Hi, This is my first time with chickens and I've been perusing this board for a several months now. I need some help with one of my pullets (I have 5, 3 different breeds). Here is the info on her:
1) What type of bird , age and weight. She's a buckeye, approx. 15 weeks, and I don't have a weight for her. But she feels lighter than any of my others.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. She is just very slow. She seems to eat well, and seems alert enough, but she walks much slower than the others and sits more. Her tail is generally down. No other signs, poo seems to be normal.
3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. None
4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. This behavior seemed to become more apparent when we started letting them free range in the yard about a month ago. But, at that time, we also were around them more instead of just visits out to the pen several times a day. It has also been very hot the last month, high 90s, low 100s.
5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. I've been giving them a local "pullet developer" feed and vitamins/electrolytes in their water every few days. I've also made the mash for her (honey, boiled egg, oats, etc) which seems to perk her up a bit but then she's back to this same behavior.
6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? Poop seems to be normal. At times it is on the runny side, but not always.
7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Just the mash twice and vitamins/electrolytes in water.
8 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? I would prefer to treat myself as my husband is laid off and I'm recovering from medical stuff and we have little money for a vet. (I don't even know if we have one here that treats chickens)
9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. I have pictures but none readily available. I will try to get one of her walking.
10) Describe the housing/bedding in use The pen consists of just dirt floor, the coop is built out of old cedar fencing. Their bedding is cut grass from lawn mower.
Just some side info, I also heard from the lady I got her from that hers, and some others from this same hatch as mine, have been demonstrating the same behaviors, and about the same time frame. (when the heat really kicked up) Is it possible that it is simply heat stress? I have not wormed any of them, although they were on medicated chick starter until about a month ago also. Any advice would be wonderful. I really love her, she's so sweet and docile and we hold her alot. (is that a bad thing?) Maybe we've just made her lazy!! LOL Thank you!
1) What type of bird , age and weight. She's a buckeye, approx. 15 weeks, and I don't have a weight for her. But she feels lighter than any of my others.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. She is just very slow. She seems to eat well, and seems alert enough, but she walks much slower than the others and sits more. Her tail is generally down. No other signs, poo seems to be normal.
3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. None
4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. This behavior seemed to become more apparent when we started letting them free range in the yard about a month ago. But, at that time, we also were around them more instead of just visits out to the pen several times a day. It has also been very hot the last month, high 90s, low 100s.
5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. I've been giving them a local "pullet developer" feed and vitamins/electrolytes in their water every few days. I've also made the mash for her (honey, boiled egg, oats, etc) which seems to perk her up a bit but then she's back to this same behavior.
6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? Poop seems to be normal. At times it is on the runny side, but not always.
7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Just the mash twice and vitamins/electrolytes in water.
8 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? I would prefer to treat myself as my husband is laid off and I'm recovering from medical stuff and we have little money for a vet. (I don't even know if we have one here that treats chickens)
9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. I have pictures but none readily available. I will try to get one of her walking.
10) Describe the housing/bedding in use The pen consists of just dirt floor, the coop is built out of old cedar fencing. Their bedding is cut grass from lawn mower.
Just some side info, I also heard from the lady I got her from that hers, and some others from this same hatch as mine, have been demonstrating the same behaviors, and about the same time frame. (when the heat really kicked up) Is it possible that it is simply heat stress? I have not wormed any of them, although they were on medicated chick starter until about a month ago also. Any advice would be wonderful. I really love her, she's so sweet and docile and we hold her alot. (is that a bad thing?) Maybe we've just made her lazy!! LOL Thank you!
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