Paralyzed pullet

[casportpony]

Look up poultry lice, I bet that's what you're seeing on the feathers. The bugs don't bother me as much as the scabs, those *could* be an indication that she has cutaneous Marek's. Scabs alone wouln't worry me, but scabs and not able to walk? What do her eyes look like?

-Kathy

 

[Ladyfish]

Her eyes look healthy, not clouded over like I've seen in some photos of other sick birds. But she very rarely opens them anymore. This is the most I've seen an eye open since she became sick.

 

[casportpony]

If you want to keep her alive you'll have to start tubing her or she's going to die from dehydration and starvation.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Read this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Today is day three? They can go a couple of days without water, but three days is really pushing it. Is there mucus in her mouth?

-Kathy

 

[Ladyfish]

Thanks, Kathy. We are amateurs when it comes to this, but we are going to give it a shot since she's no longer swallowing anything I put in her mouth. Seems to be the only choice. Thank you.

 

[Ladyfish]

Today is day three. She was allowing me to give her about 10 drops each hour in her mouth and she would swallow it. I was mixing it with an electrolyte powder. Today, she won't swallow it and is breathing from her mouth. She's had a little bit of mash mixed with water today but you can see in the photos a bit of it is still in her mouth.

How much food is the correct amount to tube feed? Also considering she has nothing in her system, I don't want to give her too much at once.

 

[casportpony]

Today is day three. She was allowing me to give her about 10 drops each hour in her mouth and she would swallow it. I was mixing it with an electrolyte powder. Today, she won't swallow it and is breathing from her mouth. She's had a little bit of mash mixed with water today but you can see in the photos a bit of it is still in her mouth.

How much food is the correct amount to tube feed? Also considering she has nothing in her system, I don't want to give her too much at once.

Mouth breathing is often a sign that the dying process has started. Fluids alone I would guess that she needs about 100ml per day, maybe more (that's about 3 ounces or more). Hydration *must* be corrected *before* she is force fed. Think about it, if one is sick and in the hospital, what's the first thing that happens? IV, right? Same applies here except that most birds are given fluids orally or subcutaneously. Do you have a syringe? If so, go look in your toilet tank and see if it has a tube that you could use to tube fluids.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Just to be clear, the 100ml is per day, *not* all at once. If she were mine I would start by giving her 25-30ml of sugar water, gatorade or pedilalyte every 4-6 hours. I am available by phone to guide you step-by-step.

-Kathy