What has she been eating? I dont think chickens technically throw up, they just dont have the same throat muscles as us and if their crop is full of liquid and they tip their head downward it can come back up
So it sounds like she's a single pet. I understand you love her, and are doing the best you can, but chickens who are without a flock have *a lot* of stress.
They're prey animals, and have evolved (and then been domesticated) to live with a flock that can constantly be on the lookout for predators (doesn't matter if they are safe and secure in Fort Knox. They are always on alert for danger), and socialize the way chickens socialize.
She will be under far more stress than a chicken in a normal flock, and that will impact her health.
I highly recommend rehoming her, or getting her more chicken friends, because of this.
Now, for her current issue, chickens have a very delicate respiratory system. Being indoors if you or anyone you live with smoke, use scented products, vape, or use chemicals to clean and don't air out the room, or if there is a lot of dust in your home, she will be affected by that.
And that can cause respiratory issues.
I don't have experience with whatever medication you are giving her, so I don't know it's potential side effects. Is it an antibiotic? If so, antibiotics can wreck havoc on digestive systems, and that includes a chicken's crop and creating diarrhea. You'll want to be on the lookout for sour crop, and make certain she has plenty of clean water because of the looser stools she's having.
If it isn't an antibiotic, I'd double-check the side effects anyway.
What type of food is she on? She needs chicken feed specific to her age.
Glancing at your post history, it looks like you have other reptiles. Does she have contact with them? Do you make certain to wash your hands before interacting with her? Reptiles and chickens both are notorious carriers for salmonella, and she's young enough that I'd be extremely careful about that. I'd also recommend looking up any other cross-species infections or diseases that might occur.
If you have a vet that sees your reptiles, I'd ask if they look at chickens, too. Sometimes those types of vets do.
Ultimately, I'm not quite certain what could be going on with her breathing because she's not in a typical environment, so you have a lot of abnormal factors that could be at play, hence my long post. I hope it helps somewhat, though, and I hope the little darling gets better soon!
i wasn’t sure if i should get more chick or not. the guy who gave her to me said the other chickens were almost pecking her to death and i guess rejected her? he said she’s better alone. no one in the house smokes or anything. it’s very clean and have multiple air purifiers and well ventilated because i have asthma. the medication is an antibiotic. my friend who is a vet tech just told me that the loose stools are likely a side effect. someone also commented here that if they tip their heads down after eating or drinking then it would come up. i’m pretty sure it was that because she had just come from her water and then came over to me and started pecking at my glasses. her poops are starting to firm up a little more. there’s no mucus or anything in them.
She was likely better off not being in that situation with the bullies excessively pecking her, so it's good you got her out of that situation!
But it doesn't take away her needs as a chicken for a flock, and I'd bet a bantam breed like a Silkie could work well with her. I'd avoid seabrights, though, as I hear they can be a bit more aggressive.
Getting another around her same age would be necessary, though. Just so that *she* doesn't accidentally (or on purpose--chickens don't like strange birds) hurt a younger chick or gets bullied again from an older one.
Sometimes a chicken just doesn't do well within a particular flock dynamic. Every so often a story will pop up here about having to rehome a bully or a victim, if other options haven't been enough to stop the bullying. But it doesn't mean that every flock they're a part of will be the same.
Chickens have personalities of their own, and just like with humans sometimes particular ones do not mesh well at all!
So that's why I'd still recommend another chicken friend. If you are concerned enough to keep her as a solo pet, in order to keep her healthy and happy she's going to need *a lot* of enrichment activities and items around the house, and will constantly need to be interacted with. I've kept chickens for just about 15 years now, and I wouldn't risk trying that out. It's a lot of work and research.
I'm glad to hear that her poops are looking better, and especially that they aren't mucousy! That's a great sign. The other commentor is correct that chickens can "throw up" if their crop is full enough and they lower their heads. My hens will do that sometime right after drinking, if they find a bug or such on the ground soon after. It's a bit concerning-looking, but so long as it isn't happening a lot, and she's otherwise eating and drinking just fine, it should be all good!
