What's wrong with my BO boy??? UPDATE with pics!!!

[cmom]

I have an 11 week old BO cockerel. This morning when I went out to their coop he was on the floor getting trampled. I picked him up and he is having difficulties in hold his head up and standing up. I moved him to another spot where he wouldn't get trampled by the other chicks while I was setting up a quarantine area for him. When I went back out to fetch him he was back laying in the pop door doorway again getting trampled on. I have now moved him out completely. I looked in my Chicken Health Handbook but bouldn't find his exact symptoms. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas what may be wrong with him... Not sure how to treat him. I did give him some vitamins with electrolytes. He has both mash and crumbles to eat. I'm not sure if I should feed him anything special. Any ideas???

 

[GreenMeadows]

could be anything??? Mereks,Vitiman E Def.,Cocci?? Try some vitiman E for a few days and keep an eye on him. Keep him warm and dry. Maybe yogurt and eggs?

 

[<3ChickenForever]

Does he look pale? It might be Cocci, but not sure. Check on him often. Make sure he has enough food and clean water.

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

More information might help the experienced folks on here better figure out how to help you. Here are the questions included in the sticky at the beginning of the "Emergencies" thread. Since more than 1 illness can cause the symptom you are describing, the more information you can provide, the better

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
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?
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use

 

[nurse_turtle]

I found one of my youngsters like that earlier this year. I brought her in the house and bathed her because she was being trampled on and was covered in mud and muck. I dryer her, and held her in a towel with me so she could die quietly. I offered her water with poly-vi-sol (no iron) in it, by dropper and surprised me when she took the water. I just kinda let a drop touch the side of her beak and she took it in. I felt her breast bone and it was so prominent. It was evident that she was starving. Long story short, she kept taking the water and did better each day and now she's well. Her coop mates would not accept her back into the flock so I let her live in the house forever.

Check your bird's breastbone and compare it to one of the healthy looking chickens. If it feels much sharper than the others, your bird is starving. This can also be called malnourished or 'failure to thrive'.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
11 week old BO cockerel

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Doesn't want to stand up or hold it's head up

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Just today

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.
???

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Medicated chick crumbles and water with vitamins and electrolytes

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

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Poly-Vi-Sol without iron, Vitamin E

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?
None of the vets around me treat poultry

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

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use

 

[cmom]

I would say it is a miracle. My now 12 week old BO cockerel is eating and drinking on his own. I took a medicine dropper with some vitamin and electrolyte water with a few drops of Poli-Vi-Sol mixed in and putting the dropper in his mouth and squirting it down his throat. I felt I had nothing to loose as he was barely moving on the bottom of the cage I have him in. I have been doing this several times during the day and at night. I did it last at about 4AM this morning. I went out awhile ago to feed the other chicks and check on him and to my great surprise he was up and eating and drinking on his own. UNBELIEVABLE... My DH has named him Clark for Clark Kent (Superman). Had to share and hope he continues to improve...

 

[Melissa Rose]

That is awesome

 

[JodyJo]

Yeah!

 

[cmom]

Here he is. Even the color is coming back in his comb and wattles. They were a very pale pink. I didn't take a picture of him when I thought he was on deaths door but took one just a few minutes ago. The water has vitamins and electrolytes with a few drops of Poli-Vi-Sol mixed in it. His poop is more normal today and not runny like it was. He isn't 100% yet but I am keeping my fingers crossed... My DH has named him Clark for Clark Kent (Superman) but I want to name him Miracle.

I just happen to take this picture the day before I found him half dead on his coop floor.

Here he is now.