# I cant win



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

One of my RSL is not well . She was fine when i left for work this morning. I come home and my fiancé tells me she is hanging in the garden not moving and the other hens are taking turn sitting with her...


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Maryellen, more info please. Age? Has she been laying? Is she molting? 

Have you picked her up and given her a good going over looking for anything that isn't quite right?

Here's how I handle one that I have questions about. First I stand back and observe, sometimes it might take an entire day to decide that something is indeed wrong. Then I pick the bird up, I check eyes. Are they fully open and bright? I check the beak and ears, are they clean with no drainage. At the same time I'm more or less looking for signs of mites. Then I move down the body, with gentle pressure looking for tender areas or lumps that shouldn't be there. Check wings, check the legs for swelling or heat. Look at the feet for any signs of injury.

Chickens are as bad as little boys for finding things to get in to trouble with.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Sorry . I forgot to give more info.. She is bunched up like a fluff ball but walking slow. She dust bathed as she has dust/dirt on her feathers. Her eyes are open, she is not walking around much i was able to check for parasites nothing seen. They are all molting again . She laid a normal brown egg this morning and was fine she ran around when i opened their pen door and acted normal. Her vent is clean and not swollen or irritated.









I took this pic of her poop right after she pooped to make sure its hers. Last night they got a small amount of Brussel sprouts , carrots,peas and corn , green beans all steamed and mushed..


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I dusted them all for mites last week as the sparrows are in the gardens and yard where they roam


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Legs beak ears and eyes are fine no marks or swelling. Wings ok too


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She was a year old April 6th and laying faithfully even this morning


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I would lay off on the veggies for a bit. Her dropping says she's been drinking a ton. 

I forgot to mention the crop. Is there food in it, is it soft? Squishy and hard? Normal size?

The ruffled appearance very often means a higher than normal temp. Try putting a 325 mg aspirin in a gallon of water. She may be a candidate for a broad spectrum antibiotic.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She just laid this egg on the dirt










I'll put an aspirin in their water again for her( and Priscilla's limp cleared up too i put the 325 mg aspirin in the water and it helped her)

Every time i pick her up she gets mad and flaps away so I'm leaving her be for now. Last night was the first time they got veggies in two months so I'll stop giving them.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Her eggs are normally dark brown and this one has a defect in the center the shell isnt 100%


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She isnt eating at all just alternating between standing and walking around the yard


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Her normal egg is first on left normally


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

And she never lays this late her and her two sisters always lay between 6 am and noon


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I have trimethoprim and metoclopramide , vet rx poultry drench in stock here plus prednisone.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

None of those things will help her should she need more than aspirin. She might need something like tetracycline. 

Did you check her crop?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Two eggs today? Didn't you say she laid one this morning?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'll have to look it up but its something like 25 hours from start to finish on an egg. So, they should be laying later and later every day. With some days being surprised by there being two eggs.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Yes she laid today i got three eggs from RSL today . Each one laid egg


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

To get tetracycline i need a vet visit and i am strapped for cash .


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She are some dried mealworms


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That might be fauvus on the comb. It can be treated with athlete's foot cream.

Unless your state is different you should be able to get it at the feed store or co-op. If you need it.

Just in case you haven't heard yet, I don't jump to antibiotics first thing. Its a dangerous proposition using them inappropriately. 

Did you check her crop?


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)




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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

What is fauvis? Ok tsc shoukd carry it? Crop feels full not really mushy and not rock hard


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

A fungus? How did this happen? I clean the coop every night. Wth


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Even my vet said my hens are all healthy how did she get this fungus????


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Just like my King and his leg mites, some chickens are just susceptible. Just like us humans. Its really no big deal. It might not even be that because I'm going by a pic but usually when you see white like that spread around the comb then that's what it is.

Yes, if your state allows it, TSC should have the tetracycline. Its in the med supplies for cattle/horses/goats. I'm not a huge fan of it because its been so over used that it may no longer be effective against anything. But its pretty easy to get.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I looked at the other two RSL and they both have it too.. I put the fungal spray on it( used a tissue so i didnt get their eyes or nose sprayed)

I'll go to tsc tomorrow and get the other stuff


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

One of the other RSL has it worse on her comb on one side . They always sleep outside on the top roost at first i thought it was frostbite but now i know it isnt. I'm getting cotton balls tomorrow too to put it on better tissues dont cut it


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You can just use your fingers. That way it gets rubbed in better. If you don't want to touch it just put on a pair of exam gloves.

