Sick Pullet! Please help!

May 3, 2019
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Hey guys. I have a sick pullet I need advice on. We just put her and the other pullets out with the main flock for the first time 2 days ago. The others all seem fine, but Goliath (named because she was roughly twice the size of a normal chick at hatch) is really sick. She has a high fever (just going off touch, her temp is way higher than usual), she's lethargic, her chirps are weak, she won't open her eyes, even when eating and drinking, her crop is full and really mushy, like she ate pudding or something and her breathing sounds crackly. Can anyone help me save this baby? She's our very first home grown chick and I really don't want to lose her!
 

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Is she pooping?
The crop being full and mushy - I would suspect a crop problem - was there a diet change since moving to the main flock 2 days ago?

I have yet to see her poop since putting her in my chicken infirmary. As for changes to diet, the only change is the size of the pellets. The stuff she's getting now is the same stuff she was getting in the brooder, just not crushed smaller.

If it's a crop problem, what can I do to support her till she gets through this?
 
Goliath is looking a little better this morning. Her fever seems to be gone, her crop is half the size it was and she actually opened her eyes! Still won't walk or eat, though. Oh, and she pooped overnight. Looks watery. Almost kind of oily, even. I'll post pics in a bit.
 
I have yet to see her poop since putting her in my chicken infirmary. As for changes to diet, the only change is the size of the pellets. The stuff she's getting now is the same stuff she was getting in the brooder, just not crushed smaller.

If it's a crop problem, what can I do to support her till she gets through this?
Goliath is looking a little better this morning. Her fever seems to be gone, her crop is half the size it was and she actually opened her eyes! Still won't walk or eat, though. Oh, and she pooped overnight. Looks watery. Almost kind of oily, even. I'll post pics in a bit.
Are the pellets an all flock or layer feed?
The crop going down some is good. Even if she's not eating, if she will drink to keep hydrated that would be promising.
Oily poop? Or maybe mucous?
Looking forward to the poop photos (that sounds odd doesn't it)
Crop issues can be from a number of things - with her being young, Coccidiosis does come to mind as well. Hopefully we can help you figure it out. If it's an option for you, taking a sample of poop to your a vet for testing is always a good idea.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
 
Here are the poop pics. It's just really wet. Almost like it's half poop and half straight water. The pellets are all flock. Her crop is now completely empty and she is drinking. She seems desperately thirsty, actually. I've been putting Corrid in her water, just in case coccidiosis has anything to do with her being sick. She's sitting up on her belly, wings sagging to the sides and just sleeping most of the time, but she does open her eyes if I touch her, which is an improvement over day one of this.
 

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Here are the poop pics. It's just really wet. Almost like it's half poop and half straight water. The pellets are all flock. Her crop is now completely empty and she is drinking. She seems desperately thirsty, actually. I've been putting Corrid in her water, just in case coccidiosis has anything to do with her being sick. She's sitting up on her belly, wings sagging to the sides and just sleeping most of the time, but she does open her eyes if I touch her, which is an improvement over day one of this.
How much Corid are you giving?
By any chance she's not gotten into anything toxic - oil spilled, antifreeze, something moldy, fertilizer, etc.
The desperately thirsty is very concerning - is she drinking all the time?
Has the breathing straightened out or is it still crackly?
 
I'm giving her 0.024% Corrid in her water, but she's actually not drinking on her own at all now and she's too weak to eat on her own either. It's possible she got into something, but I have no idea what. There's nothing out in the chicken yard that should be making her so sick. She may have eaten dirt, but all my chickens do that and it doesn't hurt them. Her breathing is normal, but she's twitching her head when I force feed her now. I'm starting to think it may be kinder at this point to just let her go.
 

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