- Mar 19, 2014
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My hubby found our 14 month old banty hen under the ramp going into the main chicken coop 2 nights ago. She couldn't/wouldn't get up and when he picked her up, she had a large scrape across the top and side of one foot. It was a little bloody, but her leg and foot looked otherwise ok once I got her cleaned up and some topical ointment on the scrape. But when I put her in the "vet room" in a clean pen by herself she wouldn't stand and kind of sat back on her bum. I checked all over her little body and can find nothing else wrong. Her crop appears normal and she's been eating and drinking.
Now this morning was a different story...
Her comb and wattles are pale and unless I pick her up and put her in front of the food and water, she appears unable to get up. Additionally, she is gasping or appears to stretch her neck and gasp for air.
I picked her up and listened to her breathe for a long time and the only thing I noticed was a "tick" type sound when she breathes in. I've checked to see if she has gape worm, but no evidence of that and all my birds were wormed about 2 weeks ago with SafeGuard. I have an antibiotic called SpecLinx-50, and mixed 1/4 teaspoon to a quart, which I also used a 6cc syringe and gave her 3 full syringes of the mixture. I also noticed a tiny amount of clear discharge from one side of her beak, which drained out when I was giving her the water and antibiotics.
But I'm at a loss. All of our birds free range - ducks, chickens and turkeys. We feed game bird crumbles mixed with scratch (10 lbs scratch to 50 lbs crumbles). There's fresh water everywhere, thanks to automatic waterers. They've all been de-wormed.
I had to cull 2 chicks a couple weeks ago for similar symptoms (one couldn't stand but wasn't gasping and the other one was gasping and couldn't stand), but neither of those chicks had ever been outside. I keep chicks inside for 6 weeks then they're moved to an outside brooder for another 4-6 weeks, but if they're big enough, they tend to start mixing in with the others, then they are moved to one of our Pens or coops.
In reading through many, many threads and tons of other info, I'm left to wonder if these birds are coming down with Mareks, Newcastle or MG... But not all the symptoms seem to jive.
Poor girl... She has her beak turned straight up, gasping... Combs and wattles are almost white now, and I'm hearing that ticking sound louder than before.
I could really use some advice... Dawg and other experts, if you're reading this, I could really use some advice.
Thank you.
Now this morning was a different story...
Her comb and wattles are pale and unless I pick her up and put her in front of the food and water, she appears unable to get up. Additionally, she is gasping or appears to stretch her neck and gasp for air.
I picked her up and listened to her breathe for a long time and the only thing I noticed was a "tick" type sound when she breathes in. I've checked to see if she has gape worm, but no evidence of that and all my birds were wormed about 2 weeks ago with SafeGuard. I have an antibiotic called SpecLinx-50, and mixed 1/4 teaspoon to a quart, which I also used a 6cc syringe and gave her 3 full syringes of the mixture. I also noticed a tiny amount of clear discharge from one side of her beak, which drained out when I was giving her the water and antibiotics.
But I'm at a loss. All of our birds free range - ducks, chickens and turkeys. We feed game bird crumbles mixed with scratch (10 lbs scratch to 50 lbs crumbles). There's fresh water everywhere, thanks to automatic waterers. They've all been de-wormed.
I had to cull 2 chicks a couple weeks ago for similar symptoms (one couldn't stand but wasn't gasping and the other one was gasping and couldn't stand), but neither of those chicks had ever been outside. I keep chicks inside for 6 weeks then they're moved to an outside brooder for another 4-6 weeks, but if they're big enough, they tend to start mixing in with the others, then they are moved to one of our Pens or coops.
In reading through many, many threads and tons of other info, I'm left to wonder if these birds are coming down with Mareks, Newcastle or MG... But not all the symptoms seem to jive.
Poor girl... She has her beak turned straight up, gasping... Combs and wattles are almost white now, and I'm hearing that ticking sound louder than before.
I could really use some advice... Dawg and other experts, if you're reading this, I could really use some advice.
Thank you.
