Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[BDutch]

but is the starter feed medicated?

I believe the medicated feed is not allowed in the EU.

Im worried about your sick chickens Manue. I had a heritage breed chicken (naine de Tournaisis) who had a big belly one day after laying eggs without shell on and off. I was way too late to help her when I noticed her belly was swollen.

I now now that giving extra calcium might have helped. Helping a chicken with ascites is very complicated and even for a specialised vet not successful most of the time. Don't read the spoiler if you look for good news for Canelle.

From the Dutch rescue laying hens site

Spoiler: Big belly

Big belly

If your chicken suddenly has a palpably large and large belly, something serious has gone wrong with her egg laying device and there are most likely rotting eggs in her abdomen, tumors or other inflammations. There may also be peritonitis.

She also eats well and if she is still quiek then you can consider having her operated on by a bird veterinarian. She then removes the often rotting eggs from her belly and part of the fallopian tube, so she probably never lays eggs again. As a result, she can live for a long time if all goes well. Unfortunately, we also have the experience that half of the chickens did not survive such an operation. So that's a trade-off you have to make. If she doesn't seem to have much trouble, you can also choose to let her wander around with a big belly as long as she's still having a good time. If she is already clearly quite sick because of the big belly, then unfortunately our experience is that surgery rarely helps. It is then best not to let the chicken suffer for too long.

If you notice that your chicken has problems with laying eggs but she is not yet seriously ill and she does not yet have a very big belly, then you can consider having a Suprelorin implant inserted by the vet. As a result, she no longer lays eggs for a while (the implant is estimated to works 2 to 4 months) and can relax from the inside. If she gets problems again after that, you will be able to give her an implant again. Unfortunately, implants are on the pricey side.

 

[lightm]

@ManueB yes Meimei has been back with the flock. She was only in the house for a little while in the morning.

Poor Cannelle

 

[ManueB]

Things I wonder
... if she has been eating grit? That or her gizzard muscle isn't working.
Edited

Yes actually. Most of my chickens never touch the grit, probably because it's very rocky and chalky here. But I did see Blanche pecking at it a bit these last weeks.

Eve has just the one too, and hers is about as long as my thumb and really sharp! I've never seen her use it in anger though; she is fully proficient with her beak for that purpose

Edie has a spur round on one leg, and nothing on her other leg. Mary has two enormous and sharp spurs, really impressive! They should do a hens with spurs photo competition.

Good to know ! I know hens can have spurs, but I hadn't realised having just one was a possibility. Laure is not so strange after all ! I'm curious to see if it will grow like Eve's.

I don't think I've seen a chicken with her head so pulled in as Cannelle in the video; where does she hide her neck?!?

She is very hunched up, but I think it looks like this because she has grown so much fluff around her neck. She is still molting in that zone actually. But it's not paralyzed, she can move her neck quite well when she eats, I suppose it is just a pain posture.

I believe the medicated feed is not allowed in the EU.

It is, but is not easily accessible in France. The brand versele-laga which you probably have in the Netherlands sells one .
I give all my chickens access to starter mash so I buy non medicated.

Im worried about your sick chickens Manue. I had a heritage breed chicken (naine de Tournaisis) who had a big belly one day after laying eggs without shell on and off. I was way too late to help her when I noticed her belly was swollen.

I now now that giving extra calcium might have helped. Helping a chicken with ascites is very complicated and even for a specialised vet not successful most of the time. Don't read the spoiler if you look for good news for Canelle.

From the Dutch rescue laying hens site

Spoiler: Big belly

Big belly

If your chicken suddenly has a palpably large and large belly, something serious has gone wrong with her egg laying device and there are most likely rotting eggs in her abdomen, tumors or other inflammations. There may also be peritonitis.

She also eats well and if she is still quiek then you can consider having her operated on by a bird veterinarian. She then removes the often rotting eggs from her belly and part of the fallopian tube, so she probably never lays eggs again. As a result, she can live for a long time if all goes well. Unfortunately, we also have the experience that half of the chickens did not survive such an operation. So that's a trade-off you have to make. If she doesn't seem to have much trouble, you can also choose to let her wander around with a big belly as long as she's still having a good time. If she is already clearly quite sick because of the big belly, then unfortunately our experience is that surgery rarely helps. It is then best not to let the chicken suffer for too long.

If you notice that your chicken has problems with laying eggs but she is not yet seriously ill and she does not yet have a very big belly, then you can consider having a Suprelorin implant inserted by the vet. As a result, she no longer lays eggs for a while (the implant is estimated to works 2 to 4 months) and can relax from the inside. If she gets problems again after that, you will be able to give her an implant again. Unfortunately, implants are on the pricey side.

I know that no chicken heals from ascites but some survive for several months, even sometimes a year.
I did think about draining her for pain relief, either myself or taking her to the vet. In the condition she is in, I'm too afraid it would kill her.

Right now, her comb isn't black anymore, she is eating just a bit more, and she is enjoying her mornings and evenings although she is obviously in pain.
And we talked with my partner what a difference the weather makes for a very sick chicken. It's very nice for her dozing outside now. Up to now my chickens have died when it was really hot, and there was no way to protect them from the heat and flies without isolating them completely from the flock.

All my chickens are supplemented with calcium and minerals since the vet prescribed it for Kara. The supplement is in the pot waterers, and the nipple waterers have plain water for the chickens who dont want the minerals.

