Sick chook

[Latestarter]

Shhhhhhh I didn't want to mention that bad disease/word....

 

[Novochickadee]

She is trying hard to get up.. She has picked up a lot since her vegemite and worming mix last night and the natural yoghurt.. She took the yoghurt and water mix herself this morning, but I had to use a syringe for the water and dripped it on her beak. She responded today whereas last night I had ot open her beak and slowly put tiny amounts in..

 

[Pjacct]

I am from Australia.. The hot and humid part of Australia... Thank you so much for this information. It is great. She has been living in my bathroom the last couple of days. We have minor birds here and they are nasty vicious birds who attack even well animals, I would hate to leave her out to be attacked by these horrible birds because she is not well. For the first time ever I have put straw in their cage, I do not know if this is why I have a case of mites or not. I have got someone coming out to help me clean up my yard and do some maintenance jobs after the new year, I am going to get him to clear all the straw out of there and maybe replace it with sand as suggested, there is also a lot of weeds that have sprung up in there that need to be eradicated. The chickens are usually free range and just wander around the yard at will and the gate is left open for them to come and go as they please. There is no concrete in their coop, it is all dirt.

Hi novachickadee.... some good suggestions here. Personally, with the humidity I would steer clear from hay as I find it can go mouldy before breaking down and it can also encourage further pest activity from other insects, not just mites and lice. Have you checked your chick for any ticks?
Definitely clean and air the coop, treat all your chickens and pets. When putting bedding material back in the coop, some suggest lavender or tea tree oil (a few drops only) to help deter mites and lice. I would sprinkle a very light layer of pestene near the corners and joins of the coop in particular.
With the hot and humid weather, double water sources and to help add ice cubes. Sounds extravagant but with a sick chick you want to give it a good go.
As for feeding your sick chick, stay with a chick feed that has less potential to upset her stomach is my recommendation considering her poop. Also, I would treat your flock for worms and parasites if you haven’t as yet and try adding a small amount of apple cider vinegar to the water and garlic granules to the feed to minimise parasites (note I doubt this eliminates but it does seem to keep in check for us).
Notwithstanding any of the above, may be time for antibiotics for a more serious issue. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[LoveChooks9000]

Hi Novochickadee,
I see you are in Brisvegas. I would suggest taking your chook to Pet E.R. They are open 24/7, 365 days a year, and are in Stafford Heights. I've been there myself with birds on public holidays when no other vets are open. If they have no vets there who are knowledgeable about birds at the time, they have access to good avian vets via phone to get information when needed.
There are things you can do to treat mites and worms, but honestly, you need to leave that until after the current problem is sorted. Any medication or odd products given to her now will just further upset her system.
The phone number of Pet E.R. is 3359 5333. The address is 263 Appleby Rd, Stafford Heights. At the very least, give them a call and see what they suggest, but I would suggest taking her over there.
Best of luck, and merry Christmas.

 

[Novochickadee]

Hi novachickadee.... some good suggestions here. Personally, with the humidity I would steer clear from hay as I find it can go mouldy before breaking down and it can also encourage further pest activity from other insects, not just mites and lice. Have you checked your chick for any ticks?
Definitely clean and air the coop, treat all your chickens and pets. When putting bedding material back in the coop, some suggest lavender or tea tree oil (a few drops only) to help deter mites and lice. I would sprinkle a very light layer of pestene near the corners and joins of the coop in particular.
With the hot and humid weather, double water sources and to help add ice cubes. Sounds extravagant but with a sick chick you want to give it a good go.
As for feeding your sick chick, stay with a chick feed that has less potential to upset her stomach is my recommendation considering her poop. Also, I would treat your flock for worms and parasites if you haven’t as yet and try adding a small amount of apple cider vinegar to the water and garlic granules to the feed to minimise parasites (note I doubt this eliminates but it does seem to keep in check for us).
Notwithstanding any of the above, may be time for antibiotics for a more serious issue. Good luck and keep us posted!

Thank you.

Hi Novochickadee,
I see you are in Brisvegas. I would suggest taking your chook to Pet E.R. They are open 24/7, 365 days a year, and are in Stafford Heights. I've been there myself with birds on public holidays when no other vets are open. If they have no vets there who are knowledgeable about birds at the time, they have access to good avian vets via phone to get information when needed.
There are things you can do to treat mites and worms, but honestly, you need to leave that until after the current problem is sorted. Any medication or odd products given to her now will just further upset her system.
The phone number of Pet E.R. is 3359 5333. The address is 263 Appleby Rd, Stafford Heights. At the very least, give them a call and see what they suggest, but I would suggest taking her over there.
Best of luck, and merry Christmas.

