Another Poorly Chicken

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The third of my original flock of 4 chooks a speckledy is showing identical signs to my blackrock, which died about 6 weeks ago. She has become more and more lethargic over the last 3/4 days and is hardly eating or drinking at all. She has come out of the house today but is walking very slowly and sleeping whilst standing up for long periods There are no other visible signs, no runny nose or eyes, no sign of worms.
As this is now my 3rd bird to become ill in about 3 weeks, any advise/ideas would be very much appreciated.
Incidentally, the two chooks which I bought about as replacements (1 x Blackrock, 1 X Silver Sussex) and my original Blackrock are not showing any signs of illness at all.
 
Sounds like it could be red mite in the coop. Does she sleep among the others or separate on a different perch or at the end of one? When was she last wormed with Flubenvet? Is her comb very pale? How old is she? It is very hot at the moment -is the drinking water kept cool and fresh? Has the coop got good ventilation? We have had to leave all the popholes open tonight as there is no wind to move air through the coop. You will need to get water into her regularly -say 5ml every hour or so with a syringe into her beak. Hold beak open with finger and thumb with little finger behind head to stop her moving backwards then trickle down neck giving her time to swallow.
 
With your problem in mind I had a look at two of our Wyandottes. Over the last few days they have been getting up late and going to bed early. Seem to have lost their 'spark' as well. Laying slowed down. I thought it was the moult as there are loads of feathers in the run. The cockerel is his usual bouncy self. Checked for red mite at the weekend and nothing in the bedding. Checked again today and there are small piles of them in the corners. Then I took the rather heavy roof off ----------------thousands of red mite so tightly packed that the small piles on the floor were just overspill. They couldn't fit any more in the spaces between the roof and the sides. Vaccumn out is the first treatment then dust birds and treat coop fully at weekend.
 
chrismahon said:
Sounds like it could be red mite in the coop. Does she sleep among the others or separate on a different perch or at the end of one? When was she last wormed with Flubenvet? Is her comb very pale? How old is she? It is very hot at the moment -is the drinking water kept cool and fresh? Has the coop got good ventilation? We have had to leave all the popholes open tonight as there is no wind to move air through the coop. You will need to get water into her regularly -say 5ml every hour or so with a syringe into her beak. Hold beak open with finger and thumb with little finger behind head to stop her moving backwards then trickle down neck giving her time to swallow.
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Thanks for reply, I'm glad to say there is definitely some improvement in her today she has eaten quite a bit of rice and toast today and she is even pecking and chasing the other chooks away from the food albeit not quite so fast as normal. Like yesterday I will ensure she has food and drink by placing it in front of her, she has also had herself a dustbath today, which she certainly did not have the energy for yesterday.
In response to your questions, she does sleep with the others and I can not find any evidence of red mite, I even checked the coop at dusk last night and ran a white tissue under the perch with no traces of red, although I have to say I have not seen red mite ever before so don't even know how big they are.
They were last wormed about 4 months ago, She is 2 years old and her comb is quit red.I just hope that the improvement coninues.
 
Pleased she is getting better. Maybe she was just struggling with the heat and humidity as I am. A red comb means she is healthy and laying, normally. Red mite are the size of a pin head or smaller. They are a buff colour until full of blood. Their poo looks like tiny flecks of cream paint on vertical surfaces and in large quantities looks like a pile of dust. Not to be confused with normal dust as a large pile will have mite in it which you can see on close examination. Depending on your eyesight a magnifying glass helps until you are familiar with it -as we are. Another coop with it today which is 8 of the 9, the 9th has been creosoted so no problems there -still stinks after 6 weeks though.
 
Great thanks I'm gonna keep a close watch on her for the next couple of days and I'll do another close inspection of the coop today. Meanwhile I hope you sort your red mite problem out soon
 
Just a progress report, she seems to be improving daily now, she's eating really well and has re-established her self in the pecking order especially when there's food around and she is also jumping to take the food out of my hand, not sleeping at all in the day now.
 
Thats great news. We had a repiratory infection on one of our Wyandottes which I recognised immediately from experience. To the vets and an initial double dose of Baytril and this evening she was much brighter. Give her a dose tomorrow and perhaps let her out with her flock for a bit. Important they maintain contact or on return she would be attacked as an intruder.
 
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