Very sick boy, droopy comb, wobbly and more...please help!

[Eggcessive]

Poultry Nutri-Drench, Poultry Cell both contain vitamins and minerals in a liquid supplement--give 1-3 ml per day. Roster Booster Poultry Booster is added to the feed in a measured amount. Most of those are available at TSC and other feed stores. Here are some links to read about them:

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail...G1kwsYDaSL10sze7gDD_oOLQ4bKULRRap8aAo8B8P8HAQ

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail...GYj1VawyUIZxf1cROIievT06edlAn4ltf0aAiY38P8HAQ

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail...l3r330xjB4m4uM6IriGLNKtD99gsSB_ZTYaAqLY8P8HAQ

 

[chooks4life]

What can I purchase that is a vitamin AND mineral supplement? One of the issues I've run into is dosage of medications for my bitties...most dosage amounts are listed for LF, some for bantams...but we're talking about a one pound chicken.

Half dose should be safe enough. Or a bit less if you're concerned about that.

Eggcessive or some others who use premixed supplements and live in the same country as you should be able to assist you with good brands. I use natural supplements instead, directly provided via their natural source in food. Kelp, generally, is one mainstay I use. Hardboiled egg is another great food for sick chooks, very nutritious and supplies most things they need while convalescing.

I don't even know if the vitamins I'm administering is too much or too little...I really am guessing here. I do not know if you can overdose a chicken on vitamins.

Yes, you can, but if it's free choice it's much harder to do. Given the vitamins listed, and the dosages, I don't think you need to worry.

I've been giving him 0.5 ml's of each daily...maybe I should bump it up to 0.5 ml's of each 2x a day?

I would try that.

I would also supplement the vitamin C more in particular, perhaps through food so it arrives in its correct complex, or via ascorbic acid if that's easier. It's vitally important to healing a lot of issues, particularly viral ones, but also rebuilding tissue.

The body generates hydrogen peroxide to deal with pathogens and health issues in general and vitamin C in the body provides that in larger dose than those animals which manufacture their own vit C can create; this causes a boost of intracellular oxygenation basically, which is anti everything that's anti life, whether cancer, viruses, pathogenic bacteria, parasites, fungi, or toxins natural or artificial. It's quite amazing; you can even use it against snakebite, some vets keep injectable vit C on hand for that reason but at a pinch oral liquid vit C, dissolved tablets for example, will do the job too. An overdose or 'megadose' (several thousand mgs) of vit C (which may give them temporary diarrhea at worst, pretty much) has saved many lives from many things. I consider it an essential part of my emergency kit, which I'm sure sounds weird to some, but the results speak for themselves.

If you can offer him some dark leafy greens it could help with a lot of problems as well as the C. A simple source of calcium is finely crushed eggshell, doesn't have to be that fine though, he'll just absorb it quicker if it is. You can just give that to him straight with a hardboiled egg if you prefer. A good quality protein source is of great importance for healing. He shouldn't be getting most of his vitamins from the premix of course.

What else is he eating, if he's eating at all now?

I really need a plan here...should I start with a wormer first? I have Wazine and Ivermectin injectible (of course I dose topically). I have a Southern States nearby, so I can pick up other stuff if need be...IF they have it in stock. Can I continue giving vitamins while worming? Or continue with just the vitamins?

I've not used chemical wormers on chooks myself so can't advise there, sorry, but I talk with many people that do, and I haven't heard any of them withholding supplements or normal feeds from their chooks while worming.

If vitamins, how long should I be giving them to him, how often, and how much?

I have never used premixed vitamins/minerals like that for chooks, so I can't advise you there either, sorry. I used natural sources to supplement, not isolates or synthetics.

Animals that are unwell tend to go through higher doses of some usual nutrients, particularly A, C, B family, D, E, Sulfur, Magnesium plus Calcium, Copper, Zinc, and some others depending on what's wrong. The ones I mentioned specifically are directly involved in healing from most things, and in combating most things; they support the immune system the most and are depleted the most during the majority of health battles. Your premix isn't offering some important nutrients. Just about anything wider spectrum should help more.

