Lethargy, thin, wobbly, progressive

[bravecoconut]

I'm sorry this is long. I'm trying to give every bit of information I can think of to avoid anyone having to ask me questions before they can give their opinion/advice. I feel antibiotic treatment is where I am at, at this point. I'd like to know which one and how much from where you'll think would benefit this girl.


Cream legbar hatch date May 20, 2025. She's from a local feed store who purchased chicks from Hoover Hatchery so in theory is vaccinated. She has not started laying yet. Her comb and wattles have reddened showing that she should soon. No sores, wounds, or injuries. Not molting. Poop totally normal. Crop filling and emptying normally and feels fine.

For the past four days she has been getting more lethargic. Her name is Wiley because she reminded me of a roadrunner. She was always zooming all over the place. Now she is just staying in one spot, mostly laying down. She is thin but she has always been a thin bird. I do feel she has lost a bit of weight though I have not weighed her. I have a two story coop with the nesting boxes in the bottom and roosting bars in the top. She is now sleeping and resting in the nesting boxes instead of going up the ramp to roost at night. She is still eating and drinking. She does it on her own but when I put feed infront of her she really goes at it. Everyone gets feather fixer 20% pellets free fed, henhouse reserve fermented in the morning with some nine grain scratch, flax seed, chia seed, hemp seed, and various herbs, vegetables, fruits, and kitchen scraps. They have free choice grit, oyster shell, and crushed egg shells. She is bottom of the pecking order. She self isolates where she didn't before. Two were really going after her when this started but everyone leaves her alone now. This morning was the first morning she wasn't out of the nesting box waiting for breakfast. I brought her out and to the water where she immediately drank quite a bit. This makes me feel like she hadn't came out already and gone back in. I gave her fermented feed with extra oregano and she ate well. She seems wobbly this morning. I have given her the last two days 1cc nutri-drench directly down her throat. I have no clue what is wrong. I have no clue what to do. I lost a bird about a month ago. She was one that was always "off." One morning I found her sitting back on her hocks and walking that way with her wings occasionally for balance. She had no other symptoms nor any outward injuries. She received super b-complex and nutri-drench. She was eating then stopped and died. Everyone else is fat and sassy. All of my older hens are all molting and still laying. They are pastured and can forage and graze. They occasionally free range and I am out there with them. I am to the point of wanting to give her antibiotics because I feel there is something bacterial going on. I don't know which one to get from where or how much. I need to order it and get it here ASAP obviously.

Any ideas? Please and thank you!

 

[coach723]

What do her droppings look like?
Since she is thin, and bottom of the pecking order, I would suggest you crate her in the run for a while, in a wire crate with her own food and water, so she has constant access and no competition. This is much less stressful for them, and will make putting her back with the flock easier later. It also gives you a better idea of food and water intake, and what droppings look like. I would also get her on a b complex or super b complex once a day. If she's been kept from food and water due to being low in the order, she may be weak and malnourished. Sometimes it's very hard to tell, in the small amount of time we actually spend watching hard, to see how much access they are getting. Unless droppings look very abnormal, I would not jump to an antibiotic just yet. If they do, please post a picture. Depending on how many birds you have, how much space, ages and sexes, you may need to put more feeders and waterers out, and spread them out, so the lower ranking birds have more access, it makes it harder for the higher ranking birds to guard them all. That is what I would do first.
If you want to have an antibiotic on hand, amoxicillin is good for many things. You can get it as a fish antibiotic without prescription, fish mox or aqua mox, on line. Things are changing and it's getting harder to get and may be getting pulled in the future, so if you want to have some I would get it now. Shelf life is pretty long.

 

[bravecoconut]

What do her droppings look like?
Since she is thin, and bottom of the pecking order, I would suggest you crate her in the run for a while, in a wire crate with her own food and water, so she has constant access and no competition. This is much less stressful for them, and will make putting her back with the flock easier later. It also gives you a better idea of food and water intake, and what droppings look like. I would also get her on a b complex or super b complex once a day. If she's been kept from food and water due to being low in the order, she may be weak and malnourished. Sometimes it's very hard to tell, in the small amount of time we actually spend watching hard, to see how much access they are getting. Unless droppings look very abnormal, I would not jump to an antibiotic just yet. If they do, please post a picture. Depending on how many birds you have, how much space, ages and sexes, you may need to put more feeders and waterers out, and spread them out, so the lower ranking birds have more access, it makes it harder for the higher ranking birds to guard them all. That is what I would do first.
If you want to have an antibiotic on hand, amoxicillin is good for many things. You can get it as a fish antibiotic without prescription, fish mox or aqua mox, on line. Things are changing and it's getting harder to get and may be getting pulled in the future, so if you want to have some I would get it now. Shelf life is pretty long.

