how do you make a chicken eat?????

[lily12]

one of my girls has recently lost her appetite and stopped eating as much as she used to which is very unusual for her as she usually eats lods.she has lost alot of weight and it is making her quite ill.i dont think the others are stopping her eat as she is normally one of the bossy ones and there are enough food stations for them all to eat at.
please help.

 

[casportpony]

one of my girls has recently lost her appetite and stopped eating as much as she used to which is very unusual for her as she usually eats lods.she has lost alot of weight and it is making her quite ill.i dont think the others are stopping her eat as she is normally one of the bossy ones and there are enough food stations for them all to eat at.
please help.

You probably already saw this:

This is a cut and paste from another post of mine

When mine get sick, this is what I do:

• Thorough exam which includes inserting a gloved, lubed finger into the cloaca to check for an egg, check for cuts, bruising lumps etc.
• Dust for mites/lice with poultry dust even if I cannot see any. DE does not work.
• Weigh on digital kitchen scale (see avatar), record weight and weigh daily. any weight loss is bad.
• Place bird in a warm, quiet place on towel with food and water that it can't drown in.
• De-worm with Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste 50mg/kg by mouth and repeat in 10 days. Warning - Safeguard/Panacur (fenbendazle should not be used during a molt)
• Once warm, if not drinking, and crop is empty, hydrate with warmed Pedialyte or lactated ringers with a feeding tube - 30ml/kg every 6-8 hours.
• If not eating after 24 hours and crop is empty, tube feed baby bird food mixed with Pedialyte
• Inspect poop.
• If I suspect a stuck egg, treat for egg binding.
• If I suspect a bacterial infection, treat with antibiotics.

From: http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/cam/07_emergency_and_critical_care.pdf
Supportive Care
SICK-BIRD ENCLOSURES
Sick birds are often hypothermic and should be placed
in heated (brooder-type) enclosures


b (Fig 7.7) in a quiet
environment (see Chapter 1, Clinical Practice). A temperature
of 85° F (29° C) with 70% humidity is desirable
for most sick birds. If brooders are not equipped with a
humidity source, placing a small dish of water in the
enclosure will often supply adequate humidity. A moist
towel that is heated and placed on the bottom of a cage
or incubator rapidly humidifies the environment, as indicated​

by the fogging of the acrylic cage front.

FLUID THERAPY
Oral Administration
Oral administration is the ideal method of giving fluids.
This method is more commonly used in mildly dehydrated
birds or in conjunction with subcutaneous (SC)
or intravenous (IV) therapy. Oral rehydration (30 ml/kg
PO q 6-8 h) also may be used in larger birds (eg, waterfowl)
that are difficult to restrain for parenteral fluid​

therapy.

 

[lily12]

she seems to be eating more when im around but is still looseing weight and i cant work out why.any suggestions????

 

[casportpony]

Please read this link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/3569/have-an-emergency-disease-please-read-first

 

[lily12]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)shes a exbat hen not sure what breed about 2 years and about 1.4kg and feels much lighter then she use to.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.she doesnt move aroud as much as she use to and eats alrite when lm around but is still looseing weight but i dont know why.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?about 2 weeks
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?no
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.her comb is a bit purple and i think shes got diarhea
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.nope
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. i triedputtig some garlic in her wateer yesterdaybecause i heard its good for them and when im aroud she eats the normal pellets althoug sometimes i have to crush them for her.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. quite runny with lumps of poo in
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?nothing really except giving her garlic if that counts
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? treat her myself.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use.shes with the others and im useing straw as bedding.

 

[casportpony]

Did you read post number 2?

Have you wormed her orally?

Have you dusted her for mites and lice?

Have you actually weighed her?

Do you know how to do a thorough exam?

 

[lily12]

we have never wormed her or dusted her for mites and wouldnt really know how .i have started weighing her over the past few days though and she has been going dow in weight.and im not really sure how to do a thorough examination. as you can tell im no chicken expert.

 

[casportpony]

we have never wormed her or dusted her for mites and wouldnt really know how .i have started weighing her over the past few days though and she has been  going dow in weight.and im not really sure how to do a thorough examination. as you can tell im no chicken expert.

Buy some poultry dust and Safeguard wormer.