Lethargic Chicken

[Smccau3]

I have 4 7-week old chicken. They are still inside, but we are moving them outside this weekend,

Last weekend, we took them outside for a couple hours. My dog snapped at one and I am unsure if he got her. I checked for puncture wounds but couldn't see any. After that incident she started acting strange. She became lethargic and isolated, they usually all stick together.

I am unsure what I should be looking for. I don't know if she's been eating because she's in with the other 3. She doesn't run when I try to pick her up, which is unusual. She can't hold herself up on the perch. When I held her, I could hear her breathing.

These are my first chickens, so any help you can give me would be great. Thank you!

 

[Erica]

Hi Smccau3,

stress can bring out an underlying illness, or of course she may have had internal injuries. I would think about isolating her somewhere safe and warm, and having a really close look at droppings. I might even treat her for coccidiosis just in case (she's at a vulnerable age).

The thing to be wary of is anything respiratory, given that you can hear her breathing. She may be a carrier of something like MG (or chronic respiratory disease), which will tend to come out when a bird is stressed. Watch her nostrils for any gunk and keep good feed up to her. If it develops into a full blown respiratory infection then take it from there; hopefully she's just a bit stressed and has mild coccidiosis, which you can treat.

Basically, TLC, cocci treat and wait... That's what I'd do (no expert).

best wishes
Erica

 

[Smccau3]

Thank you for your reply.

I bought Wazine 17 from the tractor supply store and added it to their water. I'm bringing the other 3 outside tomorrow and leaving her in to better observe if she's eating or anything.

Is there anything else I should be checking for?

 

[Smccau3]

I separated her from the other chicks for an hour. Her stools appear normal. If I dipped her beak in the water, she drank. I softened some food by adding water and she ate that. After about half an hour, she began eating the plain dry food.

She is now roosting, though on our smallest roost (only about 2 inches off the ground. She has also been more vocal.

 

[Canderegg]

My 10 week Astralorp is also lethargic this evening, I'm very new also. I put her in the separation room as another puller picked on her right away. Temp is 84 in the coop and all windows open. Thanks for the help

 

[Smccau3]

I'm still concerned about my hen. I moved her outside with the other girls as she seems more distressed when separated, and they are not pecking her.

She is still acting lethargic and doesn't move around very much. She is eating and drinking, and her stool looks normal. I'm most concerned that she isn't hanging out with her sisters, and pretty much stays in the same place.