help sick chicken

[lilmagill]

i haven't checked for an obstruction. i am a new chicken owner and am learning as i go. i will give her some olive oil soaked bread and buy a wormer. i haven't given her an examination yet as i wanted to know what all i should look for before i catch her, (which is a fairly traumatic experience for them. i bought them at 2 months and while they follow me around and come when i call they still run from me when i try and touch them.) so, speaking to the head shaking...i should check her crop? maybe her ears? the labored breathing...i check her trachea? while i'm at it i should check for an infestation around her vent and under her wings? but what speaks to the dark spots on her comb? i have read that could be circulatory, and also have read that it is normal for the comb to change colors? btw i have been observing her all morning. she is eating, scratching, drinking, foraging, acting fine. i really only became concerned bc her comb became floppy and developed a blue tinge a couple days ago. maybe all of this is just nothing but her reacting to the heat and i am just a typical hyper-aware/newbie/chickens-as-pets owner thank you all.

 

[casportpony]

If she's eating and drinking normally then I doubt there is an obstruction or a problem with her crop, but one should *always* do a thorough exam when the suspect something is not right. In addition to worming her, I'd probably also dust for mites and lice with poultry dust or 5% Sevin powder and I would do it even if I couldn't see any.

When you go to the feedstore to get wormer, do NOT buy Wazine, which is what a sales person will try to sell you if you ask for chicken wormer. Get Safeguard for goats and if the don't have that, you can use the Safeguard horse paste. They are the same, both are 10% Fenbendazole, trust me, lol.

Worms are easy to deal with when caught in time and they can cause the symptoms you're seeing, so that's why I suggested worming.

-Kathy

 

[lilmagill]

at the feed store now. Safeguard dewormer for goats suspension? Or multi species pellets?

 

[casportpony]

at the feed store now. Safeguard dewormer for goats suspension? Or multi species pellets?

y

Suspension and 1ml and 3ml syringes, just one of each will be fine. No needles.

 

[lilmagill]

if she has worms would i be able to see them in her stool? is there any way to mix the wormer in a snack vs. orally through a syringe? thank you

 

[casportpony]

if she has worms would i be able to see them in her stool? is there any way to mix the wormer in a snack vs. orally through a syringe? thank you

Sometimes you will see them, but more often you won't. You could try mixing it in some scrambled eggs or soaking a piece of bread.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

This is how I do my peafowl:

From:http://www.hopkinslivestock.com/oral_dosing_article.htm
The hole at the back of the tongue is the trachea - Nothing should ever go in there!

• Get your supplies ready

• Catch and weigh your bird.

• Calculate dose and prepare one or more syringes. Please note that this method will work for those who use a 1cc/ml syringe. Anything larger is too big and IMNSHO, not safe!

Please note that I was the one holding the bird and taking the pictures, please use both hands!

• Hold bird - I like to sit with my thighs parallel to the ground, feet firmly on ground and the bird in my lap. I hold it gently, but firmly and grab the head.

• Open mouth and wait for bird to relax.

• Insert syringe - I like to insert from left to right, across the tongue, behind the trachea, into the oesophagus. Again, wait for the bird to relax.

• Give wormer