Chicken losing weight

[Buddy2biddies]

I have 6 Wyandottes that I got all together. One was smaller and just doesn't grow as fast as the others. I picked her up yesterday and her breast bone is sticking out and she is just skin and bones!!! She looks normal until you pick her up.

I bought wormer today but she doesn't want to eat the pellets. I confined her in a dog crate last night and she ate well. Today it was real hot so I put her with the rest of the girls and all was fine.

Got home after dark and all were in the coop except her. She was under it crying. I put her in but she acted like she didn't want to go. Finally she went in to sleep but the others started pecking on her hard so I removed her.

What can I do now?

 

[awesome124]

Chickens lose weight for many causes. It can be due to worms, inefficent food, or illness. The best way to go about it is to treat her for all of these cases.

1) Try soaking your dewormer in water to make a paste. Chickens love to eat this way.
2) Try chopping grass into peices and feeding it to her. It has calcium and vitamins. Along with this, feed her chopped fruits, vegetables, and leaves. This will help clear impurities and it's the natural chicken diet!
3) Free Range! It is probably the most important thing. Seperate her from the flock and let her free range for at least 4 hours. Don't confine her to small spaces, this causes stress. Instead create a spacious area that is safe in which she can relax and take dust baths.
4) Feed her scratch grains for weight gain.
5) For lice and mites, use diamataceous earth.
6) Use supplements such as feather fixer or omega three egg maker.
7) Administer crushed garlic in water to her. I crush garlic in a tiny cup of water, about 2 or3 cloves. I put this into a medicine syringe and then I administer it orally to my sick chicken. Any virus or bacteria in her her body will vanish.
8) And the most important, give her lots of love!

 

[Dad of the coop]

I think its worms. Another way you can get rid of them is by adding a liquid dewormer to your flocks water. Its very easy to do and the treatment only takes 10 days.

 

[dawg53]

I have 6 Wyandottes that I got all together. One was smaller and just doesn't grow as fast as the others. I picked her up yesterday and her breast bone is sticking out and she is just skin and bones!!! She looks normal until you pick her up.

I bought wormer today but she doesn't want to eat the pellets. I confined her in a dog crate last night and she ate well. Today it was real hot so I put her with the rest of the girls and all was fine.

Got home after dark and all were in the coop except her. She was under it crying. I put her in but she acted like she didn't want to go. Finally she went in to sleep but the others started pecking on her hard so I removed her.

What can I do now?

She's the lowest on the pecking order and getting picked/pecked on. The others wont let her eat causing weight loss and slower growth. Nor will they let her roost with them as you witnessed.

 

[Buddy2biddies]

I had switched the hens to layer food when one started laying and I don't think they like it. I have switched back to crumbles and add oyster shell. All the others are eating well
I found some lice or mites on this sick one so dusted. Also crushed the worm medicine and got some in her. i have fed with a syringe several times a day since Thursday - Its Sunday now. She is not active, sleeps some and walks around a little. Will try to forage a little.
She is too weak to get in coop - other hens are very attentive to her - cuddling near her when she is in or out of coop.
Like I stated, she was literally skin and bones She weighs a little heavier now - but more assuredly has a long way to go. One poop today was green with white in it - firm, not runny. Do not see any lice or mites.
She will let me feed her with syringe and is very cooperative.
Is there anything else I should be doing?

 

[enola]

If you have not wormed your hens recently, do them a favor and do it now. You need to worm all of them. If one hen had lice they all need to be dusted. And you need to do it again in 10 days.

 

[Buddy2biddies]

All have been wormed and all have been dusted

 

[enola]

What did you use for wormer?

 

[clucky17]

This is really helpful - thankyou

 

[Chicken_Thighs]

What did you use for wormer?

If you have not wormed your hens recently, do them a favor and do it now. You need to worm all of them. If one hen had lice they all need to be dusted. And you need to do it again in 10 days.

What is the best wormer to use I thought DE? .. do i need to use something in addition to that?
i have an Orphington doing the same, her sister born at the same time (December) has been laying daily for a couple of months the other one seems to be losing weight?