re: waddling hen - looks like a duck

Thanks for your advice. I have meantime had some opinion from Jane Howorth
who does all the batttery rescues at which point it looked like it might be
Ascites.

Anyway, I got the vet in and he did not feel any fluid (or lumps) so did not
think it was Ascite but she was under weight which he thought might be the
reason for the duck/penguin-like pose. He gave her both a diuretic and a
course of anti-biotic syrup. She is currently halfway between normal
chicken position and penguin so we have fingers crossed that she will
recover.

The only worrying thing is that we have noticed some undigested corn in some
of the droppings but at least on one occasion they were from one of the
other chickens. None of them seems to be eating as much as they used to,
all have moulted a lot this year but hardly at all last year. Two look
pretty good, one of whom still lays 3-4 eggs a week, one looks well, fat
even, but has a pale comb, and then there is the one under treatment who has
a red comb but it is wonky - the vet did not seem to think that was
relevant.

They have the mornings in 30 foot by 16 foot grassed area with pellet food,
corn, lettuce etc. Rest of day they have access to the full garden where
they root around.

We continue to keep a watch on how they all are and on their weight. Thanks
again for you advice which was most useful.


.

Quantcast