updated- Now what do I do with it? Buff Brahma-how sick is he?

[gritsar]

You may want to bookmark this page for further reference (warning poo pics):

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

You can tell alot about a chicken's health by their poo.

Some finely chopped hard boiled egg if she'll eat it. Egg yolk is their very first food (before hatch), so it's nurtrionally perfect for them. Since I assume she's alone in her seperate brooder, you can try filling an old cotton sock with dry white rice, tie the open end closed and microwave it for about 30 seconds (add seconds as needed). It will give her something warm to snuggle with.
Good luck with her. Sometimes they are just not strong enough to make it in this world.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
If it's not because she's too hot, you could try Tylan for a respiratory ailment. But she might die anyway. Beak breathing is not a good sign. Sorry

 

[MISS MILLIE]

GUESS WHAT? little brahma lived through the night! and she looks pretty good today, with both eyes open and shes chirping normally.
I gave her chopped scrambled eggs with a little sugar and water mixed in several times last evening, and forced her to drink sugar water mix. i went to bed at midnight thinking she was a goner. this morning she looks perky, but i noticed that although she didnt poop at all last night the two times Ive seen her poop this morning have been runny. Does anybody know if this seems normal considering the circumstances? Also, i havent seen her drink on her own- I have to keep dipping her beak in water.

I plan to keep her in solitary confinement : - ) for the rest of the day. We fashioned an emergency mini brooder for her last night out of a wooden box and a green halloween spotlight with an 85 watt bulb (it put out a lot of heat- the temp in the box got to over 100 degrees before we stabilized it).

If she recovers fully I'm changing her name from The Colonel to "THE PHOENIX"- in reference to the mythical bird that rises from the ashes.

 

[MISS MILLIE]

Quote:
The rice buddy is an excellent idea, thanks. I'll have to remember that. She spent the night roosting on the side of her food dish. So funny, in a sad way, because she would end up with her beak buried in the chick starter.

 

[MISS MILLIE]

okay, so THE PHOENIX was feeling so much better that she was chirping like mad, and kept trying to jump out of it's mini brooder that I had covered with a cookie cooling rack (it was a very small emergency brooder). i thought she might give her self brain damage from all the hitting of her head, so I had no choice to put her back in the big brooder with the general population. Man, the chicks went nuts. They had to re-do the pecking order I guess, because some chicks were spreading their wings and trying to charge her, but she really defended herself. I guess I'm stunned at how quickly their order reestablished itself without her. So anyway, I hope she's ok in there with them, shes the smallest of the bunch.
also, only some of the chicks were displaying the spread wings and charging thing. do you guys think I may have some roosters on my hands or do hens do that too? and two of my chicks started doing that to each other and not to THE PHOENIX, what do you think of that?

 

[Airilith]

I wonder if she was having trouble breathing because she got some food stuck in her throat. If that's the case it definitely seems like it's been dislodged. I'm sooooo glad to hear (read) that she's doing better.

I've never seen my chicks spread their wings. They used to stand up real tall and stare at each other, and occassionally peck. Mostly my roos did that, but every now and then a hen or two would get in on the fun.

I hope The Phoenix continues to do well!

 

[MISS MILLIE]

Quote:
Thanks, I'm glad she's better too. I just hope she doesnt relapse being in the brooder with the others. Your post is making me suspect even more that one or two of my chicks is a rooster. It was fascinating to watch them go at each other like that, havent seen them do it before. It looked just like two grown roosters going to town on each other, except it was comical because they barely have any wings! LOL

 

[gritsar]

Both sexes of chicks do the wing flapping, charging, chest bumping thing. It's part of setting up the pecking order. By six to eight weeks old they'll have their pecking order all set up and things will settle down with everyone knowing their place.
I'm glad your little brahma is doing better. I have a fondness for the brahmas, since brahmas are all I have (for now).

 

[MISS MILLIE]

Quote:
I LOVE the Brahma. She is so gentle looking and sweet. How many Brahmas do you have, are they Buff?
Thats why I was so worried, becasue of all the chicks I chose her (my kids/DH have theirs picked out) and she is my only Brahma. That was a mistake, should have gotten one more and one less Barred or Australorp or who cares what else, shouldve gotten one more. Now I see that the other birds will never accept new day old chicks. I have 4 more day old chicks coming 8 March from MMH, I should call my feed store and see if they have any more coming in around then.

 

[gritsar]

I have 14 LF brahmas, a roo and 13 hens. I have 4 light brahmas, 5 dark and 5 buffs. My roo is a dark brahma.
Here's a pic of my roo with some of his hens:

This is a pair at 5 1/2 weeks old, cockerel on the left - I later gave him away since I had too many roos:

A pullet at 8 weeks old:

A buff pullet at 6 months old: