Hi all,

Our one black rock seems to be under the weather. She is 2 years old
and has white streaking to her "bttom" feathers. She is bald in
patches to her underside and she seems to stand with her legs very far
appart (perhaps just an illusion). He tail feathers are down (not
sticking up like normal) and she seems rather listless. She was also
seeming to pant a bit today (but maybe that was the heat)

She is eating and drinking normally.

Any ideas?

Steve Newport wrote:
Hi all,

Our one black rock seems to be under the weather. She is 2 years old
and has white streaking to her "bttom" feathers. She is bald in
patches to her underside and she seems to stand with her legs very far
appart (perhaps just an illusion). He tail feathers are down (not
sticking up like normal) and she seems rather listless. She was also
seeming to pant a bit today (but maybe that was the heat)

She is eating and drinking normally.

Any ideas?

Egg bound?
Sounds daft and old wives tale - but try holding her over a steaming kettle.
It can help to relax the tract which can left down a stuck egg. Seen and
heard it work so often.
Feeding a little oil is meant to be helpful but less sure of that one.
Fiddling around inside from the outside is rarely successful as it usually
ends up with a broken egg = instant infection = dead chook.
If you can see the egg close to the outside then a little oil trickled in
and a gentle massage can help ease it out but you do not want to break it.

OK Jill. Rekon that is the case.

Will try the things suggested.

Will the condition eventually clear itself and, if not, should we take
her to a vet? (Do normal vets treat chooks?)

Thanks

Hi all,

Our one black rock seems to be under the weather. She is 2 years old
and has white streaking to her "bttom" feathers. She is bald in
patches to her underside and she seems to stand with her legs very far
appart (perhaps just an illusion). He tail feathers are down (not
sticking up like normal) and she seems rather listless. She was also
seeming to pant a bit today (but maybe that was the heat)

She is eating and drinking normally.

Any ideas?

Been a while since I have looked at the newsgroups but I have a follow
up on this story.

We had to have her put down (SPR did it for us) after all. It was a
condition (not disease) called Wet Belly or Ducks Disease. I was told
its where the plumbing for the birds recycling of water goes wrong and
ends up filling the body cavity, hence giving it the duck like waddle
and problems walking.

Apparently nothing that anybody can do - its an older birds problem
and hence no research done on it.

Thats said, could see any mention of either condition on the internet
associated with Chickens and Katie Thears doesnt mention it. However,
certainly seemed to fit her conditions including warm bloated abomen.

Sad but there you go.

What a shame! But thanks for coming back with that.
Its not something that is commonly diagnosed, probably because most folks do
not bother to follow it up and also because the symptoms are similar on
description to egg breaking inside.
I am really hoping that with the burgeoning hobby of poultry keeping there
starts a much stronger movement within the veterinary world to recognise
domestic poultry keepers as valid clients and start doing more homework
instead of constantly dismissing people and their animals.
There is a lot to learn but a lot that is already available.
If they do not then it could become a issue of welfare, against them,
because people are wanting to care better for their birds but are being
denied the opportunity.
Too many vets will also not put the bird down either, telling folks to take
little Henrietta home with some Baytril or similar and see what happens.
That is not good at all.

Yeah, interesting comment on vets. The largest practice in our area
only had one vet that apparently knew anything about chickens. We
would have had to wait 10 days before he came back from holiday. Thank
God for SPR

Yeah, interesting comment on vets. The largest practice in our area
only had one vet that apparently knew anything about chickens. We
would have had to wait 10 days before he came back from holiday. Thank
God for SPR

"Steve Newport" <steven at (no spam) newport47.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ptmt441mv725dlb1it2hjg7ig3880shstk at (no spam) 4ax.com...
Yeah, interesting comment on vets. The largest practice in our area
only had one vet that apparently knew anything about chickens. We
would have had to wait 10 days before he came back from holiday. Thank
God for SPR

To be fair, it's probably not terribly economically rewarding for a vet to
know much about an animal that is worth about 1/3 what it costs to take
the animal to the vet or have the vet come out.

"Amy Blankenship" <Amy_nospam at (no spam) magnoliamultimedia.com> wrote in message
news:57B3k.2594$rW2.1466 at (no spam) bignews9.bellsouth.net...

