Question re: 3 wk old hunched up?

[Brahmadarma]

She's one of two Golden Laced Wyandotts, her sister is bigger and looks better. This one has always been hunched up and now holds her new tail down. She eats well and energy seems fine but isn't growing at the same rate, face looks a bit mothy.
Should I be concerned and look for other signs of something? Or is she just a runt with bad posture?!

 

[d.k]

* She's not fine, that's for certain. I have pics of Miss Chook looking just like that when she was an under-watered, under-fed feral pullet, dying of thirst from the drought and starving to death. Since yours IS eating, I would guess internal parasites, just as a first shot. Whatever, it is obvious she needs special handling. I would separate her and start hydrating, and observation of symtoms.

 

[Brahmadarma]

Oh Dear. I will separate her now, but what special handling would you recommend? Any chance you could post the pics. of Miss Chook? Did she recover?
Thanks for helping.
Annie

 

[Brahmadarma]

She's been separated for an hour and ate a whole helping of boiled egg, yogurt and mash. I haven't seen her drink yet, but I've been finishing up the wiring of the run, she's out there in the sun in a laundry basket and has also been 'bathing' in the shavings. I'll keep checking to see if the water goes down.
Is there something I can give her for intestinal parasites? Should she be exhibiting any other signs?
I appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share it.
Annie

 

[speckledhen]

I would first suspect cocci-have they had access to dirt at all? They will lose weight and hunch their neck in and just act lethargic, in addition to possibly having blood in the poop.

 

[Brahmadarma]

Hi,
I gave them a tray with dirt for a dust bath about a week ago, but she was a bit hunched before that.
Her poop looks okay. Its really her wings, or the feathers on the wings that make her look humpy, she's acting normal apart from that, just smaller than the rest.
Do you think i should keep her separate?

 

[speckledhen]

You may want to separate her for a day or two, mainly to observe her actions and make sure she's eating and drinking and look at her poop closely. Then go from there.

 

[Brahmadarma]

Thanks Cynthia,
I will keep her separate. Should I go ahead and give her Sulmet anyway, what do you think?

 

[d.k]

* Sorry, been busy. How's the chickie?? I do have a couple pics of Chook as a scrawny hunched pullet on my cell, I could em them if you want to pm me an e-addr. In her case, it was just clean water and lots of it, and good food she needed. I also wormed her (eventually) with ivermectin. Today, she's a big (reasonably so), egg-laying girl. I am pretty certain that whereever she came from she just wasn't up to fighting her way to her share of water and food, but was smart enough to go looking elsewhere for it for herself. At least, that's what I think. . .

 

[Brahmadarma]

Hello DK, nice of you to check back.
Its still a mystery but she's doing ok, eating and drinking well and just as active as the rest. Clean, firm poop.
I bought Sulmet and medicated crumbles (which I tried to get in the first place but the boy at the feed store said mash was what most people used and I 'bought it' - dumb) I'm giving both to all seven, so I took her out of isolation.
I clean the coop out daily, they are on wire and newspaper. I'm in S.Cal. so its very dry. They have been going outside for three days now and loving it.
The best way to describe the way she looks is - like a Kiwi. She's the same size as the chicks eight days younger than her and she still has a bit of a hunch but not as bad. The main thing I notice is she closes her eyes a lot as if she's dozing off but she isn't, just briefly, but often.
I'm less worried because she seems to be improving. I would just like to know what it is. I also bought some stuff for parasites, but when I got it home I saw that there was only dosages for large animals - not going to risk my shaky math on that.
My email is [email protected] if you want to send those pics. Thank you for your interest and help.
Annie