Poorly Treacle

Yesterday afternoon when giving the girls the worming powder, I decided to coat sunflower hearts in olive oil then sprinkle with the powder. This worked really well as it was quicker, less messy and the girls soon ate them all, including Treacle. I will do it this way every day now, it needs to be given for seven days.

Last night at bedtime I sat on my little chair with the girls and picked Treacle up and put her on my lap. I felt her crop again and its normal apart from not being big through not eating much. She sat right down on my lap and I stroked her and talked to her. She stayed like this for about ten minutes then jumped down and went to bed.

This morning when I went in at first light and gave some corn, Treacle didn’t attempt any. I dropped some meal worms by her and again she didn’t attempt any of those either. I decided to try hand feeding her. I took in a little dish of oily fish and sat Treacle on my lap. Treacle ate about half of it while I fended the other three off, they were all trying to jump up too and get some. I gave them the other half once Treacle had finished. At least she has eaten something. She then went and stood under a bush and the other three went and stood with her. I have read that they often do this when one of them is unwell. I feel so helpless and sad for her and am so scared that I am losing her.

This afternoon I decide to give Treacle a bath in epsom salts as I have read that it is a really good “pick me up” and if it doesn’t make a chicken better it certainly can do no harm. I bathed her in a bowl of warm water with a quarter cup of epsom salts and kept her there for ten minutes.

Giving Treacle a bath

I then wrapped her in a towel, then gently dried her with a hair dryer on the lowest setting. She was good as gold. I offered some scrambled egg and chopped tomato but she only ate a few bits of tomato. I put her on the floor on a towel and she stood there not moving.

I then phoned the vet at my local pet store and told him everything so far. He said to bring her in at five o’clock. I decided to keep Treacle inside until then.

I took her to the vet and while waiting she sat on my lap and snoozed as it was her bedtime. The vet was very good and I was impressed. He felt her all over and said she had no eggs stuck or problems with her crop which was no surprise because I had already done this. He then listened to her heart and lungs and said they were fine and no respiratory problems. He said he could find nothing wrong apart from her being ill so could only think that it is an infection. He gave her an injection of antibiotic into her breast, she didn’t even flinch! He then gave me some antibiotic medicine to give her for ten days.

The vet said he couldn’t give a prognosis but hoped that the antibiotic would help her regain her appetite and he said that I was doing all the right things and to keep doing as I am. The cost was just over thirty pounds which I though was quite reasonable. I wish I had taken her earlier now but she has gone down quite quickly over the recent days.

Treacle slept on the way home as it was dark and once back I just opened up the side of the coop and popped her in. I really hope to see an improvement soon. Giving her the medicine is going to be tricky but I will try putting it in food and giving it to her on my lap like I did this morning. It comes with a syringe and the vet said I could choose to put it in her food or syringe into her beak which I imagine would be quite stressful so that will be last resort.

My husband observed that she had gone downhill from when she was having her bare patches pecked, before I put the blue spray on her. He wonders if this introduced an infection either from their beaks being in poop or unsavoury items or just the fact that a cut or wound can get infected. We will probably never know but I think he may be right as when I first noticed her bare bottom she was still her happy normal self. She started going downhill from being pecked and I assumed molt and pecking may be enough to stress her. I just hope she starts to get better now. I feel better for having taken her to the vet because I know that I have done all I can. We can only see what tomorrow brings and hope for the best.