CrazyTownChick
Songster
We have 6 babies that are almost 8 weeks old - 3 Buff Orpingtons and 3 Golden Laced Wyandottes. Adorable and energetic and very active. We got them from Mcurray Hatchery, and they had been vaxed for mareks and Coccyx.
We also have 5 big girls who are over 3 years old and slowly dying off because they were hybrid production breeds and laid many eggs in the 3 years we've had them. I won't get into their breeds because this post is about the 8 week old babies.
Rather than give you all the background on our set up, which I think is working relatively well, Ill cut to the issue.
We have one Buff Orpington that has been acting sick for about a day. Ironically she is the biggest of them all, not a runt. I was watching her today and she hasn't been running and chasing and playing with the others, she's mostly lying down off to the side. Hiding a bit. I did see her Poop and it looked somewhat normal. They have access to chick feed and water all the time both in their Brooder in the run and outside their Brooder.
Today as I watched she came to the Treat plate that had quinoa, corn, and a little brown rice. The rest were scarfing it up. I did not see her take any, just look at it and peck a little.
She's definitely off. Her comb is just starting to develop so I can't tell if it would be drooping or off in color. Her tail is down and she squawks loudly if one of the others gives her a peck to tell her to get up. She seemed fine yesterday.
I'm thinking we should give her a small dose of Nutridrench in a syringe, since that's what we'd do for a big girl if she was low energy and not eating. Maybe followed by some water & a tiny bit of gatorade.
Any thoughts? This sort of illness is not unusual for our big girls and sometimes they recover and sometimes not. They are close to the end of their life cycles as production hens. But I wouldn't expect it in an 8 week old pullet.
What am I missing?
Update: We did give her a few drops of Nutridrench and water with gatorade this evening. Not sure what else to do. She runs when separated from the rest of the little flock, otherwise just stands all puffed up as in last pic.
We also have 5 big girls who are over 3 years old and slowly dying off because they were hybrid production breeds and laid many eggs in the 3 years we've had them. I won't get into their breeds because this post is about the 8 week old babies.
Rather than give you all the background on our set up, which I think is working relatively well, Ill cut to the issue.
We have one Buff Orpington that has been acting sick for about a day. Ironically she is the biggest of them all, not a runt. I was watching her today and she hasn't been running and chasing and playing with the others, she's mostly lying down off to the side. Hiding a bit. I did see her Poop and it looked somewhat normal. They have access to chick feed and water all the time both in their Brooder in the run and outside their Brooder.
Today as I watched she came to the Treat plate that had quinoa, corn, and a little brown rice. The rest were scarfing it up. I did not see her take any, just look at it and peck a little.
She's definitely off. Her comb is just starting to develop so I can't tell if it would be drooping or off in color. Her tail is down and she squawks loudly if one of the others gives her a peck to tell her to get up. She seemed fine yesterday.
I'm thinking we should give her a small dose of Nutridrench in a syringe, since that's what we'd do for a big girl if she was low energy and not eating. Maybe followed by some water & a tiny bit of gatorade.
Any thoughts? This sort of illness is not unusual for our big girls and sometimes they recover and sometimes not. They are close to the end of their life cycles as production hens. But I wouldn't expect it in an 8 week old pullet.
What am I missing?
Update: We did give her a few drops of Nutridrench and water with gatorade this evening. Not sure what else to do. She runs when separated from the rest of the little flock, otherwise just stands all puffed up as in last pic.
