Parasite or something else?

[mapurcel]

Good evening,

I have a chicken that is molting but seems a bit too lethargic for my liking.

We had a girl pass away from being egg bound last week but earlier was showing similar symptoms to this girl so I think the egg bound death was secondary to something else going around.

The facts:
1. She’s been more lethargic the past week. I’ll see her sit down or doze off standing up. When I approach she’s alert and moving around just fine so it’s only in down time she does this.

2. I have dewormed the flock 2x this summer due to my noticing poopy butts. Hers is very mildly poopy butt. Either I’m not using the correct product or it’s something else going on with her. I will attach product in this post.

3. I have provided baytril now about 3x in small doses with chick feed and yogurt. She doesn’t seem to be improving but it is a small dose so maybe I just need to isolate and dose more appropriately.

4. Poops seem appropriate size color and shape. White and brown, no bubbles

5. Although she is standing at times more upright with wings down she is still laying every once in a while (this is a bantam breed not known for producing so I don’t find the lack of eggs unusual).

6. After the first girl died I scrubbed all water and food containers down, cleaned the coop, cleaned the roots, revamped the chicken run with fresh dirt and turned over the old.

7. I’m adding poultry cell to their water for additional supplements.

8. I have checked for external mites and I don’t see any on her vent, under wings, by neck, etc.


I really don’t want to lose another girl, can someone tell me what I’m missing?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Good evening,

I have a chicken that is molting but seems a bit too lethargic for my liking.

We had a girl pass away from being egg bound last week but earlier was showing similar symptoms to this girl so I think the egg bound death was secondary to something else going around.

The facts:
1. She’s been more lethargic the past week. I’ll see her sit down or doze off standing up. When I approach she’s alert and moving around just fine so it’s only in down time she does this.

2. I have dewormed the flock 2x this summer due to my noticing poopy butts. Hers is very mildly poopy butt. Either I’m not using the correct product or it’s something else going on with her. I will attach product in this post.

3. I have provided baytril now about 3x in small doses with chick feed and yogurt. She doesn’t seem to be improving but it is a small dose so maybe I just need to isolate and dose more appropriately.

4. Poops seem appropriate size color and shape. White and brown, no bubbles

5. Although she is standing at times more upright with wings down she is still laying every once in a while (this is a bantam breed not known for producing so I don’t find the lack of eggs unusual).

6. After the first girl died I scrubbed all water and food containers down, cleaned the coop, cleaned the roots, revamped the chicken run with fresh dirt and turned over the old.

7. I’m adding poultry cell to their water for additional supplements.

I really don’t want to lose another girl, can someone tell me what I’m missing?

Give some probiotics. Things internally probably have been thrown off track. Wouldn't hurt. Try for a week?

 

[mapurcel]

I’m also very open to hearing of where everyone likes to buy their supplements. I like to use https://allbirdproducts.com/ but unfortunately it seems like they are sold out of a lot of chicken related products.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I have a girl like this. She has a couple of chronic ailments (eye and leg), so I can tell she wants to rest more than the others. Perks up great for treats and forage time. You're smart to assume there's something going on with yours, but of course, chickens are really good at hiding any illness or injury.

You said you checked for mites, but it might be worth feeling around gently on her joints, legs, and feet. Bumblefoot would be pretty easy to ID, but you could also check for damaged nails, swelling, etc. My d'Uccle is impossible to handle for health checks, so maybe bring a trusted helper to carefully restrain.

I've gotten supplements off Amazon (I like Now brand, if I can get it). Grubbly Farms has nice containers of both probiotics and electrolytes. Anything else I need, I've been able to find at Tractor Supply (like Poultry Cell or Nutri-drench).

 

[mapurcel]

I have a girl like this. She has a couple of chronic ailments (eye and leg), so I can tell she wants to rest more than the others. Perks up great for treats and forage time. You're smart to assume there's something going on with yours, but of course, chickens are really good at hiding any illness or injury.

You said you checked for mites, but it might be worth feeling around gently on her joints, legs, and feet. Bumblefoot would be pretty easy to ID, but you could also check for damaged nails, swelling, etc. My d'Uccle is impossible to handle for health checks, so maybe bring a trusted helper to carefully restrain.

I've gotten supplements off Amazon (I like Now brand, if I can get it). Grubbly Farms has nice containers of both probiotics and electrolytes. Anything else I need, I've been able to find at Tractor Supply (like Poultry Cell or Nutri-drench).

