I don't think she's going to make it. :((

[NWChicks]

I was given a BLR Splash Wyandotte rooster and hen at the beginning of the week. My sweet friend brought them to me because she knows I'm in love with BLR's and Wyandottes in general. Unfortunately, they are sick! I think we've narrowed it down to coccidiosis (sp?) and I've tried Sulmet but didn't know to get Corid so it's been only the Sulmet.

She has a droopy tail, blood in her diarrhea, very listless and won't eat or drink on her own. I've been giving her medicated water through a dropper but she doesn't seem any better. This morning she's very weak and shaking. Every now and then she'll flop around like she's either trying to move and it goes wrong or she's having a seizure.

Sigh. I don't know what else to do for her.

The good thing is that even though I'm a newby to chickens I knew enough not to put them in with my other chickens. The Rooster is in a dog box in my garage and seems to be doing okay. The hen is in a box in my living room where I can keep a close eye on her. Both containers can be cleaned thoroughly regardless of the turnout with the two birds.

I am open for suggestions but I think I just needed a little love because I'm so sad for her! How can a bird I haven't even had a week already mean so much to me?

 

[rebecky1305]

Sorry I can't help with any suggestions but my thoughts are with you. It's very easy to get attached fast.

 

[silkieroo]

I'm so sorry shes sick

it's so easy to get attached to a bird! Unfortunately i have no treatment advice except maybe some apple cider vinegar in her water? i know thats supposed to prevent it i'm not sure about healing it. At least if she does die you know you did your best and she was safe and warm when she passed.

Good Luck!
Maddie

 

[Tangerine farmer]

I tried Sulmet and it was supposed to take a couple of days to work. I also gave it by a dropper to make sure they got it. I am not too good at that, one got it into the lungs. But the other was fine and recovered well.

It really seems to take a while, and then it comes back in another form, meaning that I think that they are prone to other illness. When they are very sick, it may be too late?

Someone also tried banana and her hen likes it. You should see if they can eat also, and sugar water in the Sulmet dropper is what I used. Calories to keep them going while the meds get to work.

I am NOTTTT an expert, but have gone through this recently.

 

[Wynette]

OH, goodness...I'm so sorry. Chickens can die more quickly from dehydration than anything else, so if I'd suggest syringing some medicated water into her beak; be very careful not to squirt too much in, or she could inhale it rather than swallow it, and then she could die from aspiration (inhaling into lungs). If you can get her perked up a bit, get some baby bird handfeeding formula from your local pet store (it's for baby parrots). It's a powder that you mix with water (I'd mix with her medicated water) and mix it in your blender to a consistency that's syringeable, and then get some of that into her. Right now, it sounds like you need to get some hydration into her and then some nutrition. Sulment works just as well as Corid for Cocci, but it's a bit harder on their intestinal tract; you can offer her yogurt (plain) which will help replace some of the lost gut flora she needs. BEST of luck!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Scramble up some egg for her and if she will not try it, gently put a small bit in her beak. Do you have any Poly vi Sol vitamins - the type without iron? If not, they can be found in the Rx department of you grocery store (childrens liquid vitamin). Add the vitamin to her egg or dribble a little along her beak so she swallows.

Offer her moist crumbles, thawed green peas, safflower and black oil sunflower seeds.

Hopefully if you can get her to eat something it will help.

 

[babsbag]

I got my Corid at a Tractor Supply Company. Sulmet should work just as well, as previously stated. Can you give the sumet straight without diluting it, maybe she just needs a stronger dose. I would try the vitamins and some flavored electorlytes, like pedialyte, maybe it will taste better. If you can open their beak use an eye dropper and just drip it in the very front part of their beak. Let them swallow it. And I mean a drop at a time. Don't use a syringe, as it is too easy to give to much at one time. IMO.

It can take a while to dose them that way, but it is time well spent. If you try the wet crumbles you can put vitamins and such in that. I also hear that they like the color red so strawberries and tomatos. No protein, but it is something. Blueberris and grapes seem to be good as well.

I wish you well.

 

[NWChicks]

First off, thank you for the kind words and encouragement! It is much appreciated and made me feel a little better.

After reading the suggestions, here is what I've done; I have a vitamix so I put a very little bit of :

*cooked beef (people leftovers),

*some kefir (like yogurt but more probiotics),

*a grain mix of freshly cracked grains (millet, wheat, tiny bit of corn, flax, triticale, chia, barley, split peas and quinoa. Possibly some other stuff but I can't remember what I blended when I made it. I grind my own flour so I took some of our grains and did a coarse crack for my chickens scratch. That's what this was.)

*medicated water (with the Sulmet)

* Little teensy bit of electrolytes (the kind you dissolve in water for poultry)

*a little touch of coconut oil for fast energy

I pureed the heck out of it until it was smooth and creamy then fed her by a dropper, just inside the tip of her beak so she would hopefully not aspirate it. She fought at first but I think decided she liked it because she did submit and let me feed her. I did about four droppers full of this mixture and hope I got a fair amount into her. I've been doing the droppers of medicated water all day and I noticed that her breathing doesn't seem as labored. Can I take this as a good sign?

Hopefully I didn't just do anything that will make things worse but I'm kind of at the point of desperation. If this was a good idea, about how often should I be droppering her? I've been trying to give her some time to rest between times but I don't want to give her too little.

 

[Wynette]

All of what you're doing sounds good, with the exception of the grains. They are more difficult to digest, and she needs FAST nutrition and FAST hydration. I would really urge you to get the baby bird handfeeding formula - it's got all sorts of good stuff, including extra protein, and you can mix it to whatever consistency you need. The PolyViSol (no iron) is a good idea, too. A few drops twice daily on that. As far as how often - if you can feed her every 2-3 hours, that would be perfect. Let her rest at night. Watch her poops - if she's not getting enough nutrition, they'll be very bright green. As she eats more and gets stronger, they'll get back to normal. The idea is to get her to eat on her own, of course, but if she's taking what you're feeding well, that's just fine for now! BEST of luck, and bless you for helping her!

 

[tigerkitten45]

Oh My ! PoorBaby! I think you have been given good advice for sure! Am a newbie with chickens so i know nothing but being a nurse to humans it certainly sounds like it should work. Will keep the prayers going for the poor girl!