Thin ans Sick bird

[Backyardfarmer]

I need help. one of our chickens has become sick. She is of unknown breed, she is just feathers and bones, her poop os mostly clear liquid with some dark brown peices in it. I just found this out today and would like some advice as how to continue to help her. I have put her in a bin with food and water. and she had eaten revishly. I would like expert advice on how to help her.

 

[CarriBrown]

Treat her, and all your other birds, for mites/lice and worms. What I've done (and it works great) is bought liquid cattle wormer and dropped .25cc on their back (make sure you get it on their skin). It will treat for all of those things. Since you can only buy it in approx 1/2 liter size at the smallest, ask around and see if anyone else you know wants to share it with you. It expires in about two years and there is no way you'll use it all in time with a small flock.
You may also want to keep her seperated from the other chickens and feed her some medicated feed mixed in with her regular feed until she starts putting on some weight.

 

[Backyardfarmer]

Thanks,
We have about 14 but my mom thinks that its jut because she is at the bottom of the pecking order, could that be true? No feathers are missing?

 

[BeckyLa]

I think Carri is right, they should definately (all of them) be treated for worms and checked real real good for lice/mites. And, yes, she may be on the bottom of the pecking order, which may be the reason she cannot keep weight, but they still need wormed. The ones higher in the pecking order are eating more and can better ward off the effects of the worms, but they, too, will loose weight over time if not treated. I would definately keep her separated and feed as Carri said but I would also mix some hard boiled egg yolk and yogurt in with some feed once or twice a day for a few days. The egg will give her added protein while the yogurt will help her digestion work better.

 

[justusnak]

Before medicateing her, I would get a fecal sample, and take it to the vet. There might be something else going on. Check her vent area really well...and the back of her head.....for lice and mites. please....do NOT treat her before finding out what you are treating. A fecal float from the vet is not very expencive.

 

[hinkjc]

I agree with Deb and wanted to add that one wormer does not treat all types of worms. So find out what you have going on and then go by the recommended treatment of the vet. If the vet meds are very expensive you could always do an online search for the same meds, which I have found to be cheaper than buying from a vet. Altho some meds must be dispensed from vets.

Jody

 

[CarriBrown]

Quote:
I agree. I didn't put in my post that I did have a fecal float done before worming them. The cost was $10 at my local "exotic" vet.

 

[Backyardfarmer]

She died!

 

[FamilyOfChickens]

:aww

Sorry you lost your hen!

I would watch all the others VERY closely now.

 

[DuckLady]

I am so sorry you lost her!

Quote:
I think you hit the nail on the head here. You stated in your first post that when you gave her feed and water by herself she ate a lot.
That tells me that the others were not allowing her to eat. It is an unfortunate thing when this happens.
Just for next time (if you have this happen again and I hope not!) Just give her a little feed at a time with plenty of water. Let her digest it and give a little more. Her organs likely had started to shut down and the amount of feed she consumed was too much for her organs. At the point you discovered her, it was likely too late.
This is just for your info. It happens more often than we probably know. I know I felt awful when I had a hen pass away this way, but I learned from it too.