Drooping head

[Scorchedtrumpet]

Hi, I am new to the forum and new to raising chickens. I just got my first 6 peeps four weeks ago. Everything was going perfectly until yestarday. I was cleaning out the coop, and noticed one chick "sitting" with her head burried between her legs against her chest. When I put her in a temporary pen she raised up and moved under her own power. I cleaned the coop and put her back in. I went out about 3 hours later and she was in a corner of the coop in the same position as before. She will perk up if you touch her, but will immediatly go back to the same "sitting" position with her head on her chest.
I have removed her from the rest of the flock. I was reading about some illnesses on line that did not sound too promissing. Such as Newcastle disease. However I do not see any discharge from the nose or back side.
Again I am new to this, so if anybody has any advice they can give me it would be much appreciated.

 

[LynneP]

I know you are researching disease, but is it possible this hen got into something toxic? Could she have eating something decayed or some onions/leeks/garlic? I put that out there to consider is all...and i would keep her separated both for treatment reasons and because if she does have something infectious you'll need to do what you cn to prevent the spread.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I think anyone who reads this is going to want a little more information.

How old is she?

Have you seen her eat?

You said there's no discharge from the back side. Does that mean she's not pooping?

If she's not pooping at all, then i would say you need to work on getting her to eat and drink.

Let us know if/how she's eating and drinking and pooping, ok?

And be sure to keep an eye out for bloody poop.

Is she living outside?

...well, that should get you started.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I almost forgot.

 

[Scorchedtrumpet]

Thanks for the replies. I have (had) 6 chicks in a 2x3x3 foot coop in my garage. I do not think she ate anything toxic because she could not have got at anything.
I can only assume at this point that she is eating, drinking, and pooping. Because there are 6 of them together it is hard to discerne who is doing what. When I get home tonight I will be able to tell if she is doing all of the above because she is alone now.
When I mentioned discharge from her backside I meant unusual discharge.
I forgot to mention that I saw a field mouse in the coop last night. Although iI could not find any marks on her, could a mouse bite cause issues?

 

[SeramaLife]

Quote:
No it could not because no chicken, unless it is already sick, would pass up a delicious juicy mouse to eat.

 

[GoodyChickenShz]

I don't know what's wrong with your chick but with the behavior you describe, I doubt she is eating and drinking. Do you have a feed store anywhere near you? If so, pick up some vitamins and electrolytes for birds, mix with water per the package directions and feed it to the peep drop by drop with an eyedropper. If she won't take it on her own, just let a drop ooze out onto the side of her beak or the tip of her beak and she will most likely swallow it. Be careful not to let it drip into her nostrils. Alternatively, you can get Polyvisol liquid vitamins for infants (without iron) and mix it with water and a pinch of sugar and feed that to her.

You might also want to get a broad spectrum antibiotic, the kind you mix with water, and prepare it and feed it to her with an eyedropper as well. You don't have to feed her huge amounts....remember she's still got a little stomach! The antibiotic I have is called Pfizer Terramycin. The active ingredient is oxytetracycline HCI, which is a broad spectrum antibiotic. Most good-sized feed stores will carry it, maybe under a different brand name. It's not very expensive. Some people will say don't give antibiotics unless you know what you're treating but the way I look at it, the antibiotic isn't going to do any major damage and it could do a lot of good. If you can afford to see a vet, great. Take her to the vet ASAP. But if not, you've got to do the best you can.

Good luck!