Her poop is completely normal. I know it's hers as no one poops in the nesting boxes ever and she is as she is resting in them. She doesn't get chased away from food or water. No one does. I have numerous feeding and watering stations spread throughout their yard. I also put out fermented feed in four different places every day and watch everyone eat. I'm a stay at home mother so I am out there numerous times a day and for a two hour stretch during my toddler's nap time to clean and check on everyone or do yard work. I have watched her and everyone else eating without issue from the different stations and the fermented feed. I always check this daily to be sure everyone is getting their share. I have no doubt whatsoever that she has been able to get all the feed she wants. What I meant about her eating when I put it infront of her is I feel she doesn't have the energy/motivation or however you want to put it to get to the feeder so devours what I put infront of her when I do. I have also checked her crop about five times a day since this started to be sure she is eating and it is emptying. She is and it is. I will start her on the b-complex like I did with the other pullet. I just really feel there is more at play here and I can't figure it out. It's very frustrating watching this and not knowing how to help. There are no vets who will deal with chickens around here of course. The only random guess I can come up with is egg peritonitis which seems far fetched as she hasn't started laying yet. It is of course possible.

 

[bravecoconut]

I just went out to give her the b-complex. The pullet/hen (she just laid her first egg Sunday) that was her biggest meanie was laying down beside her in the coop! There is definitely no bullying happening to her now. No one has been going after her for days. She still fights all she can to not take the nutri-drench or the b-complex. That's always a good sign!

 

[coach723]

If she is laying internally, then that is possible, and it's possible she never laid one normally. If that is what is going on, then antibiotics would only be a short term maybe help. As long as that continues, infection will continue to happen. Usually the droppings will not look normal however. It's also possible she's trying to lay and is having some other kind of issue. Have you seen any straining or tail pumping? If that were the case then giving calcium might help her expel anything she's having trouble with. Since she's pooping, she's not egg bound, but something may be slowing things down.
I understand about vet care, many of us do not have access to vets that will see, or know anything about, chickens.
Vaccination is a question, in my experience most feed store chicks, no matter where they came from, are not usually vaccinated. And if they are it's usually noted clearly. Even most hatcheries when you order direct don't vaccinate unless you say you want it. At this point, it's kind of moot, without knowing for sure what is going on with her. Others going after her can be an indication of illness, they often know when we don't. Or it could be just because she's low in the order.
I'll tag a couple more people to see if they have any suggestions.
@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive

 

[bravecoconut]

If she is laying internally, then that is possible, and it's possible she never laid one normally. If that is what is going on, then antibiotics would only be a short term maybe help. As long as that continues, infection will continue to happen. Usually the droppings will not look normal however. It's also possible she's trying to lay and is having some other kind of issue. Have you seen any straining or tail pumping? If that were the case then giving calcium might help her expel anything she's having trouble with. Since she's pooping, she's not egg bound, but something may be slowing things down.
I understand about vet care, many of us do not have access to vets that will see, or know anything about, chickens.
Vaccination is a question, in my experience most feed store chicks, no matter where they came from, are not usually vaccinated. And if they are it's usually noted clearly. Even most hatcheries when you order direct don't vaccinate unless you say you want it. At this point, it's kind of moot, without knowing for sure what is going on with her. Others going after her can be an indication of illness, they often know when we don't. Or it could be just because she's low in the order.
I'll tag a couple more people to see if they have any suggestions.
@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive

Thank you. I agree and am aware that if she is laying internally that the antibiotics may or may not help and only until it happens again. I have seen absolutely no signs of egg bound, straining, squatting, penguin walking, or any other "typical" signs. That's why I'm at try the antibiotics and kind of see what happens. If it helps her and it happens again, that will help with a diagnosis in theory. That's why I'm trying to discern the best course of antibiotics for her if that may be the issue. Thank you for the help and tags! I appreciate all the help I can get. I have medical training myself and have worked with animals for 30 years from dogs to tigers and this bird is stumping me!

