Seabright Female 6 mos old Down & Out

[sweetsilkie]

My young seabright hen just suddenly couldnt walk about a week and a half ago. I've been successful raising her from a small little chick for 6 going on 7 months. It did get really really hot three weeks ago here in Oklahoma. I had some company over and the 12 yr. old girl was helping me in my backyard, when one day she pointed out my seabright and said "look she is hurt". I picked her up, no sign of injury, no bloody stool, nothing coming out of her nose, perky as can be, just can't walk!!! So i eparated her out of the free range flock (i have an area about 100 by 100 feet)...in a big special cage outside so she could be by her friends outside, but no one would stress her. Then I realized she was going downhill, eating less, laying more and more on her side. So I realized she needed to be taken into the house (out of heat). I went to local store and got some electrolytes thinking the heat might have gotten to her. But her companion roo is doing great.

Its been a good solid week insdie the hosue. Now she is almost laying limpless. she perks up once and a while trying to move around in the pet carrier. have her on shavings. She is no longer drinking or eating. I can't get water down her throat w/syringe...OH.... some little bantees her age have started laying. Someone told me she probably needs oyster shells in her diet just as soon as they start laying. I've successfully raised Cockatiels, over 20 years, so I know how delicate some birds can be. a new chicken friend told me how delicate these Seabrights are! Gosh, I just found out she was a seabright only 2 - 3 weeks ago!

this is soooo weird! must be illness of some sort... I'm quickly reading up on as many threads here as I can here.

Help.

 

[ruffles]

She may have ingested a foreign object or an internal injury

 

[mmaddie's mom]

I have only owned 3 seabrights... I lost one as a chick and the other 2 were less than a year and first one couldn't walk... stumbled at first and finally could only sit with her legs out in front of her... she was alert and would eat and drink but just keep getting weaker and weaker. After several weeks of not being able to move, I asked my husband to put her down... in less than 2 months, the same exact thing happened to her sister.... lost them both. Never had any problems with any of my other birds... just the seabrights... I wondered myself if this was a genetic weakness or what?
Sorry I don't have any answers for you. The seabrights were great gentle little birds, but I've been afraid to get any more since.
Hope things go better for you.

 

[sweetsilkie]

an internal injury is possible. when I first found her, she would start hopping as if one of her wings were hurt. her body would sway left and right as she would try to get away to find shelter. It doesn't seem like her wings were hurt, nor her back.

A blockage is possible because she is not passing any stool now anymore.

What my new friend told me is that they are show birds. Only bred to show but not a hardy breed at all. I sure do love her and hate to see her get weaker and weaker.

 

[TriciaHowe]

Possibly Mareks?

 

[sweetsilkie]

she finally passed one big round stool several hours ago... I'll have to read up on Mareks. i want to raise and breed these beautiful birds (and show them). I'm going to need to learn alot!!!