Frost bite is black, not white. I've been thinking a bit about this, some where in the back of my brain I seem to remember that injury can create a good environment to develop. Been a while since I read up on it. Silkies just don't seem to be prone to it.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I thought frostbite was black too. 
Last night she slept on the top roost with the others and this morning she was ok, walking around . My fiancé is getting the tetracycline and athletes foot creme this morning for me. 
The combs all look a bit better since i put the spray on last night. 
I got a tetra egg this morning but no RSL eggs but one RSL was in the nesting box . I found a remanent of a soft shell in the dirt this morning under the top roost but dont know who it came from as all the hens were off the roost already so i dont know who sat where


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It might be time to try establish who is laying and who isn't. You can put a couple of drops of food coloring in the vent, that will transfer to any eggs laid for the next few days. I suspect your girl who isn't feeling well is having laying problems. The fact she now appears normal and you found a soft shelled egg kind of lends itself to that being the issue. 

Do they have a separate dish of calcium? 

Is there any molting going on? Look for quills scattered around the neck/head area.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

They are all now molting . I have feathers all over my yard. They have a separate container of oyster bits too. 
She still isnt 100% normal she is still off but much better then last night once she layed that egg.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I'll put the food dye in each of them i have four colors plus Wilson icing gel coloring too so i can have the rainbow effect lol


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The molt could be why she's struggling. Hopefully, she'll stop the egg production as the molt progresses. 

If this keeps up you can supplement with calci boost for goats plus a D3 vitamin to try and up her calcium absorption. 

Just store the antibiotics for now. I don't think she's internally laying but if she does end up going that way the antibiotics can knock back infection for a time.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

And her and her two sisters flew over the fence to the field... My fiancé was just talking to me on my work phone and he looked outside to see all three fly over the fence.... So I'm guessing she is feeling much better...


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She and her two sisters laid all winter, they haven't stopped since they started laying.. Them and the tetras laid every day.. They need a break thats for sure...


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That pretty much proves that the soft shelled egg is what was making her so miserable. Since she's laid three in less than 24 hrs it sounds like something slowed down the passage of the eggs. She might benefit from the extra calcium and D. 

The calcium doesn't only go in to egg shell production, it also lends strength to the muscles to push the egg along. The D ups the absorption of the calcium.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Tsc has oxi tetracycline


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I'm afraid of the oyster shells as chipmunk died from gorging on oyster shells in her gizzard


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I dont know if she laid the soft one though


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You need to stop being afraid. Chipmunk had an issue that was more than likely completely unrelated to the oyster shell. The girls need it or you're liable to start seeing problems with their eggs. You have to be able to do what is best for them.

I've got girls out there that are ancient by chicken years, they have spent their entire lives never seeing layer feed but having oyster shell available to them in a separate dish. 

I had one that had problems creating solid shell eggs. I would dose her with calci boost for a few days until she would begin to lay normal eggs. Its something she had issues with all the time I had her. 

Her behavior from the day before and her behavior today is classic for having a problem with an egg.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I know i should stop being afraid. Losing two that close in time really bothered me . Just slap me now lol... I'll keep up the oyster pebble pieces for them and keep them on the nutrena layer feed. I got rid of the local feed


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She is still doing good eating and foraging with the flock.it looks like everyone is molting again i checked for parasites and found nothing


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Her problem did not sound like a parasite problem. 

