1) What type of bird , age and weight.
female australorp, age 7 weeks, weight unknown.... 1 lb or less I guess. Much, much smaller than my 7 week or my 5 week australorp.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Standing around puffed up with her head pulled back and resting between her shoulders. For about one week she only stood up, but then she began moving around more and would lie down. I thought she was feeling better, but today she is much worse again. She does eat and drink water. She is not an adventurous eater and not interested in any treats, such as scrambled eggs or strawberry tops that the other girls go crazy for. She will look at them, and even follow another bird who is running with a treat, but she will not eat any, or she will taste it and then go get the Start & Grow instead.
I isolated her in the daytime for about a week and she seemed to improve. She would cry when the other chicks would leave the brooder box in the morning, but she could not fly out. She would try to fly and crash into the side of the box.
Today she was drinking water & other chicks came to the waterer. One stepped on her and she fell and could not get up. At that point I put her back into the brooder box. She has been eating and drinking in there, and apparently sleeping. She looks like she is sleeping. She is not crying for her sisters, which is very unusual for her. Up until now she has cried and cried when separated from them.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Two weeks. I first noticed this behavior on Tuesday, 2 weeks ago tomorrow.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No. The day before this chick, Maud, began this behavior, my araucana, Hazel, was puffed up and pulling her head back in the same way. But the next day Hazel was fine and then Maud started doing it also. I thought since Hazel did this for a few hours that Maud would also improve, but she did not.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No, not at all.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I have no idea. They had been out in the tractor for a few hours on Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
I ran out of wood shavings when I cleaned their brooder box, so I put in some straw that I had. They had started out on this straw and had not had any problems, so I did not anticipate it making any of them sick.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
She is eating Start & Grow and drinking city water. However, I picked her up today and felt her all over. She feels very bony. She has lost weight since last weekend when I did this. Her crop is swollen and hard. I tried massaging it gently and she screamed and cried, so I stopped.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
The poop looks normal. I do not see anything unusual about her poop.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I have tried isolating her from the other chicks. She cries for them and seems stressed. I let them sleep together at night for warmth. After about a week of this, she was much stronger, less puffy and more active, so I put them back together 3 or 4 days ago in the daytime as well. She is not as active as the other chicks, but she likes to walk around and scratch for food on the floor, and she seems liked by the other chicks. She has a friend. Another Australorp, Alma, who is 2nd in command seems very fond of her and will not follow the other chicks back into the brooder if Maud cannot come. Alma will sit on the side of the tub where she can see both Maud and the other hens, as if she refuses to abandon Maud. She also often stands beside her with their sides touching, or snuggles next to her to sleep. Very sweet. Sorry for the ramble.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I do not see taking a chicken to the vet. I don't have the finances for that. I am a single mom on a limited income.
If I knew the vet had some treatment that would definately be effective I might feel differently. My experience with birds tells me there is not much you can do if they are going to get sick and die, whether or not a vet is involved.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Will try to get one, but I don't know if it will tell you much. Just picture a puffed up black chicken who is not growing. :-(
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
These chicks have been in my bathroom since I brought them home at approx. age 2 days. The brooder box is in the bathtub, and I pull the sliding shower doors almost closed to isolate Maud in there in the daytime. The other chicks have had the run of the bathroom (disgusting, I know, but you do what you gotta do when your chicken tractor plans fall through).
I have pine shavings in the brooder box, which is a large Rubbermaid tote. I put a cottage cheese container of water in with Maud and a small container of Start & Grow. I was trying treats in there for her, but she was not interested in them so I stopped doing that. She likes the Start & Grow dry or mixed with a little water.
If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I thought she was doing better, but today I am concerned again that she is not going to make it.
Can this chick be saved?
female australorp, age 7 weeks, weight unknown.... 1 lb or less I guess. Much, much smaller than my 7 week or my 5 week australorp.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Standing around puffed up with her head pulled back and resting between her shoulders. For about one week she only stood up, but then she began moving around more and would lie down. I thought she was feeling better, but today she is much worse again. She does eat and drink water. She is not an adventurous eater and not interested in any treats, such as scrambled eggs or strawberry tops that the other girls go crazy for. She will look at them, and even follow another bird who is running with a treat, but she will not eat any, or she will taste it and then go get the Start & Grow instead.
I isolated her in the daytime for about a week and she seemed to improve. She would cry when the other chicks would leave the brooder box in the morning, but she could not fly out. She would try to fly and crash into the side of the box.
Today she was drinking water & other chicks came to the waterer. One stepped on her and she fell and could not get up. At that point I put her back into the brooder box. She has been eating and drinking in there, and apparently sleeping. She looks like she is sleeping. She is not crying for her sisters, which is very unusual for her. Up until now she has cried and cried when separated from them.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Two weeks. I first noticed this behavior on Tuesday, 2 weeks ago tomorrow.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No. The day before this chick, Maud, began this behavior, my araucana, Hazel, was puffed up and pulling her head back in the same way. But the next day Hazel was fine and then Maud started doing it also. I thought since Hazel did this for a few hours that Maud would also improve, but she did not.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No, not at all.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I have no idea. They had been out in the tractor for a few hours on Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
I ran out of wood shavings when I cleaned their brooder box, so I put in some straw that I had. They had started out on this straw and had not had any problems, so I did not anticipate it making any of them sick.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
She is eating Start & Grow and drinking city water. However, I picked her up today and felt her all over. She feels very bony. She has lost weight since last weekend when I did this. Her crop is swollen and hard. I tried massaging it gently and she screamed and cried, so I stopped.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
The poop looks normal. I do not see anything unusual about her poop.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I have tried isolating her from the other chicks. She cries for them and seems stressed. I let them sleep together at night for warmth. After about a week of this, she was much stronger, less puffy and more active, so I put them back together 3 or 4 days ago in the daytime as well. She is not as active as the other chicks, but she likes to walk around and scratch for food on the floor, and she seems liked by the other chicks. She has a friend. Another Australorp, Alma, who is 2nd in command seems very fond of her and will not follow the other chicks back into the brooder if Maud cannot come. Alma will sit on the side of the tub where she can see both Maud and the other hens, as if she refuses to abandon Maud. She also often stands beside her with their sides touching, or snuggles next to her to sleep. Very sweet. Sorry for the ramble.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I do not see taking a chicken to the vet. I don't have the finances for that. I am a single mom on a limited income.
If I knew the vet had some treatment that would definately be effective I might feel differently. My experience with birds tells me there is not much you can do if they are going to get sick and die, whether or not a vet is involved.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Will try to get one, but I don't know if it will tell you much. Just picture a puffed up black chicken who is not growing. :-(
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
These chicks have been in my bathroom since I brought them home at approx. age 2 days. The brooder box is in the bathtub, and I pull the sliding shower doors almost closed to isolate Maud in there in the daytime. The other chicks have had the run of the bathroom (disgusting, I know, but you do what you gotta do when your chicken tractor plans fall through).
I have pine shavings in the brooder box, which is a large Rubbermaid tote. I put a cottage cheese container of water in with Maud and a small container of Start & Grow. I was trying treats in there for her, but she was not interested in them so I stopped doing that. She likes the Start & Grow dry or mixed with a little water.
If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I thought she was doing better, but today I am concerned again that she is not going to make it.
Can this chick be saved?
