The EMERGENCY Thread!!!

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a hen who has started wheezing when breathing with an open mouth and then it sounds like she's almost sneezing (high pitched squeal every now and then and when she does that she extends her neck and shakes her head). Any Ideas? No worms under her tongue and I don't feel anything in her throat of crop.

Hi @sgtscr3am21 Welcome To BYC
How long has she been doing this?
How long have you had her?
Any discharge from the nostrils (mucous), runny/bubbly eyes?
You don't feel anything in her crop? Is it empty - will she eat/drink for you?

How do you normally have her housed - outside in coop/run - what type of bedding - is the coop ventilated well - any molds in the coop/run?

From the open mouth breathing and sneezing (can't hear the wheezing for the TV), but I would suspect there is wheezing from the looks of it. She may have a respiratory illness. It's hard to know unless there are other symptoms. Sometimes antibiotics may be needed in order to help with any secondary infections, but you may want to first try something like VetRx to see if that gives her any relief.

Try to encourage her to drink - offer some poultry vitamins if you have them. Wet feed may be easier to eat than dry feed or you can give her some chopped egg or tuna, but getting fluids into her is most important.

Here's some info on respiratory illness, but the symptoms you describe at the moment can be other things as well. Keep us posted.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

My Delaware pullets make a weird squaking noise and I don't know if it is normal or not. They do it to communicate to the other chicks and I am trying to send a video but as I need them to make the sound they refuse.

Hi @Lover of the chickens We would love to see and hear your video when you get it
Pullets (and hens) can make all kinds of squawking sounds.

Each sound does mean something, but exactly what, it can be hard to interpret. As you observe your girls and listen to them, you will be able to pick up on a few things that's going on (and sometimes who is making the sound as well just by listening). It's a lot of fun and always something new to learn.

 

[Lover of the chickens]

I will try to get a video today. Yesterday I tried and of course they wouldn't make he sound cause I needed it.

 

[CHPJohn]

A 1 month old smooth silkie chick of mine had a rectal prolapse this morning. He was walking around before I "put it back in", but now he's just peeping and very dull. I'm worried he'll pass. I have a crippled silkie chick who flops on his side a lot, and when I walked into the coop, the prolapse chick was flopped down next to him, obviously not just sun-bathing. Is there anything I can do to perk him back up? He's been very healthy beforehand, so this prolapse thing is definitely the issue. It looked very freshly prolapsed, but I can't say for certain it was.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

A 1 month old smooth silkie chick of mine had a rectal prolapse this morning. He was walking around before I "put it back in", but now he's just peeping and very dull. I'm worried he'll pass. I have a crippled silkie chick who flops on his side a lot, and when I walked into the coop, the prolapse chick was flopped down next to him, obviously not just sun-bathing. Is there anything I can do to perk him back up? He's been very healthy beforehand, so this prolapse thing is definitely the issue. It looked very freshly prolapsed, but I can't say for certain it was.

Hi @CHPJohn

Can you post some photos of the chick with the prolapse?
How did you put the prolapse back in?
Also a video of the crippled chick if you have one.
What do you feed? Do they have a source of grit available?

A prolapsed vent in a chick that young could be from constipation. Offer wet chick starter and plenty of water. If you feel that it's from constipation, you can add a small amount of molasses to the water one time. Molasses has a laxative effect on chickens.

The peeping and lethargy is concerning. If the vent area looks swollen you can try soaking his vent in a warm epsom salts solution to see if that will help reduce the swelling and give some comfort. Since he's a bit lethargic, you will want to try to just get his bum in the water. Alternatively, you can apply warm compresses (cloths) soaked in epsom salt water. Dry the chick well. You can also apply some hemorrhoid cream to the vent if needed.

Keep us posted.

 

[Lover of the chickens]

Could you send videos please? That would help to see what the problem is. And have you seen the prolapsing one poop?

 

[Lover of the chickens]

YAnd do you know if it is a male or female?

 

[Lover of the chickens]

Good news everybody. My hen is doing much better! She is pooping more but hasn't layed and egg yet she was dust bathing the other day and was running a muck with the others. Thank you so so so much for all the info everyone gave me.

 

[thailand]

Good to hear your hen is doing better

I need some help please with penicillin I bought today, Pendistrep LA. It has Benzathine benzylpenicillin 80,000 I.U., Procaine benzylpenicillin 120,000 I.U., Dihydrostreptmycin sulfate 200 mg base, and Excipient up to 1 ml.

The instructions state I can give this to chickens, and that I should dose at 0.25mls per 1 kg weight (so for my rooster who weighs 3.3kg I've dosed 0.83ccs), however, it goes on to say to only dose once every three days. It's this dosing once every three days that I want to check with knowledgeable others here please. And it doesn't say how many days I should medicate for.

My rooster got into a fight with another rooster of mine and was badly pecked on his waddle. I have removed the scab and he's left with a big piece of his waddle now missing. But, the big problem is that his waddle is very swollen, with a hard and hot lump which has moved up to under his beak. He's still eating, drinking and is perfectly ok otherwise. I've cleaned out the hole in his waddle under his beak, stuffed it with triple antibiotic ointment and given the above dosage of penicillin today.

Do I give another dose tomorrow or wait another 2 days?

Many thanks

 

[Amiga]

thailand, I would ask @casportpony , there are others but she is the first one I think of.

 

[thailand]

Thanks...hopefully she will be on here today. She's always been a great help to me in the past. I tried using a needle to draw up any pus but all I got was blood. I've filled the hole with straight betadine and then stuffed it with Terramycin. He's crowing, still eating and drinking a bit and otherwise alert. He is closing one eye sometimes. I'll try to get a photo today and post it here later. His injury is definitely due to another rooster fighting with him, I'm pretty certain this is not a tumour.