Hi lovely poultry folk,
I've got a tough one for you all. I've been caring for chooks for 20 years and I've dealt with all sorts of illnesses with rescues and for friends, but I'm stumped this time...
Pineapple (pekin bantam) was given to me in a group of elderly hens that were otherwise going to get the chop. She was small and light, looked like she was too young to lay by the paleness of her face and her small comb and wattles. She still cheeped like a chick sometimes. She was fully feathered and appeared mature otherwise, though small.
I couldn't find anything wrong with her, no lumps or bumps, healthy eyes, beak and nares, poos seem normal... I gave her extra feeds with Anitone and bird probiotics, wormed her, but a year later she is still small and thin. She enjoys food, but doesn't seem to get energy from it well, or perhaps she can't store fat normally? I have wondered if her liver is not functioning correctly.
Six weeks ago she got a canker or abscess in her mouth, (cheesy yellow plug) and I took her to the vet, who treated her with antibiotics for possible infection and Flagyl for the possible trich. The swab came back showing lots of bacteria, mainly strep and staph, and some large cells but no visible flagella. Vet didn't rule out trich and we treated with both meds twice daily for ten days.
She responded well to the meds, her mouth cleared up and for the next few weeks she had more colour and energy. The rooster even began to mate with her, much to her surprise and dismay.
Suddenly this week Pineapple seems really run down, extra thin, extra pale and if she's not eating she's asleep. She's always been low energy and thin. I have assumed she had a congenital issue from genetics or some deficiency as a chick.
I have her on extra rations - cooled porridge, Neocare baby bird formula, and scrambled eggs, three times a day. She's not looking any better. I have treated her with an individual dose of praziquantel in case she has a heavy worm load, no effect.
I've been thinking back to how she apparently picked up with the antibiotics and Flagyl, and wondered if any of you have any thoughts around that? Could she have a long term infection of some internal organ that has caused her to be small and weak? Or is there a protozoan that might be causing her to be ill?
If she was your heart chook (and I do end up falling in love with the quirky cases, she's so darn friendly and sweet), would you get her back on the meds? Or just one or the other to rule things in/out?
I really appreciate any thoughts you can share
1) What type of bird , age and weight - Pekin bantam, 350g, underweight, can feel her whole keel bone like a knife.
2) What is the behavior, exactly? - tired, eating but not putting on weight.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? - over a year, but worse for a week.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? - no, my 8 other Perkins are healthy and round.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. - no.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. -unknown. She came to me like this as a rescue.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. - I fed all my chickens Red Hen 17 twice a day, plus greens and fresh water daily. Pineapple has been having Neocare baby bird formula, porridge and scrambled eggs in addition 3x a day.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. - normal to runny.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? - as outlined above.
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 am happy to pay for the vet and/or meds.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. n/a
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use - Timber loft house, sharp sand bedding, twice yearly treated for red mites. Chooks are all treated twice yearly with lvermectin for lice and mites, and once yearly with praziquantel for tapeworm.
I've got a tough one for you all. I've been caring for chooks for 20 years and I've dealt with all sorts of illnesses with rescues and for friends, but I'm stumped this time...
Pineapple (pekin bantam) was given to me in a group of elderly hens that were otherwise going to get the chop. She was small and light, looked like she was too young to lay by the paleness of her face and her small comb and wattles. She still cheeped like a chick sometimes. She was fully feathered and appeared mature otherwise, though small.
I couldn't find anything wrong with her, no lumps or bumps, healthy eyes, beak and nares, poos seem normal... I gave her extra feeds with Anitone and bird probiotics, wormed her, but a year later she is still small and thin. She enjoys food, but doesn't seem to get energy from it well, or perhaps she can't store fat normally? I have wondered if her liver is not functioning correctly.
Six weeks ago she got a canker or abscess in her mouth, (cheesy yellow plug) and I took her to the vet, who treated her with antibiotics for possible infection and Flagyl for the possible trich. The swab came back showing lots of bacteria, mainly strep and staph, and some large cells but no visible flagella. Vet didn't rule out trich and we treated with both meds twice daily for ten days.
She responded well to the meds, her mouth cleared up and for the next few weeks she had more colour and energy. The rooster even began to mate with her, much to her surprise and dismay.
Suddenly this week Pineapple seems really run down, extra thin, extra pale and if she's not eating she's asleep. She's always been low energy and thin. I have assumed she had a congenital issue from genetics or some deficiency as a chick.
I have her on extra rations - cooled porridge, Neocare baby bird formula, and scrambled eggs, three times a day. She's not looking any better. I have treated her with an individual dose of praziquantel in case she has a heavy worm load, no effect.
I've been thinking back to how she apparently picked up with the antibiotics and Flagyl, and wondered if any of you have any thoughts around that? Could she have a long term infection of some internal organ that has caused her to be small and weak? Or is there a protozoan that might be causing her to be ill?
If she was your heart chook (and I do end up falling in love with the quirky cases, she's so darn friendly and sweet), would you get her back on the meds? Or just one or the other to rule things in/out?
I really appreciate any thoughts you can share
1) What type of bird , age and weight - Pekin bantam, 350g, underweight, can feel her whole keel bone like a knife.
2) What is the behavior, exactly? - tired, eating but not putting on weight.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? - over a year, but worse for a week.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? - no, my 8 other Perkins are healthy and round.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. - no.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. -unknown. She came to me like this as a rescue.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. - I fed all my chickens Red Hen 17 twice a day, plus greens and fresh water daily. Pineapple has been having Neocare baby bird formula, porridge and scrambled eggs in addition 3x a day.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. - normal to runny.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? - as outlined above.
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 am happy to pay for the vet and/or meds.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. n/a
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use - Timber loft house, sharp sand bedding, twice yearly treated for red mites. Chooks are all treated twice yearly with lvermectin for lice and mites, and once yearly with praziquantel for tapeworm.
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