Chicken help needed!

[The Vail Benton's]

FD thank you for posting that link - I have saved it for future reference.

 

[ToLiveToLaugh]

Her crop is empty. I can feel that bone really distinctly. I'm used to having very fat chickens, though she's always been one of the smaller ones. I think she's lost some weight, I just didn't notice since she's just finished up molting. Her feathers look very nice, still have the little flakes coming off from the tubes (I don't know the terms, hopefully you all know what I'm talking about!). When I went to give her some of the aspirin water she clucked at me and looked like she was trying to stand up. (I have to feed her from a plunger style syringe, I just kinda squirt it in the side of her mouth and she smacks it down). Ended up just shifting around a little and sliding forward, never got her feet under her at all.

One question I do have- how do I know if she's in a lot of pain, to the point that I'd have to put her down? And further, how would I do it? I don't have any firearms of any sort up here, and I don't think I'd have the heart to snap her neck. I did to a roo who was really bad once, but I don't think I can do the again. It's pretty sickening, honestly. So what are the signs there, and options if I do need to take action? I wish it wasn't the weekend, no one is around at the school right now, and I don't have the money for anything else.

 

[bibliophile birds]

i would suggest some coconut water (basically unsweetened coconut milk) if you can get some. it's not particularly cheap, but it's packed with nutrients and good fats that should help perk her up.

as for the possibility of putting her down, i've read about people using lighter fluid. basically you soak some paper towels in the fluid and put them in a paper bag. slide the bag over her head and close it around her neck (maybe tie it with string lightly). this will put her out slowly with no pain. she'll just pass out from the fluid and then die. there's never a "good" way to do the deed with a pet, but this way seems to be the easiest on the bird and yourself.

good luck. hopefully things will turn around.

 

[savingdogs]

I'm a chicken newbie but we had a bird act like this after getting into some leftover people food that was mostly garlic and onions. She was kind of paralized for a couple of days and we could barely get her to eat. After about three days she just snapped out of it and got up and started walking around and pecking the ground like normal.

I wasn't sure what else could have caused this and I read that onions are not good to feed chickens so I had to think that was why it happened to her. But she is doing fine now and I can't even tell her apart from two of my other ones, laying wonderfully.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Could you get something more substantial down her. I don't know how big your syringe is. If the opening is large enough, maybe you could make her some kind of gruel, baby food consistency with more liquid added, so it will go through the syringe. Do you have those little packages of oatmeal, they turn out pretty mushy. Maybe you could get that into her.

I would also definitely get electrolites into her. Dilute some gatorade. Or buy the stuff especially for poultry. I get mine at a feed store.

I'm still hoping she'll pull through. I have worked on my chickens for weeks sometimes, just nursing them through it. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. At least I tried.

 

[framing fowl]

One question I do have- how do I know if she's in a lot of pain, to the point that I'd have to put her down?

You have a good head on your shoulders and you are very attentive to your sweet girl. You will know. Praying she pulls through.

 

[Javamama]

If her droppings have a bad odor, then I would suspect an internal infection. Possibly caused by an egg that might have broken inside and did not get expelled. I have had 3 go down with these same symptoms, but then again chickens seem to display the same symptoms for alot of different problems. It is nearly impossible to figure out before it's too late. In our cases we decided the hens were too far gone and we put them down because we knew they were suffering.

 

[meriruka]

as for the possibility of putting her down, i've read about people using lighter fluid. basically you soak some paper towels in the fluid and put them in a paper bag. slide the bag over her head and close it around her neck (maybe tie it with string lightly). this will put her out slowly with no pain. she'll just pass out from the fluid and then die. there's never a "good" way to do the deed with a pet, but this way seems to be the easiest on the bird and yourself.

good luck. hopefully things will turn around.

I'm not trying to get anyone angry or hurt any feelings, but please, please it's Starter Fluid not lighter fluid
Starter fluid is ether, lighter fluid will burn her eyes & lungs.

I use starter fluid to put down chicks (usung cotton balls over the nostrils) and I've used a spackle bucket (with a tight lid) soaked wash cloths with the ether at the bottom, then put the chicken in & close the lid. This works with standard chickens near death, but it has failed once, so it's not fool proof.
A vet will do it for around $10, so if you can afford that I would go that route.

I'm sorry for your girl. Sounds like you're doing everything you can.
If her poo is watery & greenish, it usually means she is not processing food. watery yellow is usually either urates (like urine) or there is an infection. If it smells like rotten egg, it could very well be infection.
I hope she recovers for you.

 

[Dace]

Morning....I'm wondering how you and your girl are doing this morning?

I hope that she made it thru the night and on to fight for the day.

I know this is hard, you are doing a great job!

 

[bibliophile birds]

I'm not trying to get anyone angry or hurt any feelings, but please, please it's Starter Fluid not lighter fluid
Starter fluid is ether, lighter fluid will burn her eyes & lungs.

definitely no hurt feelings. i've never used this technique, so i was simply reporting what i had read. the person probably meant starter fluid but typed lighter fluid.

thanks for clearing that up!