I'm hoping someone with experience with capillary worms (my only guess from what I've read so far) can help me identify or rule that out, and tell me how to treat. Or if it sounds like something different, what I might try/look for. Any general advice for stimulating the appetite would be good, too.
Thanks for your help!
1) What type of bird , age and weight.
Dominique pullet, 10 mos, about 5 pounds (haven't weighed in a few months--will weigh tomorrow to see if she's down)
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Not active & running around with the rest of the flock. Just kind of stands around by herself or heads into the coop. Doesn't rush to food like the others, and when they're all active pecking at the ground, she's just kind of standing there looking around, despite the flurry of activity.
Not excited about food (will eat a little, but not enthusiastically, even treats). In the afternoon, her crop wasn't pronounced and full like everyone else's. For the last couple of days, I've noticed she picked a lot more than she ate, and today she seems rather indifferent to food. When she was picking at it, she almost seemed to have trouble eating it. When I hand fed her a little oatmeal, and she seemed briefly enthusiastic and got it down normally. But she doesn't rush to the food like everyone else, and even if she's separated & doesn't have to compete, she's not that interested.
Her abdomen and the rest of her body feels normal. No discharge or respiratory symptoms. Vent looks clean and healthy. Eyes, feet & feathers look fine. She doesn't seem to be in pain.
Since it got cold, I have noticed that she has been holding her head pulled back--not all the time, but more than the others (who only seem to do it when it's really really cold). I did see in Storey's Chickens under capillary worms: "When chickens sit around with their heads drawn in, capillary worms are the likely culprit." (p 276) I didn't see a reference to that anywhere else, though.
Her comb & wattles look somewhat washed out and pinkish/orangish compared to everyone else's, but it does seem they've slowly faded since she started laying.
The 8 other pullets of different breeds are active and normal.
We occasionally (every couple months) get a wonky lopsided egg for a day or two, and we did get one the day before yesterday. But I don't think those are Peanut's eggs (they always look the same, and they first appeared well before she started laying).
3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No.
4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
The only thing difference I can think of is I've been giving them some oats with their scratch, but they always get a very varied diet, eating a lot of fruit & veggie scraps, stale crackers, etc.
And it's been a weird winter, fluctuating between single-digit temperatures to record warm days like today (70!). It has been a lot warmer the last couple of days.
5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Hasn't been eating much. I've seen her eat and drink a little.
Everyone is on free choice 16% layer ration, with a scattering of scratch or oats and fruit & veggie scraps once or twice a day.
6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
I haven't seen any blood in the coop or yard & her vent's fine. I've only actually witnessed one poop. It was smaller than usual and green, which I read can happen when they're not eating enough.
7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Just examining her/keeping an eye out for her today, and I gave her a little oil poured over some oatmeal, but she didn't eat much.
8 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I'm not beyond taking her to the vet if I think she has something they can easily fix, but I'm hoping to treat her myself.
9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
n/a
10) Describe the housing/bedding in use
They have a hoop house with hay/wood chip bedding. Deep litter that's refreshed with a scattering of hay or chips every couple days. Smells normal, well ventilated. During they day, they're out in the yard, which is pretty much just dirt or snow this time of year.
Thanks for your help!
Thanks for your help!
1) What type of bird , age and weight.
Dominique pullet, 10 mos, about 5 pounds (haven't weighed in a few months--will weigh tomorrow to see if she's down)
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Not active & running around with the rest of the flock. Just kind of stands around by herself or heads into the coop. Doesn't rush to food like the others, and when they're all active pecking at the ground, she's just kind of standing there looking around, despite the flurry of activity.
Not excited about food (will eat a little, but not enthusiastically, even treats). In the afternoon, her crop wasn't pronounced and full like everyone else's. For the last couple of days, I've noticed she picked a lot more than she ate, and today she seems rather indifferent to food. When she was picking at it, she almost seemed to have trouble eating it. When I hand fed her a little oatmeal, and she seemed briefly enthusiastic and got it down normally. But she doesn't rush to the food like everyone else, and even if she's separated & doesn't have to compete, she's not that interested.
Her abdomen and the rest of her body feels normal. No discharge or respiratory symptoms. Vent looks clean and healthy. Eyes, feet & feathers look fine. She doesn't seem to be in pain.
Since it got cold, I have noticed that she has been holding her head pulled back--not all the time, but more than the others (who only seem to do it when it's really really cold). I did see in Storey's Chickens under capillary worms: "When chickens sit around with their heads drawn in, capillary worms are the likely culprit." (p 276) I didn't see a reference to that anywhere else, though.
Her comb & wattles look somewhat washed out and pinkish/orangish compared to everyone else's, but it does seem they've slowly faded since she started laying.
The 8 other pullets of different breeds are active and normal.
We occasionally (every couple months) get a wonky lopsided egg for a day or two, and we did get one the day before yesterday. But I don't think those are Peanut's eggs (they always look the same, and they first appeared well before she started laying).
3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No.
4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
The only thing difference I can think of is I've been giving them some oats with their scratch, but they always get a very varied diet, eating a lot of fruit & veggie scraps, stale crackers, etc.
And it's been a weird winter, fluctuating between single-digit temperatures to record warm days like today (70!). It has been a lot warmer the last couple of days.
5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Hasn't been eating much. I've seen her eat and drink a little.
Everyone is on free choice 16% layer ration, with a scattering of scratch or oats and fruit & veggie scraps once or twice a day.
6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
I haven't seen any blood in the coop or yard & her vent's fine. I've only actually witnessed one poop. It was smaller than usual and green, which I read can happen when they're not eating enough.
7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Just examining her/keeping an eye out for her today, and I gave her a little oil poured over some oatmeal, but she didn't eat much.
8 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I'm not beyond taking her to the vet if I think she has something they can easily fix, but I'm hoping to treat her myself.
9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
n/a
10) Describe the housing/bedding in use
They have a hoop house with hay/wood chip bedding. Deep litter that's refreshed with a scattering of hay or chips every couple days. Smells normal, well ventilated. During they day, they're out in the yard, which is pretty much just dirt or snow this time of year.
Thanks for your help!
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