HELP! Sick Pullet

[Stephanie A B]

Hi

I have a sick pullet and I don't really know what to do.

She's about 6 months old. She started laying about 2 days ago, and laid 1 tiny egg. She's seemed perfectly fine yesterday.

Today she's lethargic, and just sits in her nesting box. I've brought her inside and put her into the bathtub with some food and water. She won't eat or drink. She's been vaccinated against Marreck's, so I don't think that could be it. The rest of the flock is fine.

It's Saturday, so a lot of the vets around here are closed. what should I do? Should I just leave her in the tub and hope she recovers? Anything I can give her to help her get better?

Thanks!

 

[mebuff daisy]

Maybe she is eggs bound ?
You could try putting her in a dark place with heat
Or soak her in warm water
Best of luck,
Ann

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. I would put on a rubber glove, then insert one finger inside the vent 1-2 inches to check for a stuck egg. Give her a calcium tablet, Tums, or other form of calcium. If you feel an egg, then place her in a shallow warm bath up to the bottom of her wings. Massage her belly toward the vent to help her pass it. If there is no egg felt, then keep her confined, and offer some scrambled egg, canned tuna, or feed mixed with warm water. Make sure she is taking fluids. Hopefully it is just something to do with her starting to lay, and nothing serious. Watch her droppings for any diarrhea. Has she been wormed?

 

[Stephanie A B]

Ok, I put the glove on, felt around inside her, and no egg! (None that I can feel anyways)

I've got her in the tub now, with a small heater to keep her warm. I have some canned salmon, should I try that? or go out and get some tuna?

No, she has not been wormed.

 

[Eggcessive]

Salmon is fine, just to see if she will eat. Hopefully, it is just something harmless. I have had hens start to lay, and then become broody. Keep us informed on how she is doing.

 

[Stephanie A B]

Nope. She won't eat the feed mixed with warm water or the salmon.

She actually looks pretty bad, she's not standing up, just laying there listlessly.

It's horrible how they can go from perfectly fine to half dead in a day!

 

[mg15]

HI, when this happened to my girl. I gave her a whole calcium pill ground up into powder mixed with a little water and used a syringe to feed it to her. A whole calcium pill. Open her beak and put the syringe in and drop the liquid.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

How is her poo?

 

[Stephanie A B]

I'm not sure what caused this, but I think I will take the precaution of worming the rest of my chickens.

 

[Stephanie A B]

No poo that I can see. When I tried to look for an egg, the rest came out, kinda watery.