Any ideas on this problem?

[Lucylou]

Hi Everyone,

I'm hoping someone can advise as I'm out of ideas on this one.

I have a Marans, age 18mths approx, who's not well, can't really put my finger on what is wrong, she's just not right.

The background is:-
She slowed down on egg laying Sept & stopped mid Oct. Up to about last month she has seemed perfectly well, just no eggs!
She seems to have to be persuaded to eat, still gobbles up treats, but selectively, not like the others who all plough in. I haven't actually seen her eating her pellets or drinking but she doesn't seem to be losing weight so she probably is eating enough.
I examined her for mites at the w/e & no sign.
She's shaking her head a bit, not all the time, but it is noticable.
The others are not very friendly towards her either. For a couple of nights she hasn't been sleeping on the perch with the others, but underneath it (this might have been going on longer as I don't always lock up)
Out of my 4 she is one of the 2 at the bottom. One of the bossy ones has taken to taking a beak full of feathers for no apparent reason & poor thing doesn't react like I would expect but seems to take it in her stride!

Any ideas anyone? I've looked on a couple of sites for info & on the health section of the main site but nothing seems to fit! Glad of any help as she seems to be going downhill. Oh, they all have ACV & garlic in rotation.

 

[karlooben]

my maran seems to be shaking her head at times but i cant quite work out if shes tring to catch something or not , i have just wormed mine and deliced them as i noticed 2 little blighters on 2 of my girls horrid things , but i wish i could give you an answer but i cant , i am geting stressed about one of my girls [ex batt ] as well as shes going though one big moult and its really taking it out of her now that i have even thought of letting her go i am still cant understand how i havent lost her already i'm giving her all she needs as well to get though it hope you find out whats wrong soon .

 

[Tim]

Hi Lucylou,

Is she wormed?

How is her breathing if you hold her close and listen?

Do her nostrils and ears look clear?

Tim.

 

[Lucylou]

Hi Tim,

She was wormed just under than 6 mths ago, (around late Aug/Sep I think)

Nostrils & eyes all clear, will have another listen to her breathing tomorrow but I'm sure we didn't hear anything yesterday.

 

[Lucylou]

Just been out to have another look at Marilyn, my Marans. She's not any better.

Listened to her brething & all seems OK & eyes,ears, nose all clear. The best description of her now is lethargic & if it was possible for a chicken to be depressed I would say that's what she is! The 2 top birds seem to know she's below par & chase or peck her if she's near them. I couldn't temp her to eat anything.

Have to go to work today so hope she'll cope.

 

[foxy]

Hi well this a difficult one as you have probably excluded the usual suspects. In these cases it could be a few things however, without seeing or examining the bird there is not a lot we can do only advise generically with tips on improving well being.

I think a trip to the vets maybe a good idea, that's if you choose to treat your birds as there may be an underlying health problem.

Although you have checked for mites, sometimes its worth treating anyway, some mites are buggers to find! A real close check under the wing and the vent will reveal any, sometimes by shining a small torch you will catch them scurrying away from the light! A light worm load will not cause real problems and worming twice a year will be fine in normal conditions, however, a bird under par may struggle so worming again may be advisable.

Poultry "going light" can be a number of things, can be due to subclincal symptoms from lurking coccidosis- this would have a effect of the digestive tract and absorption of nutrients, thus causing her to lose weight. A course of coxoid would help this and it wouldn't hurt to treat all your birds, it could be she had cocci when younger and this has damaged her intestinal tract. There could also be an underlying gut infection, a/bs would help. Double check your run, is it wet? How long has the base been down? etc....

You could also try adding orego-stim to her water, or trying a course of Beryls to support her gut function, after though any treatment is given eg. antibiotics, wormers, coxoid.

There also other diseases such as lymphoid leukeamia that cause the symptoms you describe, again though this would need a diagnosis from a vet.

Also it sounds like a bit of bullying is going on, not unusual for a flock to pick on a poorly bird I'm afraid. The downside of poultry keeping!

 

[Lucylou]

Thanks for the advise foxy, useful info for future too.

I think I will take her to the vet, I don't want her to go too far downhill. She had a respiratory infection when a pullet, vet didn't say what type & she was right as rain after some anti bio's, but I have been wondering if it left her with a weakness.

Silly question but I presume when putting additives to the water in a case like this that its OK for all of them to drink, it wouldn't harm any of the others to have it too I suppose.