Gosh I missed you lot!!!!

[di]

OK,for some being without the internet for a couple of weeks is no great hardship,but then when your favourite chook gets poorly.....!!!!???
Managed to get a message to a rather special Grape who gave me a bell & calmed me down lots & gave me lots of hints,but after the call Marigold seemed to turn a bit peekier,so I had to rely on a friend to do lots of googling on my behalf...still not 100% certain we got the right diagnosis,but the treatment worked which is all that matters!
Basically Marigold was just a bit withdrawn,off her food & had a really messy bum,initially I put this down to runny tummy,but now think it may have been vent gleet(thrush).we were twice daily bathing her vent feathers,giving her probiotic yogurt & applying Caneston cream around her vent...several days later & she was miraculously better!...I really thought we were going to lose her!
The site my friend got the info from says they get it from eating mouldy food???We don't tend to offer ours too much of that(actually none!),so not sure that it is what she had or if it was how she got it,but wanted to share the treatment with you all just in case it comes in useful for any of you.
Like I said the symptoms were lethargy...she actually looked really depressed...very runny "milky" poo,& crusty white vent feathers.Totally off her food but was drinking lots.(I alos added extra garlic powder to her water)
Although we couldn't see any,they can also have white thrush spots around the vent.
Hope it comes in useful for others.

[SarzWix]

'Ey up missus Tis good to see you back on here.

Glad Marigold came through alright. Well done to Googling friend

[Flummery]

Nice to have you back chuck. It's always useful to hear of other diagnoses in case it should even happen. I'm so glad she got through it.

[Nicos]

Bet she's glad to have you care for her....well done ( and your friend!) ( and the Grape)

...and welcome back!

[Pumpkin Becki]

Darn that Internet, it aways breaks when you need it the most! Glad to have you back, and glad Marigold pulled through. I've heard vent gleet can be pretty nasty, so well done you and our mystery Grape (although I think I could have a wild guess at who it is ).

[di]

Cheers my loves!
Still not sure that's what it was,but the treatment worked...I really would never have considered Caneston cream for a hen!

[HayleyB]

Hi Di

Well I never...........

[MaureenHall]

So glad she's better Di, and I think a tube of Canestan will be in my "chook medicine box" now - as well as getting some probiotic yoghurt more often for me as well as the girls (and boys)

[Suechooks]

My vet recommended Canestan for one of my ex-batts about a year ago. She had a yukky bum and no feathers. Still has the occasional dirty back end but feathers ok. Since then I give them daily yoghurt - and keep the Canestan in the chooky medicine box!

[BFG]

I saw some program that claimed eating plenty of greens is supposed to be better for gut bacteria than the probiotic stuff. Feeds the good bacteria naturally apparently. Rather than dump some good guys into the wrong conditions.

[Suechooks]

I saw some program that claimed eating plenty of greens is supposed to be better for gut bacteria than the probiotic stuff. Feeds the good bacteria naturally apparently. Rather than dump some good guys into the wrong conditions.

They get greens as well! Belt and braces for me!

[tlck9]

still not 100% think it may have been vent gleet(thrush).
The site my friend got the info from says they get it from eating mouldy food???

Like I said the symptoms were lethargy...she actually looked really depressed...very runny "milky" poo,& crusty white vent feathers.Totally off her food but was drinking lots.(I alos added extra garlic powder to her water)
Although we couldn't see any,they can also have white thrush spots around the vent.
Hope it comes in useful for others.

this sounds familar to my problem as posted on broody,ill or egg bound

Although she has the running bum, she has a bit of crustyness (i put that down to dried poop) she isnt that messy, but I massaged her last night.

I havent added garlic powder to the water??

Did she stop laying as well

(these birds dont half go through the mill to give us eggs - thrush, egg bound, lice, red mite- dodging foxes, badger and sparrowhawks

as a chuck I think I would just curl up under a bush and go to sleep, sounds like an easier life

[di]

She has stopped laying.Although all other symptoms are cleared up,we're still waiting for her to start again,so my next worry is bound to be "is she egg bound/"!!!
Hopefully it's just a case of her using up her energies to get better...what doesn't help is that she's lonely.Still never dared put her back with the Isa's,so her & Dandelion were in their own coop/run,having done their mummy duties with the chicks.Now Dandelion is broody with eggs,she has no friend!She is only keen to eat either with Dandelion or out of my hand,the rest of the time she just picks....much as I love her I can't devote several hours a day to hand feed her.Not really an option to put her back with the "teens" as we then have the feed issue again...don't think it advisable for her to go back to growers pellets??
Maybe a cat would be easier!!!!