please help keep my chicken alive

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jenx86

jenx86

Hatching
5 Years
Oct 30, 2014
8
0
7
Hello, I have a chicken who has stopped eating and drinking and is always sleepy and now can only walk a few steps before falling head first into the floor or onto her right side. She has lost weight due to not eating, she will only take honey water and that's if she has her beak opened and the water put in her mouth. Can anyone give me any ideas what it could be? She is currently away from the coop qnd in a box at home to try and make her better. I am starting to think the worse but Hoping someone could help me bring her back to health.she is showing no signs of injury or illness, not got runny nose, no eggs stuck, pooing Ok and no blood, she is 13 months old
 
Is she dragging a leg or limping, or is she falling just because she is extremely weak? Does she sit on her hocks (elbows) or have any curling under of her toes? Can you try giving her some egg or canned tuna to tempt her to eat? Putting water over her feed may also be tempting. Electrolytes and vitamins should be added to her water, and some come with probiotics, which are beneficial.
 
She isn't limping think it's more that she is weak so not walking properly, she is sitting Ok and no curling of toes. Doesn't even grip your hand if out hand under her foot. She isn't even holding her wings up they just hanging by her side. She also if sticking her chest bone out and got her head right back.
 
And how can I worm her if she not eating can you get in liquid form and defo no mites
 
Her toes should react and curl around your fingers if touched. Hanging wings does not sound good at all. If she has wry neck or torticolis in addition, then I would start suspecting it could be neurological--possibly, but only possibly Mareks disease.
Valbazen is a liquid wormer, and Safeguard liquid goat wormer is very good too. Worming should be done --1/2 ml given orally of either wormer, then repeat in 10 days. If she should die, I would refrigerate (not freeze) her body in a plastic bag, and get a necropsy done by your state vet. I really hope it doesn't come to that, and that you can save her. Here is a link for that: http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf
 
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No her head isn't that far back it's resting on her and up the right way butane has got it as far back as she can and is sticking her breast bone right out. Vet spoke on phone and doesn't know what it is. Has no symptoms of anything apart from sleepy, not eating or drinking, a little under weight but that's due to no food. Vet asked loads of questions about her and like I said no symptoms at all. He is trying to find a veterinary practice that covers chickens near me.
 
I'm not sure I know what you mean about the position of her head... any chance you can post a picture of her?

The picture I linked to of wry neck is about as extreme as it gets. There are certainly milder forms that are still considered wry neck. If she is holding her head in a weird, somewhat contorted position, it's wry neck. Wry neck can be caused by vitamin E deficiency, so if she has it, it can't hurt to give her a vitamin E supplement. But it can also be caused by injury (like a severe peck to the head, especially for Silkies and Polish chickens) or diseases like Marek's.

If I'm misunderstanding and she doesn't have wry neck, but just has lack of appetite, weakness, and droopy wings, those could be symptoms of so many things, it's hard to know what's going on. :(
 
Coccidiosis is something to always consider if they are lethargic, puffed up, have no appetite, have diarrhea (which you said she did not,)and are weak. Corid or amprollium is the treatment of choice, but Sulmet can be used as well if Corid is not available. Since she is older than the usual age for cocci, but some chickens can still get it at this age. I recently had a hen with a blocked gizzard who had similar symptoms to your hen's before she died. Many times it takes ruling out anything we can think of to help them.
 

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