2-3 Month Old Polish Hen Very Sleepy and Barely Eating

[ChickHick134]

Hello, just the other day I went to a local chicken swap and got myself two polish pullets. I am not familiar with the breed but have always wanted one. I got a one with a black body and white crest and the other one is a buff. I have been taking them out, letting them lay in my lap and noticed that the buff one is always very sleepy. If you just put her down on the grass she starts to fall asleep until she realizes her buddy is gone. Whenever she is not alerted by something such as a sound it seems like she is always trying to sleep! The black one is much more alert and active. They don't seem to eat as much as my other chickens. The day I got them I gave them a small Tupperware container full of medicated chick starter. And now it's been about a day and a half and the food has barely gone down a centimeter. Usually with other chickens I have they scoff down that food within an hour. The tupperware is a small one too, only maybe 3 inches on each side.

If anyone has any idea what to do please share! I already love these guys and don't want to make a foolish mistake.

 

[ChickHick134]

Bump

 

[Eggcessive]

New chcikens should always be in quarantine away from other birds for at least a month or more to watch for signs of illness. For birds under 20 weeks, and with new birds coming onto your ground from elsewhere, coccidosis can be a problem. Symptoms are lethargy, poor appetite, standing hunched or puffed up, ruffled feathers, and diarrhea sometimes with blood. If you think that might be the problem, I would treat with Corid for 5 days--2 tsp liquid (or 1.5 tsp powder) in a gallon of water is the dosage. The medicine won't hurt even if they don't have it. Worms could also be a problem, and I would check them for lice and mites.

 

[ChickHick134]

The polish hens are separated and my current flock is being treated for coccidosis because of some bloody poo and won't be integrated with the new ones until fully healed.

I have heard mites can be a problem for polish, do you know what works best at getting rid of them?

Thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

The new chickens would probably benefit from a low dose prevention of Corid once they are on your soil since you have had an outbreak. I would make sure there are mites on them first, but permethrin and 5% sevin dust are pretty standard treatment. They should be used every 7 days until mites are no longer seen, in order to kill the larvae. The coop, roosts, and nest boxes will also have to be completely cleaned out of shavings, and sprayed with permethrin or ravap also. Mites are much more difficult to control than lice. I don't know that polish have them any worse than others. Here is some info:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/818879/updated-corid-and-amprol-amprolium-dosing
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

 

[ChickHick134]

Alright, thanks for all the info and links!