Generally unhealthy looking bird... WITH PICTURES!

[casportpony]

Ah, yep, lice would do that. If a chicken is infested enough, they will become so irritated that they won't eat or trick and just sit there. As long as you don't feel anything inside her abdomen, then the lice are definitely the problem. Everything casportpony mentioned is good to use. But if you can't find any of that, you can also try some flea/tick shampoo for dogs and cats.

If she has lice, I'd be willing to bet that there are mites in the coop, too, so it also needs to be treated. Shampoo will work, but if she is sick, bathing her will just stress her out.

-Kathy

 

[WooingWyandotte]

I know that the last chicken of mine that was straining like crazy actually had worms. Ascarids...yeah I don't think completely ruling worms out is a good idea, especially since you said she was skinny.

 

[casportpony]

I know that the last chicken of mine that was straining like crazy actually had worms. Ascarids...yeah I don't think completely ruling worms out is a good idea, especially since you said she was skinny.

You're right, worming is always a good idea, IMNSHO, and it's what I do with any of mine when they're "off". They come in, get a thorough exam, get dusted for mites/lice even if I can't see any. Then they get weighed and wormed with fenbendazole 10% (Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste - it's the same amount) at 50mg/kg (0.5ml per 2.2 pounds) by mouth and repeat in ten days.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Here is a copy and paste from a thread of mine:

When mine get sick, this is what I do:

• *Thorough* physical exam which includes inserting a gloved, lubed finger into the cloaca to check for an egg, check for cuts, bruising lumps, smells, etc.
• Dust for mites/lice with poultry dust even if I cannot see any. DE does not work.
• Weigh on digital kitchen scale (see avatar), record weight and weigh daily. any weight loss is bad.
• Place bird in a warm, quiet place on towel with food and water that it can't drown in.
• De-worm with Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste (fenbendazole 10%) 50mg/kg by mouth and repeat in 10 days. Warning - Safeguard/Panacur should not be used during a molt.
• Once warm, if not drinking and crop is empty, hydrate with warmed Pedialyte or lactated ringers with a feeding tube - 30ml/kg every 6-8 hours.
• If not eating after 24 hours and crop is empty, tube feed baby bird food mixed with Pedialyte
• Inspect poop.
• If I suspect a stuck egg, treat for egg binding.
• If I suspect a bacterial infection, treat with antibiotics.
• If I suspect a fungal infection, treat with Nystatin.
• If I suspect coccidiosis, treat with Corid (amprolium).
• If I suspect canker or histomoniaisis (blackhead), treat with Metronidazole.

-Kathy

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote: In her current condition, I don't think it will matter. From my experience, bathing tends to relax them once they realize it's ok and as long as it's warm (not hot) water.

 

[aviatrix]

She did enjoy the bath. Nice warm water. I put her in and she relaxed right into it, just floated around. Then I wrapped her in a towel and she fell asleep. Put her back in the coop. She ate and drank, then went in to the nesting box and went to sleep. I'm nervous about her, but I'm going to follow your steps up above and get them ALL treated and hope for the best.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

Awesome, good luck with her; your doing a great job!

She did enjoy the bath. Nice warm water. I put her in and she relaxed right into it, just floated around. Then I wrapped her in a towel and she fell asleep. Put her back in the coop. She ate and drank, then went in to the nesting box and went to sleep. I'm nervous about her, but I'm going to follow your steps up above and get them ALL treated and hope for the best.

 

[aviatrix]

Alright, so now I'm even more confused. I got the poultry powder and headed out to my coop. Only to find that one of my chickens was missing, and all my girls were huddling together in the run. When I picked one up, I found the missing hen dead underneath them all. Could she have been suffocated? There was no damage to her, other than her neck being really floppy (broken?). Ugh.

But looking on the positive side the really sick one made it. I changed all their litter out and dusted the whole thing with poultry power and put new bedding in. Then worked the powder onto all the birds and checked them all over for stuck eggs and distended bellies. I only found bugs and damaged feathers on two of the remaining 5. (and none on the dead bird either).

I'll treat them again in a weeks time, and keep an eye on the sick one. She's still eating and drinking.

Fingers crossed!

 

[casportpony]

Do a necropsy on the dead hen.

-Kathy

 

[WooingWyandotte]

X2

Do a necropsy on the dead hen.

-Kathy