HELP, I have a sick chicken.

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mrcush

mrcush

Songster
7 Years
Nov 18, 2012
234
35
136
Southeast Michigan
Hello Everyone! It has been probably a couple years since I've been on here and I'm looking for some help. I got home from work early this afternoon and noticed my Road Island Red was in the coop kind of slouched over and her feathers were all fluffed up. I didn't think nothing of it but she is still there hours later. I did pick her up and take her out once this afternoon and massaged her belly and butt and she let me do it which is highly unusual. No runny nose, her eyes and everything else look fine except for what I explained above. She was out free ranging yesterday. Does anyone have and advice, suggestions or thoughts on what could be wrong with her?

I just went out and checked on her again and she is still breathing but barely. She is on the floor of the coop, head tucked under a shelf. Can anyone help? I think at this point although I'm horribly sad, that I'm more worried about the rest of my flock.

Thanks
 
Set her up in a dog kennel away from the flock. Try to keep her as stress free as possible, and don't give her any reason to move (i.e., put her food and water close by). As long as you don't see any other birds acting sickly, then it doesn't sound like it's contagious.

Does her breathing sound normal? Did you feel anything egg-like when you massaged her? It sounds like she is either egg bound or laying internally, both of which can kill her. If she is an internal layer, she probably only has a day or two at most left to live. Also, if she is laying internally, you might not be able to feel anything noticeably large in her abdomen.

Hope she makes it!
 
Thanks. She is already isolated. No other sickly girls. I just recently heard about the egg bound thing and when I massaged her I couldn't feel anything. We considered culling her but it's my first to go. I know that is the right thing to do but I just can't. She is 4 years old and quit laying this summer. I think it's just her time.
 
You could let her just die in her own time. The first expierience I had with internal laying was also with a RIR, and she lived for a few good months after she first started acting sick. The other girl that died from it was a BSL, and she was sick one day, dead the next. She was really skinny, too.
I'm so sorry for your poor girl
hit.gif
 


Unfortunately we decided to cull her this morning. She hadn't ate or drank in 2 days. She is the one on the left (RIR). She had a good life running around and pecking with her sisters. Thanks everyone for the advice and help.
 
chickens really said:
Do you feed treats daily? Chickens require complete diets daily....All the common illnesses can be prevented if treats are cut out...

1 Tablespoon per bird a day in treats....5%....


Cheers!
Click to expand...

What do you mean by treats? We give them table scraps when we have them. We give them bird seed. Now that winter is approaching I will give the popcorn or warm oatmeal ever once in a while. Other suggestions?
 

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