Backyard Poultry Forum

I seem to get this a lot with my birds - or perhaps green poo and lethargy and lack of eating is a sign of many different un-wellnesses ..

however I have been advised to try electrolytes and Triple C powder by the breeder I purchased this lovely bantam Polish from two months ago. She had never been wormed and I did do this nearly 4 weeks later than I had meant to.

I have been feeding Ginger poly aid - approx 6 teaspoons per day (there is no dosage recommended on the bottle - any advice on this appreciated I am still awaiting a response from Vetafarm on this) She is around 750 grams. 28 weeks old and not yet laying.

I understand Vetafarm also make Triple C but I have never used it (I usually get vet antibiotics)

She is isolated inside in a cat carrier and as I don't see her drinking I am also using a dropper (Carefully so as not to asphyxiate her!) to give her Gatorade mixed with water (there are electrolytes as well as vitamins in the Polyaid so I don't want to give the Gatorade straight but I figure some extra electrolytes won't hurt given her size and the dose of Polyaid)

She has nibbled some corn and scoffed 40 mealies today and she still preens. But she also hangs her head a lot, fluffs up a bit and is a lot less active. And makes a pathetic sort of bleating sound instead of her usual happy chirrup. The two Jap pullets she is currently housed with are absolutely fine. They do free range though so it is possible I suppose Ginger has eaten something they haven't (like a slug?)

I wormed her with Moxidectin (Gecko Dan's) nearly two days ago thinking it might be worms. So three questions please if any one can answer:

1. How long should I expect it to take the wormer to work? (if that is the issue)
2. Is Triple C worth the money?
3. How much Poly-aid (If any) should one give a 750g bantam pullet?

And of course, any suggestions most appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

1. The wormer should work very quickly, within the day given. As with any worming product it only kills the adult worms, which is why the follow up dose 10- 14 days later is recommended to kill worms which develop from eggs or newly hatched worms.
2. The general answer given to this is no, there is such widespread immunity it is no longer prescribed which is why it is available over the counter.
3. "Add 5mL of water to 10g of Poly Aid Plus and make into a slurry. Make fresh daily for each use, discard any unused portion." This is the advice given on the Vetafarm website under the heading "Directions" for this product. The lack of a dose rate is confusing.

Green poo is, I understand, a symptom of malnutrition, so I think when you say "perhaps green poo and lethargy and lack of eating is a sign of many different un-wellnesses .." you are correct.
I would not think it is necessary to give Gatorade, even diluted on top of other electrolytes as chooks do not tolerate salts well.
I do not know your situation or beliefs, personally if this were my pullet I would probably take her to an avian vet. If this is not possible, I would try feeding a small amount of tinned cat food, in addition to the water, meal worms and poly aid you are providing.
I hope all goes well for Ginger.

Thanks so much Kirane for the extensive reply.

I do normally take my birds to a vet - I have tried pretty much every avian vet in Victoria I would say!

In all the birds I have taken to the vet (and my other half would concur with this) out of approx 22 birds only one has come home alive and stayed alive - this was Vegemite our black 'lorp who had a malfunctioning crop which Patricia McWhirter
a tBurwood Bird Vet clinic operated on with great success (back in 2011 if I recall correctlly - her colleague and successor at the practice less successfully on a different bird of ours)

All the others have passed despite isolation, crop feeding, antibiotics, anti-fungals, multivitamin supplements, (prayer & reiki even!!)

I have quite lost faith in vets I am afraid - or at least the 6 out of the 7 we have tried around the Melb area However I do keep heritage rare breeds so that would add to the difficulties as I am sure if rare they are rare for a reason.

At this stage Ginge is looking more lively and eating a tad better (tho mainly treats like corn lettuce and mealies rather than her medicated pellets) so I am faintly hopeful.

Will be checking her poos carefully the next few days while she remains isolated and in the warm insider from the frosty Melbourne cold change of the last two days. (my she cheeped up a fuss when I popped her back in the cat carrier after a brief two hour run around the garden with her two young pals...I had put a towel over the carrier to quiet her protests!)

Fingers crossed but I must say with a seasoned fortitude at a potential sad outcome.

Sent pm

I am pleased to report Ginger has made a full recovery with the aid of Poly Aid (Vetafarm) I recommend it - despite the odd dosage instructions. Odd because not being based on body weight of the bird they seem to suggest that a finch, a galah and a chicken would all require the same amount of mineral, vitamins etc *head scratch*?

But it helped. That is the main thing.