[beki]

We rehomed 7 ex-batts about 3 weeks ago now. One of them has been particularly poorly looking ever since we got her. We actually thought she as deformed at first - thought there was something wrong with her neck - as she just looked like a ball with no neck  

We'e been giving her a little bit more TLC than the others as she's just so sad-looking. But there's been no change at all.

She stands still almost all the time, next to the fencing, neck tucked in, and eyes either half or fully closed - she just looks plain kn**kered if you ask me  :cry:

I read on here a couple of days ago about a hunched up hen being eggbound, so i had a good feel all the way down and underneath and found nothing - not even a shape which would resemble a marble sized egg. So just to be on the safe side i put on a pair of latex gloves and had a feel internally (not the most pleasant thing i've ever had to do, but probably wasn't half as horrible for me as it was on her, poor thing!).

Again, nothing.

I just feel so sorry for her  :cry:  She stands alone all day, except when another hen comes near, when she'll run for her life and then take up residence in another part of the run for a while. She just looks so sad and tired  :cry:

I feel bad for even suggesting having her put to sleep, as i can't find anything physically wrong with her - but surely it's no life for her to be the way she is? Can anyone reassure me i'm doing the right thing?  :cry:

(will be taking her to the vets for the deed - much as i'd want to be able to do it myself i just don't trust myself to get it right, and i'm not sure when it came to it, that i'd actually have it in myself to do it  :oops:  )

Oh, just worth noting - she's eating and drinking, although not as voraciously as the other chooks. She'll take a tiny bit and then lose interest. She is deifnitely the lowest in the pecking order. She'll scoot out of the way if any of the chooks get too lose, and if she doesn't do it quick enough she'll get a good telling off!

Here are a couple of pics to explain how she is...

Generally the way she stands



The size of her compared to the other ex-batts



Tired and sad looking

[Vember]

Is there any way you could seperate her and give her extra extra cuddles & cat food, mealworms, chick crumbs oh anything, it would be such a shame to do the deed  :cry:

Not the best person to answer was I :?

[Porffor]

Beki i'm so sorry to hear about your girl. You could try keeping her in for the night tucked up in a box with some straw and a heat pad under her or water bottle or whatever you have to hand (under the straw), I did this with my girl Shimmer tried everything for egg binding too but to no avail, had to do the deed for the first time myself with her.

Im sure the others will have some idea's but I know how hard it is to watch and wonder.. ((hugs))

[beki]

Yes, i have a rabbit hutch which i'm sure would suffice? And it's attached to an 8ft run which i'm sure would be fine for just her.

I would have separated her before, but there's been no blood drawn and she's not actually getting bullied as such.

Believe me, i'm in tears every time i even think about her passing on  :cry:  it just seems so bloomin unfair after what she must have been through  :cry:

I'll try anything if anyone thinks it's worth a go. I just hate to see her suffering like she is  :cry:  I've grown so fond of her  :cry:

[beki]

P.s. i have no cat food to hand tonight, but would dog food in gravy suffice?  :?

[poultrygeist]

Another pathetic case in me I'm afraid. Can't advise but she does look thoroughly miserable.

Never kept them so don't know how well they can bounce back but there's been some pretty miraculous recoveries on here over the months.

Well done for what you're doing. Hang on in there until you get a better consensus.

Rob

[Jellyhead]

Personally I would do exactly as Vember suggests. Get as much goodness in her as poss, find what she likes, corn, cat food whatever and give her a little and often. Bless her little feathers I can see why you feel the way you do but I would just have to try and get her right, but its in my nature :oops:

[Porffor]

If you have a syringe Beki it's easy to get water into her - if she's like shimmer she won't put up much fight. Maybe some sugar in it will perk her up enough to make her eat a little. Worth a try. Shimmer definately went to the heat so somewhere warm is worth a shot to make her feel better in the short term.

Fingers x'd she perks up poor little love.

[Aunt Sally]

When a chook looks sick.... she is VERY sick  

[beki]

That was my understanding too aunt sally, which is why i was thinking along the lines of having her put to sleep

However, after reading everyone's suggestions, i went straight out and separated her into her into the rabbit run/hutch.

I gave her a dusting of red mite powder (still waiting on a delivery of poultry shield and diatom - not long now i hope!), and a tub of water with a little lifeguard in it.

Then i put a small tub of dog food chunks in gravy, along with a pinch of poultry spice mixed in - and she went abslutely mad for it  :shock:

She was tucking in to it like she hadn't eaten in a month!  :cheers:

She hasn't ventured over to the water yet, but i've seen her take a drink today already so i'm satisfied that she will probably take a drink at some point before bed time.

Does this sound promising? I'm hardly daring to get my hopes up, but after seeing her go mad for the food, she seemed a lot perkier while she was eating - she's still at it now!  

[agapanthus]

That sounds very promising Beki Perhaps she's just a hen who wants to be on her own....there are some like that. Keep giving her TLC and the warmth and take it from there.....I have everything crossed for her......she deserves it!!!!

[Aunt Sally]

It does sound promising Beki.

I'll have my fingers crossed for you  :!:

[birmancats]

Oh bless her.  Sorry don't know anything about chooks but I'm sure a bit of TLC and treats will get her there.  Fingers crossed.

[Porffor]

That's great news Beki!
Really hopeful that that'll boost her up bless her. Hope she goes well over the night.

Must say though.. if you do 'have to do the deed' follow Muntjacs instructions to the T especially keeping yourself calm etc and you won't go wrong. It wasn't actually as hard as I thought it'd be.

[beki]

i so so so hope she'll be ok - she really is so lovely!

here's a pic of her tucking in a while ago! fingers crossed now eh?!