Author Topic: a sickly looking chicken (Read 2190 times)

erck · « **on:** September 07, 2011, 04:20:23 pm »

Hello out there,

I have had 9 chickens for about 1 week, bought from a friend, all layers. One of which I have been quite worried about. It is a white chicken and around the vent area it has very red skin with very short or maybe missing feathers and a little bit mucky, it's the only one with the comb drooping, which also looks abit cyanosed! (Blueish) She is breating heavier than the others but is feeding ok and very active. Any ideas whats wrong, all the others seem very healthy!

Please help

melodrama · « **Reply #1 on:** September 07, 2011, 05:59:54 pm »

I'm not sure and you will get much better advice from others I am sure but have you tried the usual, worming, checking for lice etc? We had some girls come to us with lice and after a treatment or two and much sudocrem around the vent, they perked up and are now healthy and gorgeous! Hope that helps.
melanie

erck · « **Reply #2 on:** September 07, 2011, 10:25:33 pm »

thanks melanie

violet · « **Reply #3 on:** September 08, 2011, 12:33:03 pm »

I agree with melodrama, also red mite which they may have taken with them. Hens moult in different ways and can look rather naked at times too, so you may like to give them something to support this.
A general tonic in their water like herban or apple cider vinegar with some garlic, should help support their immune system & deal with any nasties.

He breathing may mean she has a cold or catarh, the first thing I would use would be a drop of eucalytus oil or other decongestant - a drop on the back of her neck ( should act as an insect repellant too).

Also check her crop? perhaps she has sour crop? If it's not worms it may be something digestive. Though as she's active this may not be the case.
For this I would use Epsom salts or liver salts - diluted ( I'd have to check on ratios) and would feed it to her from a spoon or syringe. Maybe some medicinal charcoal too or slippery elm mixed in a mash. I have had success with homeopathic treatment too. But at times like these it's best to use what's in your cupboard or is easily available.

erck · « **Reply #4 on:** September 08, 2011, 07:49:12 pm »

thank you, who knew chickens would be so complicated!

little blue · « **Reply #5 on:** September 08, 2011, 08:31:01 pm »

if her comb is blue, its a sign of circulation problems.
so treating her with lice/mite/wormer won't do any harm and do her good ... but you may not solve the underlying issue.
get a wormer that deals with gape worm, this can block the trachea.
and keep her calm & stress free to reduce strain on her heart

Heather · « **Reply #6 on:** September 09, 2011, 08:50:37 am »

"and keep her calm & stress free to reduce strain on her heart"

the hen maybe, but after all this I don't think 'erck' will be feeling stress-free