California - Northern

[HighNDryFarm]

sorry to keep bugging everyone today, but i'm not sure what to do at this point about my Lucy: she has eaten and drunk a little today, but still super-subdued... no other symptoms, but incredibly quiet/drifting off to sleep constantly. i've still got her by herself in the brooder, and she peeps softly whenever i go in to check on her, but then closes her eyes again. doesn't look particularly fluffy, and no blood in her stool.

but i'm wondering, should i go get some Corid and treat her (and/or everyone else) even if i'm unsure of the diagnosis? i don't want to over-react or over-medicate, but on the other hand don't want to just "hope it will go away" if i should be doing something?

thanks for any ideas/suggestions!
laura

I don't recall how old Lucy is. Knowing her age could make Marek's more or less of a concern since Marek's "usually" occurs in chickens under 16 weeks of age. In late Marek's the mortality can extend to 40 weeks of age.

Does she have room to walk around? If she doesn't then it'll be hard to tell if she had an injury and is better. I really don't have experience with sick chickens (I'm knocking on wood) but from what I read, I don't see why it would hurt to treat her with Corid although I think you would have lost her already if it was Cocci. I would also give her yogurt and ACV (not in a metal waterer, just a reminder). Good luck, hope she recovers soon.

By the way- the chicken legs I shared with the red feet - were HOPE's feet. Poor pullet. After doing a lot of research I am going to put down DE, mite strips, treat with pour on Ivermectin and instead of vaseline use Bag Balm (it has lanolin, vasoline and other goodies in it) to help with dry scales. Upon research - really the only good the thick balm (or vaseline) does is soften and help heal their dry damaged leg skin (not actually smothering anything except skin and helping seal in moisture). So I might as well use something that is more healing than just plain vaseline. I will treat all with the Ivermectin but I won't need to treat all with the bag balm. Not all of them have scaly looking feet. But I am keeping my eyes peeled for others. I think I am going to make a gentle herbal spray using grapefruit seed extract, tea tree oil and lavender oil too. Ought to be healing and soothing.

I think this a good plan. My husband believes Bag Balm is a cure all!

 

[zooweemama]

I don't recall how old Lucy is. Knowing her age could make Marek's more or less of a concern since Marek's "usually" occurs in chickens under 16 weeks of age. In late Marek's the mortality can extend to 40 weeks of age.

Does she have room to walk around? If she doesn't then it'll be hard to tell if she had an injury and is better. I really don't have experience with sick chickens (I'm knocking on wood) but from what I read, I don't see why it would hurt to treat her with Corid although I think you would have lost her already if it was Cocci. I would also give her yogurt and ACV (not in a metal waterer, just a reminder). Good luck, hope she recovers soon.
I think this a good plan. My husband believes Bag Balm is a cure all!

Growing up (NOT on a farm) it was my mom's neosporin. We grew up using it for everything lol!

Laura- I fed scrambled egg with plain greek yogurt mixed in. I think this is going to be my go-to food for sick chickens because they tolerate it well, not hard to digest and they gobble it up- full of good fats, high protein, omegas and I always have it on hand. You can try it if she doesn't want to eat the chicken feed. I hope Lucy recovers!

 

[cherylcohen]

We use VetRX on the legs and combs, it's an old-timers reccomendation

 

[Happy Chooks]

i had just hoped to add some isbars to the flock, and have them all be the same age, but now will have to re-think that strategy.

I have 2 splash Isbar boys I won't be keeping much longer. They are 12 weeks old.


I bury my chicks - I've had to cull a few from hatching issues and lost one during a nest box fight between a higher ranking hen and a broody.

 

[capayvalleychick]

I think I am going to make a gentle herbal spray using grapefruit seed extract, tea tree oil and lavender oil too. Ought to be healing and soothing.

Tea tree oil can be toxic to chickens.

Kim

 

[lawatt]

I don't recall how old Lucy is. Knowing her age could make Marek's more or less of a concern since Marek's "usually" occurs in chickens under 16 weeks of age. In late Marek's the mortality can extend to 40 weeks of age.

Does she have room to walk around? If she doesn't then it'll be hard to tell if she had an injury and is better. I really don't have experience with sick chickens (I'm knocking on wood) but from what I read, I don't see why it would hurt to treat her with Corid although I think you would have lost her already if it was Cocci. I would also give her yogurt and ACV (not in a metal waterer, just a reminder). Good luck, hope she recovers soon.

thanks -- Lucy is 11-12 weeks old, and yes, has plenty of room to walk around -- and is walking fine, when she does -- i just checked her again after my errand to the feed store, and she's standing/walking and took a few sips of water with ACV (i've only got plastic waterers, both here in the indoors brooder and out in their coop -- the coop one is a bucket with drinking nipples, so the water stays clean), but still very quiet.

i've offered her both yogurt and egg, not interested in either -- but none of my chickens are big egg eaters yet, the first time they loved it but have turned up their beaks ever since. i'll try her with some more yogurt later today, don't want to bug her too much.

all the other birds are active & healthy, and lucy's not sneezy or etc, just yellowy watery stool (sometimes with some more normal-looking dark solid matter, sometimes not) and subdued/sleepy.

thanks for the thoughts,
laura

 

[lawatt]

I have 2 splash Isbar boys I won't be keeping much longer. They are 12 weeks old.


I bury my chicks - I've had to cull a few from hatching issues and lost one during a nest box fight between a higher ranking hen and a broody.

unfortunately i can't have boys -- had ordered three isbars, hoping for at least one girl, and Richard kindly added a fourth as a bonus. poor little things, they would have been so pretty!

 

[Papa Brooder]

unfortunately i can't have boys -- had ordered three isbars, hoping for at least one girl, and Richard kindly added a fourth as a bonus. poor little things, they would have been so pretty!

regarding chick disposal. Usually now I just throw them in the trash. depending on how far away trash day is, I will freeze them in the freezer double bagged. at first I buried them all then ran out of room of acceptable burial places in my city lot in davis...though I don't think any place was supposed to be acceptable. now, the soil in redding is so rocky that it would take forever to bury them all. not sure what is truly the "right" thing to do with a dead chick, but that's what I do. so sorry about the arrival of dead chicks. Hate that feeling! richard is usually overly accomodating so hopefully you have already let him know.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Ah, I see.


Mary (The Sheriff) is in Auburn and sells Isbar chicks/eggs. I think she has extra chicks right now too, but not positive on that.

 

[zooweemama]

Quote:
Tea tree oil can be toxic to chickens.

Kim

Is it? Yikes! Some of the places I researched said they used it in some of their poultice type things on the birds. I'll have to look into it further. But lavender is ok right? Excuse my typos. Sent from my iPhone.