Annie Yokely isn't well......

[rkelly01]

hi my little girl is about 22 weeks old maybe 21 weeks has not started laying she's one of four of my chicks and I came home to find her looking like this she's lethargic, i can stand her up but then she wobbles and lays right back down I tried to tell her she's egg bound but I couldn't she's just laying here kind of breathing heavy it's a little warm out so I brought her in the house and put her down on the floor on the cool tile but not sure what else to do or what to check....okay I was post this earlier but it didn't go I'm house-sitting for a friend and put her in the backseat of my car to drive her over with me in a bin to give her some alone time and she let out a squawk and passed on the way to where we were going so now I have lost my little girl I just wish I knew what had killed her

 

[theuglychick]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Such a beautiful little bird. You may be able to get a necropsy done to determine what happened.

 

[rkelly01]

I thank you I have not worked since May so I can't get that done I feel like a horrible mother

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

I am so sorry you lost your girl!

Could be almost anything from the description... I am not an expert or veterinarian either. However, I have a few questions about her illness that could possibly narrow it down (possibly) if you can't get a necropsy done.

• Was she under-weight/thin when you noticed her ill or was she otherwise healthy? (Weight loss can indicate whether it was sudden or gradual).
• Did she have strange droppings (diarrhea, odd color, etc..)?
• I noticed from the photo that there was a reddish splotch on the towel... Was that from her or already there before?

 

[rkelly01]

I am so sorry you lost your girl!

Could be almost anything from the description... I am not an expert or veterinarian either. However, I have a few questions about her illness that could possibly narrow it down (possibly) if you can't get a necropsy done.

• Was she under-weight/thin when you noticed her ill or was she otherwise healthy? (Weight loss can indicate whether it was sudden or gradual).
• Did she have strange droppings (diarrhea, odd color, etc..)?
• I noticed from the photo that there was a reddish splotch on the towel... Was that from her or already there before?

the red splotch is a design on the old towel I did notice some Berry looking droppings bright red almost look like berries in the dropping so she may have gotten ahold of some berries in the yard somewhere other than that she was healthy the day before I typically let them run during the day but I'm house-sitting so I was not home overnight but she was fine the previous day

 

[micstrachan]

I am so sorry for your loss. Coukd she have gotten into something poisonous whike free ranging?

 

[rkelly01]

I am so sorry for your loss. Coukd she have gotten into something poisonous whike free ranging?

I now believe that's exactly what happened. In addition to seeing 1 bright red dropping that looked like it had berries in it they may have been poisonous also I sprayed wasp spray so it could be some poison wasps eaten

 

[Poultrybreeder]

Sorry for your loss

 

[micstrachan]

So sorry.

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

W

I now believe that's exactly what happened. In addition to seeing 1 bright red dropping that looked like it had berries in it they may have been poisonous also I sprayed wasp spray so it could be some poison wasps eaten

What kind of wasp spray was it (i.e what was the active ingredient)? I did a little research on the subject and found that wasp spray is highly unlikely to cause death to chickens in a semi-sudden nature but is more of a concern when used around chickens long-term. However, it is still toxic and may cause illness to chickens when consumed. Because of this, I still highly advise using caution when you do use it... Many Backyard chicken owners present some non-toxic (absolutely safe for chickens) wasp killers/deterrents in this BYC thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wasp-chicken-coop-help.478794/

You can read more about how most wasp sprays effect different animals (as well as the chemistry behind it) here: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/wasp-hornet-yellow-jacket-spray-also-kill-bees-97290.html

The berry-looking manure is the most concerning. Again, I am no expert and am not giving a diagnosis, just presenting theories.

Usually, when chickens eat enough black-berries to cause discolored droppings, you can see tiny, lightly colored seeds upon close examination (with the naked eye) in their droppings.

Cocci is an illness that can cause symptoms similar to what your chicken displayed from your description (then again, many illnesses can so I am not being definite here at all). Depending on the type and severity of coccidia, the illness can be sudden or chronic (slow). Necrotic Enteritis is another one... but I know very little about that illness in chickens specifically...

You can read more about Necrotic Enteritis here: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/101/necrotic-enteritis/)

You can read more about cocci here: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/2/Coccidiosis Management/43/symptoms-and-diagnosis/)

I hope this is helpful! and again... I am very sorry for the loss of your bird... It is not a happy thing to lose one at all...