though. The other thing is has she been wormed? a large worm infestation can make them very thin and ill (or worse), you could try a little flub on a bit of grape of something & see if any come out in her poop. (this happened to my sisters hen not long after she got her)
If all else fails best to get a vet to look at her.
>fi< to her
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
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KathJ
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by KathJ »

Hello Amber, I've just caught up with this post. How's your little girl today? They do worry us don't they {hug}
Kath xx

Mum to my beautiful girls Lucy, Holly, Rosie, Hettie, Polly, Ruby, Lily, Penny, Gracie, Maisie, Molly, Evie and my gorgeous boy Toby

RIP my beautiful Ranger, Roxy, Bluebelle, Poppy, Speckle, Daisy and Honey xxxx
amber66
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by amber66 »

Hello.
Thank you for asking after Sophie.
I made some porridge with pellets and water and crumbled it up when it was cool.
I shut Molly and Lily out of the run for most of the morning so they would not pick on her.
Sophie did start eating the porridge and was pecking at the extra corn i put in the run, but i don't think she ate a lot of it.
I also put down peas, sweetcorn, runny egg and sardines in tomato sauce, she turned her beak up to all of them but gave a little peck at a pea but did not eat it.
I let them all free range in the garden for a couple of hour this afternoon and she seemed to be pecking things off of the ground.
I hope she keeps it up and will do the same tomorrow.
I feel such an idiot for worrying about her!
Amber.
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KarenE
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by KarenE »

You're not an idiot for worrying about her at all! Quite the opposite, it shows you care {hug}

She does seem a bit young for a moult, but it may be her development is a bit slower compared to the others, given what you say about her comb. Has she shown any sign she of wanting to lay?

I'd keep with the mash as you are doing. Maybe put some vitamins or poultry spice in her water, and add some sugar to it just for an extra boost. It may be that she's taking a bit longer to settle in. If you are still worried about her, a check up from the vet might put your mind at rest.

Kitty makes a good point about worming, but she'd need to be eating for that to work. Have you tried her on grapes or sweet Corn?
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
amber66
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by amber66 »

Hello Karen.
I have tried both grapes and sweetcorn but she won't touch them.
This morning i put some Fruit and F*bre out for them as it had gone a bit soft and she tucked into that no problem. I think she may be used to mash so will try and get some today.
She is eating a little of the wet pellets i have made so hopefully at least she is getting something in side her.
They are all out free ranging again this morning and i think she is a bit happier. Unfortunately we are looking after my son's dog over the weekend so they will be shut in the run again. I don't think she would hurt them (she is a Lab) but i am not taking the risk, i know my 2 love them, also Labs but i don't want them scared at the moment.
Amber.
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Mo
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Re: PLEASE HELP

Post by Mo »

Mash is just pellets in powder form, so crush/ mince / or grind them.
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