Urgent help please. Poorly chicken, won't eat, won't drink, watery eye

[IrisandAlex]

Hello, we're hoping to get some urgent advice for our poorly hen. We're fairly new to chicken keeping and this is our first sick bird. We're based in the UK, I am posting this on the US site as you seem to have many more members than the site we have been using before, so am hoping to get good advice!

We only got this hen two weeks ago, know very little about her history and vaccinations. She may be an Isa brown. She is a minimum of one yr old, we're guessing she is older than that. Until yesterday she was doing well, settled quickly with us and didn't really stop laying after her move to us. We've been feeding her layers pellets, some vegetable scraps usually incl garlic , apple cider vinegar in her water and added some diatoms to her feed. She free ranges all day.

Yesterday:
She seemed fine yesterday morning, layed an egg and soon after was sheltering under a bush very sleepily. She was sleepy all day, we tried feeding her corn (which she usually loves!) but she wasn't really interested. Her crop felt empty.

We checked her feathers and have spotted very few little bugs (beigy-creamy) under her wings, assuming these are lice and have now treated her by covering her in diatoms.

She was getting less and less responsive, usually she's quite feisty but was just hanging limp when I picked her up and had her head resting on my arm. Very unusual for her!!

We separated her from the other three to isolate her and hopefully stop whatever it is from spreading, she's now sleeping in a box inside.

We've also started her on her first dose of Verm-X natural wormer. In our desparation as we were unable to get her to drink or feed we got the Verm-X down her throat undiluted....

Gave her some water (syringed it in her mouth) and after that she seemed a bit more responsive and has accepted some corn and very little layer's pellets.

Today:
Still quite unresponsive, still won't eat drink, move. She is up on her feet and standing. Poos very little but they look normal. However, her vent is pooey. Gave her some yoghurt, oil, sugar, water mixture in a syringe.

new symptoms:
Watery eye, discharge looks milky after it stayed in her eye for a bit, keeps left eye mostly shut. Right eye slightly swollen.
sometimes heavy breathing. So looks like a respiratory disease.



Any help greatly appreciated!! Iris and Alex

 

[faykokoWV]

the description sounds like it may be Coryza, but I'm definately not an expert. Here's a link to some helpful information on the disease though.

http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/page22.htm

Most on here have learned the hard way, when you get a new bird always isolate it for at least 30 days. she may have actually caught something that your birds carry.

 

[IrisandAlex]

Thank you for your help and the link faykokoWV.

You are right, it does sound like this could be the cause. We've now given her another good rub down with diatoms as we have noticed more little ritters than the first time round (even around her eyes - yuk!) and then had her walk around the garden for a bit of fresh air. Afterwards ad after some more neat VermX and then sugar-garlic-water she has now helped herself to corn and some yoghurt!!

Nice to see her a bit more responsive, we'll see how she's doing tomrrow.

 

[faykokoWV]

 

[IrisandAlex]

She's taken a notable turn for the worse today, hardly opening her eyes, I've not seen her eat or drink anything.

It's definitely something respiratory - her eyes are puffy and gooey, her breathing not right.

I've just forced some mixed yoghurt and garlic water into her via a syringe in her mouth. She still at least has the energy to make that hard work! I didn't do that the last few days to see if she picks up on her own but as she's got worse and is now so light, I thought I had to get some fluid in to her.

Really not looking good at all, I just wish we knew for sure what was wrong with her.

If it is coryza, is there any chance of her recovering without antibiotics?

Alex

 

[faykokoWV]

I think Coryza is a pretty tough one to fight. The biggest concern for you now may be making sure the rest of your flock doesn't get sick as well.

 

[bluepits]

I need some advice ... recently my hens started to lay eggs about 4 hens have died and i notice one of the hens she was having water coming out of her mouth what does this mean ? was the corn was bad?bad water? please help me ...the heat been hot in the south but they are in a shaded area..the other hens are eating and drinking ..do i need to seperate my hens?

 

[IrisandAlex]

hello bluepits,

ouch, doesn't sound fun. Haven't come across the symptoms you are describing.

However, I would definitely advice to separate the poorly hens from the healthy ones immediately.

If you need tips on high energy feed etc if your hens are not eating well and losing weight let me know, we'll dig up the recipe we followed to feed our hen.

Good luck!!
Iris

 

[bikerchick]

Bluepits,
I have experienced with my own birds the "water coming out of the mouth" and it's a little freaky. I researched these symptoms and they appear to be common with a few possible explanations. It basically comes down to being no threat to your birds.

 

[bluepits]

IrisandAlex : how would i know which ones are the sick ones to the ones are sick ... .not much fun when they die ...lol ..can u tell me the reciepe ....