Special needs chicken

[Ashllen]

I tried a nesting mat in the beginning but immediately vetoed it when I had to remove pretend strw from her eye. (She was completely fine) I also can't have anything to... smothering. Like I said head, upside down, I'm worried wood chips (especially powdery) would suffocate her.

 

[Ashllen]

I don't see anything wrong with her skin.

I would stop the baths.
Weight loss doesn't happen overnight, so weight gain will be gradual as well. I'd focus on her eating her normal feed, if she's eating that well, then she'll get to where she needs to be.

Sometimes it's hard to go by weight to know the condition of a bird. You don't want fat and overweight hens. Fat on hens usually deposits around the organs (heart/liver) and in the abdomen. Fat can lead to fatty liver disease, fat in the abdomen can make it harder for hens to lay eggs and they can be more prone to prolapse.

You want to feel her keel bone. Here's a score chart.

http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/chicken-body-condition-score-chart

Thank you for the chart it definitely helps! Had a lot of rain yesterday which affected her appetite and her plucky nature but she is back to her stubborn self today and eating now that I figured out an easier way to feed her

 

[Wyorp Rock]

a few new updates. I have found she eats with less trouble with an elevated food source, gonna need to invest inione of those raised food and water dish for easier meal time. But I have a new thing to figure out... when she sleeps she now flips her head completely upside down. Which isn't a problem in my shower stall, but I hope to return her to her flock one day. I have a bed figured out (storage bin, balance still to messed up to roost, and I think she needs to rest her head on something) but I need a bedding that isn't straw or wood chips. Something easy to clean but she would still sleep on, any suggestions?

Is she getting Vitamin E and B-Complex daily?

Since she's does better with food/water raised, a block or piece of wood can be used to elevate the dishes.

Puppy pads to catch poop.

I would give her 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with some scrambled egg to help with the uptake of E. Try this for at least 3 weeks and see if the vitamins make any difference.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agreee with Wyorp Rock that giving her vitamin E 400 IU and a 1/4 tablet of human B complex for a few weeks might be worth it since it could treat her neurological wry neck symptoms. That could heal in time. It sounds like you have a nice little hen who has a will to make it.

 

[Ashllen]

I've been giving her scrambled egg for breakfast and blueberries with her medicine. I still need to pick up the vitamins tho. I've been bogged down by bills lately and have to wait til next paycheck this week.

 

[Ashllen]

She is steadily gaining weight and I'm hopeful she will be up to weight or close to it on her check up visit this 30th. I hope it's that illness because if not she broke her neck and that will always be an issue. I'm not sure tho I've noticed when she does her fluffe shake there is sometimes a Crack noise

 

[Eggcessive]

You can sometimes find very inexpensive vitamin E at Walmart in small bottles. I have bought some for a dollar.

 

[Ashllen]

Thank you! I will have to do that in future... I broke into my nest egg (which wasn't much) and went to rite aid atleast they had a buy one get one free deal... but still a little over 15$

 

[Eggcessive]

I also look at Dollar Tree for inexpensive vitamins and creams, such as triple antibiotic or clotrimazole. It is hard to beat a $1.25.

 

[Ashllen]

Definitely need to try that next, I'll also need to invest in a way to keep pee pads taped down... she likes to kick them around. My poor poor shower stall. Also I've heard their poop can tell a lot about health and I've noticed hers isn't normal (more a dark green). Could be because of her medicine, but does it mean anything in particular that I should worry about?