The EMERGENCY Thread!!!

[aryehgill]

Can you take one to a vet?

A vet can perform a fecal test to check for worms, cocci or bacterial infection.  If you feel they have contracted something from wild birds in your area, testing would be necessary to determine course of treatment. 

Is it possible they are staying inside to avoid cold weather, wind and rain? 

They were outside the coop today but was just laying around i could call a vet in the morning and see what they say i just didnt know if there was something i could try before the vet

 

[chickengr]

They were outside the coop today but was just laying around i could call a vet in the morning and see what they say i just didnt know if there was something i could try before the vet

give them some cayenne pepper to keep them worm till you call the vet. you can mix it with their feed (chopped or powder) or you can put some (little) in their water for 1 day.

 

[Doity Boyds]

unfortunately it could be anything. make sure she drinks and eats. drinking is more important. as long as they drink and eat there is a good chance of recovery.

if not vaccinated there is a possibility of marek's - I do hope it isn't. watch her and the others as well.

if she is about to start laying she might be in pain. baby aspirin can help if in pain. I would give her yogurt/kefir every day till she gets better as calcium and good bacteria will help. I have recently had 2 red sex link hens who started to lay after their big molt. both were like your hen till they laid an egg. I treated them with aspirin, yogurt and boiled eggs. they didn't eat a lot before laying an egg but after they did they returned to normal.

sorry for the delayed reply but there is time difference between us.

Cheers, I hope its something simple like that. They have been vaccinated but not sure what for - i don't think its mareks as she seems fairly alert still.
We made her a healthy salad with kefir dressing today and treated her for worms just incase.

 

[microchick]

Update:

I was up until 11 last night and every time I went out to check on Baby she was either eating or drinking so we left a low light on for her and left her alone. This morning she is alert, moving around and looking pretty normal so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she suffered a crushing injury from her over rambunctious suitors and is starting to recover. I'm going to keep her segregated from the flock, fatten her up, retreat for worms and push forward with my plan to put her in with my bantams where the weight ratio is a little more acceptable for her.

Thanks for the help Wyorp Rock. Much appreciated.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks Wyorp Rock. I just peeked in on her. She's standing up, happy as a lark at the moment, happily chowing down on Game Bird finisher and sunflower seeds. I'm baffled. 5 hours ago I was contemplating having to put her down now I just asked her if she was pushing to be our first house chicken. I did have the fleeting thought that maybe she was injured by The Rock. Trust me, he lives up to that name. I pressed around on her, couldn't find anything obvious, but she sure has been for want of a better word, stuporous since I found her so a crushing injury may be the answer. That rooster loves his hens but just a little too much if you get my drift..

My plan is to keep her in until I can get her built back up, hopefully that will happen. I am feeding Game Bird Finisher to my flock. They just hold their weight better with the higher protein. Keep giving her extra protein-egg and the like. Since she is small, my plan was to move her into my bantam pen with my 4 bantams. Unless something miraculous happens that makes her grow into the 6 pound hen I was expecting her to grow into, the bantam boys may be more her speed. I will repeat the Corid while I have her inside. Think I'll wait a few days until I feel a little more confident to hold her vitamins for treatment. May also treat her with Ivermectin while I'm at it once she is stronger just to cover all the bases.

I told my husband to go out and take a look at her. He did and announced that she looked like she had decided to live for the time being. I hope he's right. She is a pretty little red head with fluffy, long, partridge colored feathers. The only chick her sire fathered before he died.

Update:

I was up until 11 last night and every time I went out to check on Baby she was either eating or drinking so we left a low light on for her and left her alone. This morning she is alert, moving around and looking pretty normal so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she suffered a crushing injury from her over rambunctious suitors and is starting to recover. I'm going to keep her segregated from the flock, fatten her up, retreat for worms and push forward with my plan to put her in with my bantams where the weight ratio is a little more acceptable for her.

Thanks for the help Wyorp Rock. Much appreciated.

Quote:

Quote: In cold weather they may not be as active. If they are laying about in a sunny area, that may be your answer if it's windy/cold. Mine sometimes hang out in a group outside or inside the coop when it's really windy and/or cold. The rooster will usually stay with the hens.

You may want to offer them some vitamins in their water and give some extra protein like egg or tuna to see if this makes a difference.

 

[microchick]

Well, so far so good. Baby is still showing signs of improvement. Still gobbling down food and drinking. Still alert and moving around. I had a chance today to stand out in my coop and watch my rooster at work, so to speak. I can understand why some of my hens are hanging out on the roosts. That is one awkward, big boy when it comes to doing his duty to the hens. I'm hoping that he will get ummmm better at this. He was a late bloomer. Hatched in February, he didn't start to really mature until about the end of October. I need to get a current picture of him but at 7 months, he was a pencil necked geek.

Now he's The Rock.


This is my injured little girl at 3 months. I'm in agreement that there are probably two different things going on with her. Crushing injury from having this tank of a rooster mashing her down in his zeal, and her hesitancy to leave the safety of her roost and the other hens, combined with the cold weather we have been having. I know she was getting food, I was seeing to that, and water....but how much water I don't know, especially if she wasn't getting down regularly to drink. But if there was ever an example of a hen being bullied (unintentionally, granted) by another chicken, Baby is it. So I'm thinking that shock played a part in what was going on with her.

