New to chickens - need help

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Hi,

One of my chickens has been acting weirdly since this morning.
She hasnt been moving, she just sits or stands in one place for hours. She doesnt eat or drink and when she goes to the toilet its just yellow goo. Also the area around her bum is straining like shes trying to push out an egg but nothing happens.
We are in the process of clearing red mites from the chicken coop and she hasnt laid an egg for around 5/6 days. We move them at night so they dont get affected much by them and i checked her for mites and couldnt find any on her.
I looked on the internet and it could be something where she is egg bound or binding? I also tried to feel her crop and i think it was normal. I gave her a warm bath and that doesnt seem to have help neither.
Any help or info will be appreciated!
 
hiya - I'm no expert, but have you wormed her/them recently? there a few posts on here with similar problems, and i've had the same problem with one or two of mine. You need to worm them - Flubenvet has been recommended, and thats what we used, just add it to measured food as detailed on the box. i got ours from Cornwall Farmers, but available elsewhere too. I also used 'Nutridrops' with two which were behaving like yours, and it really perked them up - drops orally for 3 days up to 5 days. I've also read on here about Mycoplasma, and apparantly they usually have smelly breath with that, but similar symptoms as you describe too. are hers eyes and breathing OK?
If they are being bitten a lot by mites at night, they do get anaemic and stop laying, and the comb changes to pale pink rather than red. dusting with Diatom is recommended too.
i'm sure you'll get more 'expert' replies, but thought i'd give you my own take on remedies/experience as it's often expensive going to the vets, so anything helps!
hope all goes well - let us know?
Pat :roll:
 
Yes, agreed first thing to check is she is wormed.

If she is not eating or drinking, that's pretty serious and if it is since this morning, she has gone down hill quite quickly and it could be something serious. She should really get to see the vet ASAP.

There is some information on Flubenvet on the poultrykeeper site if you need it but this is an in feed treatment. If you suspect worms, some people will measure out a small amount and syringe it down but there are no official guidelines as to how much she should have this way. A rough amount was suggested in our Chickens Health FAQ on Worming: http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=483

Let us know how you get on. My fingers are crossed for her.
 
Thanks for the replies, no i dont think they have been wormed so ill look at getting that done asap.
She has been sat next to water since around 5ish and has been drinking some of it but i havent seen her eating, shes still doing yellowy gooey poops too.
Her comb is bright red and im pretty sure its nothing to do with the mites because we havent been letting the chickens near the coop till the mites were under control.
The other two chickens went in the coop to sleep like normal but she just stayed sat outside, i ended up having to put her into the coop but she sat on the floor. Not sure what to do to make her feel better :(
 
Hi,

Wishing you the Best with Her and hope She gets well soon. It's awful when our Poultry friends are unwell and at times difficult to tell what's wrong and how to treat them. Fingers crossed for Her, let us know how She's doing. Our Charles unfortunately didn't make it after His illness but we just couldn't watch Him any longer, still not sure what was wrong with Him in the end.

Siobhan.
 
Hi again, they have been wormed so that cant be the problem. She was sat in the same position this morning as when she went to bed and she has started snotting. Ive given her another warm bath and massaged her crop, i think it might be swollen. She smells abit funny too. Ive felt for an egg aswell but i couldnt feel anything hard.
Could she have a sour crop?
 
At this stage I think the best thing is the take to a vet, preferably one with poultry/avian experience. Treat any odour with suspicion as combined with her general condition this would indicate an infection.
I am wondering if she has peritonitis due to a mislaid/broken egg, the yellowy gunky poo and vent straining would be indicative. If she is that poorly the vet will either advise on culling, or prescribe Baytril antibiotics. The crop could be a bit swollen purely because she is ill, if the crop was the primary problem it would have been likely to have been swollen when you first spotted she was unwell.
 
Hi, you really need to take her to a vet asap- giving her baths will do no good- it's antibiotics she needs by the sound of it - hope she is better soon,
regards, David
 
Thanks for all your help, unfortuantly she died this morning. She was sick when she died so not sure what was the matter with her. Ive got alot of useful information and more symptoms im aware of now so hopefully nothing like this happens again. :cry:
 
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