URGENT help with sick bird
Our take
Oh no, it sounds like one of your feathered friends is having a tough time! With your little chick being just 9-10 weeks old and showing signs of distress, it’s understandable to feel anxious. You’re already doing a cluck-tastic job by getting her to the vet and providing supportive care. With the green diarrhea and her lethargy, it’s crucial to monitor her closely, especially considering the recent introduction of new chicks. Your proactive quarantine measures are spot on! Keep her cozy, hydrated, and nourished with that ACV and electrolyte mix. It might also be worth checking out "Chicken acting weird?? Help 😅" for more insights on odd behaviors in chickens. Hang in there—your love and care make all the difference!
In the whimsical world of chicken-keeping, our feathered friends often lead us on unexpected journeys, filled with joy, laughter, and sometimes, heart-wrenching worry. Recently, a community member reached out for urgent help with a sick bird, sharing a harrowing tale of her beloved chick who suddenly became lethargic and unresponsive. Despite having visited the vet and carrying out diligent care routines, she faced the daunting challenge of not only nursing her chick back to health but also ensuring the safety of her entire flock. The thread of concern resonated deeply, reflecting the common fears many chicken keepers harbor — will my birds be okay? What if this spreads? It’s a relatable fear, echoing sentiments from our previous discussions like in Chicken acting weird?? Help 😅 and How it started / How it’s going.
The urgency of this situation underscores a vital aspect of chicken care: the importance of vigilant observation and swift action when something seems off. Our friend’s experience highlights a scenario many new chicken keepers may face, where one day your chick is happily scratching the ground for bugs, and the next, they’re puffed up and barely moving. The swift transitions in health can leave even the most seasoned flock owners feeling a bit clucky — and that’s perfectly okay! The emotional rollercoaster of watching a beloved pet fall ill is a reminder that, while we may have a wealth of knowledge, our feathered friends can still surprise us. This situation not only emphasizes the need for proactive care but also the importance of community support, as shared stories can provide reassurance and alternative solutions.
The broader implications of this scenario also touch on the delicate balance of managing biosecurity within mixed flocks. With the introduction of new chicks and poults, the worry about possible disease exposure becomes a pressing concern. Our contributor did right by quarantining the sick chick and taking precautions, but it raises an important question: how do we effectively manage biosecurity without turning our chicken-keeping endeavors into a fortress? It’s a nuanced dance, and one that every chicken keeper must learn. This is where humor and relatability come into play — acknowledging our fears while navigating the sometimes-chaotic world of poultry management can make the process feel a bit lighter. After all, we’re all in this together, with our quirky, sometimes maddening, feathered friends.
As this community member continues to care for her sick bird, we’re reminded of the resilience of both chickens and chicken keepers. The journey ahead may be uncertain, but it’s a journey filled with love, care, and the hope that our feathered friends will pull through. For those of us with a penchant for poultry, this situation serves as a call to arms — or rather, a call to keep our eyes peeled and our hearts open. As we look ahead, let’s keep sharing our stories and supporting each other through the ups and downs of chicken keeping. After all, who knows what egg-citing adventures await us next?
I brought her to the vet already but want to make sure I'm doing everything possible. She's ~9-10 weeks and we've had her for a little over a month. She was great all day yesterday, I was outside with them most of the day. Let her out at 7:30 this morning and all was well, then when I checked on her during a work break at 10 AM (I work from home) she wasn't with the flock and was very puffed up, standing with her eyes closed. I picked her up and she just melted in my arms, and she is a snuggly chick but usually resists being picked up. They free roam for 5-8 hours/day but we are usually out to more or less supervise, we don't use anything toxic at all in the garden or elsewhere. None of the other 5 chickens she coops with are showing symptoms. She had green diarrhea at the vet and the fecal was negative for bacteria or parasites, but it may have been too small a sample. They sent me home with antibiotics and I've been syringe feed and watering her for a few hours now. This morning she did eat some meal worms but wasn't interested in food, and I got her to drink some ACV water on her own but now she's only drinking through syringe. She is now very lethargic and sleeping in my daughter's arms. I have her drinking ACV/electrolyte/probiotic water through a syringe and eating mushed up crumble with the same water mix and a tiny bit of liquid vitamin A through a syringe every 1-2 hours for now. She is inside and warm.
We have 5 other chickens and a turkey outside and 4 chicks and 3 poults inside so I'm trying to prevent anything spreading and have quarantined her and will wear different clothes to care for her. The green poop indicates that she has been off food for a while, but I saw her eating throughout the day yesterday, hunting and catching bugs, and she went wild for mealworms several times so I'm stumped. As far as I know they are not vaccinated for Marek's. I'm worried that this sounds like Newcastle disease, and we picked up the 4 new chicks and 3 poults this weekend. The new birds have never interacted with the other chickens and older turkey, and they are kept inside. But we did wear the same clothes to interact with both flocks. Could that have caused exposure? And has anyone had a bird come back from something similar?
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