Help needed

[Meija]

One of my girls is having a lot of trouble .
I think she may be egg bound , or possibly have merrick disease ???
She is lethargic and can’t walk .
I have her inside the house ,away from the rest of the flock.
She will only est things high in fat ..... avocado and coconut oil are the only things she has touched in 2 days .
Hasn’t touched her regular feed and doesn’t seem to be drinking any water .
We have also soaked her in an epsom salt bath and couldn’t feel anything....like an egg
Please any suggestions are much appreciated.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

One of my girls is having a lot of trouble .
I think she may be egg bound , or possibly have merrick disease ???
She is lethargic and can’t walk .
I have her inside the house ,away from the rest of the flock.
She will only est things high in fat ..... avocado and coconut oil are the only things she has touched in 2 days .
Hasn’t touched her regular feed and doesn’t seem to be drinking any water .
We have also soaked her in an epsom salt bath and couldn’t feel anything....like an egg
Please any suggestions are much appreciated.

Dehydration is deadly fast but she won;t starve to death... quit with the high fat stuff... you may just cause worse problems like fatty liver syndrome... she isn't using many calories and those high fat snacks have a lot of calories but not many nutrients. Offer only feed, or moistened feed. Even scrambled eggs would be better than straight oil. At this point she will likely need some vitamins... got any? Nutrient deficit can also cause these symptoms.. in addition to many possibilities... but lets try to understand what may be going on!

How old is she and what breed? Where was she when you found her like this? What is her regular feed including treats and supplements? Has she passed any droppings and what do they look like? Are you able to post any pics or videos using vimeo or youtube? How big is your flock? Where are you located? You say she hasn't eaten or drank in two days except the oil... I would even do a raw egg yolk offering as a LAST ditch effort it is fat as you said she likes and nutritious enough to sustain chicks for 3 days after hatch.

A sling can help, some basic concept ideas...

Sorry you face this! Welcome to BYC.

 

[Meija]

Dehydration is deadly fast but she won;t starve to death... quit with the high fat stuff... you may just cause worse problems like fatty liver syndrome... she isn't using many calories and those high fat snacks have a lot of calories but not many nutrients. Offer only feed, or moistened feed. Even scrambled eggs would be better than straight oil. At this point she will likely need some vitamins... got any? Nutrient deficit can also cause these symptoms.. in addition to many possibilities... but lets try to understand what may be going on!

How old is she and what breed? Where was she when you found her like this? What is her regular feed including treats and supplements? Has she passed any droppings and what do they look like? Are you able to post any pics or videos using vimeo or youtube? How big is your flock? Where are you located? You say she hasn't eaten or drank in two days except the oil... I would even do a raw egg yolk offering as a LAST ditch effort it is fat as you said she likes and nutritious enough to sustain chicks for 3 days after hatch.

A sling can help, some basic concept ideas...
View attachment 1557848

Sorry you face this! Welcome to BYC.

Thank you so much for the advice .
I tried wet feed and she won’t eat it , she has eaten some more avocado and some berries . And she has had some water but not much .
She is 5 months old so I was thinking young to be laying . Her droppings go from normal to runny with white in it . I have a vitamin supplement I add to their feed , but since she won’t eat ..... should I dilute it with water and try a dropper full ??
She still can’t walk , I can’t feel anything egg like .
She’s not getting worse ..... just not getting better .
Also we are in stl mo . I currently have 5 hens and a roo .
Everyone else seems ok so far .
She is a Brahma .
She eats organic layers pellets and gets grit and a powdered omega and vitamin mixture .
She was in the run when I found her .

 

[Eggcessive]

Chopped egg or tuna can be attractive if you mix one or the other in the feed with a little water. Watermelon is a good thing to get fluids into them. Can she move either leg, are her toes curled under, and how does she sit? Can you make her a chicken sling or prop her on some towels next to her food and water? She is at the age where it could be Mareks, but sometimes egg binding can cause a temporary lameness. You can insert one finger up to 2 inches inside her vent to check for a stuck egg that might be very large. Pictures of her sitting or lying may be helpful. Here is a link with pics of slings:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

Here is an article about Mareks disease:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

Make sure the vitamins have riboflavin on the label.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

She is a Brahma .
She eats organic layers pellets and gets grit and a powdered omega and vitamin mixture .
She was in the run when I found her .

Doesn't sound like egg binding symptoms.

How long has she been eating layer for? Are your other birds the same age? Are they also getting the avocado?

It does sound like Marek's or nutrient deficit could be a factor. Can you post a pic of her and your omega vitamin mixture. Yes, since she isn't eating I would do whatever I had to get some vitamin mixture in.

I'm serious about stopping the avocado... She IS eating... just not what she should be... and seems like when I volunteered at an animal rehab center... was a NONO for birds... but I'm gonna look farther into it, but a couple quick links...

https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/avocado/

https://avianexoticsvet.com/10-everyday-items-that-are-toxic-to-birds/