******
I have a question about hatching eggs, in case any of you know the answer. Annette lays eggs with a shell that is like sand paper on top. While the rest of it is strong, the top is, I suppose, slightly porous. Would that make her eggs unsuitable for hatching ? Several neighbours who have seen her have asked for eggs from her to hatch chicks.

Blanche is much better, today she followed the other chickens on the bottom of the chicken yard which she has not done for a long time.

Nougat is doing good.

 

[Perris]

Annette lays eggs with a shell that is like sand paper on top

is that area a slightly different colour or exactly the same shade? If it's a little bit darker, I think it's a sign of mycoplasma infection, which sounds bad BUT

Would that make her eggs unsuitable for hatching ? Several neighbours who have seen her have asked for eggs from her to hatch chicks.

Polka's were like that before we went on holiday last year, and she started brooding in a flower pot with just one of her eggs beneath. Fez was the result, so it does not necessarily make them unsuitable for hatching! I think it's probably better to wait until she's no longer symptomatic though. I can quite understand neighbours wanting her eggs; she is beautiful.

 

[BDutch]

It is, but is not easily accessible in France. The brand versele-laga which you probably have in the Netherlands sells one .
I give all my chickens access to starter mash so I buy non medicated.

The brand is available, but not the medicated food.
I suspected coccidioses with the very first chicks I bought. So I went to the shop to buy medicated food for the second group chicks. The manager of the shop where they sell many different kind of chicken food told me its not allowed to sell medicated food anymore. This was in 2014.

Right now, her comb isn't black anymore, she is eating just a bit more, and she is enjoying her mornings and evenings although she is obviously in pain.

Nice to hear both sick chickens are a bit better today.

 

[Shadrach]

I was thinking to let her eat what she wants and hoping that progressively she's able to grind the grains again : any opinion about that ?

A weak gizzard can be strengthened through excercise; it's a muscle group.
I would try fermenting any grains you feed her and see if it makes any difference. Chickens need roughage in their diet. It's quite surprising what gets found in a free range chickens crop.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119429106

I would let her out to forage.

 

[ManueB]

is that area a slightly different colour or exactly the same shade? If it's a little bit darker, I think it's a sign of mycoplasma infection, which sounds bad BUT

Polka's were like that before we went on holiday last year, and she started brooding in a flower pot with just one of her eggs beneath. Fez was the result, so it does not necessarily make them unsuitable for hatching! I think it's probably better to wait until she's no longer symptomatic though. I can quite understand neighbours wanting her eggs; she is beautiful.

Very interesting ! And Fez certainly had the free-range chicken fairy scatter some pixie dust for luck in that pot.

Even if they could hatch, I wouldn't feel like it was a good idea to give my neighbours eggs from a hen that potentially carries mycoplasma.
Up to now, most of Annette's eggs have a gritty top the same colour as the shell, but every now and then, like today, there is one with a much darker spot on top.

Usual egg

Today

I have wondered before about mycoplasma in my flock when a few chickens showed respiratory symptoms last spring. Annette was sneezing often as a pullet, but that stopped completely several months ago. She has been having diarrhea for about two weeks now and that is unusual for her.

A weak gizzard can be strengthened through excercise; it's a muscle group.
I would try fermenting any grains you feed her and see if it makes any difference. Chickens need roughage in their diet. It's quite surprising what gets found in a free range chickens crop.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119429106

I would let her out to forage.

I did cut out the dry grains for two days, so Blanche had only fermented grains. Not sure if that did it or if it's because she is improving, but her poops don't have undigested grains anymore and they are much better. Not normal, but better than they have been for many months.
Since she lost her eye in the hawk attack on Christmas 2022 she has never really recovered, and most of the time she doesn't want to forage anymore. I think her impaired vision makes her afraid to go away from her usual hiding zones.
Now she has got her appetite back I will try to get her to put on some weight, she has lost too much and she has always been underweight even when she was eating like a pig.

These last two days most of the chickens have spent very little time out, we had a rainy day, then wind, and also three golden eagles coming for several close visits. Even the most hardcore foragers, Piou-piou and Annette, are afraid and have not gone out in the garden.

Cannelle has taken a turn for the worse, and I get the feeling that she is giving up. I hope to be surprised again, but I'm preparing myself that she could be gone very soon.

A few pics from the three days.

 

[Perris]

Annette's eggs have a gritty top the same colour as the shell, but every now and then, like today, there is one with a much darker spot on top.

that just looks like shell gland glitch to me. Not what I was thinking of as an indication of mycoplasma; I'll try to find a photo of what I associate it with. I imagine your neighbours are pretty experienced themselves, so you could try offering them with no compunction to take/buy, and leave it up to them whether they want to hatch from them or not...?

And Fez certainly had the free-range chicken fairy scatter some pixie dust for luck in that pot.

she did! what a lovely way to express it

 

[Perris]

further to the last, here's the photo I was thinking of: figure 4 on here
https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/poultry/diseases-of-farmyard-poultry/part-1-mycoplasmosis/

 

[lightm]

further to the last, here's the photo I was thinking of: figure 4 on here
https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/poultry/diseases-of-farmyard-poultry/part-1-mycoplasmosis/

Thanks for the link. I have birds laying eggs like that, but not really other symptoms of mycoplasma. Should I be worried?