Generally you won't need to worry about overdosing, if it's free choice. He should stop when he feels he's had enough. I don't know how you're giving this to him, I assume via mouth rather than free choice in water? It would be possibly a better idea to give him both fresh and supplemented water and let him choose how much he wants of each.

As for sunlight, no. Only through the window, which the cage is right up against. I put him outside a few minutes ago...in a movable run.

That's good, it can be very helpful to have real sunlight and greens if possible. Also to trigger instincts, give the chook some stimulation, they can get depressed indoors. Some chooks just do not heal indoors, getting them outdoors is necessary.

You mention you have experience with Avian Leucosis... But there are a few forms of it and they behave differently. I have had two, one which affected them young and rapidly and one that affected them only slowly and at much older ages. Both inherited via the egg as far as I know, both strictly expressed within certain family lines.

The latter type did end up with them looking like your rooster. The former type was more like Marek's in symptoms. There's a chance that either of those still might be what's wrong, but I hope not. But symptom lists are guidelines, not every animal shows the exact symptoms expected and some show aberrant, atypical or no symptoms.

Good luck to your chook.

 

[LuvnMyChix]

I had a hen get sick yesterday with similar symptoms. Called the state vet, he advised I bring Hoss (the serama boy), her, and a chicken I lost two days ago in for a necropsy. I knew that meant they were going to euthanize Hoss and the hen, but what kind of life was Hoss having in his condition? He was suffering and I couldn't fix him. So I headed to the lab this morning...a 2 hour drive. Hoss died en route...I heard the "death flap" coming from the box, and when I stopped, he was gone.

I returned home about an hour ago. The doctor just called me...and he said he found liver tumors on the one I brought to him that had died two days ago. Hoss had tumors on his heart and in his lungs. The hen had peritonitis. He said he is 99% sure the two boys had Marek's disease. He'll run labs to verify his findings and I'll know for sure next week, but he's been doing this for over 15 years, so I'm confident in his preliminary findings. I am devastated. I have 60+ chickens, ranging in ages from 4 weeks to 3 years and NONE of them have been vaccinated against Marek's disease.

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm sorry for your loss, and it is so bad to hear that it may have been Mareks. It can remain in the environment for up to seven years. Not all chickens will develop the disease. From what I have read, some breeds may be resistant to it, while some breeds are more likely to get it. There are 4 forms of the disease--the nerve form, the skin form, the ocular form, and the visceral form. There is a good link by Nambroth on Mareks if you search Mareks disease at the top of the page.

 

[chooks4life]

Very sorry for your loss.

If it helps, which it probably doesn't, and I guess you probably already know this --- the vaccine doesn't guarantee protection and the disease is more or less inevitable.

You can try to be as biosecure as possible but sooner or later chances are it will still get in; even if your biosecurity measures succeed it can mean you've only rendered your chooks so immunologically outdated that entry back into the non biosecure world will be the end of their genetic lines. It kind of is a 'between a rock and a hard place' type situation.

Some people I know vaccinate regularly and still lose some each year to it, because thanks to the vaccines they're only perpetuating weak genetics and the vaccine can't protect them all, only prevent one symptom from occurring.

If you've never vaccinated, you are quite likely, pretty much guaranteed, to have resistant lines. Weak genetics still crop up every now and then but for the most part breeding for resistance is the best way to go, and many vets recommend it. Easier for backyard breeders than commercial ones though. Not so easy for rare breed keepers in general but as Eggcessive said some breeds are more resistant than others. But in relying on vaccines one can become trapped in that and lose ability to cope without them, since it can prevent you from being able to tell which are resistant and which are susceptible lines. The vaccine is a bit of a bandaid solution for weak individuals in this case.

I have had vaccinated birds and still lost them. I haven't had any vaccinated birds for years now, and have stopped losing any since I found and removed the weak lines. Which was a bit hard, since some were family pets, and some were perfectly healthy in and of themselves but produced weak offspring when bred together.

