update on integration

[lynne]

Just to let you all know, my Bluebelle now seems perfectly happy with the other two girls, and whilst she is definitely "bottom" she is happy, eating, drinking and coming into the run freely.
The downside is that my original remaining girl now seems to be poorly, so I think that maybe she has caught something from them? Im keeping an eye on her, but worry that the stress has all been a bit much. Ive made sure food and water are within reach for her, and am keeping an eye on her.

Thanks again for all your help, everyone, it is very reassuring to have all your knowledge to access. I did try lavender spray last night on all of them, but think bluebelle was pretty well assimilated by then, and sadly, my original girl was looking a bit peaky by then, too, so dont think it was that. She is uninjured, so no one has "had a go" I think she is just poorly. When we bought the original 4, one did this within a few days, and my vet felt it was the stress. Sadly, she died, and think this one might too ( not sure if I should be re-separating her?
Lynne

 

[chrismahon]

What are the symptoms Lynne. Has she swollen eyes? Yes it could be stress. Perhaps a bit of private TLC for a few hours or so with treats. We've found it works well. Three examples from the last few weeks:-

A Blue Laced Wyandotte (Bumble) was straining to 'poo?' and looked very distressed. I picked her up realising she hadn't laid for a while and bought her in thinking egg bound. She was very fat and flabby at the rear end and very heavy indeed. Immediately thought egg peritonitis, where the part-formed eggs can actually collect in the abdomen. Settled her down in the kitchen, gave her a grape or two. Washed her mucky bum. Took her out a few hours later. She laid next day and seems fine now -except she's missing Arnold her cockerel.

A Brown English Leghorn Bantam hen (Poppy) was lying across the pop-hole doorway when I opened up. One leg forward and one back -the typical 'Mareks' pose. Brought her in and she struggled to stand. Kept falling over and couldn't keep her legs together. 0.5mL Cod Liver Oil with Multivitamins (which acts as an instant pick-me-up at 0.5mL per Kg bodyweight) and resting on the kitchen table on a towel for grip. Two hours and a few grapes later and she was back to normal. Put her back and she was fine and still is.

A Buff Orpington (Charity) sitting down looking sorry for herself and being pecked by mad Molly Legbar. Thought another broody but brought her in anyway. Quite empty and very soggy crop and slightly sour breath. Teaspoon of epsom salts in 250mL water. Then 5mL of the resulting mixture down the back of the throat and then put her into a cage in a quiet place. No food or water. Hour later she has perked up. Two slimey poos later and she's on her feet. Gobbled a grape down so gave her Grower pellets which she ate -no water. Took her back down and she's fine. Now I think the rest/break and the treatment are of equal value. Illness is most often stress related.

So perhaps she just needs some time-out. Good luck

 

[lynne]

Thanks for the tips, Chris. Yes, her left eye is closed and swollen, the other is more or less ok. She has been out in run recently, had a drinnk, and some food. Her bum is a bit mucky, unlike her.
She has been in a large puppy pen in the run for past few days, separated but together with the new birds. At nights, she has been in coop with them, but in a smaller cage. Last night, I sprayed lavender oil on her and the new girls, and popped her in after they had gone in to roost.
This morning, she began to look not too good, though yesterday, she did sit down a lot, and seemed to make a funny noise, almost like a cat purr?
I geuss it is a good sign she is eating and drinking, even though she looks odd with that puffy eye? I didnt know grapes were a favourite, we have tended not to give fruit, but we do have some so will see if they would all like a treat this afternoon.
On another tack, one of the others has really pale orangy poos, that seem v liquid... is this a probblem... they all seem fine in themselves.
I found your 3 case studies really interesting, particularly the cures - how on earth did you know what to give in each instance?

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Lynne. Cod Liver Oil is sometimes referred to as 'a little drop of sunshine' apparently. It's a good tonic for a down bird we discovered at the onset. We use the 'with multivitamins' version but can't give it too often as we had a bad reaction to two consecutive doses and I think it was a vitamin overdose. The Epson salts is a 'crank poultry keeper remedy', I think from an early 60's book I have -which works!

'Swollen eyes' (and ours had only one bad and one half closed) is a symptom of ILT and the purr of IB. Both these are given as live immunisation viruses to hybrids and are contageous. We had the same reaction about 5 days after introducing hybrids to a Pedigree flock 3 years ago. If they haven't mutated on transmission (unlikely to have on first pass) she will just be rather ill for a week. They are normally given weeks apart to the hybrids, not both at the same time. So TLC and keep her drinking. ILT comes with a sore throat which makes eating painful and can flare up under stress for two years afterwards, although Bottom still gets them three years on. On the bright side she will be protected from the fatal variants of these viruses in the future. Assuming I am correct of course! Antibiotics can ease the symptoms by countering any resulting bacterial infection and ours were prescribed Synulox by the vet, in the absence of a firm diagnosis because as far as I am aware ours was the first reported case of this transmission to Practical Poultry -made the headlines page! The investigation that followed revealed the source and viruses transmitted -two Copper Stars and one was sneezing. See what your vet thinks. Could be Mycoplasma as well (without the bubbly eyes), which is a run down stress related virus.

Whilst runny orange poos in moderation is normal, a lot is a sign of worms. Ours are the same and if I leave them another month I'll see worms in the poo. So I Flubenvet regularly as most, if not all, people do on this forum.