Depressed chicken??? or something else?

[epitidios]

Quote:
Do you mean they never drink from their waterer? What kind of waterer are you using?

Well they drink for their waterer as well but when they see spilled water they really attack on it. For watering them i use two plastic tank like the one in the link:

http://www.monetauk.com/pots/1267463742_KP12 Lekani Stomosa NoHandles Image.jpg

Mine are a bit shorter

 

[epitidios]

I went to close the coop and she was laying outside on the ground. She seems to be really really weak. Tomorrow i will take her to the vet. I didn't know that lice/mites can make a chicken that weak. I hope that i will find her alive tomorrow morning, and save her.

 

[Oven Ready]

Epitidos,

You really need to isolate her where you can monitor her, like in a cat box or just a cardboard box and assuming that you've already ruled our Sour Crop by now then you MUST force feed her. Don't wait until tomorrow, it doesn't matter if it's night time where you are, get her out and get some food into her.
I'm not 100% sure but I think chickens can only last a couple of days without food, if she's not eating she will die. They have high metabolism and small stomachs, that's why they eat constantly.

Not staying with the flock is NO coincidence
1. She probably isn't well enough to keep up with the flock.
2. The others will peck her if she gets close, they know she is unwell and they don't want it (that's not a joke).
3. The flock doesn't invite you, you have to join - the others won't hang about for her.

 

[epitidios]

Quote:
I took on her the vet today. He said that some kind of tape worm is the problem. He ordered for me some special medicine for this which unfortunately i will get tomorrow. In the mean while my ill girl is on isolation and force feeding as Mr/Mrs Oven Ready suggested. I also put some sugar in her water. I hope that she will make it.

I would like to thank you all for your advices. You were all big help.

 

[epitidios]

Something else that i noticed. My bird became ill, when plenty of other birds (magpies, pigeons, sparrows) started to fly around their coop and their outside area to pick up food. It is possible that they got the tapeworm from them. I will place some CDs on the fences to reflect sunlight and keep the parasitic birds away. Any other suggestions??


PS I guess i found one more reason to dislike pigeons

 

[epitidios]

One more baby chick shows the same symptoms. So now i got two that are isolated. The second one is on the "first stage", so i think that most likely she will make it. The really ill one seems to be better now. Forced feeding helped. I hope that it is not the revival before death and with the help of the medication they will both grow up and lay a lot of eggs in the next two months.

 

[donnavee]

I hope both of your chickens recover. Just wondering, how do you force feed a chicken? Hope I never have to do it, but I realize this is a good thing to know.

 

[epitidios]

I was using small pieces of bread, and i was opening her mouth placing that small piece inside. She was swallowing that either due to hunger, or no other choice? (not quite sure). The first couple of times it was difficult, but then she was collaborating a bit . Which ended up to be good for her. Please ladies manage to wake up tomorrow, help is on its way.

 

[epitidios]

The first done died a while ago...

I gave the medication too late. The other one seems to be in better shape. I will see how it will improve in the next days.

The bad thing was that the bird that died was one of my favourites. She was really beautiful. The other one that is sick is also my other favourute. It has a really funny body shape.

 

[Oven Ready]

Sad to hear it, hopefully you might have got the second one quick enough. It's all part and parcel of having chickens, some make it some don't.

how do you force feed a chicken

It's quiet easy but you need to be firm.

Hold them firmly against your body or the groove between your legs.
Hold both sides of their beak and you'll find the top beak sits over the bottom one.
Sort of (this is hard to describe) push the top beak up with one finger and the bottom one down with another (on the same hand)
When their mouth is open, push in the food with your other hand (three hands can better sometimes).
The further to the back of the mouth you push it, the more of it they will eat.
Keep going until you see the crop swelling up.

Repeat when you see the crop reduce to half the size it is after feeding.

I think everyone has different 'force feed' foods but I prefer boiled/scrambled/souffled egg. It's full of protein and fat in a quick to digest form - grains and the like take longer to digest so while being good food aren't so good for a sickly chicken. Sometimes I add honey or sugar initially to give them that extra little boost but reduce the amount of sugar as they improve.

PS. Yes it is messy.​