My first sick chicken (pics and lots more info page 2)

[Wynette]

If she's not eating or drinking, it's imperative that you feed her and give her water via a syringe or dribble it along her beak. You might give some Poly-Visol vitamins...a few drops (how old is she?) a day. Can she stand up at all? It sounds like she's very weak due to weight loss. Dehydration could kill her; get some water into her with electrolytes and vitamins (you can get a packet of vitamins/electrolytes at your local feed store or TSC if you have one close by). You need to get some nourishment into her ASAP!

Try offering some yogurt if she can eat at all.

Separate her and keep her warm and dry. I use an old dog kennel for this purpose.

Is it possible she could have gotten into some bad (moldy) feed?

It's so hard to know how to help...please advise us of any and all symptoms you see. GOOD LUCK - hope she pulls through!

forgot to mention - if you can get some water down her, you can make a slurry of the feed she is on, wetting it down and blending it until very smooth; this will take several minutes. Then, use a syringe to put some into her mouth...if she swallows it, continue in small increments. This can be dangerous, because she'll pass away if she aspirates any. Let us know how she's doing, but I think right now, you need to get some water & nutrition into her ASAP.

 

[speckledhen]

Hey, I dont know as much as people give me credit for-remember, we are not substitutes for a vet. Honestly, I didn't have any real ideas or I would have posted. Wish I knew as much as you guys think I do, LOL. Wynette gave you some good advice. Limberneck symptoms can be botulism, but also a couple other things. It's hard to say exactly. Always, separate sick birds, watch symptoms, give supplements in water and active culture yogurt, olive oil and scrambled eggs for protein since those things dont require grinding in the crop.

 

[kaya's farm]

Thanks guys



Limberneck symptoms can be botulism, but also a couple other things. It's hard to say exactly. Always, separate sick birds, watch symptoms, give supplements in water and active culture yogurt, olive oil and scrambled eggs for protein since those things dont require grinding in the crop.

This is true but the fethers falling out and the fact that my cats kill at least ten mice a day and leave them everywhere.... tthey also have full access to the compost pile. Looking alot like limberneck and feathers fallingout often point to botulism

 

[Wynette]

How is your girl this morning? I hope better. Please keep us posted.

 

[kaya's farm]

Thanks for thinking of us wynette

well my little girl....now called spunky.... ate breakfast and lunch with us and although she is still loosing some feathers and very quiet i think she is on the mend. She had no control of her neck yesterday I was cuddling her bringing her inside and when i had to let go to open the door her head flopped right down and my son thought she was dead. She was cold and I think being warm helped alot her feet went from freezing to how and she seemed to start feeling better.

I still would love to know what happened cause i have chickens running around all over here, little fuzzy butts and all and i hope this may be my last sick chicken for a bit.

I just cleaned everything in the coop and that was when i started wondering if something was wrong cause she didn't move out when i came in and stayed the whole time i cleaned. I talked to her a bit and my chickens are fairly friendly and used to us so i thought she was fine cause she still moved away from an actual petting. I also have another trying to go broody and i moved the boxes when i cleaned, this other chicken isnt leaving the coop either but she is no longer in the box. I didnt know if she was just being broody or something.

So is it worth going and cleaning out all of my coops some of them have earth flooring so i cant completly clean them? I wonder if i should diinfect everything but i have three coops and they are all full. I think they have to be empty for a few days if you clean??? No babies are staying in the coop i found the sick chicken in/ I dont know what to do.


spekeled hen said a few other things could cause limberneck anyone have any ideas what those other things may be?

I cleaned water containers with bleach today and i was feeding them alot of canning tomatoe scraps??? I am still confused then again sometimes chickens just get sick. Thanks for the help guys and gals

 

[Wynette]

Here's some good info:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/205400.htm

I recently moved my main layer flock into temporary quarters and thoroughly sprayed down the entire coop & run...including the dirt outside. I used diluted Oxine, which kills most everything from what I read on the label! My plan is to do this once a year. I would say if there is no way to remove the flock, even temporarily, you MAY be able to leave them in the coop for a day and spray the outside, then leave them outdoors one evening, assuming they are in a predator-safe enclosed area, and spray their coop. It's something to think about, anyway. I've heard awesome things about Oxine and began using it a few months ago. So far, so good.

Keep us posted on your girl!!

 

[kaya's farm]

now i have my favorite Langshan rooster acting funny. Feels very thin and didnt want to eat this afternoon. He is just hangin out with his eyes closed and thats strange for him???

 

[kaya's farm]

thanks for the info and link wynette. That was some of the best info i have found so far on botulism although i still wonder if thats what it is?????

 

[Wynette]

Dlhunicorn (IMO, the most qualified person on BYC to give advice on medical conditions) just posted this on another thread:

"Anytime you have multiple deaths and serious symptoms you don't need a vet and a wheelbarrow full of money...you simply need (and should!) pick up your phone and call the county extension office (explain the seriousness and you fear it might be a reportable disease) and they will send the state vet or give you the number you need to call."

Maybe you should try this route? I think, without taking one of the sickest ones to a poultry vet, you'll never really know what's going on. But, I know that's expensive to do. Perhaps if you call your county extension office, they could help? Please at least try...and keep us posted. I know how heartbreaking and frustrating it is...trust me. But, we're all here to support you and give you words of advice & feedback...hopefully, you'll get more opinions. HANG IN THERE!!! Keep us posted, and make the call!

 

[kaya's farm]

I am having such a hard time figuring out what i should do about this. I will be away at school all weekend and my hubby will be home to take care of the two kids and all the animals. He does a great job but im nervous about leaving the sick birds. But then if they die i guess i will be able to find out whats wrong. Although in Vermont who knows how far the nearest vet would be?

My little lady is acting very spunky this morning and rooster looks better also. I have been letting her out a bit in the am and this is what the poo i cleaned up looked like. It was very dark green before and sometimes still is.

List of symptoms

two or three days of seperation and staying in coop

Feathers falling out(lots)

limberneck

very cold feet and loss of leg movement

looked like a bruised comb and dark pasting around nostrils

not eating and drinking

small movements of dark green bowel

I dipped her beak in water and she drank alot.... put her in a box to get warm for the night but later gave her some crumble mixed with the water she drank on her own

the next day she started moving her neck was better and she was eating and drinking all on her own.

She seems fine now and although not completly back to herself doing very well except for the concerning poop

It seems to have very reddish mucus like strings???? running through it. Still green also. I have a few diffrent meds i picked up to have on hand but i havn't even used anything cause my birds have been so healthy.

Please help with any ideas and recomendations. I also have to do school work for this weekend and im scrambling to figure this out so they dont get sick cause my rooster was being quiet and not eating yesterday also. He is in what used to be a brooder but now will end up a hospital?