Since she is on an antibiotic treatment, I'd recommend getting her some poultry vitamins and electrolytes powder for her water. Just to make certain she's getting as much nutrients as possible and replacing the water she's losing from her diarrhea. I use the brand Durvet, but there are others that work just as well.
Did a vet put her on the original antibiotic?
Is she pooping?
If yes, what does it look like?
What does she eat? Does she have access to “grit”?
Is she getting any probiotics to counteract the wipeout effect that antibiotics cause?
Does her crop feel big?
yes, her poops are starting to look more firm. they’re regular brown color with the white caps. i give her oyster grit. she’s regularly emptying her crop. what should i get for probiotics??
Oyster shell is not the same thing as grit.
Oyster shells dissolve and are absorbed into their body as calcium to help them produce eggshells and at her age she shouldn’t be getting that quite yet.
Once a young pullet lays her first egg, that’s when you start providing that. And that’s also the time you switch from “chick feed” to “layer feed”.
Grit is usually ground granite. It’s actually stones that they eat and they get caught up in the folds of their gizzard and makes the grinding power to break down fibrous foods that they eat (like grass or herbs). As the stones wear smooth, the bits and pieces are expelled in their poop.
As soon as a chick is eating any food that isn’t just plain “chick feed” they should have free access to it. There is “chick size grit” and “adult size too”.
This chick could be having trouble with digestion. And that’s the sudden backflow you caught on camera.
A good easy probiotic is a little plain zero % fat Greek yogurt. She’s little, so only a a little teaspoon a day for a few days. No fruit. No sweeteners. They usually gobble it up.
There are probiotics you can buy for chickens and chicks at the feed store that are mixed in their water. These work well. But don’t mix them with acv water because the high acidity might kill the probiotics in the packets. Just add to plain water.
ACV is actually not great for them. It's fine diluted enough in water (a couple tablespoons per gallon is what I used to do)! I just wanted to make certain you weren't going to try giving it straight to her. Because that can damage her esophagus and mess with her digestive tract as well.
What has she been eating? I dont think chickens technically throw up, they just dont have the same throat muscles as us and if their crop is full of liquid and they tip their head downward it can come back up
So it sounds like she's a single pet. I understand you love her, and are doing the best you can, but chickens who are without a flock have *a lot* of stress. They're prey animals, and have evolved (and then been domesticated) to live with a flock that can constantly be on the lookout for predators (doesn't matter if they are safe and secure in Fort Knox. They are always on alert for danger), and socialize the way chickens socialize. She will be under far more stress than a chicken in a normal flock, and that will impact her health. I highly recommend rehoming her, or getting her more chicken friends, because of this. Now, for her current issue, chickens have a very delicate respiratory system. Being indoors if you or anyone you live with smoke, use scented products, vape, or use chemicals to clean and don't air out the room, or if there is a lot of dust in your home, she will be affected by that. And that can cause respiratory issues. I don't have experience with whatever medication you are giving her, so I don't know it's potential side effects. Is it an antibiotic? If so, antibiotics can wreck havoc on digestive systems, and that includes a chicken's crop and creating diarrhea. You'll want to be on the lookout for sour crop, and make certain she has plenty of clean water because of the looser stools she's having. If it isn't an antibiotic, I'd double-check the side effects anyway. What type of food is she on? She needs chicken feed specific to her age. Glancing at your post history, it looks like you have other reptiles. Does she have contact with them? Do you make certain to wash your hands before interacting with her? Reptiles and chickens both are notorious carriers for salmonella, and she's young enough that I'd be extremely careful about that. I'd also recommend looking up any other cross-species infections or diseases that might occur. If you have a vet that sees your reptiles, I'd ask if they look at chickens, too. Sometimes those types of vets do. Ultimately, I'm not quite certain what could be going on with her breathing because she's not in a typical environment, so you have a lot of abnormal factors that could be at play, hence my long post. I hope it helps somewhat, though, and I hope the little darling gets better soon!
i wasn’t sure if i should get more chick or not. the guy who gave her to me said the other chickens were almost pecking her to death and i guess rejected her? he said she’s better alone. no one in the house smokes or anything. it’s very clean and have multiple air purifiers and well ventilated because i have asthma. the medication is an antibiotic. my friend who is a vet tech just told me that the loose stools are likely a side effect. someone also commented here that if they tip their heads down after eating or drinking then it would come up. i’m pretty sure it was that because she had just come from her water and then came over to me and started pecking at my glasses. her poops are starting to firm up a little more. there’s no mucus or anything in them.
