Hen just sitting around, not sure what to do next

[mystori]

Hi, I got a small flock of 7 hens from a farm that was downsizing last week on Tuesday. 6 of them are doing great and seem happy and healthy, but one Ameraucana has been not seeming well. Im not sure if she is one of last years hen's from March 2021, or from this April, but I suspect she is from this year because i dont remember the farm having anything besides brown and white eggs last year. At first, I thought she was just freaked out from the ride home, because all of the chickens were being kind of weird, but they all adapted within a day and she didn't. She was just sitting either on the perch all day or in the corner outside by herself.

Her eye was also a little swollen looking on one side.


I separated her from the rest and called a vet, who said they don't deal with chickens usually but to give her some antibiotics and to call the feed store for that. I called the feed store, who said they don't carry antibiotics for chickens (I know now that none are listed for poultry and they need to be used off-label), so I called another vet who has been in business for 55 years, and I'm sure has dealt with chickens in that time. He told me he didn't know what the issue is, but gave me 4 days of antibiotics, which we finished the day before yesterday. She hasn't laid any eggs since I brought her home, but neither has the other Ameraucana so I think it's just because of the cold and short days

I don't think they really did anything. She has been eating and drinking fine, but she is wildly uncoordinated. When I give her food or water I basically have to hold it up to her face and she still misses several times when she pecks before she gets to it. She's been in my basement in a dog kennel, and I've been putting her outside during the day. When I first put her out, she'll walk around pecking for a bit, but then she'll just sit down and stay in the same spot for the rest of the day. When she's up, she spends a lot of time looking around, moving her head back and forth. She doesn't really move like the other hens. Her crop empties just fine, her vent looks good, overall she seems alright except for her severe uncoordination and lack of wanting to move around. Her poop was very liquidy when we started the antibiotics but has since improved. I've been giving her yogurt mixed with her food.

I can't let her just live in my basement forever, but I don't want to put her back with the rest of the flock like this. I really just don't know what to do next. The vet doesn't want to deal with her, nor can I afford a bunch of vet bills. What do I do next? Is there anything?

 

[azygous]

It can happen that a chicken imported onto soil different from where they came from can pick up coccidia in the new location that's a different strain from the coccidia they are used to and have developed resistance against. The incubation period is about right, so this is a good possibility. Get some Corid liquid from the feed store and mix it up for the whole flock, two teaspoons to a gallon of water with a little sugar mixed in to counter the bitter taste.

In addition, give this sick hen a drench dose once a day for three days. This is undiluted Corid .1ml per pound of body weight syringed directly into the beak like this.

 

[mystori]

It can happen that a chicken imported onto soil different from where they came from can pick up coccidia in the new location that's a different strain from the coccidia they are used to and have developed resistance against. The incubation period is about right, so this is a good possibility. Get some Corid liquid from the feed store and mix it up for the whole flock, two teaspoons to a gallon of water with a little sugar mixed in to counter the bitter taste.

In addition, give this sick hen a drench dose once a day for three days. This is undiluted Corid .1ml per pound of body weight syringed directly into the beak like this. View attachment 3319393

Any tips on how to get her to deal with me giving it straight to her? We did that with the antibiotics and she was fine the first couple times but the last couple were nearly impossible. She just shakes her head around and won't let me get a grip on her at all

 

[azygous]

Wrap her tightly in a towel to confine wings and feet. Leave a flap to bring over her eyes and hold it over her vision while you pry open her beak. Hold her snuggly against your body with your weak hand while inserting the syringe with your strong hand.

Slide the oral syringe with the measured dose into the right side of her beak and along the bottom edge of the tongue. This guides you directly into the esophagus and you can feel confident no fluid will make it into the airway. It's over in about three seconds.

 

[mystori]

Wrap her tightly in a towel to confine wings and feet. Leave a flap to bring over her eyes and hold it over her vision while you pry open her beak. Hold her snuggly against your body with your weak hand while inserting the syringe with your strong hand.

Slide the oral syringe with the measured dose into the right side of her beak and along the bottom edge of the tongue. This guides you directly into the esophagus and you can feel confident no fluid will make it into the airway. It's over in about three seconds.

Thanks! Just picked up a bottle of corid and that method worked really well! Hope this helps her, I'll update either way