1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Olive egger. She's about 10 months old and is of average weight.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She has had some runny, loose stools for awhile. They are darker in nature and I've seen no blood or intestinal lining whatsoever on the poop board. She is the bottom of the pecking order and has taken some nesting box feather plucking in the past. We bring her into the house whenever she is due to lay so she can grow those few feathers back in her head. Despite the loose stool, everything was going fine.
Over the past couple weeks she has been losing feathers on her neck and belly. She has bare spots on her belly now, but there is no irritation or redness whatsoever. It's just plain, smooth white skin. The feathers are not being pulled out by the others either. We've seen them just falling out of her. During this time she had started low, repetitive clucking too..."buck buck buck buck". This was atypical for her and the first thought I had was she's going broody. She still had the runs, but she was eating normally and seemed strong. She even challenged a few of the other lower pecking order birds which is rare (she lost the stare downs though).
Last night she seemed to stagger a bit when she walked. I noticed she was wringing her neck too. It almost seemed like she was trying to clear her throat. I gave her water and she drank a lot of it up and went to sleep. I checked on her when I woke up this morning and she was eating and drinking, but still wringing her neck. She was due to lay early (no egg yesterday) so I brought her inside and gave her some fermented feed and electrolyte. She went into her nesting box to lay, but she kept shaking and wringing her head before going in. I'll add that she has been laying like a champ during this time with a cycle of about 3-4 days on and 1 day off. Her shells are the hardest of all of my birds so I'm not worried about her being egg bound.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
I cleared that up above. A few weeks for the loose stool and 24hrs for the staggering/neck wringing.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No. They all have healthy poops too. I'll add that this chicken's sister came from a breeder and she died on me last fall with what I suspected as Marek's. I never had her tested though. My other 10 birds are hatchery birds from Agway (I think they're from Mt. Healthy).
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.
I have no idea. I'm worried that the loose stool has gone on too long, but I'd like to refrain from antibiotics.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Free ranging, mostly fermented feed...some dry layer pellets. Lots of water and occasionally an electrolyte or probiotic added to the H2O. Occasional snacks are ground up coconut, leftover salad greens, mealworms, and some BOSS.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Dark but watery/loose
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I've just kept her on the fermented feed and made sure she was eating enough. She's been getting electrolyte tablets in her water here and there.
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?
I would like to treat the bird myself, yet stay away from antibiotics. I have some liquid Corid that I'd consider giving her, but I didn't suspect Cocci with no sign of blood in the stool at all.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
No pics or vid yet
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
In the coop they have flake pine shaving from TS. The nesting boxes have Koop Clean in them. Outside they free range.
Olive egger. She's about 10 months old and is of average weight.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She has had some runny, loose stools for awhile. They are darker in nature and I've seen no blood or intestinal lining whatsoever on the poop board. She is the bottom of the pecking order and has taken some nesting box feather plucking in the past. We bring her into the house whenever she is due to lay so she can grow those few feathers back in her head. Despite the loose stool, everything was going fine.
Over the past couple weeks she has been losing feathers on her neck and belly. She has bare spots on her belly now, but there is no irritation or redness whatsoever. It's just plain, smooth white skin. The feathers are not being pulled out by the others either. We've seen them just falling out of her. During this time she had started low, repetitive clucking too..."buck buck buck buck". This was atypical for her and the first thought I had was she's going broody. She still had the runs, but she was eating normally and seemed strong. She even challenged a few of the other lower pecking order birds which is rare (she lost the stare downs though).
Last night she seemed to stagger a bit when she walked. I noticed she was wringing her neck too. It almost seemed like she was trying to clear her throat. I gave her water and she drank a lot of it up and went to sleep. I checked on her when I woke up this morning and she was eating and drinking, but still wringing her neck. She was due to lay early (no egg yesterday) so I brought her inside and gave her some fermented feed and electrolyte. She went into her nesting box to lay, but she kept shaking and wringing her head before going in. I'll add that she has been laying like a champ during this time with a cycle of about 3-4 days on and 1 day off. Her shells are the hardest of all of my birds so I'm not worried about her being egg bound.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
I cleared that up above. A few weeks for the loose stool and 24hrs for the staggering/neck wringing.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No. They all have healthy poops too. I'll add that this chicken's sister came from a breeder and she died on me last fall with what I suspected as Marek's. I never had her tested though. My other 10 birds are hatchery birds from Agway (I think they're from Mt. Healthy).
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.
I have no idea. I'm worried that the loose stool has gone on too long, but I'd like to refrain from antibiotics.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Free ranging, mostly fermented feed...some dry layer pellets. Lots of water and occasionally an electrolyte or probiotic added to the H2O. Occasional snacks are ground up coconut, leftover salad greens, mealworms, and some BOSS.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Dark but watery/loose
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I've just kept her on the fermented feed and made sure she was eating enough. She's been getting electrolyte tablets in her water here and there.
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?
I would like to treat the bird myself, yet stay away from antibiotics. I have some liquid Corid that I'd consider giving her, but I didn't suspect Cocci with no sign of blood in the stool at all.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
No pics or vid yet
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
In the coop they have flake pine shaving from TS. The nesting boxes have Koop Clean in them. Outside they free range.
