Sick chicken

[Kaitie09]

I've got a 2 yr old Jersey giant that is dying. I just went out there to check on them and she did not come to get treats. I went over to her to get her to move. She is uncoordinated and could not walk straight, using her wings for balance. I thought she may have dislocated or broken her leg. I checked everything out and there was nothing wrong with her legs. She was breathing heavily too, and puffed up. No loss of weight, no lice either. Splotchy comb, some areas were pale, some were not. She was vaccinated at the hatchery.

Wanted to add: She was fine yesterday, and even layed an egg. Is there anything that could attack this quickly?

 

[klmclain1]

Worms could weaken her to the point that she has little to no coordination or energy.

 

[Aeropennchick]

Yeah maybe the worms - try to investigate the poop, and see if there is anything suspicious. You can give her some electrolyte water or apple cider vinegar water to try and boost her up while you figure out what to do. Do you worm your flock in the spring and fall?

 

[Kaitie09]

Nothing in the poop, I normally do a walkthrough and check every day. I've never wormed them though. I've read that worms cause weight loss though and she has really not lost any weight. Also, It is pretty cold out today (50) so she may be puffed up because she is cold. The weather have been yo-yoing the past few weeks too, with heavy rain.

Do you think I should give her a heat lamp?

 

[Kaitie09]

About to run to TSC Should I get ivimec or wazine?

 

[Kaitie09]

I separated her with food and water and a heat lamp. She still breathing heavily, but tried to get up and run when I tried to pick her up. She knows what is gong on around her, she just is having a hard time walking. She is not lying over or anything either, so she can hold herself up. I put her in own pen and gave her some gatorade. after a couple minutes I gave her some more and she swallowed that on her own. She is not puffed up anymore either , so I think the heat lamp was good for her.

My mom is heading over to TSC to pick up some wazine and we will treat the entire flock with that. It has been raining heavily the past few weeks, so it may be a worm overload.

 

[Aeropennchick]

Sorry I don't have any more advice - I have only had chicks for two months, but I plan on worming them twice a year. I have been suspicious of my little ones as well with this rain - are they sick or just cold?


Let us know how she does!

 

[Kaitie09]

I just wazined the entire flock, She still is not drinking from her waterer, so I've been gave her a mix or Gatorade, wazine, and water in a kitten bottle just to get it in her. She can stand on her own now after the Gatorade, and can take a few steps without using her wings. She did have some diarrhea, but it did not have anything in it. She actually fought me when I tried to give her the Wazine, so the Gatorade definitely perked her up. She is still breathing heavily, though, but is not puffed up anymore. Her comb is evened out to a pale pink, but not as pale as it was.

 

[cafarmgirl]

You mentioned it's been raining and wet a lot lately, possbily coccidiosis? I recently lost a three year old bird to coccidiosis. She hid her symptoms until the day she died. In the morning she went out but didn't want to eat, by the afternoon she was hiding in a nest box and she was dead by evening. In retrospect her appetite hadn't been as good the last two or three days but she was up and about, eating some. My vet confirmed the diagnosis and we treated the whole flock.

I did notice that she was drinking a lot more then usual, vet said that is a classis symptom of coccidiosis.

If you do deworm with the Wazine you might want to follow up in 10 to 14 days with something else that will get rid of more worms. Wazine will only get rid of round worms and there's a lot of other things chickens can pick up. I usually use the liquid Strongid for goats or Valbazen.

 

[Kaitie09]

You mentioned it's been raining and wet a lot lately, possbily coccidiosis? I recently lost a three year old bird to coccidiosis. She hid her symptoms until the day she died. In the morning she went out but didn't want to eat, by the afternoon she was hiding in a nest box and she was dead by evening. In retrospect her appetite hadn't been as good the last two or three days but she was up and about, eating some. My vet confirmed the diagnosis and we treated the whole flock.

I did notice that she was drinking a lot more then usual, vet said that is a classis symptom of coccidiosis.

If you do deworm with the Wazine you might want to follow up in 10 to 14 days with something else that will get rid of more worms. Wazine will only get rid of round worms and there's a lot of other things chickens can pick up. I usually use the liquid Strongid for goats or Valbazen.

I thought cocci too, but she does not have any blood in her poo. She is very interested in everything happening around her, she just can't move very well. As for drinking, I am forcing her to drink every hour. She is not touching the waterer or food right now.