Hello,
I'm very stuck and am trying to decide if there's any last efforts I can make or if the most humane thing to do is to euthanize her. I'm also trying to figure out the rest of the (small) flock (I have 3 chickens) are also sick but displaying symptoms differently. If any of you have feedback or suggestions I would massively appreciate the help!!
First off, all my chickens stopped laying a month ago but I had thought that it was due to the change in season and the associated decrease in daylight.
Chicken 1 (Queenie)
A couple weeks ago one of my chickens started seeming a little off, but she was still running about so I thought maybe it was just an off day, but a week ago I knew she was sick and things were bad – her comb is very pale and isn't staying upright anymore, tail down, extremely lethargic (she is now mostly just huddled on the ground and doesn't react when I get close), isn't eating much, she has diarrhea which is yellow and green ish at times and almost looks like there is grass in her feces sometimes. At the start of this week when things were getting bad I thought it was internal worms and purchased a horse dewormer paste, the only de wormer I could find near me, that I've been giving her about a pea sized amount of with bread the past 4 days (10% fenbendazole from SafeGuard) but I wonder if I could have incorrectly calculated the quantity or if I was incorrect because she is most definitely getting worse. She has been eating and drinking a little and I've been giving her scrambled eggs, yoghurt, and bread, but today it seems her appetite is almost gone or she doesn't have the energy to eat. It's quite bad and I'm wondering if at this point the most humane thing to do is to euthanize her or if there's anything else I could try.
Chicken 2 (Miss Featherington)
However, things don't stop there. A couple days ago I noticed that a different one of my chickens wasn't up and about and was spending most of her time on the perch; I have no idea what happened but she is now lame and can no longer support herself from one of her legs. She is on the heavier side of things (she's supposed to be a cochin x americana cross, but looks mostly like a cochin) and I wonder if she could have hurt her leg somehow because she is still alert and eating and drinking and although is staying in the coop is hobbling around a little. However, now I'm wondering if her lameness could be from the same sickness as Queenie but that she's just displaying it differently?
Chicken 3 (Chicken Little)
The last chicken in the group seems fine, she's up and about running around, exploring outside, but she also isn't laying and her earlobes have become white. (the person I bought them all from said they were easter eggers but she looks like a plymouth barred rock).
Feeling like an incredibly awful chicken owner currently and would really appreciate any help or guidance. Thank you so much in advance.
I'm very stuck and am trying to decide if there's any last efforts I can make or if the most humane thing to do is to euthanize her. I'm also trying to figure out the rest of the (small) flock (I have 3 chickens) are also sick but displaying symptoms differently. If any of you have feedback or suggestions I would massively appreciate the help!!
First off, all my chickens stopped laying a month ago but I had thought that it was due to the change in season and the associated decrease in daylight.
Chicken 1 (Queenie)
A couple weeks ago one of my chickens started seeming a little off, but she was still running about so I thought maybe it was just an off day, but a week ago I knew she was sick and things were bad – her comb is very pale and isn't staying upright anymore, tail down, extremely lethargic (she is now mostly just huddled on the ground and doesn't react when I get close), isn't eating much, she has diarrhea which is yellow and green ish at times and almost looks like there is grass in her feces sometimes. At the start of this week when things were getting bad I thought it was internal worms and purchased a horse dewormer paste, the only de wormer I could find near me, that I've been giving her about a pea sized amount of with bread the past 4 days (10% fenbendazole from SafeGuard) but I wonder if I could have incorrectly calculated the quantity or if I was incorrect because she is most definitely getting worse. She has been eating and drinking a little and I've been giving her scrambled eggs, yoghurt, and bread, but today it seems her appetite is almost gone or she doesn't have the energy to eat. It's quite bad and I'm wondering if at this point the most humane thing to do is to euthanize her or if there's anything else I could try.
Chicken 2 (Miss Featherington)
However, things don't stop there. A couple days ago I noticed that a different one of my chickens wasn't up and about and was spending most of her time on the perch; I have no idea what happened but she is now lame and can no longer support herself from one of her legs. She is on the heavier side of things (she's supposed to be a cochin x americana cross, but looks mostly like a cochin) and I wonder if she could have hurt her leg somehow because she is still alert and eating and drinking and although is staying in the coop is hobbling around a little. However, now I'm wondering if her lameness could be from the same sickness as Queenie but that she's just displaying it differently?
Chicken 3 (Chicken Little)
The last chicken in the group seems fine, she's up and about running around, exploring outside, but she also isn't laying and her earlobes have become white. (the person I bought them all from said they were easter eggers but she looks like a plymouth barred rock).
Feeling like an incredibly awful chicken owner currently and would really appreciate any help or guidance. Thank you so much in advance.
