How much grit?

chrismahon

chrismahon

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Our pet cock Bottom has been ill since we got here. Started with the moult in the UK. Then he was upset with all the furniture moving and the fox problem stopping him free ranging with his girls. Another ILT flareup when he got here led to an infection which took a long time to get under control. He stopped eating and his weight dropped from 5Kg to just bone and feathers. He hates his new environment and just can't shake himself out of his downward spiral. Letting him out with the hens results in him 'crying' to go back in -he has no interest at all in other chickens. He has picked up slightly, but is still only 20% of his former self.

We've been feeding him for two months and increasing his protein with sunflower hearts. At the moment he wants to sleep under his old kitchen table but its too cold and damp. By the fire there is a terrible draught but we are dealing with that.

The only time he shows any interest in life is when he has a cuddle and when we feed him grit. Put him outside (10 minutes maximum as any more exhausts him) and all he does is dig for grit. Inside he won't eat until I shake the grit tub and he comes alive. Put grit in his feed and he will put all his effort into finding it. Although he is getting plenty to eat and his poos look fine his weight isn't increasing. He just wants more grit. He won't eat whole pellets, just dust.

Exactly how much grit should he have? How much by weight -ad lib may be the end of him as we had another Buff Orpington 'addicted to grit'. Is there a known weight of grit per Kg of feed or do we just have to 'go for it'?
 
If he has filled up on grit I would imagine he doesn't 'need' any more but is addicted to it, as you say. Normal hens don't eat much grit, do they, at least when confined to their run my girls' grit doesn't go down appreciably and if he isn't eating a lot of hard grain he has no need to grind it up, only to take enough water to make the pellets/dust into digestible food. I'm sure you've tried all sorts of warm damp mash, and it sounds as if you've been adding bits of grit for him to find - does he pick these out and leave the rest?
What are his droppings like? Is the grit apparently staying in his gizzard or are there signs its going straight through? Maybe you might try putting some poo in a jamjar with some water, shaking it up to dissolve most of it, straining it and finding out if there is any grit in the residue? It really depends on whether its accumulating in his gizzard, as to how harmful it may be.
Poor old Bottom, he does sound in a bad way. Anglophile through and through!

Just had a thought - could he be seeking some sort of mineral which is either coating the grit or contained within it? Have you tried any mineral tonics or supplements?
 
Mineral tonics and supplements don't exist here Marigold. He's not allowed enough grit to fill up with it yet. No signs of grit in his poos, but I haven't washed them out -good idea (sorry if anyone has been sick in their dinner, welcome to poultry keeping). He picks the grit out and leaves the food. We grind it up for him so it's fine as he won't eat the big pieces (and it's Smallholder so the pellets are small anyway). Getting rather desperate now -my knowledge is exhausted. We fed him on 'Botties balls' -growers pellets soaked and rolled into balls. They get fed into his throat. Plus plenty of water by syringe.
 
Just over 5 Marigold. The hens he had when he was a chick are still going -apart from fox casualties and mysteries. Accepting moulting was the root of the problem and everything else was too much for him. He has been spoilt rotten and we have just moved him behind a draught screen. Been preaching how chickens hate draughts and overlooked his sleeping position. Wood burners create a lot of draughts.
 
I'm wondering if this might be a kidney problem, what do you think? What are his poos like? Is there a good white part, ie urine, as normal? It sounds as if he's not drinking normally if you are syringing it in to him, so maybe he can't process waste products properly any more.
How was he on the long journey over to France? Did anything happen to particularly upset him, or could he have got very hot and under -hydrated, thus putting strain on his kidneys, possibly?
Just brainstorming possibilities.....
 
Under the present feeding regime his poos are text book perfect. He just doesn't want to eat or drink on his own. He has settled nicely with the new draught proofing arrangement around his bed tonight. Would you believe it but in the local Aldi they were selling 'cat cradles'. Basically a fleece over a hefty wire frame which you hang over the top of your domestic water filled radiator. The cats jump up and sleep on the hammock hanging off the radiator. Rosie spotted it and the fleece is on the floor for insulation under Botties bed and the frame has been 'altered' to create a draught screen with a towel over it.

He certainly didn't get too hot in transit -he had the best spot under the fan of course!

Really appreciate your input Marigold.
 
He's certainly a very lucky boy, to be cared for so well. I read in the paper today that Mrs Thatcher has now moved into The Ritz instead of her Belgravia home. Probably looking for the same sort of comforts that you provide in your kitchen, Chris.
 
So sorry to hear this Chris,He may take the move very badly and He still uder the stress maybe.It may sound mad but if he do not wanna go outside maybe you should bring one of his hens to keep him company and just start on try to encourage him to eat with her.I think they need some competition between them for food when one eats the other wanna join too.Whenever I bring home a lone chicken and try to give them some extra food they not eating as much as if they would be with the flock.
Is your homeopatic doctor can sugest anything for him for apetite.
And assuming there is no vet whery you live at the moment.
 
Thanks Tygrysek. We have a very nice vet but to be honest would she know more about chickens than this forum does? They don't look after their chickens here like we do in the UK. The vet had never treated scaly leg mite and didn't stock Benzol Benzoate (Benzoate de Benzol here). She wrote a prescription for us to take to the chemist to get the human version which treats scabies.

Good point about the peer pressure from one of his hens. We have thought about it and perhaps we will have to bring Victoria in and stand by with the mop and bucket.
 
Strange turn today. Botty got up fine and went rapidly downhill -wouldn't even eat grit. His crop was very mushy but no bad breath. His poos were part slime and we decided it was an early onset of sour crop. The main forum pages were too brief on the subject so a scan on the internet found a very informative page. Apparently caught early a good flush with water will do. Bit later needs Baytril and still later also anti-fungals. So we started the water and crop massaging immediately -no food. Transformation has been astounding. He is moving a lot more and now even lifts his feet and curls his toes when he walks -hasn't done that for years! So no food until tomorrow morning. Perhaps he'll wake up starving and start eating again. Perhaps he'll start doodling and knock himself back. Still, his enclosure is nearly complete so he'll be able to wander. If he still won't eat we'll take Tygrysek's suggestion and bring in Victoria to keep him company for a while.
 
I've put it in Bookmarks (on this Mac) Marigold, but I don't know how to get it onto the forum. I need to add your item on Legbars as well.
 
Still don't know how to attach the link Marigold, but it was on www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/answers etc. It's a section from a poultry vet explaining in detail. I looked at other sites and forum posts as well.
 
Looks an interesting site Chris. Easy to find the information - just entered "sour crop" in the site's search box.
 
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