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[Taz2]

You  need CLKD's advice Meggie! Have you been on the Rivercottage forum? They seem to be very helpful in these sorts of things. http://community.rivercottage.net/users/Craftycarrot/forums/poultry/viewtopic/topic_id:23385

Have you got any treatment you can use for it? It sounds a horrible illness!

Taz x

[Meggie]

Flubevet is recommended wherever we look but unfortunately, for whatever reason, we can't get it to France and when we try and order it on-line it's rejected - obviously not approved here.  So, we have to try another course of action - we hope our internet order arrives soon as we need to get our birds treated as this is a killer.  The bird gasps for breath because the eggs (usually found in earthworms) stick to the back of the throat and attach the respiratory organs.  She's eating, in a fashion but if she runs across the enclosure to us she gasps four or five times because she's exhausted.

I do hope we can catch this in time - all the birds will need to be treated.

Meggie

[Taz2]

I read on one of the forums that you can extract the worms by using a fine paintbrush twirled in the back of the throat? Not sure which one it was though and not sure what you had to coat the brush in  do you have to keep her isolated?

taz x

[Taz2]

Hi Deefor - well done on taking care of the Crow. Are you getting any advice from a wildlife person? If you need any then I am sure my friends at HART Wildlife (Hampshire Animal Rescue Team) would be more than pleased to help http://www.hartwildlife.org.uk/ 

Taz x 

[Deefor]

Thanks, Taz - that might be very useful!  We no longer have a local wildlife hospital since our local one burned down and they didn't have the funds to start up again.    Our vets can advise (especially one of them who is especially good with unusual cases), and administer first aid, but they can't keep them in - they just don't have the facilities...

Incidentally, the crow is called Elliott.  The name came about in a very meno-brained way... as I was driving home with him, I thought I remembered a poem about starlings by T. S. Elliot I'd been taught during my English GCSE.  So I decided Elliot would be a good name.

I've since found out the poem was by Ted Hughes and it's about thrushes, but never mind, I like the name Elliott anyway... 

[Taz2]

It is a lovely name for a distinguished bird! Boredom is what besets captive crows I believe. I will try to find out some more info for you. I think that it will need a more varied diet than you are giving it at the moment and I seem to remember something about vitamin D being added to food as well. You will also have the problem of the crow becoming attached to you and being too tame to release into the wild unless you have it in an aviary. Do you know how old it is?

I think you were remembering this http://www.davyking.com/crow.htm   maybe?

Taz x

[Taz2]

Hi Again Deefor - I have done some searching and come up with this site which seems to be just the thing for you http://www.corvidaid.org/   There is a phone number too. I think you may need some advice as to feeding and trying to keep it as "wild" as possible. It is a difficult one as you are trying to help it but it is illegal (I believe) to keep a healthy wild bird captive.

Let us know how you get on!

Taz x

[Deefor]

Thankyou!   

[CLKD]

We have seen marsh harriers and bitterns at Minsmere: a spotted flycatcher from the B&B as our room over-looked a pond: red deer: marsh orchids ...........

[Meggie]

It looks like the problem with Gape Worm has been overcome - not noticed "Queen Elizabeth" (the name for our dark grey chicken) "gagging" today.  Fingers crossed !!!

Meggie

[CLKD]

Did you use medication?  One of ours gapes sometimes and my heart misses a beat but she's eating OK and laying .........

[Taz2]

If you scroll back a bit CLKD you will find the original post - it was while you were away so we couldn't ask you 

To change the subject... what's happened to Deefor?

Taz x

[CLKD]

I was wondering the same ............

[Taz2]

If you are reading this Deefor - come back - I will never know what's happened to the crow now 

Seriously, hope that you are ok and your sudden departure is not because you were upset by anything.

Taz x

[Meggie]

Did you use medication? 

Yes, we found a medication on the Internet.  In the UK, Flubenvet was the best possible medicine for this condition, which in extreme cases can kill. It is available via the Internet.

Unfortunately, we had to use another "all rounder" as nobody would post Flubenvet to France - it's not an approved medicine here.  We're happy to say that all's well now on the chicken front.

Meggie