Ameracana Roo 6 or 7 years old. no audible wheezing. both eyes pussy/crusty swollen. Empty craw, nor

[goats2chickens]

I brought him into the house and put him in the tub as the bathroom doesn't have an air vent. I have recently introduced new chickens but the remainder of the flock appear healthy and happy. Bedding is grass hay. feed is lay pellets, scratch, scraps and goat milk. I have never had a sick chicken although I did have a bird die suddenly the day after bringing her home she was not exposed to the roo. I took pictures of his eye on each side but having trouble uploading same. Please tell me what to do.

 

[goats2chickens]

He did poop. It is light yellow and bubbly looking with some green vegetable matter in it. Oh, and he is standing and crowing.

 

[goats2chickens]

Well, I waited and waited but no one responded so I went to town to do my errands. Still no help so I combined, bread, Nutra-Cal, a pinch of sugar and a dab or oil, along with some buttermilk and cooked it then let it cool and poked it down his throat. (Well, most of it went down his throat!) I boiled a white rag and let it cool then cleaned his eyes and put some human lubricating drops in them. Lastly, I squirted about a quarter of a cc of Oxytetracycline down his throat and left him to rest. He pooped while I was gone again and it looks very much like the first poop. He has been inside for about 5 hours now and I haven't heard him crow since I returned home. I think he may die. I purchased some LS 50 and will be dosing the whole pen, but I don't know for how long I should be doing that so if anyone can hear me who has any ideas, Please, respond.

 

[goats2chickens]

The Oxytetracycline is an IV medication I have on hand for goats, BTW.

 

[MrsBrooke]

A picture would definitely help.

What evidence of trauma do you see?

Do you see any other flockmates exhibiting these signs?

Typically, swollen and crusty eyes are indicative of some kind of respiratory infection.

Yellow, foamy, runny poops can also indicate cecal worms. A parasitically overburdened chicken has a weakened immune system that can allow little respiratory infections to take hold when they would otherwise not bother them.

Intense green in poops are a sign of malnutrition. If he can't see, he can't eat or drink... I would do my best to pull his poor little eyes apart and rinse them with some saline solution and Vetericyn eye gel.

If he hasn't been drinking, dehydration will kill a chicken faster than anything. You've GOT to get liquid in him. I would go to Walgreens and get some Pedialyte as soon as possible. On your way home, track down some aquarium tubing and a 60cc syringe. Tube him 60-90cc and wait 30-45 mins. Tube again in 30-45 mins. Work your way up to tubing 120cc, tubing every half hour or so, for a total of two or so hours (four rounds of tubing). If he seems to be coming around, and you have a food processor, grind up some food and blend it with the Pedialyte... You can also get KayTee baby bird food, but that's expensive for tubing 120cc.... You'll want to tube food and liquids at least 90cc every four hours or so... just feel his crop to make sure it's emptying between each tubing.

This will keep him alive long enough for the treatment to work or for blood results to come back to determine whether he might have CRD or Infectious Bronchitis.

After we see him through the night, and he's feeling a little better, it couldn't hurt to give him a round of Valbazen liquid goat wormer to help him with any potential worms. It's 0.5cc for a standard bird (a little more if he's a big boy)... give him his first dose, and then a second dose in five days to treat for tapeworms, if he has any.

I am so very sorry for your troubles. I hope he pulls through.

MrsB

 

[goats2chickens]

I have Gatorade on hand how about that?

 

[goats2chickens]

Mrs B, will the tube for tubing the goats work?

 

[MrsBrooke]

The tube should be no more than an 18 gauge... It's got to be fairly small. I'm not sure about the tube for the goats. Also, when you tube, make sure to miss his trachea (opening at the base of his tongue).



Gatorade is not the worst, but it's really not the best... Do you feel you could make your own solution?

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 gallon of water

For one chicken, a whole gallon may be too much... Divide dosage as needed for half gallon, quart, etc.

MrsB

 

[goats2chickens]

Hello Mrs. B,
I went ahead with what I have on hand and he got about 50cc's of Gatorade. I have never tubed a chicken before and he did fight some so most of it went inside him.

 

[MrsBrooke]

They don't really like it at all... But I'm glad you were able to get some down him. It helps, and I forgot to mention, if you rub a little olive oil on the tube to help it slide. Slide it all the way down until it stops... Don't press too hard... It'll be in his crop. It'd a good idea to press the stopper, so that the tube is full before you insert it, otherwise, you fill him with a little air.

You did a great job! Three more to go!!!

MrsB