Very Sick Chicken...Help!

[julesapple]

Following on from yesterday, our broody is very very ill. Apologies for starting another post, but I'm desperate here.

We think she has stopped being broody because she doesn't care if you go near her or touch her eggs, and she usually has a hissy fit. We've put the eggs under the other broody for just now.

She's now inside, in a box, with a warm waterbottle. After severe rain storms last night, she must have got very damp and she doesn't have the body heat to dry her feathers. She's sitting with her eyes closed, not interested in food or water. Her comb is almost yellow, it's so pale.

We've given her more Nutri-Drops, but does anyone know if a crushed ferrous sulphate (iron) tablet would work? I have them for my anaemia.

Meanwhile, we'll try and get water and food into her. Any suggestions at all would be great - thanks guys!

Jules

[RichmondHens]

In the absence of red mite it is hard to think of what might be causing the anaemia. As she has been brooding it is unlikely to be internal injury. I think at least a phone call to your vet is needed (taking the bird there may stress her too much). I don't know about giving her iron supplements - birds' systems are very different to ours. Try and syringe a little water (room temp, not too cold) into her. Don't worry about food for the moment. Just concentrate on the fluid, and keep her warm. Be prepared for the worst (but I'm sure you know that).

Fingers crossed.

[chris]

Was going to suggest the same, but RH replied with a better anwer.

[baldrick]

Oh no. I hope she pulls through. Got no experience to draw on but I know their red cells are totally different to ours so Id guard against giving any iron supplement not specifically formulated for avian use. Keeping it all crossed here for her. Do you have a good chicken vet?

[julesapple]

Her skin is yellow, like those corn fed chickens you see in supermarkets. We can't see any mites or lice on Shirley, but I did find a small collection of them in her broody coop on very close inspection, so I've pulled it apart and scrubbed/treated it.

We've got some cooked egg into her too, and water, and she's looking a little better.


Jules

[Newtothis]

I really hope she feels better soon.

[Flummery]

Poor girl - I hope she picks up.

[julesapple]

Quick update; Shirley is on her feet and she's eating and drinking quite well. We tempted her with egg, cheese, tomato and spinach. As she didn't want to drink, we used a crop tube and got 30mls of water with iron into her. I'm sure it was the crushed iron tablet that got her kick-started. Anyhooo we'll see how she goes on.

Jules

[chris]

Glad to hear she's picked up a little bit. Her comb colour any better? Are you definitely sure there's no red mites hiding anywhere? Or has she cut herself anywhere?

[frias]

Not sure about the iron tablet but my vet said it was OK to give human calcium tablets to one of mine laying softies and when another one had crop problems the antibiotics the vet gave me were the same I had been on before. Only difference is the dose. 1/4 tablet a day instead of 4 tablets a day for humans. Vet always says boiled or scrambled egg is good for pooly chooks.

[Nicos]

Oh gosh...all this is very interestingly new info!

Good luck with your gal jules! xx

[petal]

hope she gets better but yellow colouration sounds like liver failure?

[polo]

hope she gets better but yellow colouration sounds like liver failure?

Was just about to say the same. Hope she carries on getting better x

[julesapple]

Liver problems did cross my mind when Shirley was off her feet, as we have liver problems in our house so the yellow immediately suggested that to me. However, today Shirley is much brighter, she's pottered around the no-chickens part of our garden enjoying things forbidden to the other girls! We're continuing with one iron tablet in water per day along with the Nutri-drops and feeding her up on scrambled egg, spinach and liver. The vet at the animal sanctuary where DD works weekends has said the iron will do no harm, even though chooks might not absorb it.

We have powdered Shirley thoroughly with diatom earth powder, and when powdering her we found Red Mite living on her but we only found a few in the broody coop, even though we took it apart. So we think she was being eaten alive by mites that hitherto we thought didn't live on the birds. Tomorrow we're going to really thoroughly dust each girl so as to prevent it happening to them. We'll step up from one a month to twice now.

We're very thankful that Shirley is perking up, and starting to turn pink, and we think we can get her back to full health. She was trying to turf Morag off her eggs today as she doesn't have hers now. We've put them in the bator but we don't hold out much hope, as they were cold for about 24 hours.

Jules

[polo]

Sounds really positive - really pleased for you.