Poorly pekin

[kellysalmon]

Hi this is my first post so be gentle with me
I have a 1 yr old pekin called peewee ( you will soon realise all 17 of them have names) and she see s to be going though a massive moult feathers everywhere but today she seems really tired all she wants to do is sleep and drink not interested in food she chest is clear and her eyes when she is awake is clear and no discharge do you think this is related to the moult
I have bought her inside with me would ask my vet but I'll be honest he hasn't a clue when it comes to chickens he asks me what i think is wrong with them and I what I think they need
She has been wormed last week and treated two weeks ago with Ivermectin

 

[kellysalmon]

Please please can someone give me any ideas on what is going on she seems to be getting worse I. Front of me

 

[Marigold]

Hi Kelly and welcome to the Forum. I'm sorry nobody answered you yesterday, I know how worrying it can be when you've got a poorly hen.
If Peewees eyes and chest are clear, that's good. Have you been able to identify what her poos are like? Are they green, or runny, or nothing coming out at all? Can she balance when she walks?
I'm only guessing here, having not seen Peewee, but I would think a heavy moult might well be pulling her down. Growing a new set of feathers takes a lot of energy and resources, and often it does make them just want to curl up in a corner, so to speak. As its the weekend, and you are not confident about your vets experience anyway, perhaps you just need to leave her in peace today, see that she continues to drink as this is more important than eating in the short term, don't handle her as when moulting the new feather shafts are very tender and moulting hens dislike being picked up unless really necessary, see how she gets on today and overnight. Maybe you could tempt her with a high- protein snack such as a nice warm mash made of soaked pellets plus mealworms and a few sunflower seeds, or cooked egg, either scrambled or boiled and chopped up? Protein will definitely help when moulting.
BTW, what did you use for worming, and why was it necessary to do this when she had already had Ivermectin?
Please let us know how she gets on.

 

[foxy]

A hens first moult can be a bit tricky although it is a natural process.

Check for red mite, if you had had an infestation in the last 2 months, then this actually can take sometime for recovery to take place ( up to 2 months) even though you have got rid of them, coupled with any broody spells which will have left her low and physically unprepared for a hard moult. Another consideration unfortunately a hard and sudden moult can uncover an underlying more sinister problem.

What can help is to bring her in and put her on heat for a bit. Try some palatable high protein feed such as Harrisons Recovery Formula ...in the meantime warm chick mixed with chopped egg will do. Keep her gut healthy through using something like apple cider vinegar in her water. Consider Avipro plus a very good pro-biotic designed for poultry.

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/harrisons-recovery-formula_1_177975.html

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-supplements-cat-supplements-prebiotic-probiotic-products-c-5_172/avipro-plus-p-1225

These are 2 supplements I always have in my poultry cupboard and I find them very effective.

Good luck with her and please keep us posted!

 

[kellysalmon]

Sadly she died in the night I fear she was egg bound again and it was too far up the tract to ever come out I am so gutted she was a right little diva and my favourite she will be missed

 

[worthysmum]

Sorry to hear that you lost her, it's so sad.

 

[Marigold]

I'm so sorry to hear this, Kelly. Sometimes they do just o downhill fast and there's nothing much you can do. If she had been eggbound before, then in combination with heavy moult it was obviously too much for her.
Foxy, those are very useful links which I have now bookmarked. As you say, good for the medicine cupboard, for other species as well as poultry.

 

[BabyBantam]

I'm so sorry you lost her, very sad

Foxy, is Avipro the same as Beryl's ?

. Consider Avipro plus a very good pro-biotic designed for poultry.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-supplements-cat-supplements-prebiotic-probiotic-products-c-5_172/avipro-plus-p-1225 !

 

[foxy]

I'm so sorry you lost her, very sad

Foxy, is Avipro the same as Beryl's ?

. Consider Avipro plus a very good pro-biotic designed for poultry.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-supplements-cat-supplements-prebiotic-probiotic-products-c-5_172/avipro-plus-p-1225 !

No Avipro is more general purpose, Beryls is more specific if I am concerned about a specific problem concerning gut health. Recently used it to treat a trio which I obtained from an export project (they had been in quarantine all their lives) the birds had never been outside, and their gut motility and absorption wasn't right as as all three had diarrhoea. One shortly developed sour crop (post crop impaction) after being on grass for a while. First step was treat sour crop, bring them all in, secondly treat her impaction, then look at improving gut health, which in turn supports their immune system. This is all being complicated by the moult of course!