As you may all know, it's been very cold here in Michigan. My flock has been doing well except this morning I went to the coop and my Polish Buff was just laying there. There seems to be no injuries to him. I've brought him up to the house and have a heat lamp on him and have been giving him vitamins. Could it be the cold weather or should I be looking for something more?
How does he look--is he standing or sitting puffed up? Can he stand if you sit him up? Check for mites and lice on his skin. Is his crop full, soft, or hard? Any diarrhea? Has he had a Mareks vaccine? Was he wormed recently? Is he alert or lethargic? Age? Have you noticed any frostbite on the feet?
Eggcessive, Well unfortunately Glitzy lasted about a couple more hours after I posted this, I could get him to stand up but then he'd plop back down and he did seem a bit puffy. I had given him electrolytes and put him under a heat lamp but no luck. How would I be able to detect frost bite ? would I look for the same signs on feet an comb's? in case something happens in the future. It's suppose to get to -30 here tomorrow. I have heat lamps and insulation in the coop so I'm hopping I don't have any more issues.
The most important thing in those kinds of temperatures is to keep moisture out, and they need ventilation high up near the roof of the coop to prevent frostbite. He may have been sick, and could have died from any one of many different causes--mites, worms, coccidosis, heart problems, and others. There may have been nothing you could have done. Sorry for your loss. Here is a link about frostbite: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/12/frostbit-in-backyard-chickens-causes.html http://voices.yahoo.com/how-treat-chickens-suffering-frostbite-5294027.html?cat=53
