What could be wrong with my sick and disorientated chicken?
| 
Author: Hi
My neighbour gave me their chooks about 2 weeks ago, and I have a white speckled chicken who is sick.
At first I noticed she was always falling asleep while standing on the spot, and I thought she might have just been really tired from the transfer of one coop to the new coop, but now it’s been nearly 2 weeks, and as of yesterday I noticed she is getting progressively worse.
Today I noticed when I let all the chickens out of the coop to feed, she wouldn’t go off her perch, her head hangs low with weakness. When she finally did come out of the coop, she was really dizzy, off-balance and disorientated and fell to one side, she couldn’t walk straight. She looked very nervy and a small weak. She is still trying to eat though…
Can anyone give me any indication of what they reckon this sickness may be?
I am worried she may pass it on to the other healthy chickens too…
I can’t take her to the vet cause my husband was just made redundant, so if I can’t work out how to make her better, she will have to get the chop, as much as I wouldn’t want to…
Thanks in advance for your help.
Related posts:
Posted in Make Chicken Coop
I would worm her firstly, you can get poultry worming liquids to place in their water (wont hurt the rest to be done too). Feel her breast, if you can definately feel the breast bone then she is starving.
I would not separate yet as it could be too stressful. Now she needs high energy food, mash banana with some crumbled arrowroot biscuits and add a small honey and water to make it into a thin slop and start feeding her by hand a few times a day until she picks up. If it is cool where you are set up a heat lamp for her in a cardboard box.
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4616/$file/663-35.pdf?OpenElement
also have a read of this and see it may be coccidia. EIther way sick birds always need warmth, nutrition and time. If she doesnt improve in a couple of days then euthanise.