First Sick Chicken!

[HarleyBarley]

Hello!
I have five 12 week old hens. I've have them since 1 week and they've all seemed fine. They acclimated well to the outdoors from tbe brooder, acclimated well to the watering nipple, and 4 of them are big and healthy.

I noticed yesterday that one was getting stepped on while at the waterer and I figured- wow she must be at the bottom of the pecking order, so I shoo'd the other girls away and let her get some water. Today when I opened the coop I noticed she just stayed on the ramp while the others rushed to the waterer.

I felt bad for her so I went and got her a dish of water and separated her and she drank the entire thing. Then it just kinda leaked out of her mouth.

Now, please do not shame me, I'm trying to learn.

I don't pick up my hens very often, but I picked her up and then another and that's when I noticed she's literally half the weight of the other birds. She was walking around fine, but then she laid down after drinking all the water and just kinda stayed there.

It was 70° today by the way.

After noticing she is half the weight of the other birds I decided to isolate her. I filled an old dog kennel up with hay, a water dish, some regular food with grit, some oats, scrambled her an egg with flax seed and garlic and left her to rest. She started making some sad howling sounds which I assumed were her expressing confusion. We went and did family Christmas and when we came home she was huddled down and fluffed up- which she wasn't before. She's been pretty quiet unless I go into the garage and then she kinda talks to me a little. I checked her vent and gave her a good once over and she appeared ok. I turned on the heat lap and moved her closer to it, gave her an area with shade as well and refeshed her food.

I feel horrible that I didn't notice she was half the weight of thr other birds, but I hadn't really needed to handle them much and I also have a 4 month old baby- so I've been preoccupied.

Do hens at the bottom of the pecking order have this problem?
Do I need to maybe add another waterer? A larger feeder?
Could I just be she's got a predisposed problem?
What more can I do for her?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would isolate her inside the coop with the other birds inside a dog crate, so that she can be with them, but have her own food and water. Since she is smaller that the others, she may not have been using the nipple waterer or getting enough food. It might be that she is being kept from them or she might be sick with coccidiosis or worms. I have had a couple who were so meek, they would not eat, even with multiple food and water stations. One at tree algae and other weird things, and starved herself to death. After observing her eating and drinking, then try her back with the flock, and give her some extra treats of scrambled egg or tuna each day. But first, it would be great to get a baseline weight on her, to gage how much she is gaining or losing. A poultry vitamin in her water might help her appetite. A fecal test by your regular vet could tell if she might have coccidiosis or worms. Also look at her droppings while in the crate for a day or two. Hopefully, you can get her eating a drinking, or determine if she is sick.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

yesterday that one was getting stepped on while at the waterer and I figured- wow she must be at the bottom of the pecking order, so I shoo'd the other girls away and let her get some water. Today when I opened the coop I noticed she just stayed on the ramp while the others rushed to the waterer.

I felt bad for her so I went and got her a dish of water and separated her and she drank the entire thing. Then it just kinda leaked out of her mouth.

I don't pick up my hens very often, but I picked her up and then another and that's when I noticed she's literally half the weight of the other birds. She was walking around fine, but then she laid down after drinking all the water and just kinda stayed there.

when we came home she was huddled down and fluffed up- which she wasn't before. She's been pretty quiet unless I go into the garage and then she kinda talks to me a little. I checked her vent and gave her a good once over and she appeared ok. I turned on the heat lap and moved her closer to it, gave her an area with shade as well and refeshed her food.

Do I need to maybe add another waterer? A larger feeder?

They acclimated well to the outdoors from tbe brooder, acclimated well to the watering nipple

I noticed she just stayed on the ramp while the others rushed to the waterer.

I'm sorry your pullet is not doing well.

Can you post some photos of your coop/run, water/feeder and of the pullet and her poop?

The others rush to the waterer too? Are there enough nipples?
What do you feed?

To me, it sounds like she's dehydrated (she drank a whole bowl of water) and likely has not been eating. She drank so much, that it spilled out of her beak - did you notice if she was gasping/gaping afterward?

Check her first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks - her crop should be empty.
I would also provide her with electrolytes for 1 day. Wet feed, but not too much.

Whether she is not acclimated to the nipple water system, she's being kept from food/water by the others or if she has something else going on - it is hard to know at this point.

