Post-coccidiosis pullet very slow in gaining weight

[dawg53]

dawg53, good point. But I've also heard contributors on this site talk about drizzling a bit of garlic olive oil over their chicken feed to fortify chickens, especially during cold weather. Is oil added to chickens' feed a big no-no overall, or just when trying to pack as many nutrients into a sick bird as possible without wasting a single calorie? I'd appreciate your advice.

You want them to gain weight, any kind of of oil at this juncture would cause diarrhea, causing weight loss.

 

[seminolewind]

Why would you want to give her olive oil, or any other type of oil? It'll pass right through her, causing diarrhea... flushing out nutrients etc...just the opposite for her to gain weight. Ever get dosed with castor oil or castoria as a kid? If so, you know what happens.

You have a point there

 

[Jadore Poules]

Hello all,

I thought that I'd post an update about Little Jane.

I've stopped all oil in any form. I give her medicated chick starter mixed with warm water and a splash of buttermilk (for probiotic) in the morning and dry chick feed during the day. I also administer tube feeding twice a day using juvenile parrot food, which my vet recommended. She doesn't care for this--fights mightily--but I can feel the weight slowly gaining. But my, is it slow in coming!

Little Jane has gone from a weak-ish thing to a feisty, cackling girl who will tell me what's on her mind when I am around. On warm days I put her out with the flock, where she'll hang with the docile hens; she still runs like crazy from the roo, who's gotten her a few times without major harm to comb or neck.

I long for the day she gains enough weight so I can put her out into the coop, but I fear to do so during these cold winter nights when the temp drops to the teens.

Thanks again to all who shared their advice to get this little girl well!

 

[CMV]

It is nice to hear she is improving. Keep up the good work.

 

[Jadore Poules]

Thanks, CMV!

 

[Jadore Poules]

Wonder of wonders and good news - Little Jane laid her first egg today! The no-longer-pullet-but-now-hen is doing well. The egg has an normal shell and is a pretty good sized for a first egg! There was a smear of blood on it, but I'm not worried at this point; will keep an eye out.

Who'd've thunk that the little scrawny thing would ever live past the coccidiosis, never mind mature to the point to be an egg-laying girl?!

Here's a photo of her egg.

 

[CMV]