Please, anyone, help my chicken!!

[jak2002003]

I can't find out what is wrong with my chicken.

Every day its getting slower and slower and eating less and less.

Its lost its red colour to its comb and face and feels weak when I pick it up.

It walks slowly and spends most of the time on its own just standing in one spot.


I have lost 2 other chickens to this disease already.. all showing exactly the same symptoms. Last one died about one month ago.

But this chickens is a very special pet for me and a very rare breed in my country so will be almost impossible to replace.

Its a young pullet.

I have also lost 4 fancy pigeons to very a very similar thing.... lethargy and stopping eating and drinking and then dropping dead after a few days.

I have some coccidiosis medication that I just put in the chickens drinking water... but I don't think its coccidiosis because I treated the last chicken to die with this and it did not recover. But I may have left it too late that time.

This chickens poops look normal.. they are firm and light brown with some white. No blood. The other chickens that died only had white flat poops because they stopped eating so had nothing to digest. They had no blood either.

The thing thats confusing me is that there are no other symptoms like breathing difficulties, sneezing, mucus, etc.

I have spent hours on the net and cant find anything to match this disease.

Please Please Please.. any advice?

Could it be worms? Can a de worm it at the same time as the coccidiosis medication?

How do I know if its a crop problem like yeast etc?

I have no vets in my area that will treat birds... I have tried before. I really don't want this chicken to die.

Thank you...

 

[MissBokBok]

Regardless of the disease, tube feeding would be a good idea. Sick chickens don't feel like eating or drinking, and they can die from dehydration and starvation. Can you cook up some scrambled eggs to hand feed her? Sometimes they will also eat their food if you mix it with warm water to make an oatmeal consistency. Then, I would recommend finding a large syringe (60 cc if possible) and a tube that will fit on. You can get parrot baby bird food to put in it, or if you can't find that you can try blending their crumble with lots of water until it will pass through the tube. Then, you have to learn how to pass the tube into the crop to inject the food. It's scary at first but after a few tries you'll be a pro.

It is pretty warm in Thailand so she will probably be ok outside, but you will want to separate her to monitor how much she is eating and drinking. Also, do you have a kitchen scale? Start weighing her daily to make sure she isn't losing weight.

She needs water first. Sometimes gatorade or pedialyte in their water makes them perk up a little.

 

[Hholly]

Yes you can worm them while treating for coccidiosis. Good luck.

 

[jak2002003]

Thanks.

Any idea what disease it could be?

I have her separated now... she is really stressed though and pacing up and down trying to get out of the cage. She is used to sleeping in a pile with her brothers and sisters.

She ate a lot of hard boiled egg yolk this evening and at least she has a full crop. I checked her crop with the other chickens her age and they feel the same size and roosting time.

Does coccidiosis always have blood in the poops?

Thanks.

 

[Hholly]

Sorry, your guess is as good as mine. No, there is not always blood in the poops with coccidiosis. There are several strains, some of which cause the blood in poos, some don't.

 

[purplesquirrel]

Not sure. But if the symptoms are consistent throughout different species of bird, you must look at what they have in common when it comes to what they are susceptible to.
Maybe research illnesses, disease, viruses, bacterial infections etc for each species, and then cross examine which ones they all suffer from.

The fact that the poo is normal suggests it's not intestinal.
Check for mites on the plumage, mites in the ears, worms or eggs in poop, etc


One thing for sure, like others said above, birds die very quickly from dehydration and malnutrition, probably not the illness itself.

 

[jak2002003]

Not sure. But if the symptoms are consistent throughout different species of bird, you must look at what they have in common when it comes to what they are susceptible to.
Maybe research illnesses, disease, viruses, bacterial infections etc for each species, and then cross examine which ones they all suffer from.

The fact that the poo is normal suggests it's not intestinal.
Check for mites on the plumage, mites in the ears, worms or eggs in poop, etc


One thing for sure, like others said above, birds die very quickly from dehydration and malnutrition, probably not the illness itself.

Thanks that's really helpful.

I dusted her with mite powder.. even through I could not see mites.

Today is the last day of her coccidiosis medication... but she does not look any better... maybe it takes them a few days to perk up?

Today I am going to de worm her also... and go to a feed store to get some baytril antibiotic.

 

[Hholly]

Which medicine was she on for coccidosis, and what dosage?

 

[jak2002003]

Which medicine was she on for coccidosis, and what dosage?

Coxzuril 2.5%

Toltrazuril

Gave it at the higher dose as advised on the bottle.

Finished that treatment now.

This afternoon she looks worse and there is no food in her crop.

I am boiling up some eggs as I write this... I will mix the anti biotic powder with the hard boiled egg and see if she will eat this.

I could not get the Baytril... have got.....

Streptomycin and Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride powder which also has added minerals and vitamins.

Have added some to the feed and water... but she is not eating or drinking at the moment.

I will now dip the hard boiled eggs in the powder and see if she will eat that.


When I came home to check on her I found another hen had managed to rip its claw off somehow while free ranging.. blood everywhere. Stopped bleeding now but she is limping a lot and sitting down... sometimes keeping pets is very stressful!!!

I will let you know if the sick chicken she eats the eggs.

 

[jak2002003]

Good news...

She ate one egg.. yolk and white.

I was able to mix the powdered anti biotic into the mashed up egg.

She has gone to sleep this evening with a full crop.

Phew.