Something’s off and it makes no sense

[Laylashens]

A little over a month ago we got some new chickens from a farm. One of them, who is likely only a few months old, is extremely friendly but has some weird stuff going on. First of all, she is not growing like the others. I picked her up the other day and her breastbone is so sharp and she feels very underweight. However, she’s constantly eating and has lots of energy. Additionally, she has a very “short” neck—it’s kinda condensed and puffed up like that of a sick chicken, but she’s always looked like this and otherwise is acting normal. We named her Sleepy because she takes a lot of naps, but once she hears us coming she comes running for food. She also sneezes and gets very snotty only after eating, as if she has some sort of gastric rhinitis. This doesn’t seem to hinder her appetite though. Her behavior has not changed or gotten worse in the almost two months we’ve had her. Anybody got an idea of what could be going on?

 

[CHlCKEN]

A little over a month ago we got some new chickens from a farm. One of them, who is likely only a few months old, is extremely friendly but has some weird stuff going on. First of all, she is not growing like the others.

How much smaller is she?

I picked her up the other day and her breastbone is so sharp and she feels very underweight. However, she’s constantly eating

What time of day did you check? She may have not filled her crop yet that day.

and has lots of energy. Additionally, she has a very “short” neck—it’s kinda condensed and puffed up like that of a sick chicken, but she’s always looked like this and otherwise is acting normal.

Do you have photos? It may be a development issue which could contribute to her difference in growth too. What is the % of protein in their feed?

We named her Sleepy because she takes a lot of naps, but once she hears us coming she comes running for food.

I’ve got healthy birds who nap often. Dies she seem lethargic still when awake or does she just drift off sometimes?

She also sneezes and gets very snotty only after eating, as if she has some sort of gastric rhinitis.

What kind of food are they on? Crumble or pellets? Crumble can make some birds sneezy since it’s pretty dusty and irritating to them. When you say snotty, are you saying she has actual discharge excreting?

This doesn’t seem to hinder her appetite though. Her behavior has not changed or gotten worse in the almost two months we’ve had her. Anybody got an idea of what could be going on?

If you can answer the questions above and get some pictures it might be helpful for us to figure out what going on.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

A little over a month ago we got some new chickens from a farm. One of them, who is likely only a few months old, is extremely friendly but has some weird stuff going on. First of all, she is not growing like the others. I picked her up the other day and her breastbone is so sharp and she feels very underweight. However, she’s constantly eating and has lots of energy. Additionally, she has a very “short” neck—it’s kinda condensed and puffed up like that of a sick chicken, but she’s always looked like this and otherwise is acting normal. We named her Sleepy because she takes a lot of naps, but once she hears us coming she comes running for food. She also sneezes and gets very snotty only after eating, as if she has some sort of gastric rhinitis. This doesn’t seem to hinder her appetite though. Her behavior has not changed or gotten worse in the almost two months we’ve had her. Anybody got an idea of what could be going on?

she is not growing like the others. I picked her up the other day and her breastbone is so sharp and she feels very underweight. However, she’s constantly eating and has lots of energy. Additionally, she has a very “short” neck—it’s kinda condensed and puffed up like that of a sick chicken, but she’s always looked like this and otherwise is acting normal. We named her Sleepy because she takes a lot of naps, but once she hears us coming she comes running for food. She also sneezes and gets very snotty only after eating, as if she has some sort of gastric rhinitis.

It would be a good idea to weigh her now and get a baseline weight, then weigh her at least once a week to see if she's gaining/losing/staying the same.

Photos of her and her poop would be good.

Takes lots of naps, but is constantly eating and has lots of energy...

What do you feed, including treats?

She sneezes after eating - are her nostrils clogged with feed? Is her crop emptying overnight? Any lesions or canker inside the beak?

Work on hydration, sounds like she's eating well. Napping may be just normal chick naps, but hard to tell.

What, if any treatments have you administered? Has she been treated for Coccidiosis and/or worms? Given any antibiotics for being snotty?

 

[Laylashens]

So I’m away at university and my parents are not great with chicken care so I’m doing the best I can with the situation given I’m at home once every few weeks. Thus I don’t have any new photos and can’t get any of her poop or for lesions in the beak. She is snotty after eating, but it doesn’t seem clogged—her snot looks clear. She has not been treated for worms or coccidiosis yet but I will look into that and see if I can convince my parents to do that. I will also get them to weigh her. Also, she isn’t lethargic, she just naps sometimes, and we feed mashed feed but none of the others have problems and she sneezes after eating big seeds and grass too, so I don’t think it’s the feed. I checked her in the evening, so her crop should’ve been pretty full. I also have no idea about the % protein in their feed but we regularly give them mealworms and sunflower seeds and they free range in the afternoons. None of the others have ever had growing issues, and they all eat the same thing.

Here are some older photos that I have since I can’t get new ones. These are almost a month old, but she looks similar now, maybe a little more puffed up around the neck now though. Size is similar.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would treat with Corid for possible coccidiosis and also worm her with Valbazen or SafeGuard. Corid dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid per gallon of water for 5-7 days. If she is eating well, something is causing her not to gain weight. Being snotty is not normal, and she could have a respiratory infection.

