Wiped out by worms... when is it time to cull? Should I just put her out of her misery?

[kichohana]

I have a very sick RIR/Partridge Rock cross pullet. She's about 16-20 weeks old and not laying yet. About 10 days ago, she started wheezing/sneezing and shaking her head a lot. Otherwise normal eating, drinking, foraging... I thought it was respiratory so I isolated her and treated her for 5 days with Tylan 50 orally. She didn't get any better and started opening her beak a lot to breathe, stretching out her neck, shaking her head, and making that sneezing/wheezing almost a honking sound.

I've moved her to a dog crate in the house to keep her warm and away from the rest of the flock. I've used Poultry Drench and some Poly Vi Sol in her water to boost her with some vitamins.

On Saturday after logging a lot of time on the boards here (thanks for all the info Dawg53) , and an email to the nearby (VERY EXPENSIVE) avian vet, I've pretty much determined she has tracheal worms - gapes. I immediately went to the nearby farm store and got Wazine 17 to treat the whole flock, plus Safeguard dewormer. Yesterday while sitting on my lap, I realized she is horribly emaciated. I doubt she weighs 3 lbs. She was sitting in my lap, eating kale, grapes and a bit of scratch. This morning she ate oatmeal and some blueberries.

We're on out 3rd day of dosing. Pea sized Safeguard on a bit of bread - and she's eating every bite. This morning there were 4 poops in her crate and they were FULL of dead worms. I immediately removed the bedding and cleaned it up. She's so weak she can barely stand up at this point. She's a lot worse today than yesterday. She's currently outside in a run on the grass in the sunshine - it's about 62 degrees here. She can't even stand up. She tries to move and just flops over.

I'll be very sad to put her down, but I'm wondering just how much suffering she (and I) can take. I want to give her every chance to get better, but she just seems so miserable.

Any advice on just how much longer I should keep trying?

 

[loanwizard]

If she is eating and drinking, I would keep it up. If she goes she goes. I don't mind culling but if you have gone to all this effort and she is still eating and drinking, she may be at the corner. Might bring her in tonight and get her under a heat lamp. Her fat reserves are all gone looks like.

Good Luck,

Shawn

 

[Judy]

I agree, as long as she is eating and drinking, I would give her a chance.

You might try to get more nutritious food into her than mostly fruit and greens. Maybe regular feed, moistened, or mixed with some oatmeal if she likes it. A little yogurt would give her some protein and help her gut. Any nutritious table scraps --- a bite of your hamburger, anything like that. Game bird feed has more protein than regular layer feed. Black oil sunflower seeds are good. Just think protein and carbs.

 

[kichohana]

She is eating plain yogurt too. I read that buttermilk is a good probiotic and doesn't go through them as fast as yogurt. I"ll try a mixture of her regular feed with oatmeal and some more protein table scraps. Scrambled egg perhaps?

She's so sweet and I don't want to let her go, but I don't want her to suffer either. She's my only "lap chicken" out of my flock of 5. She will again spend the night in the house since we're down into the teens tonight. I'd hate to put her down and have her just be turning the corner. I"m going to fight the good fight.

Thank you both for the advice. I just don't want to put my selfishness ahead of her health.

 

[loanwizard]

We all struggle with that.

Hoping for the best.

Shawn

 

[dawg53]

Give her scrambled egg mixed with buttermilk. Since she was infested with worms, she may not make it. All you can do is give it your best shot.