Wailing Chicken, I don't know what's wrong!

[abell4229]

I'm new to chickens this spring. And I LOVE them, they are my little pets. We had a fox incident and I lost all but two, I was devastated! Went on a trip for a week with my girlfriend (planned long ago) and came home to my dear husband who had so sweetly gotten me some new chickens. That was a couple weeks ago. Of the eight he got me (one rooster, three well summers, and four buff orpingtons) the buffs are of unknown age. He said they were a couple years old but laying eggs. I have gotten a few eggs but nothing consistent from them and the well summers are still young. The problem is Martha one of the buffs started making a weird noise earlier today. She is just wailing and crying like a human baby. She seems a bit calmer than normal when I'm handling her today. I checked her all over and the only thing I can find is some weird feathers (maybe picked at?) on her lower neck upper breast area. When I apply pressure there she sqwaks and jumps. If she shakes to fluff her feathers she makes the same noise. I don't know what's wrong or what to do. Having only had them a few weeks and not knowing anything about them and being new to chickens I am helpless. She has no interest in food, treats or water. I tried when she was crying to drop some water down her beak but she really didn't want it and I was afraid of aspirating her not knowing what I was doing. Help!

 

[Chicks and Hens]

Alright you have a bullied or sick or infected chicken keep her away from the chickens but not to ffar so she doesn't get "lowered" in the pecking order and elevate in case of dog or cat problems if you are keeping her in the coop... keep her active. baby her and careful with her chest and keep food everywhere and extra treats make sure she is careful too

 

[abell4229]

I could move her to a plastic dog crate in the garage for the night, today she sat in her nest box while the others were outs sctraching in their fenced little "yard". Since the fox incident they all have to be locked up in the coop for the nite. It's a small coop for 8 birds from TSC, Will I stress her out by taking her away from the group? I was worried about them picking on her. What could be wrong with her?

 

[Chicks and Hens]

or she could be irratated about something on her chest and pecked at it to hard

 

[abell4229]

I hope so! Tomorrow construction on my new coop will begin. They will have 30' by 8' so they won't be as cramped and have plenty of room to play safe from preditors!

I just moved her, gave her scratch grains, crumbles, and water in a kennel in the garage. She had quieted down but was still crying. I'm afraid she seems weak. I thought her comb was warm earlier, as I carried her, her little face at the crook in my arm at my elbow, seemed really hot. Maybe antibiotics tomorrow? If so what ones? Dosage? A good friend is a quail farmer, so I am sure I can get anything I need from him.

 

[abell4229]

I still havnt found a favorite treat of the buffs yet. Seem to like tomatoes, but no other. " commercial" treats excite her yet. I offered her some maggots I saw under their scrap pan when I moved it to dump out yesterday's veggie treats, she didn't want them. Maybe I'll find her some worms tomorrow... Good excuse to weed the garden!

 

[mrstodd]

I'm new too, but maybe it could be an impacted crop? you said shes crying, not interested in food or water? is her crop hard or swollen? is it possible for you to get some info from your hubby and call the people that you got the buffs from and they might be able to offer some assistance? Its all well and good to keep her away from everyone and 'baby' her but if you don't know what your treating, its kind of pointless. I hope you get some answers soon! sorry you are going through this

 

[mithious]

If you want try an antibiotic, use one that is a broad spectrum since you don't know what this is. I suspect those feathers hurt, as you said she was making noise when you touched them. Ask you quail farmer friend, he should know what and how much. Each one is a different dose and can depend on weight also.

I bet your friend would have some ideas if he sees her, could he come over? Take a look at her?

 

[abell4229]

I was planning on having him look at her too. Unfortunately hubby has no further info to provide...I wish! I don't even k ow where the crop is to know if it was swollen. But I did feel all over on her for something odd and didn't feel anything but the feathers. I felt my other hens for comparison and didn't feel anything different. Not that I knew what I was doing tho. I'm not a vet, I'm not a vet tech, but I have 16 dogs and a couple cats, and have been with animals all my life, I frequently have to diagnose "family members" of the 4 legged type who don't speak. I'm just going on gut feelings and logic from other situations....any suggestions I welcome and I'll try!

 

[mithious]

I was planning on having him look at her too. Unfortunately hubby has no further info to provide...I wish! I don't even k ow where the crop is to know if it was swollen. But I did feel all over on her for something odd and didn't feel anything but the feathers. I felt my other hens for comparison and didn't feel anything different. Not that I knew what I was doing tho. I'm not a vet, I'm not a vet tech, but I have 16 dogs and a couple cats, and have been with animals all my life, I frequently have to diagnose "family members" of the 4 legged type who don't speak. I'm just going on gut feelings and logic from other situations....any suggestions I welcome and I'll try!

I'm sorry, I don't, but maybe some of the others will chime in? This really is hard without much info. Is she eating at all? Drinking? Feathers can be very painful though. Especially if they got broken or picked off. She could have fallen or been pushed off a roost buy a chicken farther up the pecking order...I wish I had more to offer, so sorry! I know how frantic I was when my lot got sick!!!

It's dark, is she atleast settled at all?