Backyard Poultry Forum

Hello all:

I have a hen which is around 7 years old. Her health for the most part has always been good.

The last week she is sick - lethargic, tail dropping, sleeping and not eating anywhere as much as she used to. Her comb has altered colour from bright red to darkish red.

She has had mild diarrhoea for 3 days. The stools are liquid - white and bubbly.

Today she passed two more slightly solid stools, green in colour with a firm urate ball (see images).

She also ate a bit more and drank quite a bit of water.

I have added SoluVet Plus to her water in addition to some Epsom Salts (magnesium). (Broadly speaking, SoluVet Plus this is an assortment of vitamins.

I am concerned that her symptoms may indicate internal issues such as liver or kidney shutdown.

Any suggestions ?

Thank You, ChickenGal

Sorry that your chicken isn’t well.

The bright green poop most likely just means that she’s not eating. The green is probably bile, which is a normal digestive product. Usually it gets mixed in with what the bird has eaten and turns brown. When there no food to mix in with it stays green.

What is her weight like? Weight and muscle mass can be an indicator of how long a problem has been going on for - the lighter and bony-er the bird the longer the problem.

Can you entice her to eat with any of her favourites?

Cut out the Epsom salts as that will just speed up the passage of anything she eats and will minimise the value she gets from it.

_________________
Cheerio, Rach
Blue Swedish Ducks

If her comb is very dark red that might suggest a problem getting oxygen done her body - either a heart or lung issue - something compromising her breathing or circulation. Just a guess though.

Unless you can take her to the vet at this stage I’d just try to keep her warm and comfortable and see if you can tempt her to eat. 7 is a grand old age for a chicken...

_________________
Cheerio, Rach
Blue Swedish Ducks

Thanks for your reply and appreciate your input.

She ate a bit more food today as I was handfeeding her.

She is rather light weight wise so I think the issue has been ongoing for a at least a month or so since her last moult.

Kind Regards, Chicken Gal

Hello again

Today she is worse and refuses to eat with the exception of a few bites of a pear, some raw oats, and some banana pieces. She also refused to drink. Even trying to hand water her is difficult as she will not open her beak. I have stopped epum salts but have continued with SoluVet Plus. She also stays in the nest box and will not leave the coup despite it being sunny out.

Her comb has regained some colour. Checking through the records I believe Myrtle to be around 7-9 years old. She was a rescue hen so am unsure of her real age.

I read about PolyAid by VetaFarm on another post so may try this if I can find some locally.

To date I have had poor luck with vets - they all want euthanasia to occur, and all they do is weigh the bird and take notes.

Kind Regards, Chicken-Gal

Hello again

Today she ate some oats soaked in PolyAid, but she still refused to eat and drink by herself.

Myrtle when taken outside the coup always returns to the nest box. She falls asleep regularly but then seems to chirp up inbetween sleeping. Her comb and wattle has returned to a red colour so it is well oxygenated.

Today she passed some seeds that were undigested. Perhaps this means either she has little grit or the excess bile she has previously passed does not enable her to disgust food. Grit is freely available but she does not swallow any.

Unsure what exactly to do other than continue to feed her by hand.

Perhaps I should try antibiotics, although I do not know if she has an infection. As the stools contain bubbles it may point to internal gas generation which possible could be clostridium. Certainly lethargy, not eating, and gas in stools are symptoms of this infection.

Chicken-gal

It might be worth having a stool sample tested.

Good idea, however, any tests cost upwards of $200 and there is only one vet who will look at hens at my location.

My guess is that if this was organ shutdown the hen would be worse or dead by now - it’s been a week since we noticed she had lost condition

We have some Tylan and will decide in the morning to whether we administer or not.

Chicken-gal

Greetings

Attached is a picture of Myrtle's latest poop. The green colour (bile) is not as prevalent as earlier poops, however, the undigested seeds suggest lack of water in her system. The poop is much former than earlier poops (? less water). The presence of seeds, in addition to her other symptoms of lethargy and lack of appetite, indicate a possible infection by Clostridium perfringens.

It's a long shot concerning C. perfringens as it could be other issues such as liver failure (or a host of other aliments including advanced age....).

We are treating with Talon as of yesterday (hand feeding).

Today her appetite returned a little and she ate quite a few raw oats soaked in water. She also ate some porridge and a small amount of pear, and an inch of banana!

I also attach a snapshot of Myrtle.

I will continue tor report here, and if others have suggestions please chime in. Thank you, Chicken-Gal

Good luck - hopefully she continues to improve.
I would cut out any thing which is a challenge to digest atm (grain/seeds) and encourage her to eat a pellet mash - even just a few added to her porridge to start.
Do some research on the digestability of oats for poultry - I've seen a few reports that they may not be suitable (and others which dispute that).

Thanks for the information. Good to know.

I will revert to trying to get her to eat pellets, just in case the negatives of using oats is true.

She eagerly ate the oats ahead of other foods bar bananas.

Kind Regards, Chicken-gal

Hello

Myrtle is still with us although today was a poor day for her. She refused to eat very much and did not like being force feed water (after a short time she clamps her beak shut). Much of the day Myrtle spent asleep in the nest box.

Late this afternoon her breathing seemed to be laboured. It isn't noisy and it's not difficult for her to breath, however, the breathing seems to come from her neck area. Her feathers swell out an in with each breath (I have never seen this before).

Tonight we obtained some red grapes and cut them up. She ate several which is good as this will give her some liquid.

Attached are two poops she did earlier today. They are different to those posted earlier in the thread. She still is passing undigested seeds despite not being fed seeds for at least 3 days!

As always, if you have any ideas please chime in. Myrtle is currently in a the house in a warm room, as it's 5C outside and we thought it might be too cold for her in the coup. Thank you, Chicken-Gal

The seeds coming thru intact point to a problem further up - in the gizzard, which is where grinding occurs. It's just below the crop so if there's something wrong there, (tumor) that may be causing the breathing issue.

That doesn’t sound too good.....

Is there are a way to determine if this is the issue ?

She doesn’t appear to be in pain, but who really knows with something you cannot see.

Thanks, Chicken-gal

Greetings

Myrtle's condition has not changed from yesterday.

Her breathing appears to be more laboured and she is using her upper chest muscles. Her cheek wattles move as she breaths in and out.

Using a stethoscope I cannot hear any gurgling, however, I can hear what can be described as a 'value' opening and closing with each breath.

I am very careful when hand-feeding water to her using an eye dropper, but cannot help think that I may have pushed some water into the lungs. But, if this did occur surely you would hear gurgling with each breath (?)

Most of the time she sleeps, awakening every hour or so for a few minutes before going back to sleep.

I am still feeding her grape and banana pieces in addition to mashed pellets.

Chicken-Gal