Not Up To Par

[beedude]

We have 8 chickens and they have just started to lay... 2 each of barred rocks, austrolorps, RIR, Golden laced wyandottes. The largest and bossiest is one of the barred rocks. At the bottom of the pecking order is the other barred rock. We call her Cindy which is short for Cinderella because her step sisters are mean to her.

They other chickens have not caused any visible injuries however, she does not seem right. She is much smaller (lighter) than the others. She feeds but never scratches even when they are allowed to free range. All the others scratch up a storm. She also stands on the left leg only alot but walks just fine. No visible problems with her feet. Her comb and wattle are not bright red as with her sisters.

We currently let her free range alone for a while and feed her some extras like hard boiled egg, grapes, wet cat food. She eats like a horse when we do this. This extra feeding program seems to be working but slowly.

Another thing I have noticed is that her upper beak is hooked down as in a raptor. Her sisters do not have this feature. The hooking is not extreme.

Any thoughts about her plight or solutions.

Advice is appreciated.

Ed

 

[BantamLover21]

It could be that Cindy has some sort of internal problem that is causing her not to thrive. In that case, the only thing you can do is continue making sure she eats and drinks well, is comfortable, and doesn't get too harassed by the other hens.

But before we assume that problem, there are some other possibilities, including Coccidiosis and Worms. I once had a bird similar to Cindy--she was thinner than the other birds, less active, and just didn't seem to thrive. She finally began showing obvious symptoms of Coccidiosis (blood in the dropppings, extreme lethargy, etc.), so I treated her for that. She quickly recovered, and ever since has been just as healthy as the other birds; apparently, it was Coccidiosis all along.

So, I would isolate Cindy in a warm, clean place. Get some Corid (amprol or amprolium) 9.6% liquid or 20% powder from a livestock supply store (its usually sold for cattle). The dosage is 2 teaspoons Corid liquid per gallon of water or 3/4 teaspoon Corid powder per gallon of water. Treat for 5-7 days; do not give vitamins in the water during treatment as they will interfere. If there is going to be any, improvement is generally seen after 2-3 days.

Another thing to try is worming her. I would recommend a broad-spectrum wormer like Valbazen, SafeGuard, or the Worminator (contains Flubenvet and is what I use). Don't use Wazine or Ivermectin (two other wormers) unless they're the only ones you can find, as Wazine only works on roundworms and many worms are resistant to Ivermectin. You can usually find wormers at a livestock supply store, or you can purchase the Worminator online from here: http://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=584

As for Cindy's hooked beak, I would trim it. Just use a human nail trimmer to clip off the overhanging part, and then perhaps use a file to smooth the edges. It shouldn't bleed if you don't go too far, but if it does, stop the bleeding with styptic powder, cornstarch, or flour.

 

[beedude]

Thank you for all the great info. Led me to do more research. Cindy seems better. Just let her out to forage she enjoyed a lot of cat food. (The cat is quite annoyed.... he is afraid of the chickens). Was able to see her poop and examine the droppings. They look fine... if that means anything. Tomorrow the vet will be open so can take a fecal sample for analysis. Once again thanks.

 

[Eggcessive]

In every flock there seems to be one on the bottom of the pecking order. They don't get to eat until the others eat. They are more shy and reserved than the others. It's good that you feed her high protein snacks and make sure she gets enough to eat. I have a couple of girls like that in my large flock. As long as your check her for lice, mites, and worm her occasionally she ought to be fine.

 

[beedude]

Thank you. She seems to be doing better the past few days now that she gets special rations. We will be keeping a close eye on her. She is now my wife's favorite and gets lots of attention.

 

[beedude]

Update... we have been giving Cindy extra food... protein. She seems to be doing better. Her comb and wattle have grown a lot and are now bright red in color. She has also started scratching for food. Cindy is no longer at the bottom of the pecking order. Our cat is timid which Cindy figured out. So, now she chases the cat around the yard. Chickens are sooooo entertaining.

 

[BantamLover21]

Update... we have been giving Cindy extra food... protein. She seems to be doing better. Her comb and wattle have grown a lot and are now bright red in color. She has also started scratching for food. Cindy is no longer at the bottom of the pecking order. Our cat is timid which Cindy figured out. So, now she chases the cat around the yard. Chickens are sooooo entertaining.

I'm glad she's doing better.