- Nov 28, 2011
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Hi everyone - this is my first post, I would appreciate some HELP PLEASE!
I have a pet chicken I adopted from a humane shelter. She is a Buff Orpington, somewhere around 3 years old.
She was accustomed to being a house chicken and this is her first winter learning to live outside. Starting about 2 weeks ago she stopped perching at night with the others. Instead she would huddle into the hay and put her head under her wing. I assumed she was cold so I would cover her with hay at night. During the day she would go out and peck and scratch like normal.
But over the last week the situation has deteriorated. I am now keeping her in the milk house heated to 60 degrees. She remains fluffed, tail pointed downward. When she walks, she looks like a hunch back, moves very slowly. Eyes half shut to closed all the way. Barely picks at some bread soaked in milk - no interest in seeds, scratch feed, etc..
She has some poop stuck to the feathers around her butt but not too bad. Poops are liquidy and yellowish in color and normal in quantity despite not eating.
She has lost a lot of weight, though she was always a thin, small hen anyway.
Crop feels nonexistent. I don't feel any major lumps or swellings or anything else unusual. Comb and legs look fine. No nasal discharge, sneezing, or other signs of respiratory problems.
She has ALWAYS laid eggs with no shell, or eggs with just the membrane. She has never laid a normal egg to my knowledge.
I have no problems with taking her to the vet. But in my area they just don't have that much knowledge about birds unfortunately.
Could this be worms, infection from an egg, other????? PLEASE HELP! I love this bird and I'll do whatever I have to to help her.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I have a pet chicken I adopted from a humane shelter. She is a Buff Orpington, somewhere around 3 years old.
She was accustomed to being a house chicken and this is her first winter learning to live outside. Starting about 2 weeks ago she stopped perching at night with the others. Instead she would huddle into the hay and put her head under her wing. I assumed she was cold so I would cover her with hay at night. During the day she would go out and peck and scratch like normal.
But over the last week the situation has deteriorated. I am now keeping her in the milk house heated to 60 degrees. She remains fluffed, tail pointed downward. When she walks, she looks like a hunch back, moves very slowly. Eyes half shut to closed all the way. Barely picks at some bread soaked in milk - no interest in seeds, scratch feed, etc..
She has some poop stuck to the feathers around her butt but not too bad. Poops are liquidy and yellowish in color and normal in quantity despite not eating.
She has lost a lot of weight, though she was always a thin, small hen anyway.
Crop feels nonexistent. I don't feel any major lumps or swellings or anything else unusual. Comb and legs look fine. No nasal discharge, sneezing, or other signs of respiratory problems.
She has ALWAYS laid eggs with no shell, or eggs with just the membrane. She has never laid a normal egg to my knowledge.
I have no problems with taking her to the vet. But in my area they just don't have that much knowledge about birds unfortunately.
Could this be worms, infection from an egg, other????? PLEASE HELP! I love this bird and I'll do whatever I have to to help her.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!