My chicken is sick: lethargic, not eating and drinking. Help!

[floricik]

My 5 mo australorp chicken got sick a few days ago.
Lethargy, walking slowly behind her sisters, comp tilted and not that bright red like it used to be, not eating or drinking, hard time breathing. Today is getting worse, I fed her with a syringe and she started to cough
Could it be gape worm? My husband put invermectin topical solution on the back of her neck yesterday.
We leave in Georgia where is hot and humid and lots of bugs

 

[floricik]

She just passed away It all happened so fast...she showed signs of sickness 3 days ago. We had another Australorp that got sick a month ago and died. Is the breed more prone to diseases or are we doing something wrong . They free range a few hours everyday, we do not spray the yard with insecticide or fertilizer. Should we deworm the rest of the flock (we have only red star hens left) If so what would y’all recommend?

 

[Swbertrand1]

Could be heat, but could be a crop issue too. It's unlikely that it's gape worm at her age, not to mention that it's pretty rare.

I know you're at least on day 3 of this issue, so you're kindof at an emergency now.

What's her diet consist of? Is her crop emptying overnight?

What................

I just saw your newest post. I'm so sorry :-(

Though I have no way to know for sure, I'd be looking to heat issues or crop issues, possibly even intestinal parasites or mites for the symptoms you mentioned.
Examine all your birds carefully for mites, check their crops in the evening (tonight) then again in the morning to be sure they're ALL emptying. And, of course, provide plenty of clean, fresh water at all times.

Check their stools around the coop and run/yard. Look at as many as you can to see if you can identify ANYTHING that might give a clue to what happened to this girl.

 

[Swbertrand1]

She just passed away It all happened so fast...she showed signs of sickness 3 days ago. We had another Australorp that got sick a month ago and died. Is the breed more prone to diseases or are we doing something wrong . They free range a few hours everyday, we do not spray the yard with insecticide or fertilizer. Should we deworm the rest of the flock (we have only red star hens left) If so what would y’all recommend?

Might be worth taking stool samples of a few of the remaining birds to a vet for a fecal float to rule out intestinal parasites, but I think your likelihood of finding some is pretty good. The symptoms you described in the initial post would lead me to parasites, crop issues, or heat issues.

 

[Shaleen Ann Brown]

She just passed away It all happened so fast...she showed signs of sickness 3 days ago. We had another Australorp that got sick a month ago and died. Is the breed more prone to diseases or are we doing something wrong . They free range a few hours everyday, we do not spray the yard with insecticide or fertilizer. Should we deworm the rest of the flock (we have only red star hens left) If so what would y’all recommend?

sending lots of love. These things happen

 

[floricik]

Could be heat, but could be a crop issue too. It's unlikely that it's gape worm at her age, not to mention that it's pretty rare.

I know you're at least on day 3 of this issue, so you're kindof at an emergency now.

What's her diet consist of? Is her crop emptying overnight?

What................

I just saw your newest post. I'm so sorry :-(

Though I have no way to know for sure, I'd be looking to heat issues or crop issues, possibly even intestinal parasites or mites for the symptoms you mentioned.
Examine all your birds carefully for mites, check their crops in the evening (tonight) then again in the morning to be sure they're ALL emptying. And, of course, provide plenty of clean, fresh water at all times.

Check their stools around the coop and run/yard. Look at as many as you can to see if you can identify ANYTHING that might give a clue to what happened to this girl.

Thank you for your advice! I am going to check on all of that Their diet consists in Dumor layer crumble, egg shells and oyster shells on the side, dried meal worms and sometimes veggies and whatever they get when out in the yard.

 

[floricik]

Might be worth taking stool samples of a few of the remaining birds to a vet for a fecal float to rule out intestinal parasites, but I think your likelihood of finding some is pretty good. The symptoms you described in the initial post would lead me to parasites, crop issues, or heat issues.

Where we leave there is no avian vet around, the nearest is in Atlanta ...
What are you using for your chickens to deworm them?
Could be heat issues ....we had some rough days here in the south...

 

[floricik]

sending lots of love. These things happen

Thank you!

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

 

[Swbertrand1]

Where we leave there is no avian vet around, the nearest is in Atlanta ...
What are you using for your chickens to deworm them?
Could be heat issues ....we had some rough days here in the south...

You don't need an avian vet for a fecal float, just a vet (or lab). Heat exhaustion can look very similar to a worm infestation: lethargy, reduced appetite, disheveled appearance, and more.

For de-worming, most here suggest Safeguard 10% Suspension for Goats (Fenbendazole) given at .23ml per pound of body weight administered orally for five days with a syringe or dropper.

If you're not sure how to administer liquids to a bird, this will help tremendously:
https://bitchinchickens.com/2020/02/06/how-to-safely-give-oral-medications/