I HAVE SOME RHODE ISLAND HENS THAT LOOK VERY SICK!!!

THEY DON'T WANT TO EAT ( OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER ), THEY JUST LIE AROUND ALL DAY. I TRIED EVERY THING, THEY WON'T EVEN EAT BREAD ( MY CHICKENS LOVE BREAD). I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

HELP!!!!!!

I lost a whole flock years ago because at the time I couldn't afford to get a vet involved. I promised myself I would never let that happen again.

About a month ago I had a chicken go down with the same symptoms (couldn't stand or walk, just lay there with legs out to one side). The other chickens pecked her rear bloody before I noticed her.

I took her to the vet, who diagnosed it as Infectious Synovitis (a bacterial infection that settles in the leg joints), provided 5 syringes of Tetracycline/Cortisone for me to administer one a day, and prescribed water soluble terramycin for two weeks for ALL the flock. The vet cost $22, but ALL are now healthy again and I'm a little smarter.

I know this is not what your chickens have. My point is DON'T WAIT any longer. Once they get that bad it's hard to cure them. Take one to a vet or to the County Agricultural Extension Agent (In Texas, they usually have an office in the county courthouse.)

Pete and Justine Theer
Rocking T Ranch
Kempner, Texas

A couple of my hens behave that way when they moult..I caged them last year and put them on antibiotics thinking it was something exotic. They recovered nicely.
I use soluble tetracycline for general treatment, as in the weird yo-yo weather changes, and
injectable gallimycin is very good for whatever serious respiratory infection ails my chickens and turkey.
Though it isn't labelled for chickens, I also use injectable TYLAN for the really sick girls, if Gallimycin isn't available.

My chickens are loosing their feathers and the skin is red.I have three roosters and 45 hens. They have a coop about 8x10 and a run 20x40 ft.I feed them morning laying pellets and scratch mixed and more scratch in the evening.I built nine nests inside the coop.The feathers are on the back on one leg and chest these are the ones coming out.

I have some rhode island red that move slow ans sluggish. there bellies look like there are going to explode. they walk around waddeling like ducks. any one got any ideas.