Running out of ideas on a rhode island red that's not thriving

[otoro]

I think you should check her crop function. Check that it is full before bed and empty in the morning before she has access to eat or drink anything. Also, are you sure she is getting enough to eat being lowest in the pecking order? I had a couple who were getting bullied away from the feed and weren't getting enough to eat, so I added more feeders. I have several little cup feeders that hang from the wire.

I should have mentioned this, but yeah I have checked her crop function. It contains feed at night, and is empty in the morning, but not nearly as much feed as the other girls. I'm going to try and give her a bit more 1 on 1 time and some chick starter, plus some other supplements and treats to try and fill her out more.

Maybe i should add another feeder too, that's not a bad idea.

 

[otoro]

i've been reading about this fermentation process more all morning, and it sounds like something i definitely should be doing.

i hope the grain will still ferment in the winter in the garage, my wife might kill me if it's in the house

thanks for all the help and suggestions so far, this place is quite busy! I wasn't expecting an answer so quick let alone multiple people trying to help.

anyhow i'm off to get some chick starter and try and give lara some treats

 

[WindingRoad]

We have a flock of 4. 3 Reds and 1 Aracana. All are 9 months old. One of our hens is named Lara (because she is/was very brave even as a small chick). As we moved into winter this year she has stopped laying.

She got sick about a month ago, and symptoms matched up with coccidosis, we treated with amprolium and she got significantly better. Crop feels a little stiff, comparatively but no foul smell. (We put ACV in their water on every fill). Comb is normal color, her eyes seemed to have gotten just a tad bit darker in color, but they are 6mo old or so, so perhaps still changing? No worms in her poo. Poo looks right color and consistency.

Sorry this is a bit disorganized.

Her issue is that she seems like she's becoming more of a 'runt.' She's by far the smallest chicken, and seems to have some problems with her feathers coming in all the way during the winter moult. Especially on the bottom of her belly, around her vent, and various other areas. Looks like feathers are trying to grow but not fully developing. She is often by herself, and struggles to put on weight. She shivers often, and I caved and put a small pad heater in the coop to help keep her warm during the colder winter nights.

She has completely stopped laying, and is more lethargic than usual, but not as bad as when we treated for coccidosis. She is still eating, but not doesn't eat a lot. She is lowest on the pecking order, but is also quite a sweet little chicken. She is our most intelligent bird, and the one I have the best relationship with.

I'm hoping it's not failure to thrive, one of those less common cases where the chicken makes it to adulthoot, but struggles. Looking for any advice and suggestions on what I can try, I'm really running out of ideas on what could be going wrong.

I'm using 22 % protein pellets in anticipation of a molt that never transpired. And oyster shell, with a small amount of scratch. Also, mealworms. Meal worms are high in protein. The extra protein will help keep her warm too. Digesting their food is work making their metabolism increase. Is she getting enough water. If she's the smallest maybe not. Might try her alone with food and water. Try putting in a small bowl so you can see for sure how much she is eating. In the winter there is no natural grit so the oyster shell really helps in that department. Also a great source of CA++ Hope she gets better soon.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes there will be one who just does not thrive as well as others, even the same breed, though they get the same feed and care. There is at least one strain of coccidiosis that can be chronic, and necrotic enteritis is another possible illness that can occur after coccidiosis. It is treated with common antibiotics, such as Tylan, amoxicillin (Fish Mox online,) penicillin, metronnidazole (Fish Zole,) tetracyclines and others. A local vet could examine some droppings for enteritis with a gram stain or stool culture. That may or may not be the problem. Chickens who have been exposed to Mareks or lymphoid leukosis can also be weak and affected by common illnesses due to low immunity. Feeding her separartely in a dog crate daily, then letting her out, may help if she feels threatened by others.

A lot of people recommend fermented feed here, making it sound like some much improved way of feeding. I believed a lot of the hype (just like ACV) when I first started with chickens, so started using it. After seven months, I stopped. There was no difference in my chickens, but I couldn’t tolerate the mess of spilled food killing the grass. It is great for a weed killer though. In summer, spoilage can be easy, while in winter I had to keep 5 gallon buckets of feed fermenting, since it freezes outside. My chickens got fat, had more runny poos because of all the water they were getting in the feed, and it was a lot of work mixing a new batch and keeping the thing going. I had 70 chickens at the time, mind you, so it might be easier with the smaller flock I have today.

