Should I give up on my chicken?

[Sterling Silkie]

Help, my hen is really really poorly! She was unwell about two weeks ago, lost interest in everything and puffed up and still. I gave her garlic in water, and apple cider vinegar also watered down and a little honey in water too. She seemed to pick up after a few days of this and even started eating a little corn and wet mashed up wheat grass, corn flour and porridge. But for the last two days she's gone downhill again. She's droopy and tired, sleeping all the time and very unstable, muscle loss and using her wings to support herself. My husband reckons we should cull her but I just wondered if anyone has any other advice before I let her go. It's so sad! She's a favourite and her mate is so concerned! Everyday I find her alive I am hopeful, I don't want to give up on her, she's a sparky little fighter. But its hard to watch her weaken day by day. What should I do?

 

[silkiemother]

do you have an avian vet near by? they would know best. also, if you put this in the emergency thread it'll get better help and more attention

 

[Show Sebright]

She might be egg bound. If you lightly massage the area between her breast bone and her vent you can see if there is a mass. Try feeding applause mixed with layer feed.

 

[LaFleche]

How old is your hen?
When did you last deworm her?
How does her poop look?
Did you feel her crop for congestions? does it empty over night?
Does she smell bad around her face?
Did you check her and her coop carefully for poultry mites and lice?

Give her some scrambled eggs with grated carrots with germ oil, millet and some fine oatmeal, and add poultry vitamins to her drinking water.

 

[Silviaschicks]

Are her legs and wings paralyzed? You mentioned muscle loss- is that what you mean? Sounds like Marek’s. When’s the last time she laid an egg?

 

[aart]

even started eating a little corn and wet mashed up wheat grass, corn flour and porridge.

Do you feed her any actual balanced chicken feed?

 

[Sterling Silkie]

Hi, thank you all for your suggestions. She is only 15 weeks old. She's been given Vermex on a monthly basis. She does not have any parasites, she bathes in DE Dust and also once a month is given the dose of red stop mite solution. She doesn't smell. She was on growers pellets but moving up to Layers now. She was living with 19 week bantams. She's a bantam too. The week she fell ill I lost one 4 week chick too. That was two weeks ago. So far all the rest seem okay. I've isolated her. I haven't checked her crop, to be honest I can't see her crop. I am pretty new to this chicken malarkey. The other bantams have obvious crops but she doesn't. She's skin and bone now and there doesn't seem to be any lumps other than bones to feel. I have also been feeding her scramble egg, but I haven't tried the millet yet and germ oil with oatmeal. I have put vitamins in her water. I am just giving her plain water with vitamins now to drink. She is eating a little bit, but not a lot. Thanks again for your advice.

 

[LaFleche]

She's been given Vermex on a monthly basis.

What does this Vermex consist of? Is it the 100% herbal stuff?
If so, this Vermex might be a nice additive for healthy gut balance, but in case the pullet is infested with worms you would need to use a chemical dewormer like Safeguard or similar (Fenbendazole, Flubendazole etc.).

 

[Sterling Silkie]

What does this Vermex consist of? Is it the 100% herbal stuff?
If so, this Vermex might be a nice additive for healthy gut balance, but in case the pullet is infested with worms you would need to use a chemical dewormer like Safeguard or similar (Fenbendazole, Flubendazole etc.).

I don’t believe she’s wormy, I use DE dust too. She seems to be improving now but she has lost the use of her legs, she scrabbles about so I am keeping her in a straw filled crate to keep her balanced and comfortable.

 

[LaFleche]

While DE is a nice additive for their dust bath, it does nothing to prevent worms or even or kill them inside a chicken.

It is easy to deworm and give her this chance.