New chicken, stressed from travel?

[pretty little weeds]

I would really appreciate help regarding a new chicken my partner bought me two days ago.

It was sold as a 17-19 week old copper black maran pullet. It looks cross bred to me, from the photos I have seen online... also the neck feathers are pretty pointy, but it doesn’t have obvious saddle feathers...

The legs look pretty scaly for a supposedly young chook but that could be a breed thing?

I have the chicken in its own pen (as a quarantine measure, and to slowly introduce to my existing flock, who are old and a bit cranky). I have watched it a bit yesterday and today and it looks really sick. I haven’t found any poo but it looks dirty around it’s bottom- pasting, I think it’s called? It’s comb looks a bit pale and spotty. It’s exploring only a little, eating and drinking only a little (wouldn’t try kibble or porridge, but had some fresh scraps and some egg scrambled with olive oil). It’s mostly sitting hunched with it’s eyes closed, gasping every now and then. I think it’s right nostril might be slightly runny.

What should I do, please?

Can anyone sex/age it too? I would love if it is a copper black Maran pullet at 19 weeks... but I’m not too confident!

 

[micstrachan]

Hello and welcome to BYC! I think you have a pullet.

Anyway, yes, she can be stressed from travel. Do you have a good quality grower feed you can give her? Wetting it may make it more enticing. She would also benefit from poultry vitamins and electrolytes. If it's not too late, I would keep her away from any ground your existing flock has been on, as it can make her sicker. The messy bottom can be from illness, stress, change in feed... a couple of mine are just messier than the others, but I don't think they are sick.

Also, where are you located? Has there been a drastic shift in temperature from her former location? She may also be a little sad from being separated from her old flock, if she had one. For what it's worth, she does not look particularly ill to me. If she hasn't started laying, it's not a problem that her comb isn't bright red yet. If she were mine, I would probably spend time with her... move slowly and talk sweetly to her. She needs a friend, and you're it. At least for now.

 

[pretty little weeds]

Thank you very much for your answer. I hope you are right on all counts.
Can you expand on the “ground your existing flock has been on” making her sicker? She is in a fenced off area and temporary coop within the main run (the area they don’t really use). It’s been two days already, should I move her or is the damage done?
I don’t think the temperature is that different, but she did come from a large flock (40 birds) so I think loneliness could be a factor. She is quite friendly and lets me cuddle her a bit. I’m not very experienced with handling the birds so I’m not that smooth with it yet.

The produce store will be open tomorrow so I can see about buying her some kind of nutritional support.
After reading a few other threads, I’m almost convinced she has gapeworm. The head shaking, gasping and choking described by other owners sounds just like what she is doing