Heart Diseas

[Anonymous]

In a previous post I mentioned Chicky Chicken,our ex-batt that compared to my other's is not as active.I describe her as a thinker,she seems to think about something before doing it.Is also the last one to get up,she enjoys a lie in,and just isn't quite as active.
Her comb is also a darker colour,not a blue colour but more of a deep purple,although some days it does appear more red than purple.Flicking through a poultry book last night I spotted a paragraph that suggested this could be a sign of heart disease.Anyone else experienced this with a chook? Anything I can do to make her life a bit easier?

 

[Anonymous]

Ive had a few chickens that were quieter than the others, with darker combes and they didnt life as long i would find them died in the morning with blueish combes, i didnt give them anything, {dont know if you can}

 

[Anonymous]

hi ameeyl, sorry that you've had some that sound the same,and then died.I didn't think there would be anything you can give them,if there was I think the book would have mentioned it .
I do appreciate your answer though.I will just have to wait and see.

 

[Anonymous]

I have one a rhodey that spends alot of time sitting still or laying down she doesn't even perch on the roost with the others at night just lays down on the hay ( i have to expain my shed is converted from a goat shed many moons ago, so has a hay basket running along one wall they decided to roost on the egde and nest inside it so it's filled with hay and they make lovely little nest in it to lay)also it's feet are always frezzing and it whistle when it breaths. i have always thought it has a heart problem i'm just seeing what happens it's not bottom of the pecking order so it can't be that poorly.

 

[Tim]

Sounds more like a respiratory problem if you can hear it breathing like that Kat.

Mycoplasma Gallisepticum is a common problem in chooks and can vary a great deal from nothing to very severe. You can often hear 'bubbling' if the ccken has been caught and is breathing heavily, I call it darth vader breathing as it can sound like this in the coop at night.

Heart failure can be common in larger chickens - They do quite litterally drop dead with little or no warning. I've lost a few large show strain Opington cockerels this way. I'm trying to think of the name for the heart disease they can get but I'm not sure if this causes lethargy. There are so many internal problems that could cause chickens to be lethargic, that's the problem.

 

[Anonymous]

Chicky Chicken died yesterday evening at 10.20pm.
She didn't appear to eat anything on sunday,only drink and wasn't termpted to eat anything I offered.On monday she spent the morning resting in the pop hole entrance to the hen house, watching the world go by and dozing.she eventually got up at 12.10 midday for a drink.I brought her into the house and shut her in one of my dog cages, with shavings,water and tried to persuade her to eat.She refused everything,still drinking water.
On tuesday I tried giving her some poultry nutri drops manufactured by nettex.She was definitely brighter afterwards,but still wouldn't eat.She did manage to keep awake for longer periods though,and,watched me watching her.She stayed more alert than she had been on monday,so I started to hope that maybe she would eat something.She was never hunched or miserable looking,and after a brief sleep in the evening died.
I've nursed plenty of people over the years that rally before the end,giving false hope to their families or loved ones.Didn't realise a chook might do the same.

 

[Tim]

Oh I'm sorry Lydia. I know how much you cared for her.

 

[girlracer265]

so sorry lydia

 

[snifter]

Sorry to hear Lydia.

Sounds like she was not right for a while. In all honesty ex batts are often so worn out from their former lives they don't last long once rehomed. But you can take comfort that her time with you was good and she was able to roam free and so on.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks Tim and Snifter,I don't think she was ever quite right from the day I picked her up,as she was most un chicken like.I agree with you Snifter,I think laying 2 eggs a day whilst being commercial does wear them out.I just miss her following me around and roosting on the sofa ,although I'm not missing her visiting cards........... .Also,I do believe she is better off,and hope she didn't find living here too stressfull .