sick young hen

[clucky2]

This is my first post as a forum member, and it's a serious one! My 14 week old black australorp became sick yesterday quite suddenly. Her symptoms are: closed eyes, runny watery poop, head and tail down, barely moving. I put some antibiotic medicine in her water. She only drinks a tiny bit and eating nothing. The chicken guy at our feed store thinks it may be a respiratory problem, but her breathing seems normal. Poor thing. Does this sound like anything familiar to anyone? Help!!

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Hard way to welcomed aboard but glad to have you here.
Is there any blood in the poo? Wings droopy?
I would give Sulmet at a rate of 1 cap full per quart of water. Find something soft that she will eat like yogurt with probiotics. Rest and quiet.

 

[clucky2]

Oh thank you! What is Selmut? I'll try the yogurt with her. She doesn't have droopy wings, just tail, head and closed eyes. No blood in poop. She's isolated in the house near a sliding door where she looks out occasionally. She just tried a few steps and is very wobbly. Now I may have another hen with the same problem! If I determine that's the case, should I isolate them separate from eachother, or would it be ok to have them together and away from the others?

 

[WilczenskiFarm]

Just bumpin' - I'm sorry about your hens!

I don't have my chicks yet, but I keep up with the posts about potential problems I could run into.

 

[Renee]

Hi Clucky,

We need more information.

What do you normally feed them? Have they been fed medicated chick starter? Do they have access to grit and fresh water daily? What kind of shavings or bedding are they on? Do they free range during the day?

What antibiotic have you given her, and why?

Here is what I would do:

Check all of their crops in the morning and at night. Do they all feel the same? If so, good.

Check all of them for mites and lice if they have been outside. Turn them upsidedown on your lap and look at the vent area. If you can check them at night with a flashlight that's better.

I believe the main problem with chickens the age of yours is coccidosis. If you have not been feeding them medicated starter mash it can be deadly. Sulmet is the medication most often recommended to cure coccidosis. One of the symptoms is blood in the poop.

Another problem with young birds can be vitamin deficiency. If they are eating too many treats or scratch instead of grower pellets or mash then they are not getting the vitamins they need. One easy thing to do is to buy some Poly-Vi-Sol liquid baby vitamins with no iron and give each chicken three drops per day on their beaks for a week, tapering off after a week.

Make sure she stays hydrated. You can mix 50/50 Pedialyte and water and give it to her with a syringe if she stops drinking. You must get the end of the syringe past her air hole under her tongue or she will aspirate and may drown.

Never, ever, take the advice of a feed store employee.

Finish the antibiotics you started (at least 5 days) but don't give them to any of your other chickens unless a vet has taken a culture and told you your chicken has a bacterial infection. Antibiotics make some chicken illnesses worse, and they upset the good bacteria in the crop and the digestive system.

I don't think you have to keep each chicken isolated. I would put the sick ones together if you suspect the same illness.

Good luck with your chickens.

 

[clucky2]

Renee, THANKS for taking the time to respond. I'm a newbie. My sick one's name is Violet, and I've raised her along with 5 other chicks all the same age. They were all inoculated at the hatchery, so I'm doubtful that she's got coccidiosis. They had medicated chick starter up until just recently ( about 13 weeks. ) The antibiotic I'm giving her is tetracycline and was suggested by the chicken man at our feed store on his guess that she may have a respiratory disease. I'm wondering now if she maybe ate something bad while out in the yard. Now, to answer your other questions:

there is no blood in her poop

the coop has a wire floor, and they are locked in at night

the pen bottom is pine shavings over dirt

I give them a couple of hours a day outside the pen for "free time in the yard!"

their main diet is chicken crumbles, and I just switched them from the medicated chick starter to a meat builder. ( they are egg layers)

I'm not exactly sure how to check for a healthy crop, but they all seem the same. everyone is on a vitamin/mineral supplement in their water.

Now, back to Violet.....she ate some yogurt and egg yolk this morning! I tried to give her some more just a bit ago, but she didn't want it. I decided to get some water into her with a dropper ( thanks for the tip on that ) I'll repeat it every hour or two as long as she's not drinking on her own. As far as any improvement with her, I think there is a little. Her poop isn't runny, but more solid geenish with watery whitish. She's still holding herself the same way, but seems to be spending more time standing than lying down. When she does open her eyes, she can now open them all the way and looks more alert. Bless her heart. I love this chicken. My sister-in-law and a good friend have both lighted a candle for her!

Thanks so much for the support......

Cathy and Violet Chicken

 

[Crystalchic]

clucky when i had cocci in my brooder, my birds got sick one at a time before i learned that it was cocci
can you post a video or picture of her
i am in riverside ca
i have lots of different kinds of medications for chickens
with the feed stores around here being closed for the three day holiday let me know if i can help you with meds

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Quote:
I was a feed store employee...

 

[sammi]

"their main diet is chicken crumbles, and I just switched them from the medicated chick starter to a meat builder. ( they are egg layers)"

what you should do is go back to the chick feed, or go with grower feed until they start to lay..
is the "meat builder" for meat birds?(not familiar with "meat builder")
sometimes quick change of feed can mess up their system..best to change gradually..
you can continue with the plain active culture yogurt

how to check the crops...
the crop is a sac near the bottom of the neck on top of the breast. slightly to the bird's right..just feel it with your fingers..
at roost time the crop should feel full..
recheck in the morning before they eat...it should feel empty or flat...like an empty balloon.
(also applies if they are not eating from being sick)
feel for any lumps, grainy feeling...or any sour odor from mouth..

the green droppings is from undiluted bile from not eating enough..

if you opt to use Sulmet..it's liquid Sulmet 12.5%..usually available at most farm/feed stores.

do a good check of the area they've been foraging in..
any lawn/garden chemicals used lately?

keep a close eye on droppings and post please.

 

[UK Chicken rancher]

Hi Clucky and all that have replied,
I don't mean to intrude but I have a sick 1 yr. old hen as well with some of the same symptoms so I am gaining good info by reading the posts here, I am also new to the forum. I am not new to chickens but it's been awhile, and I honestly have never heard the term "vent", I am assuming this is their bottom? And what do you look for when examining it?
My hens are laying very well, so I was wondering if I got some antibiotic or Selmut if it is harmful for the flock to be treated besides the fact that it can kill the good bacteria? And can I continue to eat and sell eggs while they are consuming either of these things?
I also have meat and pullet chicks caged off in the same coop, the meat birds just got switched off the medicated chick starter to a higher protien meat builder, should I switch them back so they are more protected until I figure out what's wrong and how I need to treat it?
My hen is acting lathargic, droopy, runny poop, comb is droopy and color not as vibrant, but seems to have no problems breathing or blood in poop. She is drinking, but haven't seen her eat and she didn't want to go out to free range with the others.
If they are free ranging they don't need to be supplied with grit right?
Can low calcium cause any of these symptoms? We are cattle ranchers and cows can go down from lack of calcium. I have had a few week egg shells recently even though I have oyster shell mixed into their feed.
I will try the yoghurt idea and good to know about the Pedialite as well.
My husband did spray some Stinging Nettle in the area they free range but it's been at least a week, I figured they would stay clear of that anyways?!
Thanx Clucky for sharing with me, I hope i didn't offend by adding my dilemma to yours!