My usually happy chicken is sick and acting very strange please help!!!

[Zimzim27]

She started doing something very strange, she opens her mouth and trys to groom her wing but she can't, and then she kinda shakes her head and blinks her eye alot. I don't know if this could help or change anything.

 

[OKchickenmom]

Oh goodness. This sounds similar to my girl. I came here looking for any ideas to why I've lost 3 hens in 6 months. I wonder if it's the wet soil? We are in a wetter than normal spring and I don't know how to fix it. I've never seen mites, but our co-op had us use dewormer. It has helped before, but this time it didn't. She stopped laying over a week ago, got runny poop 3 days ago, passed overnight. Our weather has been up & down in temps, too. The 3 I've lost have all been just under 3 years old.

I hope your girl gets better soon.

 

[azygous]

Spring is usually a warm wet period in many places. (Except here in So Colorado where it's turning into a desert.) This can cause overpopulation of coccidia in the soil, and it's even possible that different species of coccidia are imported from other locales as people borrow and share garden implements and mowers.

Chickens on this damp soil peck up grit contaminated by these parasites and they then take up residence in the chickens' guts. As the importation occurs of different species of coccidia the chickens aren't resistant to or an explosion of coccidia locally overwhelms the chickens' guts, they then begin to show signs of lethargy and then obvious illness.

As the disease progresses, it can erode the intestinal lining sometimes causing blood to appear in the stools. At that point, bacteria often takes hold in the inflamed tissues, called necrotic enteritis, and death is often imminent if not treated immediately with both Corid and an anitbiotic.

The good news is, resistance is the reward for surviving this disease. At least until other species are imported on garden tools or soles of your shoes. There are nine different species of coccidia that are specific to chickens.

Even a half baked suspicion of coccidiosis would justify treating for it as the coccidiostat is not a medicine but a thiamine blocker and very safe to use on any chicken regardless of age or state of health.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think that treating for possible coccidiosis would be good to do, in case that is a problem. But I have seen some watery droppings like that under my roosts, and a few of my old hens have intermal laying disorders. With these kinds of issues, if you don’t have a vet or fecal float, you can treat for coccidiosis, worms, and give an antibiotic if that is okay with you, and kind of treat for everything. Antibiotics may help a reproductive infection early, but may not after symptoms start. I would try to get her eating some watery chick feed, scrambled egg bits, and I have used a bit of canned cat food and tuna to tempt one to eat. The chicken feed and water are most important.

 

[Zimzim27]

She ate a little bit, but not much at all. Now's she laying down with her mouth open and breathing heavily.

 

[Waves]

Is her breathe rattling or doing some strange noise?

 

[Waves]

How is her comb? a little violet or like your picture you posted before?

 

[Zimzim27]

Her breathing isn't making any sound, and she just stopped breathing with her mouth open, her comb looks the same as it did before.

 

[azygous]

Have you started the Corid? How about the Safeguard? The chick might benefit from using the Corid drench formula on her. Measure in a syringe, .1ml undiluted Corid per pound of body weight and give it orally for three days in addition to the drinking water Corid.

 

[Zimzim27]

Have you started the Corid? How about the Safeguard? The chick might benefit from using the Corid drench formula on her. Measure in a syringe, .1ml undiluted Corid per pound of body weight and give it orally for three days in addition to the drinking water Corid.

Yes I added Corid into the water, I haven't started the safeguard I don't know what that is exactly, I will give her the undiluted Corid now.