Sick Pullet - Any Help Would Be Great!

[Laurda1842]

Good morning! We have a 3 month buff orpington pullet who has just been struggling. We got her about 9 weeks ago, and she always just seemed off. She slept a lot compared to the other chickens, and her body just didn't seem to match our other buff oprington. She also didn't seem to really grow despite eating a lot - she looks nothing like our other hens who are about the same age, maybe a tad early. This past week, she has gotten worse. She has one eye closed a lot (it is not swollen nor does the iris look like Marek's Disease). Her right side seems puffed out, but when we go to feel the crop, it is okay. She is a little wobbly when she walks, and her neck does have some symptoms of wry neck. We have been treating her with the recommended vitamins for wry neck. We also found lice or mites (not sure which one) and we treated the whole flock and her for that. We are, however, just at the first stages of this treatment. She has no respiratory issues, and we don't feel any tumors. I have googled everything, and I just can't really find anything that matched her symptoms. Could a vitamin deficiency be the root cause? Has anyone had a bird that was born with a neurological issue? We are not sure what to do. She doesn't seem in pain.

Also, she has never started laying in case that is relevant, and she also has almost no waddles or combs are developed.

 

[Tookie]

Sounds like failure to thrive, to me.

I'd feed her a high protein diet, she'd probably benefit from it. I'd also get some Nutri-Drench and give her 1ml per lb of body weight and give that to her a few times a week.
Something else that would be good is to mix 1tspn of sugar in 1 cup of warm water, and give her 1/4 cup of that 4 times a day.

Make sure for the wry neck to give vitamin E 400IU, 1/4-1/3 of a B complex tablet, and eggs for selenium, give that all daily.
Those vitamins also may help her wobbliness.

Check her crop early the next morning and make sure it's empty.
What do you mean by her right side is puffy?
How are you treating the lice/mites?
Could you get a picture of her? Maybe even a video of her wobbliness?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Good morning! We have a 3 month buff orpington pullet who has just been struggling. We got her about 9 weeks ago, and she always just seemed off. She slept a lot compared to the other chickens, and her body just didn't seem to match our other buff oprington. She also didn't seem to really grow despite eating a lot - she looks nothing like our other hens who are about the same age, maybe a tad early. This past week, she has gotten worse. She has one eye closed a lot (it is not swollen nor does the iris look like Marek's Disease). Her right side seems puffed out, but when we go to feel the crop, it is okay. She is a little wobbly when she walks, and her neck does have some symptoms of wry neck. We have been treating her with the recommended vitamins for wry neck. We also found lice or mites (not sure which one) and we treated the whole flock and her for that. We are, however, just at the first stages of this treatment. She has no respiratory issues, and we don't feel any tumors. I have googled everything, and I just can't really find anything that matched her symptoms. Could a vitamin deficiency be the root cause? Has anyone had a bird that was born with a neurological issue? We are not sure what to do. She doesn't seem in pain.

Also, she has never started laying in case that is relevant, and she also has almost no waddles or combs are developed.

Can you please post photos of her and her poop?
Video of her moving/walking if you have it - upload to youtube and provide a link.

You mention she's never started laying eggs - she's only 3 months old right? I wouldn't expect a Buff Orpington to begin laying until 5-7 months, so you have a way to go on that.

What do you feed? At 3 months of age, I'd still be feeding chick starter or an all flock feed that is 18-20% protein.

Right side is puffed out - do you mean the crop or does it feel like a air pocket under the skin?

Neck has symptoms of Wry Neck - what exactly does that mean?

Has mites/lice - how did you treat?

I agree, I'd probably start on vitamins and see how it goes.
Depending on the info and photos/video provided, other suggestions may be made.

 

[Laurda1842]

Thank you - I am going to get some pictures later this AM. My other hens are laying now, so I don't like to disturb.

For the questions:
Food: We are feeding an all flock feed since we have a mix of layers and non layers.
Puffy Right Side: When we feel it, it is all just feathers. We feel no air pocket, lumps, or anything.
Wry Neck Symptoms - She has her neck turned to the right frequently or has it turned around.
Mites/Lice - We did a permethrin spray on the birds per directions on the bottle, cleaned/disinfected the coop, and then used Diatomaceous Earth back in the coop and around the run in their dirth baths. We plan to do a permerthrin dip in a few days. We checked yesterday and all live lice were killed, but we will have to do another treatment for the eggs. Omelet (the sick chick) definitely had the infestation the worst. 2 of our 5 chickens didn't have anything on them and the other two had some, but not as much as Omelet.

I knew she probably wouldn't be laying yet, but she looks so different than our other buff oprington did at 3 months. She doesn't get worse each day but she doesn't get better either. She seems worse each morning but gets better as the day goes on. She is eating and drinking on her own, but we are syringe feeding the vitamins. No other birds have any symptoms. Thank you all so much, and I will work on the photos ASAP!

 

[Tookie]

Thank you - I am going to get some pictures later this AM. My other hens are laying now, so I don't like to disturb.

For the questions:
Food: We are feeding an all flock feed since we have a mix of layers and non layers.
Puffy Right Side: When we feel it, it is all just feathers. We feel no air pocket, lumps, or anything.
Wry Neck Symptoms - She has her neck turned to the right frequently or has it turned around.
Mites/Lice - We did a permethrin spray on the birds per directions on the bottle, cleaned/disinfected the coop, and then used Diatomaceous Earth back in the coop and around the run in their dirth baths. We plan to do a permerthrin dip in a few days. We checked yesterday and all live lice were killed, but we will have to do another treatment for the eggs. Omelet (the sick chick) definitely had the infestation the worst. 2 of our 5 chickens didn't have anything on them and the other two had some, but not as much as Omelet.

I knew she probably wouldn't be laying yet, but she looks so different than our other buff oprington did at 3 months. She doesn't get worse each day but she doesn't get better either. She seems worse each morning but gets better as the day goes on. She is eating and drinking on her own, but we are syringe feeding the vitamins. No other birds have any symptoms. Thank you all so much, and I will work on the photos ASAP!

Hmm, okay.

The mites/lice probably have affected her, so good you're treating for that.

 

[Tookie]

How is she?

 

[Laurda1842]

Thank you for checking! She passed away on Wednesday. She did live three weeks after I first posted, and we tried everything. She really seemed to be rallying and her neck improved, but then I found she had passed away in the run. All of our other hens seems okay, so I am hoping for the best.

 

[Tookie]

Thank you for checking! She passed away on Wednesday. She did live three weeks after I first posted, and we tried everything. She really seemed to be rallying and her neck improved, but then I found she had passed away in the run. All of our other hens seems okay, so I am hoping for the best.

I'm so sorry.