Please help!

[FaithM]

Hello! My bantam australorp isn't doing too well and I want to know if there's anything that I can do to help her..

Symptoms:
Light colored comb
Doesn't feel as hearty as the others
Long blinking (closing both eyes for a few seconds and then opening)
Wings and tail drooping down a bit
Stumbling when walking

I just tried giving her electrolytes and she wasn't too interested, but she did drink a bit.

I also want to add that it's been super hot here lately, in the 90's almost every day. I've been keeping their water full, so that's not a problem, but the heat could be affecting her energy..?

Thanks so much for any help that you can give!

 

[Eggcessive]

I would definitely cool her off in tepid water to her legs, and by dipping her beak in vitamin and electrolyte water. heat stress and dehydration can cause those symptoms. Also look at her akin around the vent area and the neck for lice or mites. Deworming may also be a good thing, but make sure she is drinking well enough first.

 

[FaithM]

@Eggcessive : Thanks for the response! I did check around her vent and didn't notice any lice or mites, but I'll definitely take your advice for hydrating and cooling her down a bit.

 

[FaithM]

She doesn't seem to be getting much better and I noticed that her crop feels soft. She also doesn't want to eat or drink anything.

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is she? Is she having any diarrhea? Coccidiosis can be a problem in younger pullets up to around 20 weeks old, and sometimes older. Corid (amprollium) is the treatment for that. Chopped egg sometimes will be accepted when other foods are refused. If she is not drinking, that does not sound good. I would dip her beak into water or give her some from a dropper. Tube feeding could also be considered. Do you have a local vet who could see her? Here is a link about coccidiosis: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/12/coccidiosis-what-backyard-chicken.html

 

[FaithM]

She's a year and 3 months old. I did notice that she had a buildup of poop around her vent, but not enough to block it.. it didn't look like diarrhea though. Could I treat the flock for coccidiosis even if it turns out that she doesn't have it? I don't really want to take her into a vet, so any suggestions of things that I can do on my own are appreciated!

 

[Eggcessive]

Does she seem to be lame or have trouble walking? Is she still stumbling with drooping wings? Corid is not harmful to use, but at her age I would wonder if she has something else wrong. I would either take a sample of her droppings in to a vet, or at least deworm her. Check her crop to make sure it is emptying by morning, since she could have something wrong there.

 

[FaithM]

Right now it's not as much trouble walking as just a reluctance to walk and she's very lethargic. Her wings are still drooping. I'll pick up a wormer at the feed store tomorrow. What's the best way to give it to her? Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Eggcessive]

For wormers, Valbazen or SafeGuard liquid goat wormer are good. For a bantam give 1/4 ml orally, and repeat in 10 days.

 

[FaithM]

I got the dewormer and gave her some electrolytes by syringe. She's not really opening her eyes very much at all today, so she can't see any food or water that I put in front of her..