At least you're home now and can see for yourself that she'd doing better.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She laid an egg this morning, but not brown its more light


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Her egg this morning on the left , on the right her sisters egg from yesterday so there is still something going on. The oyster shell is back in the coop since yesterday. 
She is eating again and acting more normal but the light egg shows something is still not quite right. The egg is much lighter then the picture shows


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Some where here on the forum someone explained why colored eggs lighten up. It does have something to do with getting close to molting and if I remember right, once the molt is over the eggs return to the more intense color.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I read that too somewhere also , she is def molting ( they all are ) I'm keeping her eggs separate so i can see what is going on


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Hers are the only ones lightening up so far. I have to use the food dye too


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

And we are back to normal eggs for her


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

She definitely had something happen for that day. And it was probably egg related. She might need the extra calcium.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She laid an egg the next day light color then the following day regular brown, i have the oyster shells back in the coop area. They are all molting too, i have feathers everywhere . I'm keeping an eye on her too


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## myhppyndng5221 (Apr 4, 2015)

Go to your local TSC and pick up a bag of feather fixer by Nutrina. It works wonders for molting chickens! Feathers grow back so much quicker and the molting period is shortened! Our chickens go on it from May- August because of the number of rosters we have it helps keep the hens looking lively and not have bare backs. I will be happy in a week when TSC carries the 40lb bag instead of the 7lb bags!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I got the feather fixer and ground it up and they love it. 
I swear the birds i got from tsc are not as healthy as my neighbors who ordered hers from some hatchery. She never has health issues with hers and she has 25 hens ...


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

TSC got theirs from some hatchery also. It might be a different one from the neighbor which would back up your suspicions.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I have to ask her when i see her again, she doesn't put oyster shells out, and her hens eggs are pretty much perfect( i buy from her as the girls at my work order 10 doz at a time and her 25 hens can do that faster then my 12 lol) she feeds purina layer pellets. Her hens are all twice the size of my tsc hens too..


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## myhppyndng5221 (Apr 4, 2015)

All my chickens have come from TSC and I have never had any health issues with them, however they get from different hatcheries for different locations. Ours never get oyster shells or grit and I have never had a problem on Nutrina feed.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

My one bantam EE is i think having the same issue that my RSL had. This morning she was fine i come home from work she is acting like the RSL was. But hanging with the others. She is now in a nesting box all puffed up . Its10:47pm.. I gave her a small dose of Reglan to see if it would help as it helped the RSL lay the egg . I hope it helps. Il check on her in the morning i added hay to the nesting boxes as its going down to50 here and its windy out so i want extra insulation in the nesting boxes( they are all insulated anyway along with coop) since she is in the one box and not on the roost with her sister i want her to stay warm. I hope she will be ok and safely pass what is stuck


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I knew one of them was off as i only got one bantam blue egg every day instead of two these past few days but couldn't figure out which one it was as they lay while i am at work. Now i know


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She is still alive. My fiancé moved her out of the nesting box and put her at the water and she drank and is now walking around with the others. I told him to give her some more Reglan as i gave her some last night.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Reglan really has no impact on this issue. Its more of GI type of drug.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I know, i figured i would try it i only gave her a drop, she seemed better this morning but not 100%. She is one i got from a couple a few hours away( chipmunk the one who died from the stones in her gizzard came with this one, two bantam silkies, a black hen with a comb, and another bantam EE)


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She is doing ok. Molting also. I got the feather fixer and gave them some after i grinded it to crumble as they dont eat pellets. Tonight I'll grind up the rest of the bag and put more out


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## myhppyndng5221 (Apr 4, 2015)

Hopefully that works great for you I've had great experiences with it. We always fed it in place of normal feed, but never had to grind it up since ours go back and forth between pellets and crumbles constantly, whatever is in stock is what they get lol


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

My hens are sooo picky they wont eat pellets , so i have to smash the pellets up for this.. 
It looks like it shoukd work


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## myhppyndng5221 (Apr 4, 2015)

Ours eat sweet feed to on occasion the ducks go nuts for it, so the pellets is common on our farm but I hope it works out for you. I haven't heard anything bad about it yet so hopefully you have a good experience. Our poultry refuses to eat dry mealworms. They look at you like you are nuts and since they are not moving what good are they. Which is fine with me not spending money for them lol!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Mine eat anything but pellets lol.. They are strange .. The feather fixer is small pellets so i ground up half and put half pellet half crumble in the feeders


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## myhppyndng5221 (Apr 4, 2015)

Lol that would make me so irritated. I buy feed in bulk so I get crumbles and pellets whatever they have more of lol since I work at a Tsc I feel bad when I wipe out stock of one vs the other so I try to leave some but the chickens still need fed!


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