Too late for 12 week chicken?

[KHoward]

Hi,

We just got six twelve-week old chickens on Friday and this morning (Sunday) I found one laying on the coop floor, tail and wings drooping. I picked her up and brought her into the house because she felt cold. I wrapped her in a wool blanket and she perked up a bit but was content to lay on my lap wrapped in the blanket for a few hours and seemed to have a few sips of water and dozed off.

I placed her in a dog crate, still wrapped in the blanket, while I ran to the store. When I came back an hour later she was sweating (best description I have). I unwrapped the blanket off of her back but kept her belly and sides swaddled because I didn't want to bring her temperature down too fast. At this point she had a dazed look in her eyes and was breathing fast.

Now she is on her side, neck and head drooped, and has shallow breathing, it's been about 12 hours.

No wheezing, no discharge, no other symptoms. Someone suggested that she may have caught cold on the overnight?

Any thoughts or suggestions?

~Kristen

*******
Update: She lifted her head a bit and I put a cup of water against her beak. She took two sips and she tried to get a little more upright. Now she is laying on her belly, and her head is a little more upright.

 

[CayugaLover]

...well, i think you did the right thing separating her from the other chickens. if i were you, i would soft-boil an egg and feed her the yolk, that's what you do with chicks not strong enough. has she eaten anything?

 

[CMV]

Treat her for cocci. A change in environment could have triggered an overload. A course of Sulmet or Corid should put her to rights.

 

[KHoward]

I have a cup of water in the cage with her, but have not tried food since she wasn't really interested in the water. Now that it's 8pm, I'm not sure if I should disturb her or just let her rest?

 

[Falconry]

Let her rest, but have food ready for her, if she does not get nutrients and just water especially if she is sick she will get worse, so just keep some food ready for her.

 

[KHoward]

Update: Today she has her eyes closed and is at least upright and not on her side like yesterday. We dip her beak in water and she will reluctantly take a sip or two but not more. She is not interested in the egg at all.

I'm not sure if this is normal or not and it just needs to run it's course?

 

[blueeyeddemon]

If you do not want to lose her then find a bird vet

 

[Falconry]

If she is doing even slightly better, you should let her out into an enclosed area, see if she does anything, if she does not that means that she is not feeling well, you'll need to still have some food on handy and talk to her a little, keep some water with you because it gets worse if she is dehydrated.

 

[Doctor Pammie]

I am following your story because I have one very distressed pullet right now, too. I hope your baby is doing better. I feel so helpless and this board is my only real source of info. Sending good vibes your way.

 

[KHoward]

She is sitting quietly, upright, eyes closed with her head lowered. She will move a bit when we first touch her, then she doesn't react. Her breathing is slow and shallow. It's hard to say, last night she rallied a bit and I thought "she's on the road to recovery" but if yesterday was a 2, last night was a 4, today is a 3.

A doctor is not an available option to me right now, so I need to go the home nursing method. I would love to try and feed her but don't want her to choke and I am afraid to give her water via a syringe for fear I will put it down the wrong "tube".