 

[Laylashens]

So I’m away at university and my parents are not great with chicken care so I’m doing the best I can with the situation given I’m at home once every few weeks. Thus I don’t have any new photos and can’t get any of her poop or for lesions in the beak. She is snotty after eating, but it doesn’t seem clogged—her snot looks clear. She has not been treated for worms or coccidiosis yet but I will look into that and see if I can convince my parents to do that. I will also get them to weigh her. Also, she isn’t lethargic, she just naps sometimes, and we feed mashed feed but none of the others have problems and she sneezes after eating big seeds and grass too, so I don’t think it’s the feed. I checked her in the evening, so her crop should’ve been pretty full. I also have no idea about the % protein in their feed but we regularly give them mealworms and sunflower seeds and they free range in the afternoons. None of the others have ever had growing issues, and they all eat the same thing.

Here are some older photos that I have since I can’t get new ones. These are almost a month old, but she looks similar now, maybe a little more puffed up around the neck now though. Size is similar.

More specifically, the 1st and 3rd photos are from 9/14, and the second from 10/12.

 

[Eggcessive]

Clear mucus from nostrils could be more of a viral illness or irritation to something in the environment. For worming Valbazen is used 0.08 ml per pound of weight or 1/4 ml for a chick or bantam, and 1/2 ml for a 4-6 pound chicken. Give it once and repeat it in 10 days to get the worm eggs that hatch.SafeGuard liquid goat wormer or the equine paste dosage is 0.25 ml (1/4 ml) per pound of weight given once and in 10 days for only roundworms. If given for 5 consecutive days, it treats all of the worms that Valbazen treats—round,cecal, gape, and capillary/thread worms. Most pharmacies will give you a needle-less 1 ml syringe for small doses. Feed stores sell 3 ml and larger ones.

 

[lnewcomer]

A little over a month ago we got some new chickens from a farm. One of them, who is likely only a few months old, is extremely friendly but has some weird stuff going on. First of all, she is not growing like the others. I picked her up the other day and her breastbone is so sharp and she feels very underweight. However, she’s constantly eating and has lots of energy. Additionally, she has a very “short” neck—it’s kinda condensed and puffed up like that of a sick chicken, but she’s always looked like this and otherwise is acting normal. We named her Sleepy because she takes a lot of naps, but once she hears us coming she comes running for food. She also sneezes and gets very snotty only after eating, as if she has some sort of gastric rhinitis. This doesn’t seem to hinder her appetite though. Her behavior has not changed or gotten worse in the almost two months we’ve had her. Anybody got an idea of what could be going on?

This is just a old mans opinion, however we have 50+ chickens, and I have dealt with chickens for 60+ years.
One, get away from the crumble as soon as possible. Its garbage.
Two, Scrambled eggs with hot pepper flakes, does wonders for chicken growth.
Three, table left overs, meat, fat, in moderation , is incredible.
Four, cooked oatmeal, with raisins, (maybe some scrambled eggs mixed in) for ailing birds. Also great for cold winter mornings
Remember, chickens are most likely descendants from the dinosaurs, have lived wild and foraged for ever. Although chicken parents fawn over their babies diets, often doing more damage than good, chicken farmers have for thousands of years, let their chicks roam the farmyards and backyards, eating whatever they find. Chickens are the ultimate omnivores, and extremely adept. Our ladies eat grains, table scraps, vegetable cutting, bugs, and even the unlucky mouse that stumbles into the area

 

[Laylashens]

This is just a old mans opinion, however we have 50+ chickens, and I have dealt with chickens for 60+ years.
One, get away from the crumble as soon as possible. Its garbage.
Two, Scrambled eggs with hot pepper flakes, does wonders for chicken growth.
Three, table left overs, meat, fat, in moderation , is incredible.
Four, cooked oatmeal, with raisins, (maybe some scrambled eggs mixed in) for ailing birds. Also great for cold winter mornings
Remember, chickens are most likely descendants from the dinosaurs, have lived wild and foraged for ever. Although chicken parents fawn over their babies diets, often doing more damage than good, chicken farmers have for thousands of years, let their chicks roam the farmyards and backyards, eating whatever they find. Chickens are the ultimate omnivores, and extremely adept. Our ladies eat grains, table scraps, vegetable cutting, bugs, and even the unlucky mouse that stumbles into the area

Very good points! We let them free range and more than once they have caught snakes, mice, toads, etc. We give them a lot of scraps (anything they like to eat that’s not moldy or meat). I’m planning on giving Sleepy some egg and pieces of suet today to see if she likes it and my parents can continue fattening her up when I’m away. My parents buy the mash from a small farm because it’s super cheap—I’m not sure if I can convince them to change it

 

[Laylashens]

Clear mucus from nostrils could be more of a viral illness or irritation to something in the environment. For worming Valbazen is used 0.08 ml per pound of weight or 1/4 ml for a chick or bantam, and 1/2 ml for a 4-6 pound chicken. Give it once and repeat it in 10 days to get the worm eggs that hatch.SafeGuard liquid goat wormer or the equine paste dosage is 0.25 ml (1/4 ml) per pound of weight given once and in 10 days for only roundworms. If given for 5 consecutive days, it treats all of the worms that Valbazen treats—round,cecal, gape, and capillary/thread worms. Most pharmacies will give you a needle-less 1 ml syringe for small doses. Feed stores sell 3 ml and larger ones.

Perfect, we already have a ton of needle-less syringes. Now I just need to get her the meds