Animal Problems...MANY

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I've had a rough time with the crits lately. I need to get your ideas on a few things...

1) One of my guineas hatched out some keets. She had six of them then the next day she had three. So I took the three and put them in a little brooder, I made them drink and gave them starter and a light and left them be. One was dead later. I checked the vents, all clear. The other two were acting weak as well, so I forced them to drink more and tried to get them to eat. They wouldn't eat. They both died, too. I didn't see any problems on them externally at all, stools were normal. What could have happened?

2) My rooster that had the crap knocked out of him is lingering here. I flush his eye socket twice a day or more with saline, force feed him broth of turkey starter and honey with a syringe, also give him water and antibiotics with a syringe. He fights like crazy to not eat and is still just sitting there. He won't eat at all on his own, nor drink. Should I leave him to his own devices at this point? It's been 8 days. He makes no sounds at all.

3) My goat that had triplets is running a fever...she was 104.5 last night. I drenched her with propylene glycol, have put her on LA200, giving her ID1 which is an immune system builder, and probios, I also gave a shot of B100 to her. I had troubles with the first LA200 shot, and I am afraid I hurt her leg...it swelled up and most of it ran out. Grrrr. She has a very fleshy, non smelly discharge. I have her in the birthing stall again, of course it's all cleaned out, but I still have flies. Should I put her in a pen in the woods so she can browse? Her back end seems weak, she is eating better this am. Do I continue to milk her out? Should I try to give her a douche? She is the one I am most concerned with...

4) I have a hen that decided to go broody on me....Do you Texans or deep southerners think I should let her sit them out? It's gonna be awfully hot in a nest box. Whattaya think?

Sorry for the barrage. But springtime is crazy and this year everything seems to have happened at once (even more than usual!) and I am feeling overwhelmed and underslept and not too sure of myself. prayers would be appreciated, too! thanks a ton!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), May 22, 2001

Answers

I don't know about the rest, but the chicken brooding in a nest box will be okay. If the temps get too high she will get off the box and return when it is cooler. The eggs will still hatch.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), May 22, 2001.

Vicki would be the one to ask about goat problems, but if she were my goat I would be giving her small amounts of pennyroyal. Triplets would realy stretch a uterus and there will be problems if it won't contract back to normal size. Pennyroyal will make it contract and expel all the contents. It doesn't take very much, either, it is a strong herb and too much is not good. If you must be invasive, a sterile gloved hand to clean out the uterus, but I think a douche would be a bad idea. Have you massaged her uterus or pressed on it from the outside? Nursing or milking also contract the uterus.

I think you are doing all you can for your rooster. When they hurt, they usually go off feed until they are better. I like the sticking his head in honey thing, he will be okay, if he's survived this long he should make it.

Keets, uhmmm, no clue.

I am also having my own springtime problems. I have three mares. Last night when my girls and family were on the lawn and we were enjoying the pastoral evening, my big foxtrotter hauled off and jack- assed the little 30 year old shetland with no warning. Nailed her right in the stifle and she is dragging her toe. We may have to put her down.

My daughter's horse is failing fast, too. She is getting 6 flakes of hay a day, almost 3 pounds of senior feed and as much grazing as she wants. I am worming her every 10 days and she still is losing weight, ribs sticking out, all the meat fell from her back and she won't gain. She keeps pulling a rear shoe so she can't be ridden and exercized which is the most important thing for her health.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), May 22, 2001.


What were the circumstances of the doe's kidding? Did you have to assist her, and did she expel all the placenta?

-- Rebekah Leaf (daniel1@itss.net), May 22, 2001.

I got a bunch of private emails about this...Thanks so much all of you!

The doe was doing better when I went back this afternoon. Temp 102.8, eating well and drinking well. I didn't have to go inside for the kidding. It was triplets and rough on her. I swear the first one had one leg back as he came through. Just as I was going to push him back in, she pushed him out. The others came through easily.She still has some of the "funky" discharge, but it doesn't smell. She doesn't have sweet breath, or odd smelling milk.

I did email and got good advice (of course!) which I am following from Vicki, but she is ill, has company and is definitely stressed, so I thought I'd throw this out here. I called my vet and he reccommended a shot of banamine, I did that this afternoon. Also I found ACTUAL penicillin and will be putting her on that instead of the LA200. I spoke with another lady from Goat 911 and described everything to her in more detail than I can probably go into here, she said that she might have partially retained some afterbirth and is just expelling it, reccommended that I get dexamethanone (??I wrote it down elsewhere) and give her an injection of that. I couldn't find any here, so I had my feedstore friend order it for me. The fact that she is interested in food and also showing less discomfort in her hindquarters is promising to me. Also, thankfully the fever is down.

I'll let the hen set, and thanks for that advice!! The keets...oh well. I tried. The rooster, well...I'll keep trying, but he has to try some himself. He's a nice rooster, and after the last one I had, I guess I appreciate him.

Laura, I'm sorry about your horses.....:(, I hope the pony heals up.

Thanks to everyone. I don't know what I would have ended up doing were it not for the wealth of info (and people!) I can access here on the net. God bless and let me know if you think of anything else.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), May 22, 2001.


Terribly sorry to hear about your good rooster. It certainly sounds like you have taken heroic measures with him. I think you are correct that he has to make an effort, too, for recovery. He has to will to live. Hope he will. I've not had luck with keets, either, but I thought it was because the mommas didn't know what they were doing, and because I had them in with the chickens. I'm surprised they died in the brooder like that. No clue. I agree that the hen should be okay to brood now. I don't think it is too late in the season yet. You know, I've gotten triplets twice with the goats, and both times they have been all bucks. lol.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), May 23, 2001.


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