Scrambles the Wonder Chicken is seriously ill

[smokeythecat]

My other two pet hens seems fine. I picked up each one to weigh them, as Scrambles had lost a lot of weight and I hadn't noticed it, she's so fluffy. Both of the other ones were fine. Big Red is trying to hatch broken egg shells *sighs*. Buttercup got picked up second. At which point Big Red took exception to that and attacked me.

The cats think the stinky thing in the dining room should leave!

 

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[smokeythecat]

Scrambles still hanging in there this am. Complained bitterly about taking medicine, but I got it and her food down her. She can't stand up. Still waiting for the vet to call back.

 

[MetalArchSC]

Smokey... sorry to hear about scrambles. I’ve been extremely busy with company at the house.

Did you try oregano in the water? A couple drops of the oil for the entire container. A friend of mine speaks highly of that for her chickens.

 

[ticndig]

B vitamin deficiency can cause paralysis. something you could look into .
the poultry cell I posted will correct the problem if that's the cause.

 

[devldog]

Smokey, here is hoping that Scrambles will soon make a full recovery. How is her gait when she walks? Does she juke & jive as she walks? If so, she is normal. As my wife would say, "you're the only one that thinks your funny". Get well soon Scrambles.

 

[smokeythecat]

If I put her down on her legs, she stays there a second or two, wobbly, then sits down. I spent $318.23 on her Monday. Antibiotic, something else, and special liquid food. I am not adding anything to what the vet gave me. Supposed to hear back like now from the vet...

 

[smokeythecat]

Scrambles is becoming a raving, screaming pain in the...and I'm still not sure she's going to live! But biting me is her newest pasttime and she feels good enough to try to "scramble" away from me now.

Vet finally called. She has a massive infection. They don't know where. I know of no wound on her. Anyway, white blood cell count supposed to be 4,000-8,000 and it's over 39,000. Vet asked if she was still with us, answer is yes.

So she's been on a powerful antibiotic since Monday pm and anti inflammatory and I just got back to the store with a jar of B50 vitamins, of which she gets 1/4 of one twice a day as she is also anemic.

And she has another vet's appt next Tuesday. Send money.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

When I retired and came home, Mom had one cat - Leroy, and I had two - Bowie & Missy. All three were in their teens - old cats. They passed one after the other, and our household beneath this roof was a broken home. Leroy was 17 I think, Bowie & Missy were 15 and 16. This was a very broken house for a while - Mom just sat in her chair and cried.

A gal at the local Farmer's Market tipped me off to 3 kittens - got all 3, walked in the door and opened the cage pointed at Mom. They were all over her.

I am completely convinced those kittens absolutely lengthened Mom's life = She's still here at 94, and anytime she sits down she has a cat in her lap.

 

[smokeythecat]

Nice story Deepseeker. Including the chicken houses and not including food, I have spent over $1,000 on the four, now three chickens since 2014, one died suddenly when she was 2 and a half. When their houses start to deteriorate, I replace it. That's $600 of the cost. Chickens have to have a nice house. Scrambie did eat a blueberry. Vet suggested keeping her in the bathroom. I may just bring up to extra jumbo size cat carrier tomorrow from the basement. That would be a riot.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Smokey, Granny had chickens - that chicken house is still standing - I'd just have to do some repairs/updates.

In my heart, I can't kill a critter - not something in my future, very sensitive about that = except for self defense = anybody come up here with bad intentions best face the fact that I'm skill trained. Done my time shooting at people and ducking the return fire.

Smokey, all I wish for in life now is complete peace.

I'll still fight for that

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I don't even want to think about what we've invested in chickens. We have six adult hens now and 16 younglings hatched this spring. I converted two horse stalls into separated coops with nest-boxes and perches and a fenced 24ft x 12ft area in front of both under a roof, and another 60 ft x 30 ft enclosed "run" outside that. .

I like to give them run of the yard and pasture - but with coyotes, foxes, hawks (watched one take a hen, once), fishers, weasels, etc. it is usually safest to keep them at least in the run portion.

We used to let them brood if they were so inclined and "cull" the roosters for the freezer. Mostly now we just order hens seasonally to feed foxes. :-( Lost eight hens and our spunky rooster who definitely went down fighting to one invasion in the run last month with eight carcasses left behind and only one dragged out and missing. Who says only humans kill what they won't eat?

 

[smokeythecat]

Charlie P, I hear you. I have not had any of the four I bought in 2014 lost to a predator. A few months ago a mature bald eagle was sitting near the chicken pen probably crying it could not have one. Big Red is broody and is trying to hatch broken egg shells. The true definition of "bird brain".

Scrambie ate some blueberries from my hand today. She moves about some. I'm still hand feeding her. Poor thing. Has the entire bathroom to herself. The cats are not impressed and are scared of her. She ain't dead but it isn't over and the infection came from somewhere.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I helped my brother build a wooden coop, complete with roost and laying boxes.

They are automatically let out in the morning and allowed to roam the yard during the day..and at night (when the majority of the predators are out), they are automatically penned up.

The system my brother built runs off a car battery and uses a timer and auto antenna motor that he bought off Amazon. The door slides open and shut automatically and the chickens are trained. They want out in the morning and really want in at night.
Works slick far as I can tell.

 

[smokeythecat]

Still hanging in there. She can't walk but getting feistier. Cats are terrified of her. She had three kinds of medicine today, prescription food I fed her by hand, watermelon, blueberries and pound cake.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Still hanging in there. She can't walk but getting feistier. Cats are terrified of her. She had three kinds of medicine today, prescription food I fed her by hand, watermelon, blueberries and pound cake.

Jeeze, she’s lucky to have you as a friend.

When I was a kid, we had a pet rooster. It was friendly and would follow me around till it got hot outside. It was friends with the cat and dog. They would sleep together. His name was “Rooster”.

As a small child, I buried him when he died and marked the grave with a cross. I remember crying the whole time. Several years later I dug him up and tried to reassemble his skeleton! Ya I guess I’m a sick puppy ; )

 

[tinpan]

Hi , Haven't had chickens for years , attracts rodents and the snakes are not far behind. Foxes got a few .County got limits these days hygiene and birdflu .TP

 

[smokeythecat]

I don't think it's looking good. She still can't stand up. I had to give her a bath outside in a little pan today. I put her back in the huge cat carrier. Lots of stuff can go wrong, like aspirate her liquid diet, etc. Vet will want another $300 on Tuesday.

It is going to take the rest of forever to clean the house and ME! I feel like I need a clorox bath!

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Dang that’s a strong connection.

Birds are pretty delicate as far as sickness goes.

Who knows maybe if it’s lived this long through this...it may turn the corner.
Unfortunately as I said, they are pretty delicate. Healthy or they are not.

 

[smokeythecat]

Well, she ate her watermelon all by herself this am. The cats elected not to give her a "cat scan". I think she'd hurt the cats.

 

[smokeythecat]

She's still quite ill. She can't walk or stand, and is living in a bunny cage in the dining room. Vet says it doesn't look too good, but we will hear more today. She is eating some on her own.