concerned...

[Sunbeam]

One of my new(ish) ex-bats is looking rather off colour - I posted the other week saying she is the only one whose feathers haven't grown back and I was given a really good remedy - however when I got round to getting stuff needed (canestan and sudacrem) I noticed her feathers are growing back quite rapidly now!!!

Unfortunately she is now spending most of her time on her own and asleep on one leg in the middle of the garden and is taking herself off to sleep elsewhere at night. She is looking very thin & I put her in a run yesterday with food so she could eat what she wanted rather than being chased off by the older ex-bats. I picked her up last night to put her to bed and was quite shocked by how thin she was - I thought I had one of her legs trapped inbetween my fingers when I picked her up but when I looked to move it I found it was her breast bone - it was v obvious - she has no meat on her at all - I had a feel of her crop and this was empty too - despite having a pile of food to herself....

Is she having a moult? I know when the others have done so they look like a raggy feather duster and go off in a sulk, but i have never noticed them looking so thin -

I am concerned about her, but don't know whether this is undue ... any advice?

[Suechooks]

I'm not sure how long you've had them, but some ex-batts just don't adjust to life in the big world. The stress is just too much for them. If she's been really bullied in the cage she probably just can't get used to freedom. These girls are so frail when they come out that many do have health problems. Also they are not bred for longevity but for fast maximum output with minimum input
Try feeding her either dry meal/mash/crushed pellets or hard boiled egg mixed with yoghurt plus a bit of poultry spice or Avipro.
i think your concern is very justified. Do hope she makes it. Keep us posted

[Bramble-Poultry]

sounds like my girl i lost the other day. she never adjusted to life outside a cage. we had her 6 months and then we lost her.

it appeared she was the most timid of them and was always last to feed. birds have a habit of hiding illness from you as it is a sign of weakness and if seen, the other birds would mob her.

fingers crossed for you that you have spotted it. give a good quality mash wioth some yoghurt as sue says, try diggin up some worms for her too and see if she takes to them.

you could try trube feeding her if you're brave enough, but the trick is to get the tube past the back of the tongue. chickens dont have a gag reflex so if it comes out of the tube before the base of the tongue, it could go down into their airways and theycant "gag" to clear it, therefore use a child size dosing syringe and get it all the way past the back of the tonuge and towards the crop before you let any feed out - oh and mind the teeth

[Sunbeam]

thanks for the advice - I found her this morning tucked behind one of the bushes - asleep as usual and being picked on by one of the others - I bought her inside and gave her some porridge oats soaked in milk, but she hasn't taken any... I will try the hardboiled egg and yogurt and if need be will try syringe feeding her when OH is home this evening. When we got them about 3 months ago,she was the really aggressive one - I was pecked more in one day by her than I had been in the 5 years we've been keeping chickens! She'll still take a peck at something that is in her way ie the bird feeder as I picked her up this morning, but then goes back to sleep. She is standing up when she sleeps and is very 'vertical' tail low and and head pulled in very tight into her breast - she almost topples over she is so upright, then adjusts herself...

She doesn't look good at all and I don't think she'll be with us much longer, but funnily enough her feathers are growing beautifully .. Having said all that I thought the same about Floppy who is now the american footballer of the bunch ie when it's supper time she barges the others out of the way by going underneath them !

Will keep you posted and thanks again

[Glutton4...]

Her symptoms sound exactly like Mrs. Cuckoo who we lost last week. She was no ex-batt though, in fact she was a Cuckoo Marans, and barely 6 months old! I tried hand feeding all their favourite stuff but she just ate a few pieces then gave up.

She got thinner and thinner, and I know what you mean about the breastbone, she was the same. By the end she couldn't stand, just propped herself up with her wings, but only when she could be bothered. When we 'despatched' her I don't reckon she weighed any more than a couple of ounces!

It doesn't look good, but ((((hugs)))) to you, and best wishes.

[julesapple]

I know this is anthropomorphism, but.....could your chook be anaemic? I guess there's no way of telling for sure without a blood test. How red is her comb?

It's the sleeping that's bringing anaemia to mind......just a thought as I'm no expert. Maybe an iron tablet popped down her throat...how easy is it to pill a chook?

Jules

[Glutton4...]

...how easy is it to pill a chook?

Jules

Probably a lot easier than a Cat!!!!!

[Sunbeam]

Probably a lot easier than a Cat!!!!!

A damn sight less dangerous !

I have had her on the house in a large box since this morning and she's still sleepy, but I have seen her eat a bit of the porridge and milk- only a smidge,mind, but she has tried... I might try the iron tab - I doubt it can do too much damage if in small enough doses...lets see what tonight brings