Sad looking Narragansetts

[jenpleo]

I rescued a couple of Narragansetts yesterday and they look really rough. They were kept in a tiny muddy pen with some chickens and ducks. They are supposed to be four months old. One is maybe four pounds and the other maybe six. Their caruncles are all scabby (from being pecked by the chickens?) and their feathers are pretty mud and poop covered.

I brought them home and gave them water and game bird feed and access to the yard (grass, sandy spots) and they already look better today than yesterday. They've been dust bathing and following me around. They seem active.

I'm wondering if I should treat their scabby heads or just let them heal. They seem really small for their age, will they grow to a relatively normal size? Is there anything else I should be doing for them?

Thanks for the help!

 

[jenpleo]

 

[mrclif]

They defiantly look small probable from lack of nutrition. If it were me Id put on a game bird starter feed with high protein and get em caught up. I'm glad you saved em. Turkeys a higher level of protein and such than chickens.

 

[Arielle]

THey can only grow so fast. Put them on the appropriate feed and they will gain. I might take a bit longer to make te gains you expect as these are a slow growing type of bird anyway. I expect they will make up the gain given time, good quality feed and water, and good houseing. Just give them time.

Scabs-- leave them alone as long as there is no infection. Keep an eye on them looking for a decrease in appetite or listlessness. THen act quickly to treat. Have your meds on hand in advance as you dont want to be hunting for supplies when they are urgently needed. I keep a cabinet full and locked of supplies.

YOu will want an alagesic and a general antibiotic. LA200 for example.

 

[jenpleo]

What am I dealing with here? At first they seemed to be getting better. Their poop is totally normal looking, they eat and are very active. Their caruncles were all black and scabby, now they have yellow scabs around them and seem more swollen. One of their eyes has swollen caruncles around it and the eye is closed and looks like it has pus in it. I've given them two days of oral baytril. Help please!

 

[chicken pickin]

It looks like they may have had or do have fowl pox. But I don't have any experience with that.

 

[ivan3]

Certainly looks like Pox: Posted up some shots of our experience last year (yours should recover and do just fine):

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/134230/hope-this-saves-a-turkey-from-blackhead/80 (ostensibly a Histomoniasis thread -but some confusion re: `blackhead')

You can daub any raw/open picked at scabby areas with betadine but, otherwise, just keep them well fed and watered.

 

[jenpleo]

Well one of them is recovering and doing really well but the other ended up with those wart like growths covering her eyes so she couldn't open them. I would clean them out and put some ointment in there and then hold her in front of the food and water so she wouldn't starve. Now her eyes are opened up a again but it seems like she is still blind. Is it most likely that she will never regain her sight? I'm thinking I might have to dispatch her if so. I really don't have the time to care for a blind bird several times a day. I feel so bad for her because she makes her way on to the porch and then walks right off of it. Thanks for the help and info so far. I hope this is almost over!

 

[jandlpoultry]

How are they doing now?

 

[jenpleo]

Just an update, everyone looks great now. The hen who was blinded by the scabs eventually healed and now you can't tell anything was ever wrong with them. Thanks for all the input!