Thank you for your reply! I will be sure to check leg joints as I mostly checked fluffy thigh area. She does seems to have some redness around her feet where some serious pin feathers are coming out. I see her taking on a flamingo stance sometimes. I feel terrible for the poor dears with feathered feet. I try to trim them after they are unfurled but I dare not touch them beforehand lest I cause some very significant damage. Her nails are running a bit long, could do with a trim, which also hints are her inactivity for a bit now.

I realized I think my dewormer is expired from the photo so I’d like to get some fresh source and try that again.

 

[thecatumbrella]

She does seems to have some redness around her feet where some serious pin feathers are coming out.

My sickly girl has this as well! They're my first feather-footed birds, so I'm not very knowledgable on what's normal or not, but her sisters don't seem to have it with the same severity. It can't be comfortable to have these huge blood feathers poking out through your delicate foot skin. I also have to trim her nails because she doesn't scratch as much as the others... again, probably because it's uncomfortable.

 

[BDutch]

Good evening,

Hi, I give some short comments/thoughts to consider:

I have a chicken that is molting but seems a bit too lethargic for my liking.

We had a girl pass away from being egg bound last week but earlier was showing similar symptoms to this girl so I think the egg bound death was secondary to something else going around.

Mourning?
Takes time, maybe a friend, not medication.

The facts:
1. She’s been more lethargic the past week. I’ll see her sit down or doze off standing up. When I approach she’s alert and moving around just fine so it’s only in down time she does this.

How old is she?

2. I have dewormed the flock 2x this summer due to my noticing poopy butts. Hers is very mildly poopy butt. Either I’m not using the correct product or it’s something else going on with her. I will attach product in this post.

Dewormers are a kind of poison. Only give them when you have much worns. To know this let the poop get examined.

3. I have provided baytril now about 3x in small doses with chick feed and yogurt. She doesn’t seem to be improving but it is a small dose so maybe I just need to isolate and dose more appropriately.

Baytril is an antibiotic for an internal infection. Dont give it unless you are sure you are doing the right thing. Antibiotics kill the right bacteria too. The chickens immune system is attacked.

4. Poops seem appropriate size color and shape. White and brown, no bubbles

Good.

5. Although she is standing at times more upright with wings down she is still laying every once in a while (this is a bantam breed not known for producing so I don’t find the lack of eggs unusual).

Good

6. After the first girl died I scrubbed all water and food containers down, cleaned the coop, cleaned the roots, revamped the chicken run with fresh dirt and turned over the old.

Good

7. I’m adding poultry cell to their water for additional supplements.

Good when offered free of choice. Chickens know what kind of extras they need in general.

8. I have checked for external mites and I don’t see any on her vent, under wings, by neck, etc.

Good, check at night too to be sure there are no red mite.

I really don’t want to lose another girl, can someone tell me what I’m missing?

Patience. Give her time to feel better and to recover her immune system without giving further medicines (poisons).

Let her free range (under supervision) if she needs more distraction and to give her a chance to eat supplements she needs (self medication). But only if your garden is (almost) free of pesticides. Easiest is 1-2 hours before sunset.
If you can’t, give a handful of fine fresh grass clippings / a tuft of grass/herbs every day.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a chicken that is molting but seems a bit too lethargic for my liking.

She’s been more lethargic the past week. I’ll see her sit down or doze off standing up.

Often molting birds feel sorry for themselves. Sometimes they go off their normal feed. I'd watch to make sure she's drinking well and eating a little something. You may find that you can entice her with small amount egg, fish or meat a few times a week. It wouldn't hurt for the whole flock to have little extra treat of protein now and again.

I have dewormed the flock 2x this summer due to my noticing poopy butts. Hers is very mildly poopy butt. Either I’m not using the correct product or it’s something else going on with her.

The Product you are using is Praziquantel, this is used to treat Tapeworms in poultry. If you are dealing with any other types of worms, then you'd normally want to use Fenbendazole or Albendazole. Since your birds are in molt, use Albendazole for deworming or wait until they are done molting and you can use Fenbendazole.

I have provided baytril now about 3x in small doses with chick feed and yogurt. She doesn’t seem to be improving but it is a small dose

If you are going to treat with a strong antibiotic, please give the correct dose for the duration of treatment. The instructions/dosing should be on the bottle of your Baytril, if not, let us know. Baytril is given for 5 days in a row.

Although she is standing at times more upright with wings down she is still laying every once in a while

She does seems to have some redness around her feet where some serious pin feathers are coming out.

Tell us a bit more. Was she having any issues laying eggs before molt?

Was she active/eating/drinking before molt?

Photos of poop would be helpful. Also some more closeup photos of her would be nice, seeing her face, feather condition, feet, etc., instead of a long distance photo.

Thanks!