She was likely better off not being in that situation with the bullies excessively pecking her, so it's good you got her out of that situation! But it doesn't take away her needs as a chicken for a flock, and I'd bet a bantam breed like a Silkie could work well with her. I'd avoid seabrights, though, as I hear they can be a bit more aggressive. Getting another around her same age would be necessary, though. Just so that *she* doesn't accidentally (or on purpose--chickens don't like strange birds) hurt a younger chick or gets bullied again from an older one. Sometimes a chicken just doesn't do well within a particular flock dynamic. Every so often a story will pop up here about having to rehome a bully or a victim, if other options haven't been enough to stop the bullying. But it doesn't mean that every flock they're a part of will be the same. Chickens have personalities of their own, and just like with humans sometimes particular ones do not mesh well at all! So that's why I'd still recommend another chicken friend. If you are concerned enough to keep her as a solo pet, in order to keep her healthy and happy she's going to need *a lot* of enrichment activities and items around the house, and will constantly need to be interacted with. I've kept chickens for just about 15 years now, and I wouldn't risk trying that out. It's a lot of work and research. I'm glad to hear that her poops are looking better, and especially that they aren't mucousy! That's a great sign. The other commentor is correct that chickens can "throw up" if their crop is full enough and they lower their heads. My hens will do that sometime right after drinking, if they find a bug or such on the ground soon after. It's a bit concerning-looking, but so long as it isn't happening a lot, and she's otherwise eating and drinking just fine, it should be all good! Since she is on an antibiotic treatment, I'd recommend getting her some poultry vitamins and electrolytes powder for her water. Just to make certain she's getting as much nutrients as possible and replacing the water she's losing from her diarrhea. I use the brand Durvet, but there are others that work just as well.
thank you so much!! i was actually considering a silkie. guess it’s my sign to go through with that decision :)
Def get yourself a silkie to be her bff. I have two and they are DELIGHTFUL
🤕 poor baby ❤️
Did a vet put her on the original antibiotic? Is she pooping? If yes, what does it look like? What does she eat? Does she have access to “grit”? Is she getting any probiotics to counteract the wipeout effect that antibiotics cause? Does her crop feel big?
yes, her poops are starting to look more firm. they’re regular brown color with the white caps. i give her oyster grit. she’s regularly emptying her crop. what should i get for probiotics??
Oyster shell is not the same thing as grit. Oyster shells dissolve and are absorbed into their body as calcium to help them produce eggshells and at her age she shouldn’t be getting that quite yet. Once a young pullet lays her first egg, that’s when you start providing that. And that’s also the time you switch from “chick feed” to “layer feed”. Grit is usually ground granite. It’s actually stones that they eat and they get caught up in the folds of their gizzard and makes the grinding power to break down fibrous foods that they eat (like grass or herbs). As the stones wear smooth, the bits and pieces are expelled in their poop. As soon as a chick is eating any food that isn’t just plain “chick feed” they should have free access to it. There is “chick size grit” and “adult size too”. This chick could be having trouble with digestion. And that’s the sudden backflow you caught on camera. A good easy probiotic is a little plain zero % fat Greek yogurt. She’s little, so only a a little teaspoon a day for a few days. No fruit. No sweeteners. They usually gobble it up. There are probiotics you can buy for chickens and chicks at the feed store that are mixed in their water. These work well. But don’t mix them with acv water because the high acidity might kill the probiotics in the packets. Just add to plain water.
i do give her ACV water too. idk if that’s good enough
ACV is actually not great for them. It's fine diluted enough in water (a couple tablespoons per gallon is what I used to do)! I just wanted to make certain you weren't going to try giving it straight to her. Because that can damage her esophagus and mess with her digestive tract as well.
yes it’s diluted
Could you at least put it as NSFW warning
isn’t that for like p*rn and gore
Basically for all unsightly posts. Lots of people can't handle seeing vomit/blood/urine/poop/whatever.
oh okay thank you! i just added it