Very sick chicken! Lethargic, underweight, breathing heavy

[PhDtoFarm]

I just got back from a trip to find one of my chickens in pretty rough shape. I put her in a box and brought her inside, but I'm not sure how best to medicate.

Background:
- She was lying next to the waterer (which they usually do to keep cool -- I live in Arizona, and the summer is pretty ugh), huddled into the straw.
- She moves her head around a little bit but not much else. Occasionally she clacks her beak, but mostly she is closing her eyes and resting her head on the wall of the box.
- Her vent is puckered, and a lot of feces were stuck to her feathers. They were mostly bright green with some chunks of white and smelled very bad.
- When I first saw her, her head was quite pale. She has since gotten a little more color but is still not back to her usual.
- Her breathing is deep and slow.
- She has lost quite a bit of weight.
- Her eyes aren't as bright as usual, but it seems like she is still able to focus. They might be a little sunk -- I assume she is dehydrated since she wasn't able to stand/probably wasn't able to reach the waterer when I found her.

I'm not sure she'll make it through the night, but if there's anything I can do... I will do it!! She ate a little bit of tomato and drank a little water, but ... not much.

I will make sure the others are in better hands for next time. Hard lessons.

 

[PhDtoFarm]

Oh, I forgot to mention:

She is a Buckeye, about 1 year old (well, maybe more like 15 month).

 

[Eggcessive]

I would get some electrolytes into her right away with a dropper or syringe. If you have some Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell vitamins that would also be good to use with water. Be careful not to choke her by giving her tiny amounts and giving her time to swallow. If she is suffering from heat stroke, it may be good to cool her in some tepid water. Here is a recipe for homemade electrolytes if you can't get any thing else:

HOMEMADE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION from the chicken chick.com
1/2 teaspoon salt substitute*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 gallon water
*Salt substitute is readily available in most stores in the spice aisle near the salt, but if you do not have it, don't worry, the solution will still have most of the benefits intended to combat heat stress.

 

[PhDtoFarm]

The person who was looking after them said this started just yesterday.

It hasn't been as hot the past few days, now that monsoon season has started. Does heat stress accumulate?

 

[Eggcessive]

There can be so many things that could be wrong that it may not be anyone's fault. Some breeds don't handle heat as well as others. I can't imagine how chickens handle the heat in Arizona. There would have to be constant shade and tons of water. I place shallow pig pans with water for mine to cool their feet in, and it also means that there is an endless supply of water. If she dies, I would do a necropsy to see if anything obvious was wrong, such as a blocked gizzard, coccidiosis, or worms. With her vent area being soiled and foul-smelling, vent gleet should be considered.
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/12/vent-gleet-prevention-and-treatment.html

 

[PhDtoFarm]

I've been having trouble getting her to drink, even with a syringe. I don't have a tube, so I've been placing some liquid on her beak and letting her drink it as it runs down the side. Slow-going, but at least it works (and doesn't seem as stressful).

The other buckeye in the flock has taken up post in the nest box and won't leave. I suspect she'll be coming inside soon too.

Should I try force-feeding to get more liquids into her sooner (and how important is a tube, as long as I go slowly)? Is sub-cutaneous a better way to go?

 

[Eggcessive]

Many people make a feeding tube out of aquarium tubing from WalMart or a Pet store which fits a 35 or 60 cc syringe. Subcutaneous fluids can be given if you have the sterile supplies, and know-how, since large volumes are given. Here is a good link on tube feeding, plus another with good pictures of administering medicines orally:
http://www.hopkinslivestock.com/oral_dosing_article.htm
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

 

[PhDtoFarm]

After administering lots of fluids and a minor amount of liquid food, she seems a little more coherent. Still very weak and underweight (I can feel her keel and most of her bones), but she can shuffle around her box a couple steps at a time.

I'm always surprised to find her still breathing. I didn't think she'd make it this long, but I'm afraid to get my hopes up

The other buckeye looked fine today -- and I hope it stays that way!

 

[PhDtoFarm]

What volume(s) of food and fluid should I be giving her per day?

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm pretty sure the fluid volume would be 15 ml per lb every 8 hours, so that would be 75 ml for a 5 pound hen every 8 hours. If you read the links in Go team Tube Feeding, they should tell you the amounts they used. Here is another thread to read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/722041/how-to-t-feed-a-sick-chicken-and-give-subcutaneous-fluid