Urgent Response Requested: Silkie pullet found lifeless in coop.

[Clifton sanders]

On Tuesday I found her lifeless in the pen. She was just fine 3 hours ago. The other 7 were just fine. and still are. She is alive but basically limp in my arms. I have been able to get food down her and some liquids. Limited Tuesday but more on Wedn and Thursday. She will swallow any food I put in her mouth: watermelon, wet bread, smashed blueberries, scrambled egg. Her Poo is yellow ish.

I took her to the vet on Thursday. He said she didn't have worms or anything from the poop float test. He mentioned it could be botulism as it was so sudden. She weighed only 1.6 lbs and was underweight. I've been clipping the head feathers as she and others have head poofs that cover a lot of their vision. I allow the birds to free range under supervision an hour or so daily. I have been noting that the crop is full in the morning since I've been feeding her. The vet said that bc she is malnourished, that it affects the muscles of the body in a neurologic way. Ive observed her head with uncontrolled movements. He recommended liquids and baby food in her for energy and antibiotics 2x daily for 5 days.

I'm concerned that her crop is full in the morning and that it isn't passing to the stomach. How she will get better if the muscles aren't contracting in the stomach and the food stays in the crop, how will she get nutrition? Can I massage the crop to assist it into the stomach?

Is there a weight scale that I can go by to know if my other silkie chickens are underweight? How much should she weigh at 5 months?

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC, and sorry about your silkie. Crops may slow down or stop working normally with other illnesses. Does she have access to chicken granite grit to help her gizzard grind food? There are inexpensive kitchen scales at Walmart that weigh in grams and pounds to get a baseline weight. Her weight sounds about what mine weighed. You can massage her crop several times a day. Is it puffy or firm?

It is good that you got a fecal float, but I might be tempted to still go ahead and treat with Corid for possible coccidiosis. It certainly won’t hurt her. She could have Mareks disease, which can suddenly cause some of her symptoms. It cannot be diagnosed accurately without a necropsy after death. Mareks causes a myriad of different symptoms that may differ in each chicken.

Botulism could probably be ruled out, since it causes flaccid paralysis starting at the feet and legs, progressing up the spinal cord to the wings, neck, and eyelids. It also kills in less than a day. She could have some other type of poisoning from lead, chemical spills, or other chemicals used around the area.

I would offer fluids with electrolytes, or use Poultry NutriDrench a couple of drops daily. You could learn to tube feed her temporarily if you wish, but her crop would need to work. Can she stand up and walk at all?

 

[Clifton sanders]

Thank you Eggcessive for your response. My chickens free range under supervision but otherwise I haven't added any grit. She's swallowing a lot more for me. Day one she would hold her wet bread and make no attempt to swallow but eventually would. Day 3 she swallows immediately 3 or four pieces and then I give her a break. I started massaging her crop last night and this morning to try to promote its movement further into her gizzard for digestion. Her crop is soft as Ive been feeding her scrambled eggs, small watermelon pieces and other soft food. She's opening her eyes for greater time amounts, but is still lifeless as far as active movement. She did flap her wings this morning but more reflexive than purposeful. The vet ruled out worms and cocci. We don't use any kind of chemicals in the yard due to the chickens. I have been giving polyvisol in the morning followed by a small piece of watermelon to promote swallowing. I also added rooster booster to her water which I soak to bread. I stopped trying to give straight water bc she made no attempts to swallow it. I ordered several things on weds including Nutri-dench and VetRX that should arrive today or tomorrow. SHe's holding on. Thanks so much for your feedback. Is there some sort of chart for their weights? Do you think 1.6 lbs is underweight for a silkie at this age? She hatched on April 27/28? thanks again.

 

[Eggcessive]

I don’t know of any weight charts. Here is a link I found, but size and weight can vary:
https://www.chickenforum.com/threads/what-are-silkies-their-normal-weight.12621/

Is that your only silkie to compare weights? I hate to even mention the word Mareks, but it certainly could be a possibility, since her fecal was negative. I don’t always trust them. Here is some reading about Mareks, which may cause one or more symptoms:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Hoping your sweet Sikie improves!
Bear hugs!

 

[Clifton sanders]

Thank you. I’ll check out the links. I’m doubtful it’s marejs but anything is possible. I have 8 total silkies same age. All the others are doing fine.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are a couple of good articles about crop problems on how to recognize and treat them, just in case:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...d-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments.67194/

 

[Clifton sanders]

Here are a couple of good articles about crop problems on how to recognize and treat them, just in case:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...d-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments.67194/

Thank you again for your assistance. She's still with me. Day 4. She's keeping her eye on me now and is swallowing several pieced of food at a time without it just sitting in her beak. Time will tell I guess.

 

[Eggcessive]

I hope that you can nurse her back to good health. Keep an eye on her crop in early morning, to make sure it is working. Some foods I will try with a sick chicken are cooked chopped egg, canned tuna or salmon which you can rinse to lessen salt, beef liver in very small amounts. Adding a lot of water to a small bowl of chicken feed is also good, and other things can be added to that. I use a tsp of plain yogurt mixed in for probiotics.

 

[Clifton sanders]

I hope that you can nurse her back to good health. Keep an eye on her crop in early morning, to make sure it is working. Some foods I will try with a sick chicken are cooked chopped egg, canned tuna or salmon which you can rinse to lessen salt, beef liver in very small amounts. Adding a lot of water to a small bowl of chicken feed is also good, and other things can be added to that. I use a tsp of plain yogurt mixed in for probiotics.

She's not emptying her crop. Ive been massaging it and gently trying to encourage it down into her and it must be working to some degree as she has pooped a small amount yesterday and today. Im keeping a close eye on her pooping. Makes sense that if she isn't eating she isn't pooping and vice versa. Thanks for the suggestions about food. Im doing most of that. Fingers crossed.