Sleepy chicken

[melgard]

Chicken has been acting sleepy, falling asleep in the middle of the run while sisters are foraging. She slowly walks to food, and tries to grab food only to have a sister moving three times her speed and grabbing up the food. I started giving them scratch with added protein treat and some extra calcium supplement because two chickens have started molting. I have separated her and she acted very calm while i carried her. She is the empathetic super sweet chicken, i really hope it isn't a parasite. I put DE in their food, everywhere has been super mud, and they haven't been able to dust. I don't know what to do. I cant let them loose, even the barn is off-limits, with lots of flooding. I hope it isn't a parasite issue. I checked her feathers, her chest, under her butt, and her vent. Everything looked fine. Her eyes were clear and she looked at me curiously. She called out to the chickens while isolated in the small coop we own. i dont know what to do. we cant even get a vet to look at our chicken. i hope someone knows what is wrong. I hope someone can help. this is only day two of her acting sleepy. i am not even sure how to get ahold of medicine for her. The chickens are on 17% protein layer pellet a whole pitcher full, twice a day with a half cup of scratch and a protein treat. they get calcium and grit supplements too.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

DE wont help-its useless for internal parasites. What does her poop look like? Is it possible she has a cocci infection? Can you get some corid? I had a chicken like this and I caught it too late and she died (she had other things going on because she was blind and molting and not eating much to begin with because she couldnt see and I stupidly sold her seeing eye chicken but thats another story).

 

[dawg53]

Chicken has been acting sleepy, falling asleep in the middle of the run while sisters are foraging. She slowly walks to food, and tries to grab food only to have a sister moving three times her speed and grabbing up the food. I started giving them scratch with added protein treat and some extra calcium supplement because two chickens have started molting. I have separated her and she acted very calm while i carried her. She is the empathetic super sweet chicken, i really hope it isn't a parasite. I put DE in their food, everywhere has been super mud, and they haven't been able to dust. I don't know what to do. I cant let them loose, even the barn is off-limits, with lots of flooding. I hope it isn't a parasite issue. I checked her feathers, her chest, under her butt, and her vent. Everything looked fine. Her eyes were clear and she looked at me curiously. She called out to the chickens while isolated in the small coop we own. i dont know what to do. we cant even get a vet to look at our chicken. i hope someone knows what is wrong. I hope someone can help. this is only day two of her acting sleepy. i am not even sure how to get ahold of medicine for her. The chickens are on 17% protein layer pellet a whole pitcher full, twice a day with a half cup of scratch and a protein treat. they get calcium and grit supplements too.

Welcome to BYC.
I recommend that your worm her and the rest of your birds as well. You can purchase Valbazen liquid cattle/sheep wormer and dose each chicken orally using a syringe without a needle. Dosage is 1/2ml given orally to each chicken. Redose again in 10 days.
Cut back on all the treats/supplements and stop the DE, it wont do anything. Feed them only the layer pellets. Here's where you can order the 500ml bottle of Valbazen:
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=30E07949-7B6A-11D5-A192-00B0D0204AE5

 

[Eggcessive]

Also I would feel of her crop early in the morning before she eats or drinks, to see if her crop in her right upper chest, is emptying overnight. Impacted or sour crop can be common ailments. Check her for lice and mites on her skin under her vent, belly and elsewhere. Pictures of her may also be helpful.

 

[melgard]

Welcome to BYC.
I recommend that your worm her and the rest of your birds as well. You can purchase Valbazen liquid cattle/sheep wormer and dose each chicken orally using a syringe without a needle. Dosage is 1/2ml given orally to each chicken. Redose again in 10 days.
Cut back on all the treats/supplements and stop the DE, it wont do anything. Feed them only the layer pellets. Here's where you can order the 500ml bottle of Valbazen:
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=30E07949-7B6A-11D5-A192-00B0D0204AE5

there is a problem with that.... I adopted these chickens and only a few let me pick them up, the rest scatter and run, and i don't like stressing them out. I could maybe get half, if i tried grabbing them up at night. I have never used that website, thank you for the link. And thank you for your reply.

 

[melgard]

DE wont help-its useless for internal parasites. What does her poop look like? Is it possible she has a cocci infection? Can you get some corid? I had a chicken like this and I caught it too late and she died (she had other things going on because she was blind and molting and not eating much to begin with because she couldnt see and I stupidly sold her seeing eye chicken but thats another story).

Thank you for your reply, I dont know. I don't even know what corid is. I can watch for a bit to see what a fresh poop looks like. She is molting, like two other birds, and i think a third has started. Could her being sleepy be just that she is molting or brooding? But i don't think she is brooding, because she is nice and i have heard that broodiness makes the bird mean to egg collecting. I am going outside to check on them all now, and see who dropped eggs, who is eating, and how she looks today.

 

[melgard]

Also I would feel of her crop early in the morning before she eats or drinks, to see if her crop in her right upper chest, is emptying overnight. Impacted or sour crop can be common ailments. Check her for lice and mites on her skin under her vent, belly and elsewhere. Pictures of her may also be helpful.

I will try doing that tomorrow morning, she doesn't have mites or lice, i checked for that yesterday. I don't exactly know where my camera is and i don't have a smartphone. I could try to get a photo, maybe. Thank you for your reply.

 

[Eggcessive]

The best time to examine or give medication to a chicken is while they are on the roost at night. I use a red headlamp to go inside and pick up each chicken by putting my hands over their wings. If she is molting it can be a time of stress, and they can be listless and aloof. That is also a time when illness may occur. Corid (amprollium) is a treatment for coccidiosis that is sold in feed stores, and comes in liquid or powder and added to water. Post here for directions for chickens.

 

[melgard]

The best time to examine or give medication to a chicken is while they are on the roost at night. I use a red headlamp to go inside and pick up each chicken by putting my hands over their wings. If she is molting it can be a time of stress, and they can be listless and aloof. That is also a time when illness may occur. Corid (amprollium) is a treatment for coccidiosis that is sold in feed stores, and comes in liquid or powder and added to water. Post here for directions for chickens.

Thank you. I just checked the small coop, I couldn't see any poops, the feeder was dumped and food was scattered everywhere. She is eating, then she is closing her eyes and sleeping while standing up. When I get near she perks up and watches me. Her lids are slightly drooped. I will try to find the dewormer and the amprollium, and try one at a time. I checked the nestbox and there was one very large egg with a small amount of blood and a mend mark ridge on it. I'm talking duck-sized egg. Which is twice the size of her normal egg. I was very careful when I moved her, from one coop to the other.

 

[melgard]

The best time to examine or give medication----

Post here for directions for chickens.

Okay. thank you for your reply. I got the medicine on overnight and using an older article post did 2 tsp for a gallon. Do i just put it into their waterer? I mean I'm worried i will overdose them. Some are so small and tiny, they fit in your hand and others are as big as a rhode island hen. It says 5 days straight with no other water. But i also cant catch all of them only a handful let me near them. So the hand syringe feeding them is out.