Thank you for that phone number. She is much stronger today and is drinking on her own. I will see how she goes over the next couple of days.

 

[Novochickadee]

She has made more progress today. She is letting me know she wants her vegemite water by clucking and opening and closing her beak. She is standing but I am still concerned about her feet.

 

[LoveChooks9000]

Hi Novochickadee,
How is your chook? I think it's likely that the foot problem could be caused by general weakness from whatever illness she has. You mentioned she is opening and closing her beak. That suggests to me that she may be having trouble breathing. I am not one to play vet on here, and I don't encourage anyone to treat their own pets when they need vet treatment, but on this occasion, I am going to make a suggestion, because there is a chance she has chlamydiosis, and this is a disease that can be passed on to humans, and can be fatal to humans if untreated. Obviously, it can be fatal to birds if not treated as well. I'm guessing you didn't take her to the vet. I have qualifications as a vet nurse, and I think that makes me realise all the more how no-one except a vet should be diagnosing anything. All avian vets will be open again by now, so if you want to see one, give one of them a call. My avian vet is in northern NSW, but there are two or three good ones in Brisbane.
People can make any number of guesses about what is wrong with your hen, but there is honestly no way of knowing without tests. If you do decide to go to an avian vet, you will see the tests they do. Ask to look through the microscope to look at the blood/poop/crop wash contents, and you will see what a hell of a lot of possible things can go wrong with birds. There is absolutely no way of knowing for sure what it is without tests, although I would suggest there is probably some liver issue/damage going on with your chook, for starters. Some of the pathology tests can be done at avian vets' own surgeries, and some will send the blood/poop/crop contents samples, etc. away to be tested elsewhere, but at least you will know so you can treat her with the correct products if you really want to save her.
Another thing that many (most, even) people unfortunately don't realise is that all birds hide their illnesses and pain. This is a survival mechanism that they have, as if they appear sick in the wild, the flock will drive them away or kill them so they won't attract predators to the flock. A lot of people think their bird is looking perky and happy, and not in pain, but the truth is, by the time a bird is actually looking sick or in pain, it is very, very sick, to the point where it can no longer hide it's pain or illness. This is why I am such an advocate of veterinary treatment....because I actually know this is an issue. People think....oh the bird is looking chirpy, even though it's had it's guts ripped out and who knows what else. It's a fact that a chook actually survived for months with the majority of it's head cut off without 'complaining', although it's a bit hard to complain when you have no beak, etc. left. I believe his name was "Mike". That will give you some idea of how much they'll pretend they are okay when they're not.
So, back to my point, or two points really....First off, I would still suggest taking her to a vet IF you really love her/ care about her living. If you don't really care, but are just hoping she will live for no specific reason, I would honestly suggest a quick, painless death at home, because I think the chances of her living without vet treatment are pretty slim, and she is suffering more than she is letting on. All birds hide it, no matter how much they trust you, even hand-raised parrots do, and even when they are fully bonded to their owner.
So, anyway, I only wanted to mention the possibility of chlamydiosis, also known as psittacosis and ornithosis....called psittacosis in humans.... because of the fact that it's contagious to humans, otherwise I would not by any means be playing vet on here and making any guesses as to what is wrong with her. (It's not to do with the VD sort of chlamydia, just by the way.... it's a completely different thing).
As for the red mites you mentioned, they are common in aviary birds as well. They are actually only red after they've drunk blood. They start off a brownish colour. There's a product you can use that will kill them without actually harming her and you can use it everywhere. It is deadly to insects, but harmless to everything else, including humans. I had to treat one of my birds with it about a week ago....a new bird that I bought that had mites. Ugh Anyway, this stuff is call A.I.L. (Avian Insect Liquidator). You can spray it from one end of your house to the other, on the hen, on your dog and anywhere else you want to spray it. It will kill ants and any other insects as well.
Anyway, back to the point. I still strongly recommend taking her to the vet if you love her, or euthanizing her yourself (or hubby/neighbour, etc.) doing it if you don't want to do it yourself and don't really feel attached to her. A bullet between the eyes is the best cure for incurably ill larger animals, but for chooks and small critters, there is any number of ways to do it painlessly and instantaneously. I hate to see any animal suffer, and would rather hit a loved animal on the head than see it suffer for weeks and then die anyway if I was unable take it to a vet. Either way, it's up to you, and I genuinely wish you the best of luck.

