Hi all, any tips for our poorly chicken appreciated. We are in Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK. Our chicken was noted as poorly on 30th Sept, really unwell on 1st Oct as it was just massively drooped and not mobile & we thought we'd loose it, bit better yesterday, but today did not leave the coop until prompted and now just stood in garden immobile unless prompted. 1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) Columbian blacktail, approx 2 years old, weight normal (maybe lost a little). 2) What is the behavior, exactly. Lethargic, drooped, not mobile unless prompted, not laying, decreased appetite, foaming/bubbly right eye. 3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? 4 days. 4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No. 5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No. 6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Unknown. 7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all? A little of: water, corn, porridge, grass. 8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Poo = normal with some white in it. 9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Warm bath for half an hour, happy to lie on its side throughout, chicken unable to balance after this so we dried with a hair dryer and it could then balance. Popped my finger into vent for approx 4" = no sign of any egg bound egg. Given water via syringe. 10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Ideally treat ourselves to, learn from the episode, vet available locally if needed (subject to cost). 11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. No. 12) Describe the housing/bedding in use Ply coop, this chicken sleeps on floor not a perch, dust extracted shavings used for deep litter method, run is soil based, also let into garden daily. Cheers, Martin & Mandy
The bubbly eye might be a respiratory infection? I would use the search function on respiratory infection to come up with threads on this if someone doesn't answer here. I would isolate the bird from the others though.
Just had a call from my wife who is at the vets, the vet did not know what was wrong, he said she had lost a lot of weight and was very pooorly, the prognosis was poor, we could try antibiotics but he didn't think they'd work, ? an abcess internally, we have gone with the option of having her put down, seems the humane way of dealing with the illness, the only other option was to drag a death out.
So very sorry to hear that she was so ill.. you did all that you could to help your hen, she won't be suffering now. Putting their best interests first is such a commendable act. Thinking of you and your wife at this sad time.