Hen still sick losing weight but eating

[Nidiffer]

I posted this a few days ago. But the hen is still walking around puffed up and not feeling good. Her feathers are unkept and she is a little weak. This is all the history of the hen I have.

1-25-18 picked up four 10 week old Ayam Cemani
1-27-18 noticed one chick was not doing well. She was always wanting food,
eating more than the other chicks, walking around puffed up, not
cleaning her feather, and a little weak.
1-31-18 started a round of Corid
2-4-18 gave LeGear pig and poultry piperazine water wormer
2-5-18 weight 1lbs 8.4 oz
2-9-18 started a daily probiotic with vitamins and minerals in water ( I am still
giving this )
2-13-18 weight 1lbs 6.0 oz
2-14-18 another found of the same wormer
2-20-18 weight 1lbs 6.3 oz

No other bird is sick
Their is no bleeding and no injuries
I am feeding New Country organic feed
Her poop looks normal
I am keeping her feed at all times
She is drinking

I am looking for any other advice someone may have for me.

Also could a worm be causing the problem that my wormer will not kill? I was thinking about using some Wormout Gel. Would this be a good idea?

Lastly could this be a problem with the feed?

Thanks for the help

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

What kind of probiotics are you giving her? From what I've had to use, I've found that adult (human) tablets (crushed and dissolved in water) can be much more effective than poultry probiotics for getting bacteria into the system. Half an adult tablet should do it for one day.
That's all I've got . . . hope it helps.

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

Also, can you post a picture of her? That may help in diagnosing.

 

[Nidiffer]

I am using durvet probiotics for poultry

 

[Nidiffer]

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

Maybe some more protein in her diet would help. Mealworms are a really good source. If she's having trouble thriving, the other hens might make it hard for her to get enough food and water. They might pick at her a little, too. It's still best for her to be with the flock if they're not hurting her, but a separate feeding space may be a good idea. Definitely try human probiotics. It might be way more than she needs, but it can't hurt.

 

[micstrachan]

She may be being bullied from food. I had a pullet with this problem, so I switched to a higher protein feed and scatter feed containers around the run and now she is thriving. Good luck!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings Nidiffer,

You have an interesting case, something similar, to which I have been working on, with one of my own hens. My hen too, is very hungry, is on the thin side, but hasn't lost weight. Her feather quality is poor, but she is high energy. At one year, two months of age, she recently has started to produce soft shelled eggs weekly. Nutrition has been ruled out, and I am currently working with UC Davis lab to determine what else may be causing her problem.


Here are my notes on some of the things I have had to consider.

• Possible Infectious Bronchitis: Increase warmth, electrolytes, 3-4 weeks of illness. According to UC Davis, this illness doesn't always have respiratory symptoms. Depending on the strain, it can invade the reproductive system and cause illness there, which may go unnoticed. Ruffled feathers and depression are a couple of the symptoms. A broad spectrum antibiotic may be helpful in protecting from secondary infection.
  

• Recommend: fecal float test needed to rule out parasites causing lack of weight gain/loss.
  
  
• Some common causes for not absorbing nutrients: infection and inflammation, metabolic disorders, lack of good bacteria in the gut, and lack of food due to bullying (put a saddle on the hen to protect her from pecking). My hen is last in pecking order.
  
  
• Boost Immune System: echinacea in water, aloe vera, Hemp protein, goldenseal, antibiotic treatment. I have started oral administration of this herbal antibiotic immune system booster.
  
  
• Ruffled, fluffed up feathers indicate illness, but only a CBC can show if it is bacterial or viral. Every time I have seen ruffled, fluffed up feathers on my hens, there was some illness causing it.

I noticed your pullet lost 2.4 ounces in 9 days, which doesn't seem like much. But, when you look at her total weight, that's 10 percent of her total weight lost, (if I did my math correctly). You are right to be concerned. But, you are doing a good job of providing the probiotics, vitamins and organic feed. If it was a problem with the feed, other birds would not be doing well. And, you are adding extra vitamins to compensate for any possible deficiencies.

You may have to take her to a vet for a diagnosis.

So these are my thoughts on your hens situation, I hope they have been helpful.

If I can think of anything else, I will post it.

God Bless and peace to you.

 

[Skipper81]

Please give us a list of her complete diet that would help alot. Feed type, snacks treats veggies, fruits, scratch. Something in her diet can cause her not to get nutrients she really needs. Normally if a chicken is hungry but underweight no matter how much she eats it's because what she is eating is not proving her body with the nutrients needed. I wouldn't give her anything to cure her of unknown illnesses. Oh and is she moulting right now? 10 weeks is there second mini moult. They look sickly when they are moulting and feathers look unkept and there hungry just all different changes in the body.

 

[Skipper81]

Bump up protein during moult
Don't panic I thought my birds we sick too. Your deworming a chicken that is moulting and giving this and that. It's my along it a little tougher on her with all the extra stuff. Moult is about 4 weeks long.
https://farmingmybackyard.com/chickens-molting/