Will hoey

[nin-chicken]

Hello, I'm worried about one of my girls and hoping someone can advise me...

I have three hybrid girls of just over a year old and for the past few days, Felicity has been much slower and quieter than usual. She occasionally goes into a corner and closes her eyes, and is eating a lot less than usual. To start off with I thought she was building up to laying a softie as this is how she behaves before that happens but it has been going on for several days now. She also hasn't laid an egg since Monday. She occasionally perks up and has a little drink or something to eat and at the moment she is in the dust bath. But she just isn't herself and I'm worried. I took her to the vet yesterday but the chicken expert wasn't there unfortunately so we had to see someone else. She took a long time checking her over, her heart and breathing were fine, no lice, nice red comb and clear eyes and nostrils. Also checked that she isn't egg bound which she isn't. But she said that she was very thin and that her crop was almost empty (even though I had seen her eating that day). She was fairly perky on the vets table, walking about and making her usual little trumpety sounds but she still isn't right today. They are due to be wormed but I don't see how it'll work with her if she isn't eating properly because then surely she wont get enough of the flubenvet? Also her poos are quite watery and a little bit frothy and very tiny but I guess that's because she isn't eating much.

Our proper chicken vet is back on Monday so I will take her back then but can anyone offer any advice or suggestions in the meantime. She is my favourite girl and such a sweet friendly soul I just want to get her sorted asap

Thank you

Alice x

[mullethunter]

Could it be just that she's going into a moult? Mine are and are eating less, not laying and quite subdued compared to normal

[nin-chicken]

Thanks mullethunter, I would love to believe it was that simple but would that explain the funny poos?

[Grandmashazzie]

Will she be tempted by tuna or mealworms to build her up?

[nin-chicken]

She had some tuna a couple of days ago but wasnt that fussed by mealworms earlier today. She had some corn & a bit of eggy rice though and a bit of warm mashed up pellets. Will give her tuna again tomorrow.

Thanks x

[Beantree]

You are right that you won't be able to worm her if she isn't eating normally Nin-chicken. It's always good to be able to rule worms out when you have a sickie, which is why it is so important to keep up the worming programme. We are guilty of lapses and have paid the price recently, but we only worm every 6 months generally.

 

Some of ours free range, so we worm by mixing the Flubenvet with Olive oil and administering orally. Heard of grapes being loaded with a dose as well. One 6g scoop of the 1% Flubenzol mix is good for 14 doses, or two chickens for 7 days. So you have to divide that scoop without breathing in the dust or having skin contact. She will have to be done individually, but the vet may be able to give her a suitable one shot wormer, which ours have had before. No idea what was in it?

[MaryHen]

This sounds exactly the way doris has been the last week. I took her to the vet and she could nt find anything wrong either but prescribed anitbiotics and a course of flubenvet.

She's to have picked up slightly over the last few days and has started eating and drinking again.

I found she would eat a prridge of pellets and meal worms but cant do that now i am worming.

Its fustrating not knowing what is wrong.

I hope she picks up soon.

[nin-chicken]

Thanks for the reply Maryhen. On Sunday felicity made a full recovery, much more perky & upright and vocal! Eating more and pooing normally! I don't know whether the bokashi bran & pellets warm mash and poultry tonic in the water helped or whether she just 'self cured' but I am Very relieved!!

Alice