Chicken sick need HELP!!!!

[cblanck]

My 3 Yr. Rhode island red has been very tiered and not eating or drinking much yesterday I found her flopped over I called the vet and he said the most I could do was try some antibiotics which he sold me. She has had two doses one yesterday and another early this morning she drinks a little and is eating bread soaked in pedilyte. she can hardly stand for very long and her crop looks a bit swollen what else can I do to help her she is very friendly and I would hate to lose her Thanks

 

[dlhunicorn]

keep dribbling water along her beak to keep her hydrated (dehydration/electrolyte imbalance will kill her quicker than what is ailing her). Keep her in a quiet place (so not in your living room or kitchen where people are coming and going all the time)

 

[cblanck]

Well My chicken just keeps getting worse I feel so bad for her I think I might have to have some one humanly put her out of her missery. I have been giving her pedialyte w/ Syringe but she won't stand at all very thin and sleeps mostly I also gave her the antibiotics the vet gave me as well she has had three doses so far. I really think she is so far gone I don't know what else I could do for her. If anyone has advice please reply Thanks

 

[Judy]

Is her crop bigger or smaller than it was yesterday?

 

[cblanck]

It seems to be smaller. What does that mean?

 

[Judy]

Normally it will fill during the day as they eat, then go down during the night. Since it is smaller, I'm guessing she does not have an impacted crop, which is one in which things are stuck and can't pass. It was the only thing I could think of that might be wrong with her that might be treatable.

Is it possible she is eggbound? You could try a warm soapy bath in a tub or the sink.

I must agree, though, that it does not sound good. Sorry.

 

[cblanck]

Well she can't stand at all so I don't know if trying to feed her yoqurt or something would even help. I have kept fluids down her by using a syringe so I think she is hydrated and thats whats keeping her hanging on I can't stand seeing her this way so if nothing changes soon I guess I will have no choice. I'm worried that there might be permanent damage now from not eating for so long as well as not standing. She does poop but it's just watery no substance to it at all. I hope what ever it is my other chickens don't get it they both seem fine right now and I have kept her seperate since she started not being able to walk.

 

[chickbea]

Try giving her some plain yogurt - no flavoring or added sugars. Also see if you can get some greens into her - like sprouts.

 

[threehorses]

Did the crop go down? does it smell sour? It may not be hard, but is it mushy at all?

What antibiotic are you giving? If you are giving anything ending in "mycin" or "cycline", do NOT give yogurt. Dairy products are contraindicated for those medications.

Yogurt acts as a "probiotic", something containing live, beneficial bacteria. They're necessary for any ill, stressed, and medicated bird daily until the bird is healthy again.

If you're using cyclines or mycins, try acidophilus capsules/tablets from the grocer/pharmcy/health food store vitamin section. Or use livestock probiotics. In the latter case, make sure the label says they contain live probiotics and not just byproducts or fermentation products. Live bacteria in livestock probiotics will usually appear as a number and CFU.

If you're not using a cycline/mycin, use yogurt instead. For a full sized pullet, 1/2-1 teaspoon daily. It's essential that the good bacteria are replaced. They're literally the workers that feed your bird.

If the crop is still full (and sour) then you'll want to empty it. She needs nutrition. You can mix yogurt, applesauce (babyfood applesauce since she's so ill), a boiled mashed egg yolk (freeze what you don't use), and her crumbles/pellets wetted to where they fall apart but aren't to wet. Try feeding her that. You can also add a little pedialyte or honey or karo for a day to get some fuel into her. But usually the applesauce is tempting enough for them.

If you can get her through this, I wouldn't worry so much about permanent damage. She's just too weak to eat.

By the way, check her carefully all over for lice/mites. they're nearly microscopic. Also check her vent for any redness or anything on it. Mites/lice will often hang out there and love to lay their eggs there near the vent on feather shafts. Anemia from mites/lice can take a bird down this quick.

Use the fluids you're giving her to get nutrition in her. That "glop" that I described above - you can put a little in the water til it's just barely thicker than water and use that to hydrate her. That way you're nourishing her an dhydrating her. Hydrating her alone won't help her to stand and return to normal.

I hope this helps as a start.

 

[cblanck]

Thanks to everyone who gave me great advice. I finally just could not stand seeing her suffer any more my neighbor came over to take a look at her and he said I should let her go. So he took her and put her out of her misery. I have not had chickens very long about 3 years so I'm still new at this and I have never had a sick bird before. I have learned a lot and in the future will look for signs before they are laying on the ground I think I waited to long to help her.