I have a Golden sex link that typically has a bright red comb. Lately her comb has turned orange (pale) and she is sluggish. I often find her laying down in the middle of the yard with her eyes closed. My wife and I are going to isolate her to check her poo, food consumption and if she is laying or not but based off of what I’ve said and the level of her sickness, does it sound like we can help her or do we need to go to the vet? My wife and I are incredibly tight on money right now and can’t afford a $250 vet bill. Is my chicken too sick for me to cure?
Can I help my sick chicken without going to the vet?
- Thread starter Ricky Ray
- Start date
Vet care isn't always an option.
Check her for mites or lice. And think about doing a fecal float test for worms. That is still an expense but most vets will run just the test.
As you have her isolated make sure her crop is empty in the morning and full at night. If she's not wanting to eat see if you can entice her with some cooked eggs or fish. Organ meat is also a good booster. Some Nutri-Drench given directly or added to water can also give them a little pep back.
If you can post a picture of her and her poop. (We've seen it all) And give a little more information.... How old is she? What do you feed? Include treats and such as well. What's your climate like and how are the birds housed?
All these things can be clues to help figure out what's going on. Lots of friendly people here. We will all do our best to help.
Check her for mites or lice. And think about doing a fecal float test for worms. That is still an expense but most vets will run just the test.
As you have her isolated make sure her crop is empty in the morning and full at night. If she's not wanting to eat see if you can entice her with some cooked eggs or fish. Organ meat is also a good booster. Some Nutri-Drench given directly or added to water can also give them a little pep back.
If you can post a picture of her and her poop. (We've seen it all) And give a little more information.... How old is she? What do you feed? Include treats and such as well. What's your climate like and how are the birds housed?
All these things can be clues to help figure out what's going on. Lots of friendly people here. We will all do our best to help.
Last edited:
christwodog
Songster
- Jan 16, 2017
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Make sure she is staying hydrated, while you are trying to figure out what the problem is. Sometimes that is more important than food intake, especially when they are run down.
I think I've read about a home treatment for almost every ailment known, here on BYC. So there are lots of treatment options to try, once we get an idea of what is going on with her.
I think I've read about a home treatment for almost every ailment known, here on BYC. So there are lots of treatment options to try, once we get an idea of what is going on with her.
Folks on BYC have been able to help owners save many a chicken, but sometimes can't. Just do your best to follow the advice given by the seasoned chickeners, be detailed in your updates, try to provide pics if requested, and it should better your chances of success.
- Thread starter
- #5
Thank you for the response. I live in Texas where it has been 100+ for almost three weeks straight now. They always have cool water that stays in the shade, they free roam and I keep the soil under our bushes damp so they can dust bathe happily. They eat Purina Omega 3 and we give them meal worms once a day as a treat. They only started laying about three weeks ago and are just over 5 months old. Recently we went out of town for three days and had someone come and check on them and when we got home their water was empty and the person watching them said it must have JUST gone empty so I’m hoping that was the truth. We were still upset about it but made sure they were hydrated and gave them electrolytes just in case. Hope this helps identify something.
- Jul 10, 2015
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How long ago did the water incident happen, and how long has she been acting “off?”
- Thread starter
- #7
We came home 3 days ago and she’s been acting sluggish since. We’ve been making sure she drinks water and she has been. Does dehydration take a while for chickens to overcome?
In high heat I would think it could take longer. I would still give her a good once over for any oddities.
- Jul 10, 2015
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Depends how long they truly were without water. Heat stroke causes organ damage which certainly takes time to recover from (if they recover at all), hopefully it’s something else but I would keep it in mind. Sounds like you’re doing all you can if it heat related, except maybe bringing her into the AC for a couple of days.
christwodog
Songster
- Jan 16, 2017
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I would be livid if I came home to find that my animals had no water, especially when you are trusting someone to watch them in your absence. It's hard to find reliable people these days...Just for future reference, I don't know what your water system is, but the 5 gallon buckets with dispensers are a life saver, literally. I have two of these and I fill them to the brim before I leave town, eventhough a neighbor is supposed to be checking on them for me. So I know my hens can go for 5-6 days, even if no one checks their water. They are inexpensive to make and it takes about 10 minutes to make each one. I really hope your hen pulls through, maybe some nice cold watermelon would perk her up?
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