Since she is quite young, I would try to put her cage inside the coop if there is room or at least in the run during the day so she can be with the others. She's likely stressed by being removed and it will be harder on her to re-integrate if she is completely isolated.

Look forward to more information and photos.

 

[HarleyBarley]

I would isolate her inside the coop with the other birds inside a dog crate, somthat she can be with them, but have her own food and water. Since she is smaller that the others, she may not have been using the nipple waterer or getting enough food. It might be that she is being kept from them or she might be sick with coccidiosis or worms. I have had a couple who were so meek, they would not eat, even with multiple food and water stations. One at tree algae and other weird things, and starved herself to death. After observing her eating and drinking, then try her back with the flock, and give her some extra treats of scrambled egg or tuna each day. But first, it would be great to get a baseline weight on her, to gage how much she is gaining or losing. A poultry vitamin in her water might help her appetite. A fecal test by your regular vet could tell if she might have coccidiosis or worms. Also look at her droppings while in the crate for a day or two. Hopefully, you can get her eating a drinking, or determine if she is sick.

Hello!
My coop is too small for the crate, we're actually rennovating our shed into a larger coop for them. He stools are a little bit darker brown than I've seen before. I'm assuming if she has coccidia they'll all have it, correct?

 

[coach723]

If it's coccidia then they have all been exposed, but they will not all necessarily be sick. It can be much harder on some birds that are weaker, or may have weaker immune systems. A fecal test (any vet can do it, it's the same for all species, but some will not do for chickens- call around and ask) would be the best place to start. That way you don't treat unnecessarily for something that isn't there -having said that, the usual treatment is Corid, which is very safe. Worms can sometimes cause similar symptoms however and that would require a different treatment. There are many possibilities, all the questions previously asked, that may shed more light on whatever is going on.

 

[Eggcessive]

If she was dehydrated and drank a bowl of water, she may in turn have some more runny poops—that is normal when a lot of water is consumed. She needs to remain with the other chickens unless she is being harmed. If it is too small to keep her in a crate, then at least twice a day, bring her inside or sepearte her with food and water. Try the watery feed that @Wyorp Rock recommended, since they usually like that. Try egg, tuna, dry feed as well. If she eats for you eagerly, then she probably does not have coccidiosis, and was being kept from food and water.

I have never like the idea of the nipples for water, but that is just me. I have seen baby chicks who appeared to be dying at feed stores because they were too short to reach the nipples. They also freeze in winter, and I like to clean my waterers daily. So that said, try at least one regular waterer or water bowl for them. Let us know how she gets along. If you think that she has coccidiosis, then get some Corid and treat them all at once since it is safe even if they don’t have it. Corid dosage is 2 tsp (10 ml) of the liquid Corid in each gallon of water for 5-7 days.

 

[ErnieBerley]

Hello!
I have five 12 week old hens. I've have them since 1 week and they've all seemed fine. They acclimated well to the outdoors from tbe brooder, acclimated well to the watering nipple, and 4 of them are big and healthy.

I noticed yesterday that one was getting stepped on while at the waterer and I figured- wow she must be at the bottom of the pecking order, so I shoo'd the other girls away and let her get some water. Today when I opened the coop I noticed she just stayed on the ramp while the others rushed to the waterer.

I felt bad for her so I went and got her a dish of water and separated her and she drank the entire thing. Then it just kinda leaked out of her mouth.

Now, please do not shame me, I'm trying to learn.

I don't pick up my hens very often, but I picked her up and then another and that's when I noticed she's literally half the weight of the other birds. She was walking around fine, but then she laid down after drinking all the water and just kinda stayed there.

It was 70° today by the way.

After noticing she is half the weight of the other birds I decided to isolate her. I filled an old dog kennel up with hay, a water dish, some regular food with grit, some oats, scrambled her an egg with flax seed and garlic and left her to rest. She started making some sad howling sounds which I assumed were her expressing confusion. We went and did family Christmas and when we came home she was huddled down and fluffed up- which she wasn't before. She's been pretty quiet unless I go into the garage and then she kinda talks to me a little. I checked her vent and gave her a good once over and she appeared ok. I turned on the heat lap and moved her closer to it, gave her an area with shade as well and refeshed her food.

