4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[tigerblade100]

I have a 9-10 month old bluebell that has always been small and shy, but over the last week she has stopped eating completely and now doesn't even drink.

She just sits and wants to sleep all the time.

 

I have managed to get her to eat some sweet-corn yesterday and she will drink from a syringe, but she will not feed herself and she is not keen and refuses to eat anything at all today.

 

her comb and wattle are very shriveled and she just wants to sleep with no interest in anything.

She has been regularly wormed and has never been a good layer, maybe once a week, but she has not layed for weeks.

 

No discharge from beak and no rattling breathing, not egg-bound, crop is empty cannot see anything obvious.

 

Any suggestions appreciated

 

thanks

[Daphne]

I'm sorry but she is obviously in a very bad way. No chicken can survive too long without food. If you can get to see a vet do so (but you should prepare yourself); otherwise carry on trying to tempt her with anything and everything including soaked pellets (easier to eat). Raisins, grapes, bit of porridge, mealworm, bit of rinsed tuna/catfood - anything which slides down easily. I'm sure others will add suggestions. She should be in the warm (its freezing here) so bring her in if you can - cat carrier or cardboard box will do. Plenty of bedding. Leave water with her, but I expect you will have to carry on syringing. I realise this is treating the symptoms not the cause but needs must. Does she have trouble moving a wing? Does she have a lump/swelling anywhere - abdomen/around vent?

 

Just try to do your best, keep her comfortable, you can't do more, poor little thing. They suffer from many unknown/unseen ailments and unfortunately this may be one of those. I hope somebody else might have a better idea.

 

Daph.

[tigerblade100]

She has been indoors since we noticed she was not well.

there are no lump's or anything unusual, she doesn't seem in pain anywhere.

 

Her left wing does seem to hang lower than her right. Is that any indication of anything?

 

thanks

Paul

[Daphne]

wing paralysis - ie bird not using one wing - is an indicator of mareks, which is incurable - and results in a bird acting like yours as a tumour grows inside and eating/drinking becomes difficult/impossible. However, I wouldn't be unduly alarmed because I am assuming your girl, as a hybrid, was vaccinated against this? On the face of it, just carrying one wing lower than the other shouldn't be a cause for concern - or do you think she could have damaged it somehow? It is obvious, when you watch an affected bird, if the wing is paralysed.

 

If I was you I'd be taking her to the vet tomorrow. Good Luck.

[Egluntyne]

Try to syringe some fluid into her beak.

 

If she has been like this for a week, I am afraid she is probably beyond home remedies.

 

Please take her to a vet tomorrow.

[Plum]

Sorry to hear about her. Best of luck at the vets.

[chelsea]

how's she doing?

 

Hope she is better soon. I am sure the vet will be able to advise.

[Groovychook]

Worrying news about your girl Paul. Hope you manage to get her to the vets.

[loopy]

Sounds a littel liek my chookie. She hadn't eaten for about two days, refused eveything and was very lathargic, no energy. Was going to take her to the vets today, crop still empty. As a last didtch attempt my husband (not sure why!) decided to hold her upside down as we have done for another chicken with sour crop. Really couldn't see why as she clearly had nothing inside her crop to sick up.

 

How wrong could I be!! for about 5 mins she threw up what seemed like gallons of foul smelling grey fluid. (all over the place!)

 

10 mins later she was wolfing down everything she could get in her beak!

That was about 2 hrs ago. She's now got a crop of food and is happily settling down to a night back with her mates.

 

if nothing else - might be worth a try with your chookie.

 

good luck - hope she gets well soon!

[tigerblade100]

Evening all.

 

took sophie to the vets today

they gave her some antibiotics, said it has to be worth a try.

got her hone and she has eaten 3 handfulls of sweetcorn and had some water.

she looks quite alot brighter than she was but still quite reluctant to eat.

she has just settled down so well just see how she is in the morning.

 

thanks for your advice.

Paul

[chelsea]

sounds promising, especially if she is attempting to eat.

 

Give the antibiotics 24 hours and hopefully she will improve.

[Plum]

Fingers crossed for you. At least she's started looking brighter.