Dusty and her op...

[Shirls]

Dusty is 5 weeks and 4 days post op. She is doing well bless her. Her weight dropped to under 5lbs when she left the vet. I weigh her every few days and she is putting on a couple of ounces each time, she is now up to
5lb 7oz.

She eats the babies growers pellets as well as the layers, but not really enough, so I let her eat what she wants as I want her to put on at least another pound. She also loves her veg, so she can have as much of that as she likes and she still eats plain yoghurt.

I am not happy with her faeces so a sample is to be taken to the vet next Friday (vet is on holiday til then) so we will see what is going on there.

She is doing all the things that chickens do and she is sometimes still naughty like she used to be which is great!

Fingers crossed we are going to get through this.

[Marianne Marlow]

Good to hear Dusty is doing well. Can you remind me what the op was? Sometimes I find it hard to read all of the posts!

[starlingqueen]

Great news Shirls. Do you use poultry spice for your chooks? I find if they are not eating much, usually in the summer when they need less but it still worries me, if I add a bit of poultry spice it seems to aid their appetite.

[Hezz]

Great to have an update, Shirls, even if Dusty could be doing slightly better. Fingers crossed that everything goes her way, and yours.

[Shirls]

Never heard of this starlingqueen but I will certainly give it a try. Where did you get yours? I see they have it on Amazon, £9.01 for 450gms, can't tell if they have it at my local country suppliers, their website is useless! Is it powder or pellets too?

[Shirls]

Sept 16, 2017 9:45:44 GMT Marianne Marlow said:

Good to hear Dusty is doing well. Can you remind me what the op was? Sometimes I find it hard to read all of the posts!

I'm not surprised Marianne, I have a job reading/keeping up with most of them too!!!

She wasn't eating Marianne and we discovered she had a blocked/full crop, so the vet cut her open (under anaesthetic) and washed it out. She was home within 24hrs, but had to go back for an overnighter a few days later as she still wasn't eating. She had to be crop fed. It has been a real trial to get her to eat.

But slowly, slowly catchee monkey!

[Marianne Marlow]

Poor Dusty! that sounds awful Shirls I hope she's come through the worst of it now.

[Shirls]

I hope so too Marianne Marlow. Just got to have her poops tested next week.

[Hezz]

Poor girl. Can't be much fun having to eat when you are sore. Probably like trying to swallow with a really sore throat, only ten times worse. Fingers crossed for an all-clear with the poops next week.

[starlingqueen]

Sept 16, 2017 12:29:15 GMT Shirls said:

Never heard of this starlingqueen but I will certainly give it a try. Where did you get yours? I see they have it on Amazon, £9.01 for 450gms, can't tell if they have it at my local country suppliers, their website is useless! Is it powder or pellets too?

I bought mine at a local farm shop. It's a powder, you just sprinkle it on the pellets. Mine love it, it smalls lovely if you like liquorice. 

[Shirls]

Thanks for that starlingqueen. I am going out today so will see if I can get some.

[Shirls]

I did get some Poultry Spice and I can't say that the girls love it, but they are eating it so we will see what benefits there will be if any. None of them are laying at the moment, we have had a shortage of eggs for such a long time now! Shop eggs are just NOT the same! When they did lay their shells weren't that good, so hopefully this spice will help.

I took a sample of Dusty's faeces to the vet this morning for testing and I must say it was the most normal her poo has been for a long time, so was in doubt whether to have it tested or not. Anyway, long story short it would have cost £70.00. So being as I was in doubt as to whether there was actually anything wrong I declined the test. She is doing so well and her weight has gone up again it's still a case of watch and wait. She weights 5lb 13oz this week, so from being under 4lbs. I think she has done really well.

[starlingqueen]

Shirls, all this talk of poo reminded me of this site. wormcount.com/farm-animals/ Might be useful to you.

[Shirls]

Thanks starlingqueen, I have saved the link to my favourites. Dusty was wormed by myself, a few weeks before her op and apparently the vet did the same. I don't know what they used though. But that is a very interesting link and loads cheaper than a vet bill. Having said that I believe a vet 'test' is more thorough and not just for worms.

I've got to say also that since starting the girlies on Poultry Spice, they seem a little more active. It may be my imaginatiion, but the two older buffs, Tuppence and Tilly do tend to laze around a lot which they aren't doing so much now.

My third edit; first night last night that the babies slept in the big coop with the big girlies. Yaaay.... only one coop to clean out from now on!!! Big smiley face!!

[Shirls]

A little update on Dusty after her operation and convalescence. She now weighs 6 lb 11oz, and has come from under 5 lbs. I am so pleased and she is definitely acting her 'old' self. Pleased to say all the other girls are doing well on the weight side. We now have 'Weigh Day Wednesdays' so I weigh them every week. They are getting used to it already, except Dusty. She hasn' forgiven me yet for feeding her three meds twice daily for a week!!!