New Chooks, face pecking and crop vomit?

Rhubarb · **Joined:** Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:41 pm **Posts:** 9

Curry & Rice are 2 fullygrown commercial Hyline hens. They have come to live with us with our 2 araucanas, in the coop.

They had been caught in the QLD floods. They survived, it seems, by perching high in trees for a week. I can only imagine what was going through their chooky heads. Since then, the poor girls have lived thigh deep in mud, ranging the flood ravaged block, foraging for what they could.

Now they live with us.

They were wormy, covered in caked poo and mud, and Curry so stressed she still has not closed her beak.

Being the good adoptive parents we are, we have cleaned them up, crop wormed them (the only non-organic thing I do with the chooks) and after a day set them in with our fussy, opstropolous Araucanas. Stew repaid the offer of companionship by spending the entire Saturday standing outside the garden shed (a good 10 meters away from the coop) quivering in indignation and bok-bok-BOK-ing at the intruders (which are twice her size).

The intruders, huge as they are, shivered behind the palm trees, only poking their heads out to see if it was yet safe. Curry, who is a good 3 cms wider and taller than Rice, spent the day hidden behind her companion nudging her forward as if to say ‘YOU go first’.

They spent their first night together asleep on the grass by the doorway near the roost, since the bossy Stew & Dumpling (who are the size of small bantams) stretched their wings out and hogged the roost, not allowing the newbies any perch space at all.

Bullies.

Curry and Rice seem to be drinking a LOT of water. They are only eating the pellets, have not really ventured out into our yard (we free range) for scraps or a dig. I offered them pear cores, they didn't touch them. (The ara's took care of that!)

Curry has crop vomited a watery substance twice today. She has a clean bum. Rice's bum is awful, but she is not vomiting, just watery poo. Rice is pecking gently at Curry's face - or more closely at her crop area.

I am happy to wait it out, but would be interested in what others have to say about the new arrivals.
Cheers
'Rhu

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

Hi Rhubarb,

Poor girls- they've been through a lot!

The crop vomiting may be exacerbated by the constant drinking. This may be due to the dryness of the pellets, but may also be due to an underlying disease- crop infection or crop stasis, kidney or liver disease or even heavy metal or other toxicity.

Since you like using organic products you could try giving some papaya or pawpaw which aids digestion. Alternatively, weak fennel tea also helps in digestive disorders and can be given twice daily until normal digestion occurs

Open-beak breathing may be stress related and may settle in time, but may also be caused by a respiratory disease. Give their poor history, a disease like Aspergillosis is very likely. Listen for any abnormal breathing sounds or signs of coughing.

Runny droppings can be caused by many things as I have stated on a previous post, but worms and coccidia are high on the list, followed by bacterial infections. If you're lucky, probiotics or apple cider vinegar and a good diet may be all they need, but they may also need antibiotics or other medications, depending on the cause.

Sorry if this is a bit long-winded, but who knows what these poor birds have had to deal with.

Good luck

Parvo

Rhubarb · **Joined:** Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:41 pm **Posts:** 9

hi Parvo
Thanks for the reply.

I have garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar in their drinking water, for a few days, so I am hoping that helps as well. Added some yoghurt to the scarps (they had a little). Curry keeps returning to the shell grit (I have a pot of shell grit mixed with dolomite in the pen) and that indicates she knows she needs grit, maybe a crop issue?

Like you say, it could be *anything* - poor girls. I know they have been immunised against Cocci, but I understand some birds can get it anyway. I guess time will be a teller. I will look at some of your other points, thank you so much. No coughing present, symptoms so far really are only squirty poos, open beak on one, revolting bum on the other.

Not at all long winded, I really appreciate your reply and ideas.
Rhu

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

I hope it helps. Good luck!

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