Chicken fainting? Very sick...please help.

[chicksngoats]

I have a 3-4 month barred rock hen that has been acting completely healthy/normal. Today I walked outside to find it laying down with it eyes closed. It looked like it had a broken neck, it wasn't moving except to breathe. After about 5 minutes it stood up and walked around a bit then stared closing its eyes and just slowly layed down again, sort of just falling face down. Tonight I picked it up and it wouldn't even open its eyes. I tried giving it s bit of Sulmet with a straw, but I'm not sure if that will help, since I have no idea what is wrong with it. I'm honestly not sure about the eating habits or pooping. It is free ranging right now with 2 other rocks, 4 RIR's and 2 frizzles. In a smaller 6x8 coop. Any treatment needs to be done at home, I can't afford to go to a vet. Right now we are keeping it seperate from the rest of the chickens in a cage. I really appreciate any advice, I'm worried about getting my others chickens sick, if it is contagious. My son is very distraught about his sick chicken

Christina

 

[emilyweck]

I'm really sorry. Is it dehydrated? Sounds like you need to get water and vitamins in her. Do you have any liquid vitamins that you can put on its beak. Really try and get it to drink. Could it be overheated?

 

[chicksngoats]

We've had really cool weather the last 4 days or so, raining in fact. So it shouldn't be overheated. And shouldn't be dehydrated...we have a large waterer for the poultry and a goat trough that they can get too if the waterer runs dry. Should I be giving vitamins along with the sulmet? I gave her some of the sulmet water tonight with a straw, but she didn't take much. I could try some electrolyte water too....

 

[emilyweck]

Also, I was just reading on another thread that Vitamin B and E are the important ones. I also failed to mention that you can drop the liquid vitamins in her water.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Did this bird have access to a compost pile, puddles, algea water, a pond? Mushrooms? Fallen fruit or berries? Wet food or grains?" Kitchen scraps?

Can you feel the bird and tell us: is it heavy or light feeling? check for parasites (chicken lice and mites) very very carefully, using a flashlight for better light - all against the skin and on the feathers. See any? Any redness of the skin?

Take a handful of feathers near the neck - pull a little - do they come out easily?

Has the bird had access to a lot of shade? Was it very hot there today? Is he eating a diet of grower with free-choice granite grit available and few, if any, grains (10% of the diet or less)? Is he on the same diet as the others?

Any diarrhea? If so, what does it look like exactly. please describe it clearly enough to where I could paint a picture of it. Details count for a lot. Any smell to him? Any dragging of a leg or wing? When he walks, does he seem drunk? Is he able to hold up his head?

Discontinue the sulmet, please, unless you're seeing bloody diarrhea.

Instead, give the bird electrolytes (even pedialyte will work today), perhaps a little yogurt, egg yolk, water. Dribble into the beak.

It's possible that if he got into something you might want to do a flush with molasses or epsom salts, whichever you have. If he has diarrhea, particularly if it's green and smelly, I would throw the droppings away. PLEASE make sure that your child keeps away from the bird at the moment.

Are the other birds appreciably older than this hen? Any chance she could have been injured? Is her comb and wattle red and large now?

 

[emilyweck]

Gosh, I don't know what to think since the weather has been cooler. Is she showing any improvement?

 

[chicksngoats]

She isn't doing any better yet. Still won't open her eyes when I pick her up. I've got a bad feeling she isn't going to make it through the night


To answer the rest of the questions....

Did this bird have access to a compost pile, puddles, algea water, a pond? Mushrooms? Fallen fruit or berries? Wet food or grains?" Kitchen scraps?

We have a huge amount of property that they like to run around, so I'm not sure what she may have gotten into. There is a seasonal creek down our property. I do have a compost pile with kitchen scraps. Not sure about any wild mushrooms...


Can you feel the bird and tell us: is it heavy or light feeling? check for parasites (chicken lice and mites) very very carefully, using a flashlight for better light - all against the skin and on the feathers. See any? Any redness of the skin?

Hmm, not sure about feeling heavy or light. I'll have to check for the parasites in the morning. It's already dark now.


Take a handful of feathers near the neck - pull a little - do they come out easily?

I pulled and got like 1 feather, I'm not sure how hard I was supposed to pull, but it doesn't seem like they come out easily.

Has the bird had access to a lot of shade? Was it very hot there today? Is he eating a diet of grower with free-choice granite grit available and few, if any, grains (10% of the diet or less)? Is he on the same diet as the others?

Not hot today and has access to shade. She is eating chick starter crumbles...I think it is layena brand? She is eating the same as the others...

Any diarrhea? If so, what does it look like exactly. please describe it clearly enough to where I could paint a picture of it. Details count for a lot. Any smell to him? Any dragging of a leg or wing? When he walks, does he seem drunk? Is he able to hold up his head?

Can't check her poo yet, she hasn't since she's been in the cage. Don't notice any smell. She really isn't walking much. Just a couple of steps. And they don't seem really coordinated.


Are the other birds appreciably older than this hen? Any chance she could have been injured? Is her comb and wattle red and large now?

they are all about the same age. The RIR are about 1 or 2 weeks older. He comb is not very large yet. If she makes it through the night I will post a picture.


Thanks so far for the help. I will try the electrolytes....

 

[threehorses]

I think if she had access to a compost pile and mildew or the normal bugs and maggots that can be found there. I'd highly consider giving her a molasses flush and (if possible) I'd do tonight or first thing in the morning. I usually don't recommend this but it seems like you might lose the bird anyway and this is a chance that could maybe help since you say it was cool and heat doesn't seem to be the issue.

I would do this if you see diarrhea and it's green and stinky. Or if her neck is "limber", just hangs down and any involvement of the wings or legs.

I would absolutely not hesitate to do it if she starts dropping feathers or they become easy to pull out.


Molasses Solution
Add one pint of molasses to 5 gallons of water
(or) 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) to one gallon of water
(or) 1.5 tablespoons to a quart of water.

Use that as the only source of water for four hours. If the bird cannot drink, you can dribble some in the beak. After four hours, the bird must have electrolyte treated water.

Alternative:

1 teaspoon of Epsom Salt in 1 fl oz water - dribble in the beak

(or) 0.5 ounce (1 tablespoon) of castor oil.

Thereafter dampen crumbles with water and yogurt and feed that to him. Use electrolytes in the water. He will have diarrhea as this cleanses out toxins. Take up and throw away the droppings as you see them. Disallow anyone from being near this baby.

 

[chicksngoats]

My husband said that he saw her poop this afternoon and it was a bit green and he thinks maybe some of the food may have gotten wet. So I am going to try the molasses flush tonight.

Do I need to be concerned that my son was holding the chicken today? Is it anything that could cause my kids to get sick?

Thanks!

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Highly unlikely that her problems could cause a problem for your kids.

The check for the lice and mites NEEDS to be done at night, with a flashlight or other light source. Many of them only get on the birds at night. Look around her vent feathers and under her wings for tiny crawling critters, or clumps of tiny whitish eggs around the bases of the feathers. Treat everyone if you see any. They are going to get them, most likely. All it takes is a wild bird flying over.