Sick Hen... Help Please

[MrsBrooke]

Thank you for this! She is almost a year old and she's never been a very good layer. I do check for external parasites on an almost weekly basis, and I often check their droppings for anything abnormal. There are a select amount of birds in my flock who get blood tests each year, and I was recommended not to worm or give my birds medication unless absolutely necessary.

I'm curious... Who said that?

Edit: Nevermind. I just read your previous post.

MrsB

 

[MrsBrooke]

I was recommended by a few poultry friends of mine to not use medication unless absolutely necessary, so I don't worm my flock. I currently cannot post an image, but she stands hunched over and puffed up, as if she's in the cold. I am offering water but she is not drinking anything.

They are spot-on in the case of antibiotics, but worming is something that is much easier to deal with in terms of prevention than treatment. Worms can kill a chicken if left untreated. Also, Corid in the case of Cocci... I agree with them on giving antibiotics when they aren't necessarily needed, but wormers and Corid are the exception.

And there is only ONE way to worm a chicken.... Valbazen or Safe Guard. No amount of garlic or pumpkin seeds will kill worms in chickens.

Hunching and puffing is either a chill or pain.

Worming should be done once or twice a year (more if necessary) to prevent the bird from being overwhelmed by parasitic load if things get out of whack. I would definitely worm them a few weeks before the molt starts... During a molt, chickens are more susceptible to little nasties, so giving them a head start before the feathers drop can only help them. <3

MrsB

 

[kellyhubb]

Have you tried using PoultryDVM's chicken symptom checker? what did it tell you the possibilities could be?

 

[owly]

Just making sure, since I'm a bit of a germophobe, whatever possible illnesses this bird may have, none of them can be contagious to humans, correct?

 

[enola]

I suspect she has worms or coccidia. Both are easily treated. And, no you will not catch any thing from her. Safeguard or Valbazen are used to worm. Corid treats coccidia. Your feed store probably carries what you need. You will find Corid in cattle medicines. And Safeguard in the horse or sheep medicines.

Please don't delay starting treatment. She sounds very ill.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Just making sure, since I'm a bit of a germophobe, whatever possible illnesses this bird may have, none of them can be contagious to humans, correct?

I feel you'd really have to go out of your way to be so gross as to catch E coli from your chickens.

Washing your hands before and after handling any of your birds is a good practice. Always handle ill animals last!

But, no, this isn't avian flu.

MrsB

 

[enola]

There are not any strains of Avian flu in the USA right now that have mutated so they can infect humans.

Edited

 

[owly]

Have you tried using PoultryDVM's chicken symptom checker? what did it tell you the possibilities could be?

I just tried it, but it seems to be skipping a step and won't allow me to continue.

And thanks for the reassurance. I just moved her in the garage for the night, and I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to get my family sick from her. My mom is really freaked out about it.

Anyways, when I got to her, her beard was wet and she was laying by her water, so, assumably, she was drinking without my help. I gave her the bread and egg mix and the apple cider water, and she didn't care too much about each. Eventually, I did get her to eat a little bit of food and drink a little water, but she did neither on her own. I felt her crop, and it was pretty much empty; feeling like a nearly deflated balloon. When I felt between her pubic bones, it was squishy and there wasn't anything unusual about it.

And I'll have to get some Corid/wormers tomorrow. I wasn't thinking she would have either of those, considering her droppings were a bright, emerald green, but if that's what you all think, I won't hesitate in buying it.

 

[enola]

She is not eating, that is what is causing the bright green poop. And both worms or coccidia will cause a chicken to stop eating. Is she in a warm place. She needs to be kept warm, she is too sick to keep herself warm.

 

[MrsBrooke]

There are not any strains of Avian flu in the USA right now that have mutated so they can infect humans.

Edited

That was just the first contagious bird thing that popped into my head. Excellent information!

MrsB