New Sick Chicken Any ideas?

[NotEntirelyJack]

We just bought a new Silkie from a chicken show. Beautiful bird about 3 months old. But when we got the chicken home it just sits on the ground. It doesnt stand up or walk around. She flaps her wings vigorously and is pretty strong when she is first handled but then calms down and isnt very active. Last night she looked like she was breathing fast. Today I don't think so. She has not pooped since we got her.I checked her vent and externally it is clean. She has not been drinking much although we did get her to drink a little this am. She has not eaten. She still isnt standing. Since she was breathing fast last night I did start her on tetracycline but I am not sure she is getting enough since she is not drinking much. She is isolated from the other chickens while I hope she gets better. Any ideas on what could be wrong? Treatment?


Thanks for all of your help.

 

[realsis]

When my silkies had a respitory illness they started to just sit not any activity . they stopped eating and eventually I could hear the sound in their breathing. Not sure this is the case with your bird but it could be. Because she's not eating you WILL need to tube feed her or she could starve to death. In a pinch you CAN use small fish air hose line as a tube. Clean of course. Then you will want to buy EXACT baby bird food. It is by kaytee. Its a powder that is mixed with water and flows perfectly for syringe and tube feeding. It is nutritionally sound with probotics omegas vitamins and is a excellent choice for tube feeding. You might want to oil the tube with a cooking oil before insertion for easiest insertion. This could help save her life. Many times ill birds actually starve to death because they are not getting any nutrition. So I would recommend tube feeding for your silkie. As to the nature of her illness you will have to look for clues. Does her tail bob up and down when she breathes? That is a sign of respitory distress also. You need to look listen and feel for any clues you can find to help determine the illness. Is her crop emptying? Is she straining as if to lay a egg? Is her breathing labored or any sounds when she breathes? Any mucus present.. Any coughing or sneezing? Does she appear to be extra sleepy ? Is her feathers puffed up? Does she hold her wings out from her body? Is she lethergic? We would need more clues to determine the exact nature of her illness. Sometimes respitory clues can be as subtle as the tail bobbing when they breathe. Unfortunately chickens as prey animals are very good at HIDING illnesses as they don't want to appear vonurable to other chickens. So look for ANY other clues as subtle as they may be and post them. Then we might be able to figure out the nature of her illness by the clues. How is her feces? What color is it.? This may sound like a whole lot of questions but each question is a clue to a illness. Its very difficult to guess the nature of the illness without a few more clues. So please post any thing else you notice and perhaps we can figure out the nature of her illness. In the mean time I HIGHLY recommend you consider tube feeding her. If you don't the lack of nutrition will only cause her to become weaker and emancipated. It can eventually kill her. Lack of food will defiently aggravate the situation. So look her over closely and post the clues and perhaps we can figure out the nature of her illness. Also you might consider doing a vent exam if she is of laying age to rule out a egg binding. I wish you the best and hope this is helpful in some way.

 

[NotEntirelyJack]

Thanks for the help. I just did the tube feeding. Not sure how often to do it. I did 20cc mixed with tetracycline.

The chicken makes a kind of whimpering sound sometimes. Feathers are a little puffed out. I don't think she has laid an egg yet. From what I have read her vent seems to be like that of chicken who has not laid an egg. She is pooping now and the last time it did get stuck in her feathers so maybe diarrhea? Seems to be yellow like normal chicken poop.

Crop seems to be emptying as far as I can tell. No mucus production. No tail bobbing. No coughing or sneezing.She does not seem to be extra sleepy. She is awake just sitting in the corner. No standing. No walking. Head down against her body. Wings seem to be held a little out.

She does seem to have some poofing in and out around her mouth intermittently.

A video is attached.

 

[NotEntirelyJack]

Also noticed that she only scoots backwards. When you lift her she kicks with her legs and they are both strong. She also flaps both her wings well. There does not seem to be any paralysis.

Not sure this one is going to make it. Just hope my others don't get ill.

 

[realsis]

Is she hot? Chickens do pant when hot and hold wings out. Is it warm where you live? If not my concern would be that it might be respitory. You can try tylan50 at 1/4 cc given once daily for 5 days in the breast muscle. You can get tylan at most farm stores. It's the antibotic tylosin. If its not hot there's another reason for her panting. She's not bound with a egg is she? I belive you said you checked that right. ? Tylan is geared for respitory And you can give that a try. If she were mine id likely give tylan a try. Not 100% certain what's going on with her but that's a starting place. When my girls had respitory they never developed nose mucus but started out by not getting up and just sitting. They were off their feed. Only one of the three ever developed a wheeze I could hear. You might want to start treating with tylan and see if improvement happens. Could be why she's panting that way unless your area is hot. She is very beautiful and I truely hope this helps her out.