Heeeelllpp!!! Somethings wrong with myShe

[dgeter]

Sunday morning I picked up a former champion show silkie from a local lady. "Cheesey". She had broken her leg and couldnt be shown anymore because of the limp. Cheesey is the sweetest hen ever and everything has been perfectly fine so far. She's been waddling around the house in chicken diapers with my other silkie. Tonight at 9 I noticed she hadn't moved in a long time. When I went to pick her up to put her in her bed, she was very unstable and week. She's hardly using her legs at all. Shes sprawled and when she moves forward she just flops her whole body. I've been forcing her to drink but she wont do it on her own and she wont eat. Since shes been here, I've seen her eat once but I've given her some rice and some cooked hamburger meat. My other silkie always eats leftovers and she loved it to.

Anyway, I'm FREAKING out! I've raised bird (not chickens) all my life and this is exactly how they all acted right before they died..

Please help! I made her some scrambled eggs and tried to get her to eat them but she wont.

She's also been panting non-stop since this began. I know they do that when they're stressed but my other silkie also does it when hes hot as well. I put a rotating fan far back in an attempt to make it a comfortable temperature in here. Even I was really hot.

Any suggestions?? I refuse to go to bed until I see an improvement!

 

[sammi]

could she be eggbound?
was she laying before?
did the lady say she was laying?
when did she last lay?
does she have a nest?
any drainage from vent?
check the vent..is it pulsing?
describe the droppings..color and consistency.

what all do you feed?(beside the hamburger and rice)
did the lady tell you what she fed her?

check the crop..if she hasn't eaten for a while it should be pretty empty..feel for any lump or grainy feeling.
the crop is a sac near the bottom of the neck, on top of the breast, slightly to the hen's right..

in case she's eggbound..

place her on a heated towel or some sort of heat pad or bag in a dim quiet place undisturbed..
or put her in a sink of warm water..
hopefully..if she's eggbound..this will help relax the muscles to expel the egg.

 

[dgeter]

The owner said shes a good layer and she just laid an egg last night so i dont think that could be the problem. The vent isn't pulsing and seems to look normal. I did notice that her poop was normal but had a greenish tent. However I know that tends to happen with they're stressed. With the move, Im sure shes stressed.

The owner fed her layer feed and grain. I have layer feed but no grain yet. I just called the owner despite the time, she seemed convinced that Cheesey is dehydrated. I'm not convinced but I did force her to take more water and she at least seems to not be swaying anymore.

The owner also said to "not be upset" if she dies.. I didn't like that much. My pets are like my kids to me.

 

[sammi]

do you have any poultry vitamins?
or..Poly-vi-sol liquid baby vitamins, Enfamil brand if possible, no iron..
give 2-3 drops on beak once a day for 5 days..then taper for another week.

do check the crop..especially in the morning before she eats.
the greenish tint could be from not eating enough..

don't worry about the grains.

try and make up this mix..
these amounts are for 1 day..divide into 2 feeds for the day..give for 5 days along with regular layer feed.
if she's unable to walk..you'll have to keep her fed and hydrated by hand till she perks up.

1 cooked egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon honey or unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
3-4 tablespoons water cooked oatmeal
enough feed to make the mix puffy, not soupy or gummy.

try and find out if she has been wormed.
keep a close eye on the droppings...

 

[dgeter]

I dont have any vitamins. I need to find out where to get those. I have baby bird formula that I fed baby parrots but thats it.

I tried to get her to eat scrambled eggs. But I think I need something liquidy like that mix. I dont have all the ingredients (just my luck) but I can run to the store if they're open.

I just gave her more water. But shes wobbling really bad again. of course Im sure it take a while to take effect. I felt for food in her gullet but I dont feel anything.

 

[dgeter]

Question.. when I found mt baby finch half dead in a parking lot I read that you could give it we dog food. We did that for about a week before we found the baby formula we needed.. Do you think the wet dog food would help? Although I dont have my feeding tube thingie anymore..

 

[sammi]

you can give her some of the baby bird food..
and make sure you give water by drops on beak if necessary.

if the crop is empty..that's most likely the problem..
but wondering why she's not eating..

do try and make up the mix as soon as you can..
and the vitamins..

 

[sammi]

if you hold her up, is she able to walk?

I hope that lady didn't sell you a sick chicken.

 

[dgeter]

Okay I'll get the baby food and go to the store for the other stuff asap. I dont have my feeding tube anymore so Ive gotta run to the 24/hour drugstore. Hopefully they have one.

 

[sammi]

no..no dog food..
cat food ok..
or the baby bird food.