I’m really desperate, my chicken won’t eat!

[emmagat]

Hi @emmagat
Can you post some photos of the pullet's poop?
Do you remember what you used to treat the Coccidiosis?
What are you feeding them?

I would definately treat for the mites. The dust is o.k. on the chickens, but for housing as mentioned, the spray is easier to use.
Remember to repeat treatment of both birds and housing in 10-14 days intervals to kill any that have hatched. The hard mite stuff under the chins sounds like Lice eggs, you can try to get those off by using a bit of coconut oil to "unglue" them.

Check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks and let us know how the crop feels.

You've gotten good suggestions from everyone. I would try to entice her to eat, make a wet mash of food along with a little scrambled egg.

Just curious as the mention they were tested for Marek's? What kind of test was that?

The vet prescribed Albon Sulfadimethoxine for the coccidiosis. As for the feed, they eat Poulin layer pellets. My other 4 month olds eat that, along with all the others so I assume it’s not a huge problem for these two to eat it. However, would it be a good idea to switch them over to grower to give them more protein?

Her crop feels “puffy” and empty, but I don’t think there’s an obstruction since she hasn’t had access to grass or anything like that.

As for the Marek’s test, I’m pretty sure the vet did a blood test, as well as the fecal test to test for parasites.

Here are some poop pics:

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her crop feels “puffy” and empty, but I don’t think there’s an obstruction since she hasn’t had access to grass or anything like that.

Can you explain the "puffy" but empty? Is it like air filled?
If you massage the crop, does it feel sort of a like a deflated balloon?

Is she still not eating/drinking?

 

[emmagat]

Can you explain the "puffy" but empty? Is it like air filled?
If you massage the crop, does it feel sort of a like a deflated balloon?

Is she still not eating/drinking?

It kind of feels like a sac of pudding. I know she's been drinking, so I'm guessing it's water. But I've been feeling it throughout the day to see if it changes or feels weird. This morning it just felt empty, but now it feels like there's water in it. I have seen her eat little bits of grain, but not enough.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It kind of feels like a sac of pudding. I know she's been drinking, so I'm guessing it's water. But I've been feeling it throughout the day to see if it changes or feels weird. This morning it just felt empty, but now it feels like there's water in it. I have seen her eat little bits of grain, but not enough.

Re-check it first thing in the morning before she has anything to eat or drink. It should be empty in the morning. If it's not, then you have a crop problem.

The crop should be at various stages of fullness during the day if she's drinking or eating a little.

Do you offer only grains? I would get a small bag of chick starter and offer that to her. You can make it into a wet mash if you wish. A lot of birds like wet feed.
Make sure she has access to poultry grit (crushed granite) free choice.

 

[MROO]

Also her crop feels a little lumpy, but I think it’s the small amount of grain she ate. I got her to eat a little bit, so at least she’s not completely starving, but she’s definitely not eating a normal amount. The rooster eats like he’s eating a nice piece of chocolate cake, she eats like she’s eating brussels sprouts. Her appetite just isn’t really there.

Hey! I LIKE brussels sprouts! When mine go off feed, we use applesauce, as was already mentioned, but I've also had good luck with warm oatmeal, with some Pedialyte or ChickSaver stirred in. We serve oatmeal as a special treat on especially cold mornings, too, sometimes. I pour boiling water right into a pan of rolled oats (the same stuff that people eat) and by the time I get it out to the run, it's cool enough for them to eat.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm not sure what they were fed, but the lady who I bought them from was very deceitful. She lied about them being sick, she cut the roo's tail feathers off to make him look like a girl, etc. But I'll cook up some eggs for them, and hopefully that will get some protein into her. She ate some grain, but I'll make a little meal for her and her brother. I never knew chickens could even be picky eaters!

Be wary of birds coming from a poultry show or swap.
Always quarantine them.

For future reference, coccidia is a protozoa, not bacteria and can't be cured with antibiotics. The sulfa drug prescribed was the correct medication.

 

[MROO]

Be wary of birds coming from a poultry show or swap.
Always quarantine them.

For future reference, coccidia is a protozoa, not bacteria and can't be cured with antibiotics. The sulfa drug prescribed was the correct medication.

Report her to the people who organized the swap. While she may not have known the birds were sick, snipping tail feathers is definitely and openly deceitful. Swap organizers want to maintain the integrity of their events, so people will continue to attend. My guess is that they'll ban her in the future, or at least warn her to stick to legitimate sales tactics!

 

[emmagat]

Re-check it first thing in the morning before she has anything to eat or drink. It should be empty in the morning. If it's not, then you have a crop problem.

The crop should be at various stages of fullness during the day if she's drinking or eating a little.

Do you offer only grains? I would get a small bag of chick starter and offer that to her. You can make it into a wet mash if you wish. A lot of birds like wet feed.
Make sure she has access to poultry grit (crushed granite) free choice.

I offered them some applesauce and some scrambled eggs from the girls outside. I have tried to give them little treats like lettuce, but they seem scared of it and like they don't know what to do with it lol. In the morning, her crop feels empty.

 

[Abriana]

bread softened in water or maybe some milk is good, scrambled eggs, tomatoes are good for perking them up I've heard because of the sugars in them, maybe a little molassas to give her some energy. Chickens love cheese too, but don't give them too much dairy because it will give them runny poops.

 

[emmagat]

Report her to the people who organized the swap. While she may not have known the birds were sick, snipping tail feathers is definitely and openly deceitful. Swap organizers want to maintain the integrity of their events, so people will continue to attend. My guess is that they'll ban her in the future, or at least warn her to stick to legitimate sales tactics!

I found the lady on Facebook, and she is actually a breeder. I messaged her and told her what happened and how upset and disappointed I was. She has since replied and said she'll give me my money back and give me money to cover the vet bills, but I doubt I'll see a cent. Regardless of all that though, I'll report her so she doesn't deceive and cheat someone else. Also, thanks for the tip of putting Pedialyte/ChickSaver in oatmeal! My other chickens go crazy for plain oatmeal, but I never thought to mix in that other stuff.