"Steve Newport" <steven at (no spam) newport47.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ptmt441mv725dlb1it2hjg7ig3880shstk at (no spam) 4ax.com...
Yeah, interesting comment on vets. The largest practice in our area
only had one vet that apparently knew anything about chickens. We
would have had to wait 10 days before he came back from holiday. Thank
God for SPR

To be fair, it's probably not terribly economically rewarding for a vet
to know much about an animal that is worth about 1/3 what it costs to
take the animal to the vet or have the vet come out.

But that is NOT true

Chickens cost more than most dogs and cats to acquire and house and keep.
Vets are entirely happy to take several hundreds of pounds before a dog or
cat is more than 9 months old for vaccinations and neutering
They should treat every animal that is presented, there is plenty of
backup
Its not up to the vet to decide what is economic when the owner is
prepared to pay !!!!

"Steve Newport" <steven at (no spam) newport47.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ptmt441mv725dlb1it2hjg7ig3880shstk at (no spam) 4ax.com...
Yeah, interesting comment on vets. The largest practice in our area
only had one vet that apparently knew anything about chickens. We
would have had to wait 10 days before he came back from holiday. Thank
God for SPR

To be fair, it's probably not terribly economically rewarding for a vet to
know much about an animal that is worth about 1/3 what it costs to take the
animal to the vet or have the vet come out.


Same applies to cats though. When the average moggy has kittens you're

Amy Blankenship wrote:
"Steve Newport" <steven at (no spam) newport47.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ptmt441mv725dlb1it2hjg7ig3880shstk at (no spam) 4ax.com...
Yeah, interesting comment on vets. The largest practice in our area
only had one vet that apparently knew anything about chickens. We
would have had to wait 10 days before he came back from holiday. Thank
God for SPR

To be fair, it's probably not terribly economically rewarding for a vet
to know much about an animal that is worth about 1/3 what it costs to
take the animal to the vet or have the vet come out.
Same applies to cats though. When the average moggy has kittens you're
lucky if you can give them away i.e. they are worth less than 0. But to
those who love their cat its monetary worth is not the point. It may take
some vets a while to see that companion/pet or hobby special breed birds
are as important as cats. Remember when pet animals weren't an important
part of a vet's work, esp in country areas? I do! And that was when
antibiotics for humans were still fairly new and there weren't the variety
of them to target different conditions, so their use in animals was
neither common nor well understood.

For most people who adopt those free cats, though, they are companions and
family members (i.e. their monetary value is irrelevant). But for most
people with chickens, the value of the bird is not companionship--it's the
value of the eggs or meat.

"Amy Blankenship" <Amy_nospam at (no spam) magnoliamultimedia.com> wrote in message
news:spC3k.2578$PZ6.1497 at (no spam) bignews5.bellsouth.net...

Chickens cost more than most dogs and cats to acquire and house and
keep.
Vets are entirely happy to take several hundreds of pounds before a dog
or cat is more than 9 months old for vaccinations and neutering
They should treat every animal that is presented, there is plenty of
backup
Its not up to the vet to decide what is economic when the owner is
prepared to pay !!!!

If a chicken dies, the cost of housing is irrelevant,

Not in the perception of increasing numbers of new domestic owners.
They are making a more emotional and financial commitment than some old
timers.
Even over there I know, because of the frequent emails from frustrated
poultry owners seeking advice, and not finding any vets to help.

as a replacement will
use the same housing as the dead chicken, (assuming proper disinfection).
Here, it costs about $2 to buy a chick, $10-$20 for a POL hen.

Here it can cost up to £100 for a POL
and at least double what you are suggesting for an ordinary bird.

Most poultry
_owners_ will not pay $40 for the hen to see a vet when it is far cheaper
to cull her or just let her die.

Increasing numbers WANT to --- its fine if an owner never presents the
bird to the vet then there is no issue
I am talking about the rapidly rising numbers of people who DO --- and get
turned away with nothing or very little.
THey have already made the decision to pay !!
The vets need to see this as a business opportunity -- there are
veterinary resources out there to help them.

The only time it really makes sense to call in a vet is if you think the
whole flock could be at risk.

With respect, that is ONLY your point of view. That is fine, but its not
the only one.