She is going to live inside until the weather breaks and I can get her moved out with the bantams. I think she'll be fine with them.....as long as my 4 month old OEGB cockerel can figure out which way is up with the hens. Gotta admit, it is worth the price of admission watching him with a full sized hen. But that boy does have a lot of determination.

aryehgill, if your birds are not showing any open signs of illness, runny noses, coughs, sneezing, runny eyes, not wanting to eat, diarrhea, etc, I would suspect that they have a case of the winter blahs as Wyorp Rock said. I'm next door in Missouri and the cloudy, damp cold weather we have had over the past 2-3 weeks is enough to make me want to lie around doing nothing, also. I'd give them some vitamins and probiotics, and give them some extra treats and diversions to look forward to. Some people hang a cabbage from a string in the coop for them to peck at. I've hung apples for my birds and my stupid rooster stands out in the snow watching the house so he can put out the alarm that I'm on my way up with my bucket of sunflower seed and cracked corn. Yes, they can get bored. Even a big leaf of alfalfa for them to scratch around in can break up the day for them. You could even try dumping a bale of pine chips and then throw out sunflower seed or corn for them to go hunting for. Let us know how it goes. My birds have been less than energetic themselves. I've been pushing them outside in their run for at least a brief bit of fresh, if not frigid air. Guess it's time to string up a few apples.

 

[aryehgill]

Well, so far so good. Baby is still showing signs of improvement. Still gobbling down food and drinking. Still alert and moving around. I had a chance today to stand out in my coop and watch my rooster at work, so to speak. I can understand why some of my hens are hanging out on the roosts. That is one awkward, big boy when it comes to doing his duty to the hens. I'm hoping that he will get ummmm better at this. He was a late bloomer. Hatched in February, he didn't start to really mature until about the end of October. I need to get a current picture of him but at 7 months, he was a pencil necked geek. They seem to b ok today i was just worried i ddnt want them becoming sick or soemthing Now he's The Rock. This is my injured little girl at 3 months. I'm in agreement that there are probably two different things going on with her. Crushing injury from having this tank of a rooster mashing her down in his zeal, and her hesitancy to leave the safety of her roost and the other hens, combined with the cold weather we have been having. I know she was getting food, I was seeing to that, and water....but how much water I don't know, especially if she wasn't getting down regularly to drink. But if there was ever an example of a hen being bullied (unintentionally, granted) by another chicken, Baby is it. So I'm thinking that shock played a part in what was going on with her. She is going to live inside until the weather breaks and I can get her moved out with the bantams. I think she'll be fine with them.....as long as my 4 month old OEGB cockerel can figure out which way is up with the hens. Gotta admit, it is worth the price of admission watching him with a full sized hen. But that boy does have a lot of determination. aryehgill, if your birds are not showing any open signs of illness, runny noses, coughs, sneezing, runny eyes, not wanting to eat, diarrhea, etc, I would suspect that they have a case of the winter blahs as Wyorp Rock said. I'm next door in Missouri and the cloudy, damp cold weather we have had over the past 2-3 weeks is enough to make me want to lie around doing nothing, also. I'd give them some vitamins and probiotics, and give them some extra treats and diversions to look forward to. Some people hang a cabbage from a string in the coop for them to peck at. I've hung apples for my birds and my stupid rooster stands out in the snow watching the house so he can put out the alarm that I'm on my way up with my bucket of sunflower seed and cracked corn. Yes, they can get bored. Even a big leaf of alfalfa for them to scratch around in can break up the day for them. You could even try dumping a bale of pine chips and then throw out sunflower seed or corn for them to go hunting for. Let us know how it goes. My birds have been less than energetic themselves. I've been pushing them outside in their run for at least a brief bit of fresh, if not frigid air. Guess it's time to string up a few apples.

 

[aryehgill]

They seem to be ok today i think its just the weather bcuz they dont sgow rlly any signs of being sick other than the laying around

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Quote: Baby is adorable. Sounds like you have things under control and she has bounced back well. Keep us posted, if she goes downhill or something changes, please let us know.

Good advice/suggestions to @aryehgill mine do seem to get the "winter blahs", except for Charlie

We have a short spell (2days) of sunshine and warm weather. He's been gungho, but the girls have all been like "reallly?!?!"

@aryehgill it never hurts to be concerned over sluggish behavior. I do the same thing. See if they will perk up when you add something new like @microchick has suggested. Sometimes all they need is something to break up the boredom. But please do let us know if they don't seem "right" we'll try to help you figure it out.

 

[wisconsheepgirl]

Hello Everyone.

So sorry my first post ever is in this section--but have been a very long time lurker.

I am very new to chickens. In fact so new that I have no idea what sex my chicken is that is ill/injured.

He/She was hatched August 4, 2016. Lightweight approx. 3 lbs, Polish.

We noticed 3 days ago he was just laying on ground in the barn. When he attempts to move, he falls down. I have checked for injuries, no external injuries noted, no KNOWN injuries at all around his legs or feet.

He does not eat or drink on his own accord. I have been feeding/watering him for three days. He is receptive to the food/water. Today was first day he sought it out-meaning I didn't have to utilize a soupy mixture and slowing drop it in his mouth. Today he accepted a more 'sand' like mixture from a spoon.

Today is also first time he has kept is mouth open, which was not an issue before.

His poop is white, not smelly. He has had one runny poop first day of his confinement. It was not smelly (if that matters).

He is currently on my lap. Head bowed into his chest. His confinement area is a heavy duty tote box, with straw.

When he is in the box he does not move much if at all. When he is let go, he attempts to run/fly but is unsuccessful and tumbles to his side.

I am unclear on which side is actually injured. Is it the side he falls on (left side) or the leg he seems to favor to hold himself with my assistance (his right).

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.