Still, I know that new forms of Marek's the flock has never encountered could still be devastating, but I have some assurance in the fact that at least I have not been breeding weak lines only kept alive by the semi-protection of the vaccine.

Best wishes.

 

[Deborahwatson]

First, thanks for providing the relevant info, so many people skip that and just ask for answers when questions must be asked first, and then don't respond to the questions, makes it impossible... Sorry but I have a few more questions.

Was he on medicated chick feed for his entire life before you switched recently?

The comb turning purple at the extremities (or anywhere really) is a common sign of liver or especially heart problems. Gasping for breath can be due to the same. Unfortunately feeding layer feed or chick feeds to roosters can cause both issues, because it's too high fat and roosters don't need that past a certain age. He looks like a cockerel though, under a year old, going by his spur development?

Down on his hocks I see. Can he stand normally or has he been like this ever since getting sick?

Was his comb/wattles ever redder than this? If not, it's not a very good sign, a healthy male should be tomato red at the least, not dark pink, ideally more cherry/'lipstick' red than tomato red.

Can you gently feel his abdomen and see if there's any mass in it, or if it feels empty?

Best wishes.

I’ve been having same symptoms with my red roo I can tell he’s not feeling well. Droopy. Tail feathers down. Making some noises when I put some treat out. bread tomato lettuce He does eat chicken scratch and they eat wld birdseed. Black oil sunflower seeds Him and hens all eat same things. I do feed them all scrapes. They eat some of it but not all of it. They also free range. So they go across the street and next door and two doors down. So there neighborhood pets. I’ve not treated him. I just started noticing the change yesterday. My 15?year old fur baby passed two days ago. Ty troubled in Texas

 

[Serenity512]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)

Silkied Serama Rooster, 1 year old, feels lighter than usual and current weight is 468 grams or almost exactly 1 pound.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.

Unbalanced (falls over sideways or head first constantly), stopped crowing and making his usual chicken noises (he talks to my husband and me all the time...or he used to), lethargic, comb turns purple at back but then turns red again the next day. Acts like he's gasping sometimes, and I see him breathing through his mouth a lot. Checked for gapeworms and saw nothing. Newest symptom that started yesterday...his comb is now drooping to the side when it has always stood straight up.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?

Roughly about 2 weeks

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?

No

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.

No

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.

Have no idea, that's why I came here for help

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.

He was eating medicated chick starter from Southern States because he was housed with my other Seramas (2 females) and babies (2 babies). I switched to non-medicated chick starter about 5 days ago when a friend of mine (who is also a chicken owner) suggested what might be wrong with him is the Ampril in the feed. He's eating and drinking just fine, and has done so the entire time he's been sick.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.

Normal most of the time, sometimes a little bit watery.

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?

Separated from his flock. Did an aggressive 3 day treatment of poly-vi-sol (no iron) and vitamin B complex, both liquids. Did 5 day treatment of Tylan 50 (1/8 cc per dose).

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?

Treat completely myself.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.










12) Describe the housing/bedding in use

Currently in a plastic tub with pine shavings.



I am at a loss with my beautiful boy. I have had chickens for a few years now, and have had my share of illnesses and injuries. This has never happened to any of my birds before. I have googled and inquired with fellow chicken owners, and am dumbfounded. Please someone help me save my little man! FYI: Culling is NOT an option. I have culled sick/injured/deformed birds before, but I will not do so with this guy unless he's suffering and there's no hope.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

I love my chicken very much and she has the same symptoms as your chicken I was wondering how that turned out cuz killing her is not a possibility for me if you could get back to me I'd really appreciate it I'd like to know what happened with your baby boy

 

[ChickensFeathers]

Did the Mareks test ever come back? Im curious to know the results.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Did the Mareks test ever come back? Im curious to know the results.

The Original Poster (OP) has not been on since 2015, so very unlikely they will see your posted question.

Do you need help with a sick chicken? If so, then consider starting a thread that details symptoms, any treatments you have administered and photos. We may be able to offer some suggestions.