Please help!! I have 2 chickens with different problems!

[AlisaBraddock]

I have an Ameraucana Bantam hen that is loosing her feathers! It just started about a week ago and now she looks like she is going bald! I am very worried that maybe I am not giving them enough supplemental foods for the winter and maybe that may be the problem, but I have absolutely no idea what could be wrong with her!

I also have a Barred Rock Hen that hasn't walked right on her legs in over 2 months. She gets around ok and is eating and drinking fine, but she will not walk on her feet. They are curled up and she is walking on the knuckles of her toes. She sneezed on me last week, which I thought was strange, but I don't know if that is normal or not either!

I am very worried about my babies and wish I knew what to do to help them! If anyone knows, or has an idea of what may be going on I could really use the help!! Thank you!!

 

[5SweetChicks]

For the Ameraucana Bantam hen, try to see if she is getting picked on. Also look for mites near the vent or under the wings. She could also just be in a molt.

For the Barred Rock, check the bottom of her feet and make sure they aren't black or swollen and make sure her nails aren't too long.

 

[AlisaBraddock]

How can you tell if her nails are too long? I have inspected her feet a few times, it doesn't look like there is anything wrong with her feet, they look completely normal. She just won't walk on them. It is strange.

I will have to check out my other hen for the mites, none of my other chickens are losing their feathers like this so I will look.

Thank you!

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

sounds like infection of either in her brain or in the joints. I would have to see her and she could be moulting too. How old is your chicken? I wear Tylan out as far as giving the medication to sick birds but it really works. I put 3cc of injectable Tylan 50 in 1 gallon of water for then to drink and change the water every 3 days in cold months and it stays good. I will give sick bird a shot. I usually give more than one shot with syringe and a syringe can be 3 shots. I take 1 cc of Tylan 50 and 2 cc of penicillin mixed together well in syringe and give big hen shot under skin on breast of 1 cc of the mixture. The reason you mix Tylan with penicillin is because it is so hard on tissue and can kill the chickens tissue you give it in if you don't mix it. If your chickens feet are real dry I will coat them with vaseline and use triple antibiotic ointment for bad infections. If her feet are curling on toes you can take coban or self adhesive tape that is not sticky and gauze and wrap her feet and put a piece of plastic cut from butter dish as splint and make their toes go straight by wrapping them. Take a picture so we can see her and that helps us try to help you.

 

[Eggcessive]

How can you tell if her nails are too long? I have inspected her feet a few times, it doesn't look like there is anything wrong with her feet, they look completely normal. She just won't walk on them. It is strange.

I will have to check out my other hen for the mites, none of my other chickens are losing their feathers like this so I will look.

Thank you!

I would start her on poultry vitamins in the water or PolyVisol without iron vitamins 2-3 drops daily, since curled toes can be a sign of vitamin deficiency. I would also suspect molting in yourother hen.

 

[BantamLover21]

The Ameraucana hen is probably molting, as that is common in chickens at this time of year. But I would still check her for lice/mites and make sure the other birds aren't picking on her. If you want to help her grow in her feathers faster, you could try feeding high protein foods like cat food, mealworms, scrambled eggs, etc., or you could just let nature take its course. In any case, she should be done molting in 1-3 months.

As for the Barred Rock, she could have a vitamin deficiency, or some sort of neurological problem. I'd get some Polyvisol infant vitamins (without iron) and start giving them to her, 1-2 drops each day. You could also use regular poultry vitamins, but the polyvisol is more concentrated and easier to administer. If it is something neurological, there isn't much you can do.

Good luck with both of them!

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

Let us know how she is doing. I am going to start using the polyvisol when I get one sick like that. I have used children's chewables and got them to swallow them but hadn't thought of them and will use them thanks Bantamlover21.

 

[AlisaBraddock]

Sorry these pictures took so long to get, but here are my 2 chickens I am worried about.

Duckie is my Ameraucana Bantam hen, here are her pictures..







Paco is my Barred Rock hen with the feet problem. Here is her pictures..







Any help I can get is greatly appreciated!

 

[pwand]

The first hen looks to be molting.

The second hen could have Mycoplasma synoviae. Here is an indepth thread about it. It may not also have anything to with it either. Just a suggestion.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/844000/oh-my-god-the-government-wants-to-kill-my-chickens-ms/90
Go to #94 for quick info about and look through the whole thread if you like to.

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

You have such pretty chickens. The one hen looks to be moulting the second one I just don't know for sure. I am sure someone else will come up with good answer for you. I hope you had a Merry Christmas.