How can I tell if she's sick?

brycentx

In the Brooder
May 4, 2015
12
0
22
Belton Texas
These are my first time raising chickens. I purchased 6 chicks. Everything seams fine babies are growing but there is one that is smaller than the rest. She might be a week younger than the rest was my guess. The reason I'm concerned is she is so sweet! She lets me pick her up with out fuss, lays in my hand and when I pet her she closes her eyes. None of the other chicks act like this.. Is this a sweet lady bird or is she sick? My chicks are about 4 or 5 weeks old.
 
I just wrote a post describing the same thing! I'm afraid she is dying :-( I can't tell if she is just really docile and petite, or if it is lethargy and failure to thrive....I hope someone replies!!
 
I have 12 chicks that will be 8 weeks old tomorrow and I have one that has been like that from the beginning. She loves to be held and for us to pet her. She never makes a sound either. She is perfectly healthy. As far as yours goes, I wouldn't be worried unless she is lethargic and not eating or drinking. All 12 of mine have a different personality. This is my first time with chickens. Learning as I go... Everyone on here is so helpful.
 
Thank you for your advice. When I feed them in the morning I do see her eating and in the evenings we let them out of the coop to play and she seams to be fine. I will keep a close eye on her.


Okay y'all there is defiantly something wrong with her!
sad.png
She just stands in the coop and does nothing.. I put food in front of her, water and nothing. What should I do? New to chickens I gotta ask, What ever illness she has or can any illness transfer to humans??? My family says if she is sick don't touch her. Defiantly need some advice
 
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Okay y'all there is defiantly something wrong with her!
sad.png
She just stands in the coop and does nothing.. I put food in front of her, water and nothing. What should I do? New to chickens I gotta ask, What ever illness she has or can any illness transfer to humans??? My family says if she is sick don't touch her. Defiantly need some advice
 
You most certainly can touch her because you should be washing your hands after you touch your chickens anyway. Look up Coccidosis (on this site) and see about the Corid treatment and do it. It does not hurt to treat for it but left untreated it can kill fast. Get some nutridrench at the feed store and boil and egg and offer it to her away from everyone else to coax her to eat and keep her strength up. If she is not drinking much then try soaking a bit of food in water to get some liquid in her, if she is past that even then put a drop next to her beak opening over and over (trying to dropper liquid for a chick is a dangerous business since they can aspirate it too easy. Good luck with her.
 
Absolutely, get some Poultry Nutri-drench. Give it to her full strength, either a drop at a time on her beak or sprinkle it on her food.

You're right. She's not doing well. A chick should be active, not standing in one spot.

It's extremely unlikely she has a disease that is harmful to humans. It's more likely she has a glitch in her works. Is she pooping? Even if slightly constipated, it could make a chick lethargic. Yes, it can kill them.

If her poops are tiny, hard or nonexistent, get some olive or mineral oil down her. You can soak her food with it or place it in her beak. You might also squirt a little up her vent with a syringe.

She's not past the point of no return. You can save her.
 
Okay y'all there is defiantly something wrong with her!
sad.png
She just stands in the coop and does nothing.. I put food in front of her, water and nothing. What should I do? New to chickens I gotta ask, What ever illness she has or can any illness transfer to humans??? My family says if she is sick don't touch her. Defiantly need some advice
I'm too new to chickens to offer much advice but I would post this in the "Emergencies/Diseases/Injuries and Cures" Forum too. Take pics and give as much detail as possible about her and her symptoms. Do what you can for her, best of luck.
 
I will go to the feed store at lunch and take care if her when I get home. Am at work all day hope she's ok when I get home. Will this spred to the rest of the flock?
 
It really depends on what it is whether or not it will spread, if it is Coccidosis it is a protozoan parasite that is handled differently in the gut of different birds. If it gets overprolific in one is when there becomes a problem...wow bad grammar there. Some things are isolated like failure to thrive, some chicks are just more able to moderate things like Cocci. Some things are a virus that spreads some things are chick specific like a vitamin deficiency but then since they all are in the same conditions it can affect many (like vent gleet I just caught in my adult flock, it is a isolated problem but they are all subject to the same stressors and conditions so a couple of them came down with it.
 

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