Is my hen sick?

[Sarah2020]

Observations and taking notes are very helpful. But that could be a problem for your chicken. You should consider writing down the treats your giving her for the day so it can be tracked to see if certain foods are bothering her. Not all chickens know what's bad for them or try to avoid it. Avoid apples seeds it has cyanide and poisonous.

Thank you. I was just sitting down to make a spreadsheet to keep track of the date we got them, what we've fed them, when I started noticing symptoms, etc. I have avoided apple seeds and only gave them fresh apple cut into tiny chunks.

 

[Tonyroo]

This is a great reference for treats:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...—the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens.47738/

 

[hayley3]

Sadly, she's not doing well again. I did get her to free-range a bit and found her some worms. But she's been isolated in our dog crate in the house recovering. She's mostly slept so far this morning. She was doing SO WELL yesterday... She seemed to be turning the corner and one thing I thought of is that I gave her some apples yesterday and I had also given her some apples right before she got sick. I wonder if this chicken is apple-intolerant.

Did you find an avian vet that would see her?

 

[Sarah2020]

Did you find an avian vet that would see her?

Yes! But unfortunately not till tomorrow. So we will have to be patient and hopeful.

 

[webmistress32]

The #1 thing I do for a bird that's in my hospital is force-hydrate if I cannot be sure she is drinking on her own. I have saved many birds over a longer period of time just by making sure they are well hydrated in the initial days of whatever problem they are facing. If you're not sure if she is drinking, I would force hydrate and try to slip in some of the aforementioned vitamins.

 

[Sarah2020]

The #1 thing I do for a bird that's in my hospital is force-hydrate if I cannot be sure she is drinking on her own. I have saved many birds over a longer period of time just by making sure they are well hydrated in the initial days of whatever problem they are facing. If you're not sure if she is drinking, I would force hydrate and try to slip in some of the aforementioned vitamins.

How do you force the hydration?

 

[hayley3]

How do you force the hydration?

I would give liquids this way....I know some people use tubing but that would make me nervous.

 

[webmistress32]

Yes this is correct. When you direct the contents of the syringe down the right side of the birds mouth (which is on your left if the bird is facing you), it will go directly down to the Crop. The middle hole you see is the airway if liquids go down that way you may drown your bird. Having said that, it's not an exact science. What I do is have a syringe with my liquid and the bird on my lap facing my right arm. I use my right hand with the syringe and get the beak open with the tip and just deposit the liquid right there towards the front of the beak. The bird should open and close her beak and swallow. If that isn't doing it for you, you can aim the syringe into the back of the throat on the side of the face closest to you (the bird's right) and aim it for the crop. In that case the bird doesn't need to swallow, it just goes right down into the crop. Just be kind of careful, don't shoot it too forcefully and try to be accurate.

 

[Sarah2020]

So we got in with a vet familiar with chickens today and I think we have a solid plan. That said, he says to prepare to lose her because she is so malnourished and underweight. I got her from a man looking to downsize his flock because as first time chicken owners themselves, they took on 16 chickens. Unfortunately what I’m dealing with now with this poor babe is the result of someone taking on more chickens than they are able to care for.

 

[hayley3]

So we got in with a vet familiar with chickens today and I think we have a solid plan. That said, he says to prepare to lose her because she is so malnourished and underweight. I got her from a man looking to downsize his flock because as first time chicken owners themselves, they took on 16 chickens. Unfortunately what I’m dealing with now with this poor babe is the result of someone taking on more chickens than they are able to care for.

Ohhhh noooo
What did he say is her problem? Why is she malnourished? Did he check her for parasites?
Also did he say to get some NutriDrench for poultry? My mom saved a lot of dogs with NutriCal. She was a vet technician.
And we would probably die if we saw how some people take care of their chickens...I know I would. Some people feel that a tiny box is sufficient for a living space of 4 hens.
And without grass chickens do not thrive, even if it's only for an hour, that gives them time to get the healthy benefits...that is my opinion.