[grumpydad]

i had hoped that after losing 3 that would be enough for the year, but my little remaining bantam is now poorly, sitting in a corner, head down hunched up, not really eating a lot. she was fine yesterday.
wattle and comb are still pink, so she is not anaemic.
last wormed with flubenvet at the end of september.
not a happy chuck at all, so i have isolated her and put her on antibiotics straight away, it helped her the last time.

[Foxy]

Has she come into lay yet Grumpy dad? Just a thought...

[grumpydad]

she was point of lay last march and had started to lay, then i lost 3 to mareks and coccidiosis brought on by their immune system being suppressed, this little girl was poorly but pulled through and has been fine since august, she layed a couple of eggs in august but has laid nothing in the last couple of months, but like i said, she has been really lively until today, then today, very off.

[Foxy]

Does she feel like normal weght-wise? Is she a pure bred banty I cant remember...

[grumpydad]

she is a buff rock bantam, but is small, smaller than the bantams i had from debbie in october. i think her growth was stunted when she was ill, i dont mind if she never lays another egg, just want her better

[Foxy]

Hi Grumpydad, tricky one could be a few things.

Firstly the a/bs are a good idea, bring her in if you can with a friend, I use dog cages when I bring them in or a cat box (maybe a large cardboard box with one side cut out and a large piece of chicken stapled over the outside) Check her weight, does she feel like a bundle of feathers? If you have any chick crumb transer her onto to those for a while to help her build up strength with a pinch of poultry spice.

Check her crop in the morning (remove food when you go to bed and she is roosting)
Check for any obvious signs of infection, mainly respiratory although I think you would have mentioned already.
As she is a weak one, you might find periodicaly she gets unwell, particulary when under stress, and maybe the weather might've triggered this, poor thing.

I add Orego-Stim this time of year plus a crushed garlic clove.

I am so sorry she is unwell, I know how fond you are of her

[joyfull]

hope she picks up soon Martin, do you have any vitamin drops to put in her water as well as what Foxy said?

[Foxy]

oh and that should be a peice of "chicken wire" not "chicken" sorry.... :blink:

[chickenlady]

Oh no! martyn im so sorry  as Foxy says if she has been weakened by illness as she was developing it will make her suseptible in time of stress or even this horrendous weather we are having! hope she gets better she may well be startinf to lay again!? possibly a soft egg which makes them very low till they have passed it! have everything crossed for you! are all the other girls ok?

[grumpydad]

the only other chucks she gets on with are the full size wyandottes, i have not got room in a box for them, and dont want her on her own, unless she gets really bad.
good idea for the chick crumb, will get some of that today, she has been out and been pecking, but is now sitting huddled up again.
all the others seem to be fine, i thought i may have an occasional problem, just hope she pulls through.
i may be soft, but i am not going to do the deed unless i think she is not going to pull through.

[joyfull]

Martyn, remember though that unless the chick crumbs are organic it will have anti cocci in it so you don't want to let the other girls have any - can you feed her separately? Either that or you can't eat any of the eggs you may get - don't know what the side effects of eating them is though. Hope she gets better soon.

[grumpydad]

thanks, will get organic, or i might put some pellets through vals blender, and not tell her !!!!

[joyfull]

you can get small holder range and organic chick crumbs in small bags (5kg). You would be better using chick crumb as it would be better for her at the moment. Either that or try and feed her separately (maybe bring her in for a few hours in the mornings until she has eaten her crumb.

[grumpydad]

got the organic smallholder bag. ready for the morning. thanks

[Rubellite]

Keeping fingers crossed for you, Martyn.