I feel horrible that I didn't notice she was half the weight of thr other birds, but I hadn't really needed to handle them much and I also have a 4 month old baby- so I've been preoccupied.

Do hens at the bottom of the pecking order have this problem?
Do I need to maybe add another waterer? A larger feeder?
Could I just be she's got a predisposed problem?
What more can I do for her?

You can also try Save-A -Chick electrolyte solution and Rescue Remedy homeopathic to help with mineral balance and stress. Also VetRX is an aromatherapy product you dilute and rub under the wings and around head (not EYES). it helps ward off viruses and bacteria. These are just some adjunctive measures to try.

 

[HarleyBarley]

I'm sorry your pullet is not doing well.

Can you post some photos of your coop/run, water/feeder and of the pullet and her poop?

The others rush to the waterer too? Are there enough nipples?
What do you feed?

To me, it sounds like she's dehydrated (she drank a whole bowl of water) and likely has not been eating. She drank so much, that it spilled out of her beak - did you notice if she was gasping/gaping afterward?

Check her first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks - her crop should be empty.
I would also provide her with electrolytes for 1 day. Wet feed, but not too much.

Whether she is not acclimated to the nipple water system, she's being kept from food/water by the others or if she has something else going on - it is hard to know at this point.

Since she is quite young, I would try to put her cage inside the coop if there is room or at least in the run during the day so she can be with the others. She's likely stressed by being removed and it will be harder on her to re-integrate if she is completely isolated.

Look forward to more information and photos.

Hello!

Thank you for your reply. She made it through the night and greeted me this morning. She's still a little puffed up but I really think it's from the stress of being away from her flock. I had to go to work early this morning and was not able to move her out to her flock, and wanted to give her some more time with extra food. I'm going to add another waterer. For future reference, how many birds per nipple?
They're eating starter feed, which I was told to feed them until they're ready to lay. It's not medicated as I was told they should be good at this stage.
I think I'll add in another feeder as well. She's really a sweet little thing, and though she's unsure of whats going on I can tell she appreciates having food and water.

If she was dehydrated and drank a bowl of water, she may in turn have some more runny poops—that is normal when a lot of water is consumed. She needs to remain with the other chickens unless she is being harmed. If it is too small to keep her in a crate, then at least twice a day, bring her inside or sepearte her with food and water. Try the watery feed that @Wyorp Rock recommended, since they usually like that. Try egg, tuna, dry feed as well. If she eats for you eagerly, then she probably does not have coccidiosis, and was being kept from food and water.

I have never like the idea of the nipples for water, but that is just me. I have seen baby chicks who appeared to be dying at feed stores because they were too short to reach the nipples. They also freeze in winter, and I like to clean my waterers daily. So that said, try at least one regular waterer or water bowl for them. Let us know how she gets along. If you think that she has coccidiosis, then get some Corid and treat them all at once since it is safe even if they don’t have it. Corid dosage is 2 tsp (10 ml) of the liquid Corid in each gallon of water for 5-7 days.

I haven't physically seen her eat much but when I check on her plenty of her food is gone, and when she was in the run she was trying to forage.

 

[coach723]

Glad she's doing a little better, hopefully she was just not getting access to food and water enough and she will continue to get better. I've done both nipple waterers and regular waterers. I gave up on the nipples for various reasons, but the truth is that there is no set 'math' for either kind. It's very dependent on your flock and set up. One aggressive bird can make a huge difference in what is enough and what is not. I find that spacing is more important than how many, meaning that they are far enough apart that birds can go to one in safety to eat or drink if another is being guarded. So 'enough' may be a lot more than what you may find quoted based on your own particular flock dynamics. This is particularly important in the summer when it is hot. Dehydration can quickly become heat stroke. Having 'too many', spaced out well, is far better than not having enough. I have a flock of 24 currently and I have 6 waterers well spaced out, and I add open saucers in the summer when it's hot, in addition to those. I have three standard feeders for them along with 5 open dishes that they get mash in every morning, so plenty of places for the lower ranking birds to get a chance to feed and water throughout the day. As others have said, seeing pictures of your set up would make it easier to make suggestions for your particular situation. I hope she continues to improve.

 

[HarleyBarley]

Sadly, she really is just skin and bones. I am worried she's not going to make it through the winter.