I don't know what to do... Honey, ex batt of 3 weeks isn't eating. Her crop yesterday was quite empty and today it is as if it is full of water. She is totally off her food. Tried rubbing mash and fishy cat food on her beak to encourage her.. I've got sugary water for her but she doesn't seem interested in that either. Her breath doesn't appear to smell.. I've separated her so I can monitor what she eats but she is just standing around looking very sorry for herself.
Is it squishy Jane? you say it doesn't smell, but maybe it hasn't had time to fester, they are such a worry, have you tried tipping her, not sure how to do it but some have been successful with this, also if anything to do with the crop maggots will give protein and eat any muck
It just feels like water that does move when I press it. Thought of sour crop but as she hasn't eaten I wasn't sure. will get some maggots tomorrow but I don't get home from work until 4pm.
I've never tipped a chicken before, not sure how to do it. Would like to get it right first time as she not happy being handled...
If you can tip her to get any fluid out, that will be great
I've also heard somewhere on here that chopped tomatoes can also help with sour crop (if she'll eat them) as the acid helps to break down gunk. I'm sure I also read somewhere that someone syringed a tiny blob of daktarin (anti fungal) cream into their beak. I must admit, I'd be a bit worried about this and have no idea how much they used
Lucy x
Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut - Ernest Hemingway
I went through this worry a couple of weeks ago with ChaCha not nice is it ? Squishy didnt help for me but water balloon was the words that described it for me too. I did crop massage and the 1st evening force fed her chopped tomato - the only toms I had were tinned ones but I gave them a try anyway. She was still no different the next morning so I bought live maggots but again had to force feed them to her. I left her in the cat carry box in the quieet for about 3 hours and then gritted my teeth to try the tipping thing - like you Jane never seen it done so was unsure. All I can say is when I picked her up and upended her so she was face down to the floor absolutely nothing happened. I then turned her over onto her back and tipped her that way and whoosh piles of liquid shot out , I did this twice in quick succession and then popped her back into the cat box again and let her recover for an hour. She did brighten enough to go out with the others but still didnt eat. Next day I tried her with maggots - no didnt want them so had to force them down again, left her a couple of hours and tried tipping her but no liquid this time so I just put her with the rest and she gradually started to pick up . By the next morning she was bright and feeding again so in all it took 3 days to sort satifactorily. Dont know how right or wrong I was but thankfully she did get over it . (She didnt have smelly breath either but the liquid that came out when she was tipped was a very dark green and smelled really strongly of garden mint )
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end . Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
Interesting Annie that you tipped Chacha on her back because Honey seem to fight me as I was tipping her forward - what I mean is resisting to let her head go down, if I end up having to do it again tomorrow I'll try that way as it seems quicker to expel the fluid. She hasn't eaten since but suppose you do feel rubbish after being sick .
Feel so much more confident now.....and I got advise within minutes....brilliant.
I had this problem two or three weeks ago- the day before I was due to go away. Berthas crop was really big and squishy and she was also was off food and clearly not happy- I couldn't relax and go away without trying to sort it so i did the chicken tipping thing (also my first time- I had read about it on here) It was with great effect- a few goes and loads of gunk later her crop was almost back to normal, though I think it took it out of her a bit. I managed to get her to eat a load of maggotts and 'taught' my other half what to do as he was looking after chooks whilst I was away. Over the next few days he continued with the maggotts (just in case) but she was sooo much better the next day already -eating and drinking and generally perkier, and by the following day completely back to normal.
Karhog, so pleased that your lady pulled thro, I have realized that today is day 1 of Honeys recovery and it may take me 2-3 days before she is back to normal.
With your comments and Annies with the same experience, it really helps...and the swift response of help that I got from Steve and support from Perchy and Lucy was amazing, I felt from a lost lonely inadequate chicken keeper to one surrounded by support..
Fingers crossed for Honey over the next few days, I hope she makes it as she has only been out of the cages for 3 weeks, I had hoped to provide her with a longer retirement..
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, poor girl ... she is not impressed with me!
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