Broody, sick, or both?

[Swissmiss989]

I have a frizzel that was very bossy and demanding. One day I came home and shes in the nest box. We looked under her and she had eggs. We cleared the eggs and she stole more from the other girls. This kept going for a week or so. We kept kicking her out of the box to get food and water. Finally she ticked off my other hens so we moved her to a large rubber water tub, gave her a nest box and a light and food and water. She started to sound rattely with she would breath and would not come out to eat or drink. So we started feeding her watermelon. Now as of yesterday shes rattely and shes sneezing and weezing badly. Whats going on? Is this something that happens to broodys or was she sick the whole time? Best way to treat her? Please help

 

[bargain]

She does sound ill...She may have gotten stress with the move or her lack of eating, drinking earlier.

How large is the tub she's in... Do you have a light on it??? a lot of times the plastic items emmit odors that can trigger respiratory issues.

I would take her out of the tub and put her in an isolation area where she an walk a bit more.

Have you added any new poultry lately?

What color/substance is her pooh?

 

[Swissmiss989]

She was sick before the tub. (we used this tub as our winter brooder.) Yes she has a light. The tub is large enough 3 adults can sit in (cross legged) and still have room. Shes the only one in the tub. And her poop is kind runny (not totally water tho). She won't go to the bathroom unless I take her nest box away. Can her broody nature make her sick?

 

[Swissmiss989]

Oh and no new poultry. But I did buy hatching eggs for her because I don't own a rooster. I didnt wash them. Would that cause trouble?

 

[Uniontown Poultry]

Broodiness alone won't cause illness. However, broody hens eat less, drink less, and sometimes expose themselves to the elements, and these things can combine to weaken their resistance to infection and disease. This may be what happened with your hen. The good news is that she's isolated, so you can give her a treatment that's indidivualized (in case there is no sign of illness in your flock). And the light is a good idea for injured and sick poultry, because it enables them to burn their calories on other body functions (like the immune response) rather than for warmth. It also encourages thirst, and since most meds are water-soluable, this is a good thing.

I would not be too concerned about the eggs as the cause. Of course, you don't know the health of the flock the eggs came from, but generally, respiratory infections tend to come from stuff that chickens breathe in, just like our respiratory infections do. What's more, chickens are lower to the ground than us, and they dig in it with their claws, which can stir up bacteria & make it airborne, and then they put their face right down in the scratched-up earth and breathe in. And then there is dust-bathing! Because so many bacteria live in common soil, it it uber-important to keep your chickens healthy so they can fight off potential infections. Broodies are at a big disadvantage immune-wise. If you've got something in your soil that your chickens are kicking up - and ALL OF US DO - then this may be the reason she's the sicky and no one else is ill.

So, I'd recommend a good broad-spectrum antibiotic. If she's a favorite bird and you can manage it, I'd take her to the vet and have her examined, have a throat culture done, and get Rx that is designed to fight that particular microbe. But I am a crazy person (and strangely, I live w/in an hour's drive of THREE vets who treat chickens, which means I live in the Bermuda Triangle). If she is not a fave bird, or if the vet route is not possible, you still have a lot of options. But you will have to act fast. If she sounds like an old coffee percolator when she breathes, with a gurgling sound, then it might be bacterial pneumonia (very common & responds well to most antibiotics); it might also mean the air sacs are infected as well, which sometimes happens. It could also be CRD, or Chronic Respiratory Disease. You can 1) buy the water-soluable antibiotic that looks like it will tackle the infection & just give it to your girl; or 2) buy injectible antibiotic if you are comfortable sticking your chicken in the muscle or under the skin, if need be, and if you can get the needles & syringe for it; 3)you can try contacting Dr. Brown at First State Vet. I think you can call or email (if I were you I would call), and he can probably give you much more specific advise than I (he also sells medicine); or 4) you can search the board for respiratory ailment information (I am sure there are threads on this!), and see if there are more possibilities. NOTE - if you buy the antibiotics yourself at the farm/feed store, you may have to seek info on dosage from the board, as the packets all seem to be for like 100 birds, not 1. If using water-soluable, make sure you make a batch fresh every day & that your hen can get to it. A local vet or First State might be able to give you antibiotic pills, which you just kind of force her to take - this might be a good option since as a broody, her feed and water intake will be greatly reduced.

I hope this was helpful to you, and I wish you luck!

 

[Swissmiss989]

Thank you for all the time you have given me to help my flock and my beloved frizzel. I started her on antibiotic today. Shes sounding a bit better already! I won't count my chickens before they hatch of course but I will make sure I have the best odds possable! Ill make sure to update! Once again thanks!

 

[bargain]

Praying for her health and thank you for being such a caring person...Hope those eggs hatch as well! Nancy

 

[Swissmiss989]

Thanks everyone! My frizzel is now doing well! Still moody but I don't think they make chicken midol lol. We are also a little under 2 weeks for the hatch. Please cross your fingers for us!