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Thursday, May 22, 2008

My babies are sick

One of my New Hampshire Reds, I've noticed sneezing for the past week. Talk with people that have raised chicks before said that there was nothing to worry about with the sneezing since chicks do that.

Well, two nights ago I noticed that the same chick was half the size of her sister. :( Needless to say, I wasn't too happy when I noticed that it was from emaciation. She, Haley, was always smaller than her sister, but I noticed the other day that it was actually from not putting on weight.

She still eats just fine and drinks water, but I talked with the people that know chicks (www.backyardchickens.com/forum) and they informed me that it's from her not getting the nutrients from the food that she needs. I needed to buy [Enfamil] Poly-vi-sol multivitamin drops and give them (3 drops) to her for the next week, 1 drop, 3x a day. The second week, I will need to taper them back and put them on 1-2 drops per day. After that, I will need to mix in Avia Charge 2000 into their water for her as well (purchased from McMurray Hatchery @ 1 lb for $33.50 - yikes!). This will replace the nutrients she isn't getting from the food. She may or may not make it at this point.

As I told them, she does seem to want to fight though. When she gets up, she is very weak so she will topple over sometimes as she walks, but otherwise she seems to be fighting. I told her she has to stay with me, she's strong enough to make it. She seems as if she does have the will to survive though. I am worried about her, but I'm doing everything I can. If she doesn't make it, then at least I know I tried my best.

I had my brother swing by Walgreens and pick up some Poly-vi-sol (he got Tri-vi-sol so he had to go back to exchange it) and just now went in to give her a drop. Well, I smell like baby vitamins right now because it was work to get her to let me put a drop in her beak. As I said, she's till strong and fighting so she wouldn't keep her head still. After I finally got a drop in her beak and she swallowed it, she told me straight out it did not. Taste. Good. She opened her beak and basically was saying, "Oh my god! That tastes awful!" But tough. It's good for her and she'll be getting more before beddie by :)

Now, the other day I asked them what could be wrong with one of my bantams. She has this tendency to topple over and just lay there, legs extended and scream. It's almost like she is having a seizure. It will take her a moment to get her bearings back and she seems to have to force her body to work after one of her episodes. Possibly a neurological thing they tell me. Okay.

Now, this morning, I was watching as one of the bantams laid on the other NHR wing that was out to the side. She wasn't moving and basically was just looking at me like she was unable to move. I opened the cage and made the bantam move - they are little pushy buggers! - and helped Amara up. I noticed that she had lost all strength in her legs. Oh great. On top of the rest?

I looked around online and could only find information about 'spraddle leg.' A condition that basically is where the legs splay out to the side. I couldn't figure out what was going on. Then, it occurred to me that probably all that happened was one of the bantams stepped, or jumped on her wrong and sprained her legs, or something, that made them weaken.

All I know is that I kept holding her up gently, trying to get her to use her legs, trying to support her, because if I didn't, she'd topple over on her face. It was both cute and depressing at the same time. I was horrified to think I'd have to deal with something like this too! Through getting her to slowly try out her legs, supporting her weight, holding her in my hands to rest without being bothered by everyone, as well as her tentatively using her legs, even when it meant crawling, she seems to be doing better. I've got to watch her closely now too though. Every two hours I am going back there and watching them closely. I'm basically feeling spent and not doing well. I'm tired and exhausted. Dizzy and my appetite isn't all there so I have to force it. That's also since I keep going to bed at 10 pm and waking up at 5 am or so. Ever since I've got them it's been around 5 am most days I wake up from them waking up.

Ick. We shall see how she does and if she'll make it. Everybody cross your fingers for me.

I'm contemplating whether or not I should make a separate place for the bantams and NHR now...

On to regular programming ...

2 comments:

Bretthead said...

Awww, sorry your chickees are having a rough go. Sounds like you have it all under control though. I'll put down the campbells soup and not make any chicken jokes. This time.

A.H. Browne @ ahbrowne.com said...

Thank you so much :)

Aw and who says chivalry is dead :p