Depressed chicken??? or something else?

[elmo]

Growing chicks have very high protein requirements. Not only are their bodies growing rapidly, but they need protein for feathering out. Chick starter is usually around 19 percent protein, so if you don't want to feed commercial feeds, that gives you an idea of what you should be shooting for.

I use chick feed and I give mashed up hardboiled eggs every day, a treat that is eagerly accepted by my chicks. Try taking your weak chick aside by herself and offer her some mashed up hardboiled egg. She may not be eating in the presence of the others because she's low on the pecking order because of her weakness.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
You might also consider having food available to them free choice (all during the day). Many (most?) people have food available for their chickens all day; chickens won't overeat. And it's especially important not to restrict the diets of growing chicks. And of course, fresh water must be available at all times, too. In hot weather, you can encourage your chickens to drink more and stay hydrated by putting the waterer in the shade to keep the water cooler, and by replacing/refreshing the water during the day.

 

[epitidios]

Quote:
This is another funny thing. Every time i go to put fresh water, they prefer to drink water that is spilled on the ground. The other day it rained and when the sun came out i went to put fresh water in their tank and they were drinking water that was in a hole on the ground...

 

[jpittssr]

I would feed a good starter/grower till they begin laying.

 

[Oven Ready]

I guess i should start giving them some meat as well. The problem is that i am not eating a lot of meat myself

Yes, they love meat, they love chicken, they love egg, they love left-over bones, lizards, mice, small snakes, bugs of almost any variety, there's not much a chicken won't eat.

If you are not a meat eater, just buy small packs of the cheapest meat you can find - cook it up as plain as you can and they'll wolf it down. Once they start laying keep one of their own eggs for them everyday (boiled or scrambled or souffled). I don't think they ever make the connection between egg and eggs.

My advice in situations where a chicken isn't eating, or isn't eating much - after ruling out sour crop (search the forums) - is to force feed them, usually with boiled egg. There's no point waiting until she is really undernourished, if she doesn't eat boiled egg by herself then she isn't eating properly and needs forced. They don't take long to die of hunger. If she has an underlying disease, keeping her well fed might help her to fight it off, leaving her hungry will not help.

Also it's worth isolating her from the other birds until she is better, they know when a chicken has an illness or weakness and do the 'best for the flock' thing of getting rid of the weak and sick.

Hope it turns out OK for you.

PS - There is a current thread on what people do about fresh water everyday - worth a read and by the magic of the internet here it is​

 

[RM44]

Quote:
Yes, they love meat, they love chicken, they love egg, they love left-over bones, lizards, mice, small snakes, bugs of almost any variety, there's not much a chicken won't eat.

If you are not a meat eater, just buy small packs of the cheapest meat you can find - cook it up as plain as you can and they'll wolf it down. Once they start laying keep one of their own eggs for them everyday (boiled or scrambled or souffled). I don't think they ever make the connection between egg and eggs.

My advice in situations where a chicken isn't eating, or isn't eating much - after ruling out sour crop (search the forums) - is to force feed them, usually with boiled egg. There's no point waiting until she is really undernourished, if she doesn't eat boiled egg by herself then she isn't eating properly and needs forced. They don't take long to die of hunger. If she has an underlying disease, keeping her well fed might help her to fight it off, leaving her hungry will not help.

Also it's worth isolating her from the other birds until she is better, they know when a chicken has an illness or weakness and do the 'best for the flock' thing of getting rid of the weak and sick.

Hope it turns out OK for you.

PS - There is a current thread on what people do about fresh water everyday - worth a read and by the magic of the internet here it is

I agree with this poster. I noticed one of my chickens acting "blue", staying away from the rest of the flock, and developing less and less interest in feeding, especially treats. Normally when I take out the red "treat cup" with 5 grain scratch and BOSS, the chickens actually attack me if I don't throw it down soon enough (they fly right up in my face, on my arms, pecking and biting me, etc.). I throw the scratch mix down and they go nuts, jumping on top of each other and scrambling. My sick one wouldn't join the craziness, and would slowly walk around the outskirts of the feed, picking here and there with little interest for a few days. Finally I picked her up, with my fingers kind of laced around her breast bone, and I felt what seemed to be a grapfruit sized, squishy "water balloon" under the skin. I knew immediately it was sour crop from the good folks on BYC. I turned up upside down (holding her feet and tipping her forward, not backward), and a nasty, green slimey thick goo came rolling out of her mouth.

Any time a chicken starts acting puny, or not wanting to be with the flock, be suspicious. They are very "flock oriented", and when one who has been part of the pack all along suddenly develops a loner mentality, I would immidiately suspect an illness of some kind.

 

[epitidios]

I checked on her again and i found that small "bugs" were present trough her feathers in her wings. They have the shape of a rice seed of greenish colour and they are tiny. I cannot tell if they are lice or not. Is there any other parasite apart from lice?
I guess here is when the vet comes.

 

[LovinMyHensInNC!]

Quote:
Mites are another parasite that can be present on your birds. Mites are usually more round in shape and darker whereas lice are longer like a grain of rice and more of a wheat color. Both of these parasites can make your birds very sick. The good news is that you can totally treat for parasites yourself without the high expense of a vet. The bad news is that you will have to treat all your birds and their environment... twice. Both mites and lice are treated in the same manner. Do a search for lice and or mites and you will find a plethera of information and details of how to treat them.

Also, now that you have determined what is wrong with your bird, it is more crucial than ever to increase her protein (to even more than the normal protein level). I often get a can of mackerel from the store for my girls. It is very cheap and very high in protein.

Good luck to you!

 

[epitidios]

I would to thank you for your tips. What i found strange though is that the other chickens have her isolated. She spents all day alone. So either it is coincidence or the other chickens know about it some how. She also sleeps alone in a corner in the coop at night. So all my chickens and turkeys will be treated for this.

 

[elmo]

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