"Drunk" Welsummer

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Helenaj

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"Drunk" Welsummer
« on: September 06, 2015, 17:05 »
Hi Folks

I have a Welsummer hen - she was a rescue so as far as I can estimate is about a year to 18 months old. She has been acting perfectly fine but when I let her out this morning she fell off her roost and staggered around as if drunk. I thought initially that I must have woken her up unexpectedly and she was a bit slow to start because she seemed to come around and ran out of the coop door. I've kept an eye on her and she is behaving as if drunk and seems a bit confused.
 I've read the symptoms of Mareks and don't think it is that, I'm thinking more botulism or mold intoxification because she has been rooting in amongst some old fallen trees and they do have fungi on them. I don't think that it is a stroke because it does not seem limited to one side and she is not "star gazing" so I've ruled out wry neck. I'm going to try and examine her tonight when she goes in because I can't catch her since she is in a half acre compound and is lively enough, but just looks drunk.

Any other suggestions that may help?

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New shoot

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Re: "Drunk" Welsummer
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2015, 06:46 »
Mould intoxication was a new one on me, but having looked at a couple of YouTube videos, it does look exactly like the symptoms you describe Helenaj.

If you can catch her as you let them out, it may just be worth checking her crop first thing to see if it empty.  Impacted crop can make a bird crane their neck round and make strange body movements.  It is their attempt to shift the mass of matter in their crop.

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Helenaj

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Re: "Drunk" Welsummer
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2015, 09:02 »
Managed to get hold of her last night - crop is empty but she is very light. Since she is the last in the pecking order I wonder if she is simply not been able to get to the feeders and is weak because they have been wormed. I have her quarantined for now just to make sure it's nothing else and hubby is making a load of extra trough feeders for me with lock down covers for the night which I will space around the compound and hope that will help. I'll keep an eye on her over the next few days.

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Helenaj

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Re: "Drunk" Welsummer
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2015, 07:09 »
Hi Folks

I have had to cull her - looked at her last night and one of her pupils had changed colour, so I'm panicking that it may be Mareks after all. I'm off to the vets this morning to drop her off for a PM. It's worth the cost because I have a lot of hens that may be at risk. I'm hoping I don't have to cull them all because that will be heartbreaking, one of my hens is over 6 years old and she is the last one of the first 4 chickens I ever bought.

Not a good day at all today.

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New shoot

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Re: "Drunk" Welsummer
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2015, 07:13 »
I've got my fingers crossed for you Helenaj  :(

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Helenaj

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Re: "Drunk" Welsummer
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2015, 16:28 »
Hi folks

Had the results of the pm - not Mareks, but she did have a brain tumour.

At least the rest of my girls are okay.
x

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New shoot

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Re: "Drunk" Welsummer
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2015, 10:41 »
Sad news for that hen, but what a relief to know you are not dealing with Mareks.  Thank goodness for that  :)


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