Sick bird - need some help

[williamklb]

I bought 4 little chicks last October, all are grown now, 3 have grown combs with red faces and started to lay eggs last week, but one look sick, has no comb and the face is not red, its tail down, body is skinny, poo is white. What is the problem and I should I give her to get well ? Thank you kindly.

 

[nuttinfancy]

I wish I had an answer for you but I'm not sure. Do you have pictures of her/them? What breed are they? Maybe she is just a little behind in maturing as fast as the others. You can watch to see if the others let her eat with them as she may be at the bottom of the pecking order and not getting as much feed as the others.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. I would first start by worming her with SafeGuard horse paste 1/2 ml and repeat in 10 days. Then add some probiotics such as a small amount of buttermilk or plain yogurt to food, or a product called Probios Dispersible Power to her water. Make her some scrambled eggs and feed them to her first before the other get them. Make sure she is getting to the feed by having food in 2 places. She may start to thrive with a little extra attention. If she is lethargic, having diarrhea, huddling or puffing up, and not eating, I would treat her for coccidiosis with Corid (amprollium or Ampromed) cattle medicine for 5 days.

 

[williamklb]

Thank you so much for all your reply, please find attached some pictures of her, i just found out that both her feet look like swollen, looks a bit reddish and under her right wing grow a tumor like lum, she does not like to stand for long, she likes to sit, when she walks, she is rumbling like her feet are sore. Could you kindly tell me where i can buy Safeguard horse paste if she need that ? Thanks again and hope to get your reply soon.

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[williamklb]

 

[Eggcessive]

If you are in the US, SafeGuard or another brand of fenbendazole 10% wormer will be found in most feed stores or TSC's in a paste form for horses or liquid goat wormer. The swelling in your chicken's feet could be a sign of gout, or infections of the joints from mycoplasma synovitis or viral arthritis (tenosynovitis.) Examine both footpads for any dark spots that could mean bumblefoot. As far as the cyst or lump, can you post a picture?

 

[williamklb]

Thank you for you quick response. I am in Australia, today when I came home from work, she can not stand at all, but she can eat and drink, she just lay on her side. I will post a picture tomorrow because it is night when I read your reply.

 

[williamklb]

If she has gout, what medication to give and where to buy please. Thank you.

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[Eggcessive]

Are you able to take your hen to a vet for an evaluation? It could be many things. Sorry that your hen is not able to stand. I have read that gout may be a result of feeding chickens too much salt, or layer feed at too early an age, or from a vitamin A deficiency, or giving certain kidney-toxic antibiotics, but I'm not sure about treating it. Here is a thread with a good link about gout from BYC: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/550983/gout-in-birds-interesting-article