 

[coach723]

Does she have any abdominal bloat at all, either fluid or firmness, despite being thin?
For internal laying and EYP the most common antibiotics are Baytril and Clavamox. Amoxicillin might help some but is often not strong enough. So if you want to see if it makes any difference, those would be what I would try. Sometimes imaging will show if eggs are being deposited in the abdomen, but with no vet that isn't an option. I have been frustrated as well at times when a simple image might be the only thing needed to help and I can't get one. Of course cost is often also an issue for people. The other thought I had was absorption issues. If she didn't develop quite right inside she may not be absorbing nutrients well, often chicks with absorption issues don't live this long. Did you have any issues with coccidiosis with them? That can do gut damage that with some can be an issue. Still I would kind of expect the droppings to be at least a bit abnormal.
I had one chick that was slower than the others from the beginning. She grew and feathered out normally, but was always different. I did suspect she might have a heart problem, she never ran, only walked, and got slower and less active as she grew. She suddenly died at about 20 weeks. Necropsy showed an extremely enlarged heart. Sometimes it's impossible to know for sure until necropsy, sadly.

 

[bravecoconut]

Does she have any abdominal bloat at all, either fluid or firmness, despite being thin?
For internal laying and EYP the most common antibiotics are Baytril and Clavamox. Amoxicillin might help some but is often not strong enough. So if you want to see if it makes any difference, those would be what I would try. Sometimes imaging will show if eggs are being deposited in the abdomen, but with no vet that isn't an option. I have been frustrated as well at times when a simple image might be the only thing needed to help and I can't get one. Of course cost is often also an issue for people. The other thought I had was absorption issues. If she didn't develop quite right inside she may not be absorbing nutrients well, often chicks with absorption issues don't live this long. Did you have any issues with coccidiosis with them? That can do gut damage that with some can be an issue. Still I would kind of expect the droppings to be at least a bit abnormal.
I had one chick that was slower than the others from the beginning. She grew and feathered out normally, but was always different. I did suspect she might have a heart problem, she never ran, only walked, and got slower and less active as she grew. She suddenly died at about 20 weeks. Necropsy showed an extremely enlarged heart. Sometimes it's impossible to know for sure until necropsy, sadly.

No coccidiosis. I honestly haven't had any issues issues with this flock for the two years that I've had them. I had her sister killed by the hens that were here when we moved in. They were in their tender basket (pullet pen) and my son didn't close it. They got loose and these hens are vicious. I had another just drop dead out of nowhere. It had to have been a heart condition. Besides those, nothing.

Have you used Baytril and Clavamox to have any opinion on which works better? Do you know dosage amounts and length of course? Supplier? So far I've found amoxicillin that I can get but Baytril and Clavamox both require a RX which is unfortunately impossible. A telehealth chicken vet could make a fortune...

 

[bravecoconut]

Does she have any abdominal bloat at all, either fluid or firmness, despite being thin?
For internal laying and EYP the most common antibiotics are Baytril and Clavamox. Amoxicillin might help some but is often not strong enough. So if you want to see if it makes any difference, those would be what I would try. Sometimes imaging will show if eggs are being deposited in the abdomen, but with no vet that isn't an option. I have been frustrated as well at times when a simple image might be the only thing needed to help and I can't get one. Of course cost is often also an issue for people. The other thought I had was absorption issues. If she didn't develop quite right inside she may not be absorbing nutrients well, often chicks with absorption issues don't live this long. Did you have any issues with coccidiosis with them? That can do gut damage that with some can be an issue. Still I would kind of expect the droppings to be at least a bit abnormal.
I had one chick that was slower than the others from the beginning. She grew and feathered out normally, but was always different. I did suspect she might have a heart problem, she never ran, only walked, and got slower and less active as she grew. She suddenly died at about 20 weeks. Necropsy showed an extremely enlarged heart. Sometimes it's impossible to know for sure until necropsy, sadly.

Forgot to say her abdomen is also normal. No water belly. I can palpate without any distress from her and do not feel anything unusual. She doesn't have any darkening of her comb points.

 

[coach723]

I have not used Clavamox as that is obtainable only by vet. Enrofloxacin can be gotten from pigeon suppliers, the oral form. Injectable is vet only. I have used the oral form and the injectable of that. With the injectable there is issue of tissue necrosis at the injection site, so you have to move the spot around (on the breast). This is one link to the oral form:
https://jedds.com/products/enrofloxacin-10?variant=40215712661693
Doses I have used are:
10mg/kg of body weight, twice a day for 5 days
15 mg/kg once a day for 5 days
20 mg/kg once a day for 5 days
Depending on what I'm treating I will often start with the higher dose and adjust it down if I see droppings looking sick after giving it, until droppings become more normal. But for your young bird you may want to try the lower dose. It is harder on them than amoxicillin which is usually well tolerated.
If you can find Clavamox I'm sure someone here can help with dosing that. There are members here who do have the benefit of veterinary help.
Amoxicillin dose is 57 mg/pound of body weight twice a day for 5 days.