Purple bottom...

[Sara Ranch]

I have one little guy (although she could be a girl) that is about 3 weeks old. She is not growing and is easily half the size of her hatch mates.

She eats, she drinks, she moves around. No one picks on her. There's plenty of room, food, and water for everyone. She often gets under the huddle when the group is startled.

I pick her up, she chirps. She's always been "no neck" from day one.

Her poop looks normal and comes out of her backside easily, in one soft solid piece.

I've checked for pasty bottom each time. Today, when I picked her up, I noticed she didn't have her bottom fluff and her bottom looks purple/dark blue/black.

Any ideas as to what is causing this?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

She has an infected abdomen and likely caught the infection at hatch.

It is known as omphalitis, or infected navel.

The last couple of days in the egg, the egg yolk literally pulls inside the abdomen. The navel should close over it. If it doesn't, then an entry way is left that bacteria can enter into during the hatching process as the chick comes into the open environment. (Hatcheries spend a lot of time disinfecting their incubators to prevent this.)

Usually the chicks die soon after hatch, but sometimes a low grade infection can lurk.
It is best to catch it early to prevent permanent damage, otherwise you generally have a failure to thrive.

Since she is about half the size, this infection has been lurking for some time.

The cure is antibiotics.

My recommendation is put her on a round of antibiotics if you can get some for her. Then reassess. Hopefully there isn't internal structural damage as well.

My thoughts.
LofMc

 

[Sara Ranch]

From the day she came home with me, she's been on antibiotics in the water. It's just a general one, not specific for this problem, a precaution. (Do you know which antibiotic would be best for her condition? Or what class of antibiotics - like sulfates?)

This morning, I found her crushed under the group in the corner. One side of her beak, underneath is now purple. The other side is flesh colored. She can extend both wings, but is unable to stand up. (She was vaccinated for Marek's while in egg by the hatchery.)

I've pulled her out, put her in a cup sling, have a cloth napkin doubled over her, and the heat lamp on her.

She's willing to drink if I put the water up to her beak. I haven't tried food this morning, but I will be plucking some onion greens. (Onion greens worked for another sick chicken. Hoping this one will be willing to eat some!)

There's no way to get to the vet today, or to pick up a different antibiotic today. Possibly tomorrow.

Is there anything else I can do for her?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I like to use the sulpha drugs for this as they can be good for gram negative like eColi and Salmonella, which is often the culprit.

However if you are using a good broad based antibiotic, it may be a difficult case.

You can try a sulpha drug, which you can still get in injectable form at feed stores.

Talking with a vet could be very good if they will treat chickens and have avian experience. Often their training has been from the commercial industry side which would simply cull.

Good luck with her. But I am afraid it doesn't sound good. If she is a pet, continued care may help her eventually rally. If you are homesteading for long term sustainability, I recommend culling any weak for the good of the flock genetics.

LofMc

 

[Sara Ranch]

Thanks.

Suggestions on the injectable sulfa drug (name/s) that I could pick up at Tractor Supply. The law in this state (it may be nationwide) is that animal antibiotics are no longer available without a vet script. I can travel to VA or MD or PA to get the antibiotic, if it's available at TSC.

I did reach out to my vet, included the pictures I had shared on BYC, your diagnoses*, and asked for a script for the correct antibiotic. My new vet and I are building a good relationship. I sincerely hope she prescribes the needed antibiotic or it's available within a reasonable drive.

* I hope you are ok with my calling it your diagnoses. I used your words to go with the pictures I sent to the vet.

Around here, backyard flocks are not a high priority, at all, to vets. The only time they are a concern is when they threaten Pilgrims or Perdue's commercial operations around here. I am not a threat to them. My flocks have tested negative for the big bad scary stuffs as recently as last month.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

All poultry oral antibiotics are now script only as of January 2017 per FDA, so it is federal, not state.

You can get injectable still, and use that orally if you prefer.

See what your vet comes up with, if they aren't helpful, go to Jeffers Supply online or TSC.

I've used Sulmet in the past, which is no longer available, but you can get sulphadimethoxine injectable or DiMethox powder in water or go to a different broad based such as Tylan.

https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinar...lDrugProducts/FOIADrugSummaries/ucm118104.htm

 

[Sara Ranch]

Thanks.

Hoping to hear back from the vet soon.