Two of my chickens are standing still, puffed up and are closing their eyes

Amy-Joy said:

Apparently, the food came from the breeder where we got them and wasn't supposed to be used as treats (at least that's what my mother told me) but I've had a look at the packaging and there is indeed some corn in it.

Click to expand...

It may be a grain based feed. Could you please take a picture of the bag? Do your chickens have access to grit? Chickens need to to grind up whole grains. If it is indeed crop impaction this would be the cause. Give your chickens grit as soon as possible.

However, because two chickens have it and it was a relatively hot day where you are located yesterday it may be heat exhaustion as I suggested previously. Make it the only source of water. This is a link for how to make your own electrolytes for chickens: https://www.communitychickens.com/homemade-electrolytes-for-chickens/

Perris said:

Don't worry; for a lot of users of BYC, commercial feed is the only acceptable feed. Their views are based on US history and traditions, involving a lot of corn (aka maize), whereas UK traditional feed is wheat based. The main difference is that, because it's homogenized (and usually pelleted), you have no real idea what feed manufacturers have put into their feed (recently shown to include plastic in the pig and cattle feed industry). Personally I prefer to feed my chickens something recognizably food. You might find this useful too https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/primal-chickens-–-6-chicken-keeping-secrets-from-the-evolution-of-chickens.73654/ especially 'Diet', about half way through this long article.

Click to expand...

I am not against feeding chickens a properly formulated whole grain based feed. However I do not feed it as many people have had trouble with birds having a favourite grain and leaving the rest. There for missing out on some valuable nutrition. This is my personal choice. Others have had and still do have success with it.

InterestingChickens said:

I am not against feeding chickens a properly formulated whole grain based feed. However I do not feed it as many people have had trouble with birds having a favourite grain and leaving the rest. There for missing out on some valuable nutrition. This is my personal choice. Others have had and still do have success with it.

Click to expand...

A lot depends on how much opportunity the birds have to forage, and the quality of whatever forage is available to them. And on how much the keeper trusts their birds' instincts, and how confident they are about knowing better than the chickens do about chicken food.

Are you in the US?
I agree, I would treat for lice/mites, if in the US then use a Permethrin based powder or spray. DE isn't going to be effective against and infestation.

Do check their crops to make sure they are emptying overnight. Since you've only had them for a few months, then consider getting a fecal float to see if worms and coccidiosis are part of the problem. Provide them with grit (crushed granite) free choice.

A photo of the label of the feed bag would be good.

InterestingChickens said:

The resoning behind this is too much dried feed can cause an impacted crop. I do recall @Wyorp Rock mentioning this a number of times. Please correct me if I am wrong. Thank you.

Click to expand...

Not sure what you are referring to?! Can you please provide Links to posts where I cited/mentioned this a number of times?

InterestingChickens said:

Change this as soon as possible. Scratch contains corn which can cause a condition called crop bound.

Click to expand...

My girls are doing great this morning, even yesterday evening they were taking a dust bath with all the others ! I live in Europe so I don't know if that product is available here but my father is looking for solutions. I will have to be monitoring carefully the next few days cause they are going to be very hot. The blue one's crop does feel more full than others. They don't have access to grit so I'll change that as soon as possible. I'll try what y'all said thank you so much for your help !

Feeding chickens leftover scraps are not a sustainable long term food source. Especially if this is their only food their eating.

I hope they get better soon.

Chicken poppy said:

Especially if this is their only food their eating.

Click to expand...

It's not, as you would know if you read the thread from the beginning or properly. Do you think throwing out random suggestions is helpful to someone who has a problem and has already provided enough info to eliminate your random thought?

Perris said:

A lot depends on how much opportunity the birds have to forage, and the quality of whatever forage is available to them. And on how much the keeper trusts their birds' instincts, and how confident they are about knowing better than the chickens do about chicken food.

Click to expand...

This thread is about the OP's birds getting sick. I think we're getting a bit side tracked here. I agree, it does depend on may factors, epically the quality of the land and space they have.

Wyorp Rock said:

Are you in the US?
I agree, I would treat for lice/mites, if in the US then use a Permethrin based powder or spray. DE isn't going to be effective against and infestation.

Do check their crops to make sure they are emptying overnight. Since you've only had them for a few months, then consider getting a fecal float to see if worms and coccidiosis are part of the problem. Provide them with grit (crushed granite) free choice.

A photo of the label of the feed bag would be good.



Not sure what you are referring to?! Can you please provide Links to posts where I cited/mentioned this a number of times?

Click to expand...

I realize that my wording was incorrect. What I meant to say is that dried corn can cause crop impaction if chickens consume it without access to grit. I may be mistaken about you posting this, but will see what I can find.

InterestingChickens said:

This thread is about the OP's birds getting sick. I think we're getting a bit side tracked here. I agree, it does depend on may factors, epically the quality of the land and space they have.

I realize that my wording was incorrect. What I meant to say is that dried corn can cause crop impaction if chickens consume it without access to grit. I may be mistaken about you posting this, but will see what I can find.

Click to expand...

We knew from post 3 that the OP's birds free range in the garden, therefore they can find their own grit. And therefore what forage is in the garden is directly relevant. You are the one who side-tracked the thread and threw in the red herrings.

Perris said:

It's not, as you would know if you read the thread from the beginning or properly. Do you think throwing out random suggestions is helpful to someone who has a problem and has already provided enough info to eliminate your random thought?

Click to expand...

I don’t have time to read through the whole thread, so i just said what i had saw at the beginning.
I don’t have time to go over this, im really busy right now.
But ill say this, if it doesn’t help anyone, don’t read it. I don’t think it gets much simpler then that.
Im just not quite sure what you want as a response to what you typed.