Lab work for a chicken is expensive, but I would get some droppings check. She also may have a reproductive disorder, less common in pullets, but it does happen if you read the emergency forum here. I hope that you can figure it out, but if she continues to go downhill, I would get a necropsy through your state vet to find out what was wrong.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

9 months old

She got sick about a month ago, and symptoms matched up with coccidosis

Crop feels a little stiff, comparatively but no foul smell.

Comb is normal color, her eyes seemed to have gotten just a tad bit darker in color, but they are 6mo old

Her issue is that she seems like she's becoming more of a 'runt.'

seems to have some problems with her feathers coming in all the way during the winter moult. Especially on the bottom of her belly, around her vent, and various other areas. Looks like feathers are trying to grow but not fully developing. She is often by herself, and struggles to put on weight. She shivers often,

She has completely stopped laying, and is more lethargic than usual

I should have mentioned this, but yeah I have checked her crop function. It contains feed at night, and is empty in the morning

Can you post some photos of your pullet?
Is she 6 months or 9 months?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes there will be one who just does not thrive as well as others, even the same breed, though they get the same feed and care. There is at least one strain of coccidiosis that can be chronic, and necrotic enteritis is another possible illness that can occur after coccidiosis. It is treated with common antibiotics, such as Tylan, amoxicillin (Fish Mox online,) penicillin, metronnidazole (Fish Zole,) tetracyclines and others. A local vet could examine some droppings for enteritis with a gram stain or stool culture. That may or may not be the problem. Chickens who have been exposed to Mareks or lymphoid leukosis can also be weak and affected by common illnesses due to low immunity. Feeding her separartely in a dog crate daily, then letting her out, may help if she feels threatened by others.

A lot of people recommend fermented feed here, making it sound like some much improved way of feeding. I believed a lot of the hype (just like ACV) when I first started with chickens, so started using it. After seven months, I stopped. There was no difference in my chickens, but I couldn’t tolerate the mess of spilled food killing the grass. It is great for a weed killer though. In summer, spoilage can be easy, while in winter I had to keep 5 gallon buckets of feed fermenting, since it freezes outside. My chickens got fat, had more runny poos because of all the water they were getting in the feed, and it was a lot of work mixing a new batch and keeping the thing going. I had 70 chickens at the time, mind you, so it might be easier with the smaller flock I have today.

Lab work for a chicken is expensive, but I would get some droppings check. She also may have a reproductive disorder, less common in pullets, but it does happen if you read the emergency forum here. I hope that you can figure it out, but if she continues to go downhill, I would get a necropsy through your state vet to find out what was wrong.

I don't believe all the hype either. I said it before there can be a fine line between fermented and moldy. It isn't a natural addition to a birds diet either. To each their own.

 

[ChickNanny13]

i've been reading about this fermentation process more all morning, and it sounds like something i definitely should be doing.
i hope the grain will still ferment in the winter in the garage, my wife might kill me if it's in the house
thanks for all the help and suggestions so far, this place is quite busy! I wasn't expecting an answer so quick let alone multiple people trying to help.
anyhow i'm off to get some chick starter and try and give lara some treats

There is a thread on fermenting (grain & crumbles/pellets) ... Also have this link ...
https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

I've done dry crumbles/pellets, tried the fermenting process and stuck with it. No feed waste nor spilling, less poop with no stink (except the cecal) & firm, plus the said nutritional part. I make/add daily although some make up several days at a time.

 

[otoro]

Can you post some photos of your pullet?
Is she 6 months or 9 months?

my profile picture is her, but that's from summer and probably not particularly helpful.
i'll work on getting pictures tomorrow hopefully when there is some better light, comparison between the ones that are doing well and Lara.

They are 9 months, that was a typo above, i'll fix it.

Sounds like fermenting has mixed reviews. Perhaps worth a shot though.

Currently their poo is all sorts of strange bluish teal colors, because they are eating purple cabbage.

 

[otoro]

alright here is a picture of her. I didn't manage to get one of the other girls this morning. Her eye color has gotten darker in the past few months, and the comb has dulled out and gotten a little darker too. I'm guessing that's all related to no more egg laying?

I'm considering a course of anti-biotics, syringe fed. I'm hoping she doesn't have that chronic type of coccidosis someone had mentioned earlier. (amprolium can't cure that? )

 

[otoro]

you also can't see it in the picture, but her tail feathers seem non existent lately too. she never had giant ones, but comparatively our other chickens look very 'proud' with large tail feathers sticking up