- Apr 8, 2013
- 28
- 2
- 77
I have a Silkie Hen, roughly 3 years old. I cam home last Thursday evening and happened to go in the coop and noticed she was in the broody spot, but she had her head cocked back looking at me funny. I picked her up and set her down and she stumbled around. Using her wings to stabilize, but ultimately falling down. (day 1)
I separated her overnight in the house. The next day I got up and read a little. Hoping this is (and still do hope) not mareks. At this point (We'll call this day 2), her symptoms were unbalanced/weak and not a lot of control over her neck. My initial thoughts are vitamin deficiency. I went into the chicken ER kit and got the vitamins out. i started feeding her vitamins. When I got home from work, she seemed to be about the same. I gave her more vitamins. I gave her egg mash, which she tried to eat, but her aim/neck control is off and she misses half the time.
Saturday (day 3). I woke up and she had a crazy bloody poop in her kennel. Not bloody like I cut myself, but thick like the lining, very deep in color, but definitely blood. I would have thought lining, but there was soooo much of it. (I don't have a pic). I quickly got the corrid out and started dosing her for Coccidosis. Tried to feed her anything she would eat. She loves blueberries, so she got a few of those down and fed her some egg mash. I syringed vitamins as well as water in the morning and water throughout the day.
Sunday (Day 4) - continued on corrid treatment. She seems a little better. She is still unbalanced, but she is standing and trying to walk a bunch. She tumbled over several times, but she is trying to get places. Continued the Corrid, and the vitamins.
Monday (Day 5) - morning she seemed about the same. When I came home in the evening, she had her head buried down in the corner of the kennel. She still has neck control issues. She can hold it up, but her aim is off and it bounces around when she tries to use it to get food. She tried a little to eat and drink, but quickly gives up when she doesn't have control. She wants to stand up less now and really isn't trying to walk. I've kept egg mash, and oatmeal in her kennel, but I have no idea if she at much. I suspect she hasn't. That said, she had food in her crop when I put her to bed. it was squishy, but I could feel pieces in there. Now I feel like she has a new problem, so i take food out and will check in the morning. While cleaning her kennel, she pooped a liquid black poop. It could have been super dark green, but really looked black.
Also, Worried about vitamin toxicity (I think I read no more than 3 days for the polyvisol) I moved over to just vitamin E/Selenium and B Complex, after reading those might be the most likely cause if it is a vitamin defficiency. Also giving corrid still.
Today (Day 6) - woke up and crop is still full, less full, but still mushy and has stuff in it. went out to the coop and felt all the other chickens...they have nothing. So this is definitely a problem.
I now have no idea what is going on. Is it Mareks? Would Mareks cause all that? Is it Coccidosis? shes had 3 treaments so far, when should I see improvement? Is it worms? I'm a bad chicken mom and have never de-wormed. I have never noticed worms in poop and didn't realize it should be a bi-yearly process (I will be starting this process ASAP). Is it impacted/sour crop?
side note:I'm having to give her a dose of the corrid, because I'm not sure she can really drink. Hopefully I'm giving the right amount. She is less than 1.5lbs, and I'm putting 1/2 tsp in 1/4 cup water and giving her 3ml of that mixture.
any opinions as to what my next step should be??
I separated her overnight in the house. The next day I got up and read a little. Hoping this is (and still do hope) not mareks. At this point (We'll call this day 2), her symptoms were unbalanced/weak and not a lot of control over her neck. My initial thoughts are vitamin deficiency. I went into the chicken ER kit and got the vitamins out. i started feeding her vitamins. When I got home from work, she seemed to be about the same. I gave her more vitamins. I gave her egg mash, which she tried to eat, but her aim/neck control is off and she misses half the time.
Saturday (day 3). I woke up and she had a crazy bloody poop in her kennel. Not bloody like I cut myself, but thick like the lining, very deep in color, but definitely blood. I would have thought lining, but there was soooo much of it. (I don't have a pic). I quickly got the corrid out and started dosing her for Coccidosis. Tried to feed her anything she would eat. She loves blueberries, so she got a few of those down and fed her some egg mash. I syringed vitamins as well as water in the morning and water throughout the day.
Sunday (Day 4) - continued on corrid treatment. She seems a little better. She is still unbalanced, but she is standing and trying to walk a bunch. She tumbled over several times, but she is trying to get places. Continued the Corrid, and the vitamins.
Monday (Day 5) - morning she seemed about the same. When I came home in the evening, she had her head buried down in the corner of the kennel. She still has neck control issues. She can hold it up, but her aim is off and it bounces around when she tries to use it to get food. She tried a little to eat and drink, but quickly gives up when she doesn't have control. She wants to stand up less now and really isn't trying to walk. I've kept egg mash, and oatmeal in her kennel, but I have no idea if she at much. I suspect she hasn't. That said, she had food in her crop when I put her to bed. it was squishy, but I could feel pieces in there. Now I feel like she has a new problem, so i take food out and will check in the morning. While cleaning her kennel, she pooped a liquid black poop. It could have been super dark green, but really looked black.
Also, Worried about vitamin toxicity (I think I read no more than 3 days for the polyvisol) I moved over to just vitamin E/Selenium and B Complex, after reading those might be the most likely cause if it is a vitamin defficiency. Also giving corrid still.
Today (Day 6) - woke up and crop is still full, less full, but still mushy and has stuff in it. went out to the coop and felt all the other chickens...they have nothing. So this is definitely a problem.
I now have no idea what is going on. Is it Mareks? Would Mareks cause all that? Is it Coccidosis? shes had 3 treaments so far, when should I see improvement? Is it worms? I'm a bad chicken mom and have never de-wormed. I have never noticed worms in poop and didn't realize it should be a bi-yearly process (I will be starting this process ASAP). Is it impacted/sour crop?
side note:I'm having to give her a dose of the corrid, because I'm not sure she can really drink. Hopefully I'm giving the right amount. She is less than 1.5lbs, and I'm putting 1/2 tsp in 1/4 cup water and giving her 3ml of that mixture.
any opinions as to what my next step should be??
