Help! I think my chicken might be sick!

[Dinos_rock]

I noticed a couple days ago that my Silver Duckwing Old English Game Bantam chicken has started to lose some feathers on her chest. Today I felt her crop and it is really hard. I also looked at her legs and she has a black dot on one leg and some red sort of bumpy spots on both her legs. Right now she is in a really small cage because we are in the process of building a gigantic cage for her, we just haven't had the time to finish it. I don't know if limited amount of space caused this or what. I saw her poop and it looked normal: black and white. She is my first chicken, so I don't know much. Do you think something could be wrong with her? Also she is by herself, I don't have any other chickens. I tried to look it up online to find out, but I haven't found anything yet. If she is sick, what should I do?

 

[chickflick]

Hoping someone will drop in and help you out....

 

[Dinos_rock]

Thanks, me too...

 

[Pistonman]

Inspect the dots, I may guess the red could be mites, and the black blood? Let her out in the yard daily, they love it. If you do have mites, dust with Sevin 5%, available at Walmart in the garden section (inside). Good luck

 

[jjthink]

A few questions that may help in deciphering what's happening:

Does she get out and about at all or just cagebound? Or just in cage since you've noticed her being unwell?

How old is she? How long have you had her?

Has she ever had chicken buddies? If so, how long ago?

What's her diet?

JJ

 

[Dinos_rock]

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I try to let her out as much as I can, but I am so busy and with a dog, I have to supervise every minute outside.

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She is around seven months old. I've had her for six months.

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Yes, I used to have another chicken, but he turned out to be a rooster so I gave him back to my dad. I got both the chickens together, then gave the roo back to my dad at the end of February.

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When I first got her, I went to the feed store and they told me to just feed her scratch.

 

[mmajw]

Try mixing grit and oyster shells together for her crop, maybe something is stuck. Or maybe she just needs that mixture.

 

[dlhunicorn]

her diet is totally wrong and she will become ill simply from that if you do not change it immediately...she should be on layer feed ration (ask your feed store for this).

Please post a pic if you can of your bird and its cage and the spots on its leg you are concerned about.

 

[Dinos_rock]

OK, I'll go to the feed store and get the layer feed ration as soon as I can. Is there anything I should feed her until I can get this?

My camera broke, so I don't know if I can post any pics. I will try to borrow my aunt's camera, but I don't think I can get pics on here for a few more days. I will try to as fast as I can, though.

 

[jjthink]

Megan, thank you for your honest answers. The good news is that you care and want to help this hen - thank you. Have you named her?

As Diana noted, it's imperative that she get on a better diet immediately, if not sooner. In addition to the layer food, hurry if you can to order some Avia Charge 2000 (you can find it on line), a nutritional supplement that gets added to her water. She has lots of nutrition to catch up on. A little goes a long way and the jar will last a long time.

The feed store should be ashamed that they gave out wrong info about diet - the same thing happened to me many years ago when 2 roos appeared on my property out of nowhere (I had never had chickens before so I didn't know and the feed store told me in no uncertain terms that a roo diet is scratch and only scratch) - once I got the straight story (scratch should only be used as a treat, not as prime diet) I had a talk with them and every time I hear one of their employees give out wrong info yet again I correct them. Feed stores that give out wrong info like this are condemning birds to illness and early death and that's akin to a crime in my book.

Being caged up small, with no feathered friends, humans that don't have enough time to spend with her free of cage, a diet that is nutritionally inferior - it's not surprising that she's unwell. It's been a half a year already. Her best chance is if you hurry to make changes for her - hurry like it's an all out emergency.

I only have 2 (a roo and hen) but they are bored in a nanosecond if they are not out and about exploring (even though they have a 4'x6'x8' high coop for sleeping in a 24'x24' outbuilding they have the run of in the daytime). Perhaps you can think about getting her a friend (if you do, check back with folks on BYC and you can get info on best way to introduce etc.) or at least finding a way to offer her more exploring time. If neither of these things is possible, her best life might be with someone else who can reliably offer these things (that takes some careful investigating!).

Examples of dietary supplements that you can offer in addition to layer food (layer should be the main thing, these others as treats): sunflower seeds (mine get them every single day for umpteen years now - in the shell), scrambled egg (scramble an egg in a ceramic cup, mixing in one tablespoon water, and microwave for maybe 30 or 45 seconds, mix well and serve after no longer hot - this can be offered for extra protein during molting or when needing to entice them to eat for whatever reason), small cut up pieces of fruit and veggies (mine love tomatoes, grapes, melon, berries, apples, bananas and so on.....), always making sure the condition of these foods is something you would eat yourself (no mold). Fresh plain yogurt. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) - get at health food store - per gallon of water offered once a month in plastic not metal water bowl. Dosage recs vary on ACV - one teaspoon is on the low side. Don;t use Avia Charge 2000 on the day you use ACV.

Okay, late for work now but I wanted to spend some time seeing if I could help you help her. Sending best wishes. Please keep us posted - you're on your way to better health for her!
JJ