Needing help with a sick pullet please!

[foxyk91]

I have a 5 week old lavender Orpington pullet that is not feeling well. I'm new to chickens so really need some help. I noticed last night that she was really lethargic & not acting like the rest. This morning when she got up to stretch I noticed that she was off balance. She did eat & drink but seems to be eating kind of funny as well. She just seems to lay around a lot & sleep. When she is awake..she doesn't open her eyes fully. She also seems to be twitching/jumping off & on. I called the breeder I got them from & she suggested I give her a few drops of Poly.Vi.Sol vitamins for infants & toddlers. She also advised me to stop the medicated water & give fresh water with a tsp. of electrolytes & 2 syringes full of the Poly.Vi.Sol to the gallon of water. I did all of this but no change as of yet.

Do any of you have any idea what is wrong with her?? I really don't want to lose her I will try anything.

Thanks...Karen

 

[what's kickin' chicken]

I really can't help...sorry but maybe someone else can *bump* (hope that helps)....good luck

 

[tgrlily]

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[foxyk91]

Wow...no one has any idea what might be wrong or might know something I could try to save her?????

 

[MamiPollo]

The twitching and jumping sounds like it could be a neurological problem. I don't have a clue about sick chicks. I have a sick one too that no one seems to have any suggestions for.

A vet told me once that birds often have strokes, due to the size of the brain being so small. It sounds like maybe this has happened to your chicken, but I really do not know. He said this about a canary, and I can't remember what exactly my canary was doing. It was about 25 years ago. He was staying on the floor of his cage, puffed up and sometimes falling over. He lived, I think, about a week after this and then he died.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Karen, more info is needed. Try to answer these questions in the very important sticky in this forum. I realize some has already been said or you may not know, but give it a shot. What is the medicated water medicated with?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3569

 

[foxyk91]

1) What type of bird , age and weight. Orpington..5 weeks old

2) What is the behavior, exactly. lethargic & off balance. She did eat & drink but seems to be eating kind of funny as well. She just seems to lay around a lot & sleep. When she is awake..she doesn't open her eyes fully. She also seems to be twitching/jumping off & on

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? 3 days

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Nothing

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. She was on water that was medicated with Duramycin- 10 & medicated chick feed. I have quit the medicated water & switched it to fresh water with a tsp. of electrolytes & 2 syringes full of the Poly.Vi.Sol vitamins

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. I haven't seen her poop

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? See question 7

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Whatever I need to do. I'm new to chickens

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. You can't really capture it in a picture but will try to take a video

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use They are in a 4x8 brand new brooder with 3 heat lamps. The floor has linoleum flooring & shavings

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Three heat lamps might be too much at that age, they need an area that's about 70-75F now, and a cooler area to escape to. I usually have no heat at all by 5 weeks. Depends upon where they are. Make sure it's pine shavings, cedar can be a problem sometimes.

That's all I can think of now, I hope she gets better soon.

 

[foxyk91]

The 3 heat lamps are up high & spread out through the 4x8 coop. We are in NY where it's still quite cold at night. Right now durning the day though it's nice so all 3 are off. We use pine shavings with all our animals...never cedar. Thank you for your input though

 

[ranchhand]

Dang, you have a tough one there. Usually the first thing I do with a sick chicken is isolate it, so I can keep an eye on the poop.

NOT my idea of fun, but it really does help. Here's a link that's very helpful, but not for viewing while eating.

http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

Other than that, I have no ideas. Wish I did.