[buzzybee#1]

I have looked through Practical Poultry mags, but can't seem to pinpoint exact problem. Chicken found outside sat on floor, so put on perch in her house. She stood on perch, puffed up as if eggbound (but not), then jumped down and lay on her side on the floor (like they do when sun bathing!) Other symptoms:
Making whimpering noise, like she's uncomfortable/in pain
Crop feels lighter, not as full as usual
comb a bit floppy and listless, and less colour than normal
poo watery with a bit of green and white in it
bedding in house wetter than normal and smells of ammonia

Any suggestions, I'd be grateful, as it is obviously bothering her

Only thing that has changed recently (last few days) is change of diet. Gone from layers pellets and scraps, to layers pellets and wheat (with no scraps)
Have 2 chickens, neither have been laying since July, except occasional soft egg (the sick chicken)

Please help someone!!

[Vember]

Hi BB 1

It might be best to seek a vets opinion
Or put her out of her misery  :cry:

It could be that she's laying internally, which can then lead to peritonitis :?
Very green poops can be a sign of worms :?
Problems with movement could be Mareks :?


Sorry I'm not much help

Hope you manage to help her soon

Sarah

[poultrygeist]

How old are they busybee ?

Can't add anything to what vember says. If they've not layed since July and are in their first year, it would imply there could have been a long term problem.

Rob

[Aunt Sally]

She's definitly got a problem !

Possibilities could be:

“dysbacteriosis” – normal gut flora disturbed.

Chronic ulcerative enteritis,

Brachyspira ( spirochaete) problem

“stress”- is it being picked on by the others ?

Less likely causes TB, gut tumour of some sort, liver problem.

Plus a few other possibilities I may not have thought of.  It's sometime difficult for even a poultry vet to make a diagnosis easily.  My only advice would be to get a course of antibiotics to rule out a bacterial infection.

[nnbreeder]

Could you weigh her and compare her to the others? She could also be bullied away from the feed for some reason.
 Sometimes the green droppings is from a lack of feed and it's bile from the digestive system, could she have an impacted crop which is not allowing the feed to go through her system?

 If she is an internal layer her belly should feel hard and it may be hot too. Take and check her out real good by touch and use one of the healthy hens to compare with. Especially ck. out the Keel bone which runs right down the front of the bird, there should be ample flesh on either side of it and on younger birds the Keel should not be prominant.

[buzzybee#1]

Just wanted to say thankyou to you all for giving me some suggestions so quickly - if I resolve the problem I will let you know how

[unaspenser]

Wish I could help with your poor girl, but keep us posted!

[agapanthus]

Might it be the wheat? Perhaps not giving her any for a couple of days might show something. I might be clutching at straws here :?

[nnbreeder]

Here is an easily fixed feed that you could give her to help give her a boost. I know that I have heard people here refer to the Rescue Remedy and I would bet that this is close to that.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To help a bird recover from illness, they need extra protein.. this formula really helps them with thier recovery

My Treatment is this

“” This amount feeds one bird””

Feed the birds three times a day for three days a mixture of

This mixture is what you will need for the entire three feeds…. It is not 3 egg yolks and 3 teaspoons of honey etc…. divide the contents into three

½ to 1 x egg yolk….. give the whites to the other hens mixed into their seed or pellets (depends a lot on the size of the egg yolk)

1 teaspoon honey…. .given for energy

2 x tablespoons yoghurt…. Given for calcium and also to make the bowel go back into normal production after this upset
Only use the plain yoghurt never the one with fruit or extra sugar in it, not good for the bird

¼ teaspoon calcium powder (if you can’t get the yoghurt)

3 to 4 tablespoons rolled oats…. To give substance to the feed, or use chicken crumbles or layer pellets but soften them with some boiling water first

Sprinkle of multi vitamin powder (only if you are not already giving it to them in their drinking water, don’t overdose) just a few grains will usually be enough for this size mixture

2 to 4 table spoons of apple sauce or grated apple, it must be grated not chopped up for ease of digestion

Mix to make a crumble mixture not runny

If the bird is not eating you will have to force feed... roll into small pellets the same size as a layer pellet.... and force feed, and then massage the neck in a downward motion to get it down into the bired crop, make sure your keep the neck straight, its really hard getting someting down a neck that is bent or curved, the bird may be too weak to eat or have lost the desire to eat…. Don’t hold back…. The longer it goes without this the worse it will get

If you must give it something to drink – only give drops onto the beak or use the crop tube to get fluids down the throat, don’t try and pour any fluid down a chickens throat, it will more than likely go into the air passage and into the lungs and end up drowning the bird


This will give the bird a large dose of Vitamin D, C and A

After 3 days cut back to once a day for 2 weeks, you should notice the difference in 3 or 4 days

Give other food also, chick crumbles, grower crumbles or layer pellets depending on the age of the bird etc
Also have fresh water at all times for the birds to drink in easy reach, remember it is not well so it may not go looking for the food and water, so put it just about under its nose so it can’t miss it