cowering/not walking/weak

[omelette'smom]

My pretty little redstar (?) Smores has been in my house since friday. She was hiding in the run for 2 days and wouldn't walk. I picked her up and she weighed nothing and her crop was empty. She eats and drinks now and walks a few feet here and there but whenever I go to put her outside again she can't even get up on a perch so she hides again. I think she may have sprained her legs but what else could it be? She had loose greenish foamy stool at first but now that she's eating she had some normal ones. Her eyes are normal. She's only 3 years old. She hasn't laid an egg for me but it's winter so that's kinda normal. I hope she's not eggbound. All her siblings are acting normal. They havent gone anywhere other than the run so she couldn't eat anything bad. Her feet look normal. Any ideas? Thank you in advance.

 

[purpletree23]

I live in New Hampshire also and the temps and wind her has been brutal. Maybe she went into winter not being physically prepared for this type of weather. Bringing her inside is great but she might have to stay inside now until spring. The temperature changes are too much for a chicken.

The green poop means that she was starving. The green is bile.

Perk up her appetite by offering her scrambled eggs with well cooked pasta and offer her some chopped greens, an apple to peck at or some frozen corn that has been thawed. Small amounts of cut up grape and strawberry is good also but too much fruit will cause diarrhea.

Go to the pharmacy or wal-mart and get poly vi sol liquid baby vitamins. Make sure you get the formula WITHOUT iron. Give her 2 drops in the morning and two at night for at least 2 weeks. Put the drops of vitamin on the top/side of her beak so the liquid will roll into her mouth and she will swallow it. Don't force her by putting the dropper in her mouth or she can get the liquid in her lungs and that is very bad.

Because she is not laying but some chicken grower. Right now she doesn't need the laying pellets and the grower is better for her.

If you really want to go all out purchase a bag of Calf Manna pellets. Its a super food for many animals. I have a container for my chicken so they can eat as little or as much as they want.

Keep us posted

 

[omelette'smom]

Thanks for the advice! I did try to give her the vitamin drops and was unsuccessful. She just kinda gave me the evil bird eye and wouldn't open for nothing....but I will try again! I had to run out this morning so I put her in the coop and she did walk around a bit but was really not into it. When I came home just now, she was giving a weak attempt at dust bathing and she tried to roll over and sit up when she saw me but just kinda flopped back again. So now she's roaming around the kitchen taunting my poor cat again. She is just really slow. I have been giving her all sorts of good food but she won't eat a lot. Right now she's pecking a tomato. She's curious and alert but is really weak. We have a have-a-heart trap under the table with the door jimmied open and she goes in and sits for a while and comes out and goes in etc. Gonna go try the vitamins again. Will also give her some eggs. (Got 3 eggs today! Miracle!) Thank you for your help!!

 

[omelette'smom]

I am sorry to say that I have misread all the signs and feel like a bad chicken mommy.

They were hen pecking her and it is so sad. She is in my kitchen again with a large head wound. Every time I got her back to health and thought she'd be okay to go out again, they would beat her up and I didn't even know. I never saw any wounds and didn't make any connection until I witnessed her being attacked. I am so mad at the flock right now that I won't even go check for eggs.

My poor baby is living in my kitchen (even though she loves it). I had her in the "quarantine/brooder" area yesterday, and they got the door open and got to her again. This time really bad. My DH bought some lumber and is going to make a better door frame. I don't want to put her out until her head heals. She'll permenently be separate. Would it be a bad Idea to take a non-aggressive (or 2) and keep them together for warmth and company or am I asking for trouble? I could make a good sized coop and run for them INSIDE the covered run. And before anyone even suggests it, no I will not cull her. I am more than happy to do anything for her comfort and survival. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!