Yesterday I went to the vets at our local pet store and ordered some Flubenvet worming powder and a ground sanitising powder as I have read this is a helpful product.
I also tried the girls with some cooked rice in the morning which they loved and although it’s not of nutritional value at least it meant that Treacle had eaten something. In the afternoon I gave them sardines in olive oil as I have read that oily fish is good for them and I was pleased to see Treacle eat this.
In the evening Treacle took herself off to bed first which is a sure sign that she is not herself.
I picked up the Flubenvet today, it says to use one level measuring spoon (which comes with it) per day for seven days. I mixed it with chopped tomato and grapes as these are things I know Treacle will eat. They all ate it and Treacle ate her share.
Treacle doesn’t seem any worse but then also not any better. I have been on the “Down the Lane” forum and everyone has been very helpful. I mentioned seeing some green poops and someone put a chicken poop chart up for me to see. I recognised all the poops classed as normal and none of the abnormal ones so felt a little better.
Then this afternoon I saw a bright green poop that doesn’t appear on the chart. I googled “bright green chicken poop” and was alarmed by what I read. lots of people had seen this and also had the same lethargic, not quite right symptoms that Treacle has. Every one said that the chicken went on to die. I am now totally alarmed. The theories were wide ranging form it being bile through not eating enough, internal infection, liver or kidney problems, ecoli or secondary poisoning. I started to worry about the jasmine that they were eating before I removed it, but the other three girls are fine and that was months ago.
Again on DTL they said not to panic it could just be from the spinach she was having up until a few days ago and that I am doing all the right things. I am trying not to panic but it’s hard and I am feeling really upset and tearful right now. I really can’t bare the thought that I might lose her. I have got to hang in there doing my best for her but I don’t want her to suffer. I hope to have better news soon.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
It seems that the general opinion about the cause of green poop is that the hen either ate something poisonous or isn’t passing anything through the digestive tract (e.g. hen isn’t eating). I’ve heard that epsom salts are good for clearing out toxins; the magnesium or something also helps improve circulation. Epsom salts can be fed orally to the hen or dissolved in water for an epsom salt bath (absorption through skin). Olive oil, fed orally, can help move things around in the crop, if you think that’s the problem (impacted crop?). I’ve never actually force-fed a hen olive oil, but a syringe is, in theory, the best way to do this. (I suppose you could also use the syringe to try and make Treacle eat some oatmeal/yogurt/pureed food. Again, never done this before…) Also, is she drinking water normally?
I’m sure Treacle will be fine. Chickens are resilient little creatures.
Treacle is drinking water and I noticed she is still going to the grit. I’t just the pellets she is not eating and I haven’t seen her go to those for a week now. I will try to get some epsom salts as I too have heard they are good. I will continue to give her anything that she will eat. I have felt her crop and there is no problem there apart from not getting as big due to eating less.
The oily fish I have been giving is in olive oil in so she is getting a little and today when worming I am going to coat sunflower hearts with olive oil then the worming powder.
Luckily she loves yogurt so I have got more of that. I will give fish, rice, tomatoes, grapes, apple and melon as she will eat all these things and I will give more maggots soon too. I will just keep trying to get her to eat as much as possible.
Thank for your encouragement. It helps me so much to hear from others.