Poorly chicken, pls help.

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Poorly chicken, pls help.

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giveitago

Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 151
Location: surrey

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 13 8:28 am Post subject: Poorly chicken, pls help.

2 year old, buff called Ginger.

Ging looked tucked up on Tuesday, it's cold here and i assumed she was chilly. However, she slowly going downhill and had a dirty bum so yesterday i brought her up the house and put her in the guinea pig hutch with a hot water bottle, tuna, sweetcorn and pasta.

The hutch is warmer than the chicken coop. She ate the tuna and sweetcorn yesterday.

However, this morning her crown looks a little dull, she's still all puffed up and although looking aware, she's still not right. More tuna, chicken pellets and sweetcorn in her bowl.

They had the regular wormer tonic in their water 2 weeks ago. I've checked for red mite and lice and cant see anything. The other 3 are fine. I suspect Ging hasn't laid as we've only had 2 eggs for the past few days and we usually get 3.

Any advice? What else to look for? Shall i buy another poultry tonic?

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 13 9:15 am Post subject:
I'm sorry but its probably best to buy another chicken. You've gone beyond the call of duty to try and save this chicken but sometimes things like this just happen. Its virtually impossible to give long range diagnosis, let alone a cure with sick chickens, even if there's a good photograph. I hope that the bird is able to shrug off whatever ails it but from your description, I doubt that it will.

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 13 9:17 am Post subject:

If you mean Flubenvet, I'd hardly call it 'tonic', it's medication for a specific type of problem, and I'd hesitate to give it to a poorly bird unless I was pretty sure that it is worms that are the cause.
If you mean the natural stuff, you don't give that off and on, it needs to be given all the time, as it won't shift them once they've got them.
So, if you do mean the natural one, then it's quite ilkely she's got worms, and it might be a good idea to give her the chemical stuff, except, it is (iirc) an irritant, so if it's not worms then it'll make her worse.
What breed is she? If she's one of the commercial laying breeds, then it's likely she's suffering from some reproductive illness, and there won't be much you can do for her. Is she at all swollen 'underneath'?

giveitago

Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 151
Location: surrey

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 13 10:01 am Post subject:

Just checked her again and it seems her crop may be a bit full. Will dose with oil and see if that helps.

Yes, i suprised she's still alive tbh, i had considered the big bird house in the sky this morning but I dont think she's quite ready to go yet.

Thanks for the advice, shan't do any lotions or potions, will try to sort the crop and see what happens.

Is there any other advice on loosening the crop other than oil and massage?

arvo

Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 3321
Location: Somerset

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 13 11:54 am Post subject:
One thing you can do if she's drinking. Do you have any Ecover washing-up liquid? Put a tiny squirt in her drinker (like 5/10mls). Try and make sure she drinks it. If it is worms, then the surfactants in it reduce the worms ability to adhere to the gut and it should help. Has her poo been orangey? That's often a sign of worms.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 13 12:14 pm Post subject:
I'm not being funny, but worms don't cause the symptoms that have been described. Dosing her up for them might be the straw that breaks the camels back. Having said that its nigh on impossible to diagnose long distance, with you saying that she's got a squishy crop, I don't suppose you've been using hay as bedding? The long dry strands can cause a blockage.

giveitago

Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 151
Location: surrey

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 13 1:40 pm Post subject:
Well, crop now a little softer. She's not eating much today but she is drinking a little. Pink bits look a bit redder. Still has dirty bottom but poss seem better formed. Still in the hutch and fresh water bottle administered.

girlracer265

Joined: 30 Jan 2010
Posts: 292
Location: brent knoll, somerset

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 13 2:17 pm Post subject:
Hope she recovers but as others have said, sometimes these things just happen and chooks hide illness well untill its too late

giveitago

Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 151
Location: surrey

Posted: Sat Mar 23, 13 10:15 am Post subject:
Still the same today, ive put her back in the coop and we'll see.

giveitago

Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 151
Location: surrey

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 13 10:26 am Post subject:
Chicken dispatched yst morning. She struggled to wander over to me in the morning and was using her wings to balance herself while walking, she took a few steps and fell flat on her face...that was enough for me. Im not sure what was wrong. Obviously her balance had gone. She seemed quite 'full' in her rear end. The swelling was soft, a bit like porridge.

Mithril

Joined: 22 Jul 2011
Posts: 1755
Location: wessex

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 13 11:36 am Post subject:
Aww, sorry to hear that

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9717
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 13 11:37 am Post subject:

sorry - it's a shame, particularly when they are special to you.

These things do just happen - could be an egg broke inside her and went bad, could be digestive system blocked for some reason, could be lots of things.

Sounds like you did the right thing.

If you really want to know what went wrong you can organise a pm through vets - will cost a fair bit though and might be inconclusive. you can, if you feel up to it, do one yourself - often it reveals the problem, not always. Or just put it down as one of those things.

Assume the rest of the flock seem ok?

giveitago

Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 151
Location: surrey

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 13 12:01 pm Post subject:
Yes, other three fine. I didnt think about autopsy. Hopefully wont need to know as there wont be a next time. Gees, it's cold but the girls are happily scratching around outside. Many thanks for all the help.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 13 1:23 pm Post subject:
An autopsy would cost you an arm and a leg and vets who know anything about poultry are very few and far between. You'd almost certainly be none the wiser after the exercise and definately the poorer. It would be far better to spend your money on fit healthy replacements. You did the right thing.

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