CAN ANYBODY HELP AT ALL?? 3 week old chicken acting strange

[stillmecle]

I have a 3 week old chicken that is acting strange. The black one acts like it can't walk. When it does, it acts like its feet are really sore. She isnt drinking very well or eating much either. Plus I am not sure what kind she is. I am new to chickens, and she was given to me as extra eggs.

 

[stillmecle]

Does anybody have any ideas???

 

[klmclain1]

Without more info...the only thing I can think of it to give them some polyvisol (liquid baby vitamins). You can put it in their water. What food are you feeding them?

 

[cafarmgirl]

Do they by any chance seem to be drinking more then usual? Is their poop looking odd or different? Are they on medicated chick starter? Have you checked them for mites/lice?

Sorry for all the questions but chickens often present vague symptoms and generally by the time they even display any symptoms it's usually because they are really feeling crummy.

So my first thoughts would be coccidiosis or parasites. Just a starting point.

 

[stillmecle]

She acts like it is having troubles walking. Almost like her feet are hurting her. Or her leg muscels. I can't think of what could be wrong with her.,

I am not sure what mites or lice on chickens look like. i did notice though that she has no feathers on her chest. there is some white scaley flakey stuff that comes off of her.

I feed 22% gamebird crumble feed. I also put save a chick, polyvisol, and some white cidar vinegar with alittle bit of sugar in their water. everybody else is acting fine except this black chick. she just acts like she can't walk.

 

[stillmecle]

I really need some help on this chicken. I don't want to lose her because she is so friendly and quiet. Any ideas or things that I can try?? Please help me.

 

[Lacrystol]

She could have been born with a deformity, something you can't help. You could try some B-2, it's made for legs and leg muscles, I don't know if it will help to be honest. I have had a chicken similar, the older she got the weaker she got in the legs, she lived for a about 8 months after losing most of control in her legs. She was just hoping around using her wings and barely walking. My guess was something she was born with because no other symtoms were showing. She tried so hard to keep up with the others..

 

[Lacrystol]

Try this to get her to eat, get some food and soak it with warm water, I don't know why but for some reason Chickens LOVE this and the crazy part it's just there every day food. If she does eat Dont stress about her drinking, by softening up the food, there's plenty of water in it. So you can hit two birds with one stone. Wait that doesn't sound right on a chicken website. LOL..

 

[Lacrystol]

The chicken doctor told me it's really hard to tell what's causing leg problems because there could be so many problems going on. I would at least try to get her to eat more, try the soften food. Bald belly? Hum can I get a picture of that, that could be two things, one mites or lice for that i use Seven dust, i will put the chicken in a bag with her head out and shake it on the chicken then flip the chicken upside to get under the wings. So if mites or lice isn't the problem with the missing feathers on her belly it could be because she lays down a lot on it and has rubbed them off. She's to young to be going broody and wrong time to be molting. Another ideal could be to look and see if she has any kind of a rash, is her skin red and irriated? Check the bottoms of her feet, see if she has any cuts or sores, if not then check her legs, maybe she broke a small bone, move it and see if you can feel any popping maybe it's out of place. Like i said there could be a thousand things with the legs.

 

[stillmecle]

The chicken doctor told me it's really hard to tell what's causing leg problems because there could be so many problems going on. I would at least try to get her to eat more, try the soften food. Bald belly? Hum can I get a picture of that, that could be two things, one mites or lice for that i use Seven dust, i will put the chicken in a bag with her head out and shake it on the chicken then flip the chicken upside to get under the wings. So if mites or lice isn't the problem with the missing feathers on her belly it could be because she lays down a lot on it and has rubbed them off. She's to young to be going broody and wrong time to be molting. Another ideal could be to look and see if she has any kind of a rash, is her skin red and irriated? Check the bottoms of her feet, see if she has any cuts or sores, if not then check her legs, maybe she broke a small bone, move it and see if you can feel any popping maybe it's out of place. Like i said there could be a thousand things with the legs.

I checked her legs and there is no noise or popping feeling. I have checked her feet and they don't have any cuts or anything that I can see, except of course for the hair that she has growing on them. I put her in what I call "the hospital" by herself and gave her some moistened feed and she is eating ok. Her poop looks normal too. I see some of the other chickens are pulling their feathers out too. Could this be mites? I looked and looked and couldn't see anything on their skin and feathers but I know that mites and lice are so hard to see. My baby donkeys had lice and I had to use Seven on them.

Is it ok to use Seven on all of them just as a precaution? I also have baby ducks and geese in with the chickens right now until everybody gets big enough to go outside and also until it warms up at night.

I will leave her in the hospital and see if she starts coming around. But I do want to know if I can use Seven on everybody, except the ducks and geese as they are not showing any signs. Or should I just douch everybody??