 

[Novochickadee]

Hi Novochickadee,
How is your chook? I think it's likely that the foot problem could be caused by general weakness from whatever illness she has. You mentioned she is opening and closing her beak. That suggests to me that she may be having trouble breathing. I am not one to play vet on here, and I don't encourage anyone to treat their own pets when they need vet treatment, but on this occasion, I am going to make a suggestion, because there is a chance she has chlamydiosis, and this is a disease that can be passed on to humans, and can be fatal to humans if untreated. Obviously, it can be fatal to birds if not treated as well. I'm guessing you didn't take her to the vet. I have qualifications as a vet nurse, and I think that makes me realise all the more how no-one except a vet should be diagnosing anything. All avian vets will be open again by now, so if you want to see one, give one of them a call. My avian vet is in northern NSW, but there are two or three good ones in Brisbane.
People can make any number of guesses about what is wrong with your hen, but there is honestly no way of knowing without tests. If you do decide to go to an avian vet, you will see the tests they do. Ask to look through the microscope to look at the blood/poop/crop wash contents, and you will see what a hell of a lot of possible things can go wrong with birds. There is absolutely no way of knowing for sure what it is without tests, although I would suggest there is probably some liver issue/damage going on with your chook, for starters. Some of the pathology tests can be done at avian vets' own surgeries, and some will send the blood/poop/crop contents samples, etc. away to be tested elsewhere, but at least you will know so you can treat her with the correct products if you really want to save her.
Another thing that many (most, even) people unfortunately don't realise is that all birds hide their illnesses and pain. This is a survival mechanism that they have, as if they appear sick in the wild, the flock will drive them away or kill them so they won't attract predators to the flock. A lot of people think their bird is looking perky and happy, and not in pain, but the truth is, by the time a bird is actually looking sick or in pain, it is very, very sick, to the point where it can no longer hide it's pain or illness. This is why I am such an advocate of veterinary treatment....because I actually know this is an issue. People think....oh the bird is looking chirpy, even though it's had it's guts ripped out and who knows what else. It's a fact that a chook actually survived for months with the majority of it's head cut off without 'complaining', although it's a bit hard to complain when you have no beak, etc. left. I believe his name was "Mike". That will give you some idea of how much they'll pretend they are okay when they're not.
So, back to my point, or two points really....First off, I would still suggest taking her to a vet IF you really love her/ care about her living. If you don't really care, but are just hoping she will live for no specific reason, I would honestly suggest a quick, painless death at home, because I think the chances of her living without vet treatment are pretty slim, and she is suffering more than she is letting on. All birds hide it, no matter how much they trust you, even hand-raised parrots do, and even when they are fully bonded to their owner.
So, anyway, I only wanted to mention the possibility of chlamydiosis, also known as psittacosis and ornithosis....called psittacosis in humans.... because of the fact that it's contagious to humans, otherwise I would not by any means be playing vet on here and making any guesses as to what is wrong with her. (It's not to do with the VD sort of chlamydia, just by the way.... it's a completely different thing).
As for the red mites you mentioned, they are common in aviary birds as well. They are actually only red after they've drunk blood. They start off a brownish colour. There's a product you can use that will kill them without actually harming her and you can use it everywhere. It is deadly to insects, but harmless to everything else, including humans. I had to treat one of my birds with it about a week ago....a new bird that I bought that had mites. Ugh Anyway, this stuff is call A.I.L. (Avian Insect Liquidator). You can spray it from one end of your house to the other, on the hen, on your dog and anywhere else you want to spray it. It will kill ants and any other insects as well.
Anyway, back to the point. I still strongly recommend taking her to the vet if you love her, or euthanizing her yourself (or hubby/neighbour, etc.) doing it if you don't want to do it yourself and don't really feel attached to her. A bullet between the eyes is the best cure for incurably ill larger animals, but for chooks and small critters, there is any number of ways to do it painlessly and instantaneously. I hate to see any animal suffer, and would rather hit a loved animal on the head than see it suffer for weeks and then die anyway if I was unable take it to a vet. Either way, it's up to you, and I genuinely wish you the best of luck.

Hi, thank you for your reply. It was very informative. I will take her to the vet on Tuesday as that is the day I am paid. However, she isn't showing any respiratory problems, she opens and her closes her beak only when I am feeding her or giving her a drink. She is getting stronger every day and standing taller and for longer periods of time. I have been giving her vegemite water and tonight gave her natural yoghurt which she ate herself. I have bought Diatomacious (something like that) earth today and was told they can eat it for health benefits as well. I was told it will help clear up the diarrhoea and will worm her and help out with any parasites she has. I have been dusting her every 2nd day. If she is still sick on Tuesday, I will definitely be taking her to the vet. I haven't this far as Christmas has crushed me financially and have no money till then. Thank you again for your thoughtful email. I will keep you posted.

 

[LoveChooks9000]

Hi, thank you for your reply.

You are very welcome. Yes, keep us informed, and Happy New Year.