Unwell Chicken - PLEASE HELP ASAP

[Livwhitwoo]

Hi all,

Without trying to sound to desperate - I am really worried about my Cream Legbar called Ginger and I don't know what to do.

I have kept chickens for 2 years now and never had any issues. Ginger is about 5 months old now and has always been smaller than her sister Nutmeg who I got at the same time. The past few days i've noticed that her tail has been pointing downwards, she's lethargic, sat down a lot and also panting. She's allowed me to come near her and sit to stroke her, i've had a feel and nothing seems out of place. At first I thought perhaps she was a bit egg bound with her first egg, but it's been two days now and nothing has changed. She appears to have diarrhoea too and i've noticed some of the wood shavings in the coop have turned green from the droppings, i'm not sure if this from her though. I thought about bringing her home with me, but i'm concerned to isolate her and Nutmeg and Ginger had a hard enough time being the new birds on the block a few months ago, and now i've noticed that even Nutmeg bullies Ginger to a certain extent. She is certainly at the bottom of the pecking order.

I'm really concerned as i'm going on holiday in a weeks time and leaving her in the hands of a friend for 2 weeks. I don't want to leave a sickly chicken with her.

Any advice?

Thanks so much.

 

[Chicalina]

is it really hot where you are? Is she overheating?

Feel her crop, is it hard or watery? Does her breath stink?

Is she gaping a lot? Or wheezing?

 

[Livwhitwoo]

I haven't checked her crop, I will have a look when I go back out. Not sure on her breath.

She is gaping. But at the moment they're all eating worming pellets flubenvet. They're on day 3 of 7.

 

[Chicalina]

that would sort out gapeworm I think.

Could it be the heat? Have they got sufficient water, my hens like to paddle in a shallow bowl to cool themselves down. I also put the sprinkler on to cool the air around them sometimes.

Check her all over for a hidden injury, especially a small puncture wound hiding somewhere in her feathers.

 

[Juju2773]

Hi, Possibly she’s getting more of those worming pellets than her body weight can handle. You did say she’s smaller.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi all,

Without trying to sound to desperate - I am really worried about my Cream Legbar called Ginger and I don't know what to do.

I have kept chickens for 2 years now and never had any issues. Ginger is about 5 months old now and has always been smaller than her sister Nutmeg who I got at the same time. The past few days i've noticed that her tail has been pointing downwards, she's lethargic, sat down a lot and also panting. She's allowed me to come near her and sit to stroke her, i've had a feel and nothing seems out of place. At first I thought perhaps she was a bit egg bound with her first egg, but it's been two days now and nothing has changed. She appears to have diarrhoea too and i've noticed some of the wood shavings in the coop have turned green from the droppings, i'm not sure if this from her though. I thought about bringing her home with me, but i'm concerned to isolate her and Nutmeg and Ginger had a hard enough time being the new birds on the block a few months ago, and now i've noticed that even Nutmeg bullies Ginger to a certain extent. She is certainly at the bottom of the pecking order.

I'm really concerned as i'm going on holiday in a weeks time and leaving her in the hands of a friend for 2 weeks. I don't want to leave a sickly chicken with her.

Any advice?

Thanks so much.

I haven't checked her crop, I will have a look when I go back out. Not sure on her breath.

She is gaping. But at the moment they're all eating worming pellets flubenvet. They're on day 3 of 7.

Can you get some photos of her and her poop?
Check her crop to see what that's like.

Have you felt inside her vent for an egg?
Look inside her beak for obstruction, mucous or lesions like canker.

You may want to take her aside and see if she will drink for you. She may be dehydrated.
I wouldn't worry about food so much, but keeping fluids going is important.

 

[Livwhitwoo]

I've decided to bring her home for the evening so I can monitor her fluid intake, give her a bum bath and keep her warm as it's started raining heavily here. Will have a feel of her crop and also give her a more thorough examination - although i've never felt inside the vent so will have to google that one. I'll log back on later once i've got her home, and send some pictures if I can. Thanks for your help, I have felt so down today as not known what to do.

 

[Chicalina]

I don't recommend antibiotics willy nilly but you may want to consider talking to a vet about it.

This symptom checker, whilst not completely comprehensive has some good pointers to look for as well

https://cluckin.net/the-sick-chicken-symptom-checker.html

 

[Livwhitwoo]

Sorry for gross photo, but this is her poop this evening. I've brought her home and she's had a bath, keeping her in a box overnight. She has eaten a lot, I think she was very hungry. Had a check over and she seems ok in herself, she was falling asleep as I was stroking her though. Fingers crossed after some peace and quiet in a warm room, and a good bite to eat and drink - she'll be perkier in the morning.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Are the urates tinted yellow or is that the lighting?

She may just be dehydrated/not been eating if she's being bullied away from food/water, but usually there is a reason for that (not enough space, the chicken is not well, etc.)
Taking a poop sample to your vet for testing would be a good idea.

I'm glad she's improving.