Health, more than just showing symptoms

[Midnightman14]

Earlier this week I brought this little lady into our "special care unit" she was not visibly sick or showing symptoms but she had been treated for gapeworm and it took a toll. I picked her up and discovered she was very thin so i brought her in to keep her warm and fatten her back up with healthy foods.

This is why it is so important to be engaged with your birds and to interact with them to guage health. Had i not picked up this bird she would likely have died despite not being visibly sick.

There is a pervasive attitude acrossed animal hobbies that people think because an animal is moving around it is not sick which is not at all true. These are the same individuals who claim despite bad practices that their birds are "thriving" or "fine". Health is a spectrum and in birds by the time they look sick they're probably beyond saving.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I'm not the only one!
I know this is on Peafowl, but I agree the same on chickens. So many times I have a random chicken that I know is not doing well, but she's showing absolutely no symptoms. Sometimes I've seen chickens suddenly die with no previous symptoms. Because chickens naturally have a high pain tolerance in efforts to survival, they are very good at hiding the fact something is wrong. Oftentimes when you actually see something is wrong with a chicken, the issue is secretly much worst than what you see.

Unfortunately, with me usually spotting something wrong with one of my girls but no symptoms, I usually don't know what the actual problem is, or how to treat them. This Spring I had a pullet who was one of those cases, which I put on a couple of Save-A-Chick stuff, with hopes that it'd help. I can tell she's doing better, but I never knew what was wrong.

 

[Midnightman14]

I'm not the only one!
I know this is on Peafowl, but I agree the same on chickens. So many times I have a random chicken that I know is not doing well, but she's showing absolutely no symptoms. Sometimes I've seen chickens suddenly die with no previous symptoms. Because chickens naturally have a high pain tolerance in efforts to survival, they are very good at hiding the fact something is wrong. Oftentimes when you actually see something is wrong with a chicken, the issue is secretly much worst than what you see.

Unfortunately, with me usually spotting something wrong with one of my girls but no symptoms, I usually don't know what the actual problem is, or how to treat them. This Spring I had a pullet who was one of those cases, which I put on a couple of Save-A-Chick stuff, with hopes that it'd help. I can tell she's doing better, but I never knew what was wrong.

Chickens have the benefit of being the cockroaches of the poultry world. They don't get seriously ill much and they don't die easily. Peafowl not so much.

 

[KsKingBee]

Peas hide their symptoms very well which is one reason that experienced breeders will proactively treat for worms and lice at least twice per year. I also treat for cocci and worms in our current year hatched chicks monthly until fall arrives. When I see a bird that is questionable I will run a fecal exam and see if I can determine, or at least rule out the possibility of worms and or cocci which will guide me to other possibilities. If I can rule out worms and cocci I will treat with metronidazole in case it has blackhead. If those items can be ruled out then the worse can be assumed, tumors, cancerous growths, or internal injuries. I have had a few eat something sharp and puncture the esophagus leaking food into the chest cavity always leading to death. I would say that the leading cause of death here is broken necks caused when spooked and flushing up hitting a hard surface. When they do not die right away they will show signs of neurological damage that doesn't heal well.

 

[Midnightman14]

Peas hide their symptoms very well which is one reason that experienced breeders will proactively treat for worms and lice at least twice per year. I also treat for cocci and worms in our current year hatched chicks monthly until fall arrives. When I see a bird that is questionable I will run a fecal exam and see if I can determine, or at least rule out the possibility of worms and or cocci which will guide me to other possibilities. If I can rule out worms and cocci I will treat with metronidazole in case it has blackhead. If those items can be ruled out then the worse can be assumed, tumors, cancerous growths, or internal injuries. I have had a few eat something sharp and puncture the esophagus leaking food into the chest cavity always leading to death. I would say that the leading cause of death here is broken necks caused when spooked and flushing up hitting a hard surface. When they do not die right away they will show signs of neurological damage that doesn't heal well.

I've had a couple brain themselves to death over the years. Only thing that seems to help is keeping indoor areas well lit with natural sunlight. I lose one or two every 18 months or so to worms and it's almost always the very inbred birds that don't make it. The greens seem less prone to preventable illness but i have had them injure or kill each other even as yearlings.