Sick pullet...?

[CBee]

I have an 8 month old Saipan pullet, normally weighing about 8 or 9 lbs. Lately I've noticed she's been having very runny and dark poo, and she won't lay anymore. I know laying slows down in winter, but her sister at the same age has been laying at least one egg every other day since mid-December.

This morning it was around 30 degrees outside, yet there my sick baby was, laying down in the cold pen, while the other chickens were in the coop. I didn't know what to do so I just brought her some warm water and some new food.

Which brings me to say that we just changed their food, because they hated another kind that we had bought. They wouldn't eat it at all. So they only free-ranged for their food for about 3 days before we ended up buying some new food.

I know that dogs and cats get sick sometimes when you change their food, could this be something like that?

She's been sick-looking for about a week, and I've noticed she's lost some weight. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[sammi]

please be more detailed in describing her symptoms..

is she wheezing?

is she eating or drinking?
is she laying?
has she been wormed? if so, when? and what was used?

check the crop..at bedtime and in the morning before she eats.
it should be empty..feel for any lumps or grainy feeling.
this is important to know.

if she is eating some..make her up some water cooked oatmeal, plain yogurt or buttermilk..and crushed cooked egg (soft or hard boiled). add layer feed not make the mix puffy or crumbly, not soupy

also have layer feed available and fresh water.
what kind of feed did you get?

do you have poultry vitamins?
try and get some..or you can use Poly-vi-sol liquid baby vitamins..Enfamil brand if possible, no iron..give 3 drops on beak once a day for a week, then taper off for another week..

keep her in a warm place..do not give any veggies, kitchen scraps, bread, etc..just the feed and mixture.

do you have any antibiotics on hand?
or any cocci med?

hopefully, the better feed and mixture will help..see if the droppings firm up after a day or so..

if they don't post back..or get Corid or liquid Sulmet for cocci

 

[nzpouter]

dark poo.. as in dark red?

 

[#1California Chick]

Need more info!! See posts above!!

 

[CBee]

Okay, whew. So, it's been about 30 hours or so since I saw her yesterday morning, and she's fine now, though still not laying. I didn't check this post this morning so I just did the best I could.

I just cooked her some oatmeal and brought her into the house, and gave her some water. We cleaned out the coop and pen from top to bottom yesterday, so I think that also helped a little.

No, her poo wasn't red, more of a greenish brown color, and very clumpy looking, yet runny at the same time.

She wasn't wheezing, and she was eating and drinking. She hasn't been laying for over a week now. She isn't egg-bound, we've dealt with that before with other birds.

We used to own some bird vitamins, but not at the moment, no. We should get some.

And yes, we have layer feed from our local Co-op.

Thank you all, though. I'll be better prepared for the next time!

 

[sammi]

I think you should take a fecal sample to a vet for a worm and protozoa test..