Chicken not moving!?!?!?!?!

[Luke10]

I got up this morning to my warrens and one of them was one the floor and not moving. I grabbed it tried to make it stand and it wouldn't, it just falls back down. It also keeps shaking and keeps closing it's eyes, i have tried to give it some crack corn but it will not take it. It is snowing here so obviously it is cold so i have put a towel around it to keep it warm. I am very worried about her, i have rang up my local vets but their are closed!

Someone help please!

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

Good morning Luke10. The symptoms you describe could be caused by different illnesses. A little more information would help others on this site figure out what is wrong with your hen and how best to treat her. Try answering the questions below to provide more details and hopefully someone with more experience than I will come along soon. Good luck to you.

1) What type of bird , age and weight.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
10 ) 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?
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use

 

[Luke10]

Quote:
1) What type of bird , age and weight. The breed is ISA warren, her age is about 22-23 weeks old, i am unsure of here weight if this is very important then i will try and find this out.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Her behavior is she will not stand up she just laying down, she keeps closing her eyes and it is like she is fighting to keep her eyes open. She will not eat or drink, and is not make any noises.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? I've only had her for about a week, and she has seemed very healthy before This morning.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No, they seem very healthy, drinking/eating/playing.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. Not that i have notices.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Well not sign of any foxes or anything entering the coop. She or the others have not been perching when roasting they have all been cramping up in the nest box, maybe that could of caused it?
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Previously she has been on pellets, not sure of what type of pellets because the man at the pet feed store got everything that i needed as i was a newcomer to chickens, and she has been eating crack corn, mixed grit and been drinking water.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. It's hard to say because i don't know who the poop is from, but their has been some runny ones in there.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? I have just put her on the second floor of the coop as none of the others go up their, in the nest box with a small towel around her. Keep offering her food and water but she is not taking
10 ) 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? Well i would prefer to treat her myself in order to save money, but if i need to take her to the vets then i wont to stabilize her until i can see a vet.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. No wound of the sort on her. I could get some picture of her if that will help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in us. The housing is a 8x8 shed, with sawdust on the floor. various of perches which none of the use, a ladder to the second floor which on the second floor is sawdust with a nest box. There also is a nest box on the ground floor. The nestboxes are about a 18x14x12, which has sawdust and hay which has been dusted with red mite powder, but the chickens have not been dusted with this.

I have 4 hens, all the same breed. I am now thinking she may of broke her foot or something because all four hens was cramped up in one nest box. How can i tell?

Thanks, RhodeIslandRedFan.

 

[AHappychick]

Often chickens hide when they are ill and only show it when they have reached critical. The only way for her to survive is if she eats although she may be too sick now. I would bring her inside and try to get her to eat a probiotic mash (mix of real yogurt, starter feed, shredded apples, and some poly-vi-sol vitamins all mixed together) try putting it in her mouth (just a little and see if she will swallow it.)

If you see any blood in stool (this is a sign for cocci) then do not give any extra vitamins and just try the yogurt or buttermilk.

Good Luck.

 

[Luke10]

Quote:
Hi AHappychick, i have tried putting it in her beak but no luck she just flung it back out

I have put some next to her and will try again after, thank you!

 

[AHappychick]

In addition check what feed you are using, the best if not laying is a grower or starter feed. Cracked corn is a good treat but they need a real chcken feed for all the nutrition.

Once they get listless and refuse to eat often they are close to dying. If you want to try everything and i mean everything you can tube feed her it is not hard nd I could walk you through it but as a first timmer with chickens it might be better if you just open her beak and put some food on her tounge and rub her throat and try to get her to swallow.

I would think that the most likely problem is cocci although that is just a guess. try to look at the stool of any of them, do you see any red or a bit of blood? I would add powdered milk to all of their feed and a bowl of buttermilk to drink incase it is cocci. The powdered milk wont hurt and is good for them either way. When the vet is back rather than spending a fortune see if you can have a fecal float check done to look for cocci and other worms because that may be the issue. Also you said you had a powder for mites, is that a proactive thing or did they have mites when you got them? do they feel thin to you?

 

[Luke10]

Sorry not been on in a while so a late update...

The hen that was ill sadly died

She was very ill, and she just wouldn't eat. I tryed force feeding her, i even tried putting the food on her tongue and rubbing her throat but no good.
Never got to take her to the vets in time, so don't know for definite what was wrong with her.

R.I.P

 

[silkieroo]

Oh I'm so sorry! I was rooting for her! (And you!) So sorry!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Luke 10, how are the rest doing?

 

[ralphthedog]

I had a similar problem, and the same sad result. Details here:

chickenreport.com

Don