Help with listless chicken, not eating

[Chez Poulet]

My golden campines, Tina, is back in the house in the kennel. (my birds are truly pets, I love them very much, so just culling is not an option for me.) This time she is not eating, wants to be alone and her crop is empty (so shoud wouldn't have crop binding). She feels light. I didn't notice anything wrong last night, but now she won't even eat a raisin, her favorite food. She hasn't pooped after a long while now, so I can't let you know how her droppings look. Her vent looks healthy and I can't feel anything wrong where she could be egg bound. I really don't know how to tell, but she feels normal, not swollen or anything hard in her belly. Her eyes are clear, no nasal discharge, no cuts, bleeding, swollen parts, etc.

She was in the house a a couple of months ago because she had a vent prolapse, but after a couple of weeks keeping her quiet in a dark place, it cleared up and she was back out with the rest of the girls and everything was normal.

I put some Chick Quix in her water and don't know if I should administer some kind of antibiotic. I have tobramycin liquid, Baytril 22.7 mg and metronidazole 150 mg both in pill form. None of the girls show signs of any kind of parasite/worms that I can see and they were all wored about a month and a half ago with ivermectin dermally since gapeworm was suspect in one other bird.

I can't think of anything else to list for symptons. I just want to get her stabilized and if I have to get her to the vet, I won't be able to until Monday.
Thanks for your help in advance.
Lori

 

[chickenzoo]

When was she last wormed? You could try to force feed her some warm scrambled egg. Make sure she stays hydrated. I would not dose with meds if you do not know what you are treating for now. Listen to her chest, any wheezing or crackles? Keep her warm and hydrated with some vitamins and she if she makes any improvement.

 

[Chez Poulet]

She was wormed about a month an a half ago with ivermectin 1% liquid, 2 drops to the back of the neck. I don't have any other product, but can pick something up tomorrow from the vet or feed store. I am loathe to treat with any kind of antibiotic unless I know what could be the problem. She still is not eating and still no poop to inspect.

Adding: All of my chickens have apple cider vinegar in their water and free range in their caged 18 x 20 run during the day.

Her breathing is normal, no wheezing or rattling. She just stands in her kennel, won't sit down. She'll sit on my lap though. How would I force feed her some egg if I can't even get her to take a few drops of water? I don't want to asphyxiate her.

 

[sammi]

try giving drops on the beak to drizzle down into the mouth..
have the water with vitamins in it.
try placing food in the front of the mouth..stroke the neck downwards to encourage swallowing..
you can make up a very small amount of feed softened with hot water and plain yogurt enough to make up small pellets..
you can also try some scrambled egg.
and stop the vinegar for now.
hopefully, if she eats and drinks something..she'll make droppings for you to describe.

what all do you feed?
how old is she?
has she been laying since the prolapse?

since you don't know what to treat for..I wouldn't use any meds..

recheck the crop for any lumps or grainy feeling.

I'm thinking she might have an egg and looking for somewhere dim and quiet to lay...a heating pad or warmed towel might help.

or has eaten something that might be causing an obstruction problem..


hope she's ok..

 

[Chez Poulet]

Thanks for the reply.

She's almost a year end of next month.

Her first and only dropping of the evening was after I did a digital inspection (didn't feel anything up there). The poo was fairly normal looking, but on the wet side. Her beak is open slightly, don't know if she's in pain or gasping, but she still doesn't have any rough sounds to her breathing. She has been sitting on a heating pad. Her crop feels empty, nothing grainy and I can't feel if there is anthing weird/foreign in there. I saw her eating last night before roosting, seemed normal. She's one of my favorite lap chickens, so she's pretty calm in the house in the kennel.

I only have her on the vitamin water, no vinegar in it. I gave her some mashed banana and a piece of grape, trying to give food that is moist. She is still totally uninterested in eating. Normally the girls have an organic layer 16% mix, they love it. I give them a variety of foods to eat daily in the morning: Could be a baked yam/sweet potato, head of kale or bok choy, half a baked squash, corn on the cob, cored apples, low fat yogurt mixed with their feed, raisins, oatmeal, polenta with millet, any food I have that is not what I want to eat, etc. Pretty well fed and spoiled.

She is acting like she did when she laid the hand grenade that gave her the prolapse. She was quiet, but she did eat. Campines, as you know, are small birds, so she would typically lay a medium sized egg. I'm terribly attached to her, will do anything I can to help her.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Is there anywhere where you can get some mealworms? (the reptile section at petstore or a baitshop) ??? Birds can rarely resist those wriggly things... try some plain live culture yogurt and sprinle some mealworms on that and see if you can get her to eat some...

 

[chickenzoo]

To force feed I open the beak, insert a piece of scrambled egg, and see if she swallows. Normally the first few times she will spit it out, but keep trying. I also will inject them under the skin with vitamin/warm water mix to help get some sort of hydration in them.

 

[Chez Poulet]

Well, she made it through the night and when I woke up, she ate a couple of the raisins and I just fed her some warm yogurt (organic with cultures) and some oats. She picked at her regular feed dish and is standing up. She is still weak, but last night she seemed like she wasn't going to make it. Her morning poo is stinky and not firm, but all she's had is water. I'll keep her hydrated. She couldn't have a better nurse, just wish I had a degree in avian veteranary care.

 

[Chez Poulet]

Tina is alert, but not interested in eating still. Nothing but raisins will she eat on her own. She has minimal poop because of the lack of eating, but it is wet without it being the runs, so she seems to be getting water between me forcing the vitamin water down her and the possibility of her drinking on her own. I wish she had an interest in food, but she has always been a picky eater. I know, hard to believe for a chicken, but she is a princess.