1 hen fading, others seem fine

[accidentalchick]

I have a RIR hen that has been slowly deteriorating over 4-6wks with brief periods of a day or two when she seems better. At first, she just seemed to be losing her spunk, slept in the corner instead of nesting near her roo (has never roosted on a perch really), and didn't spend as much time with the flock (would find her off on her own very frequently). I've had her since Feb and don't know her exact age, but my best guess based on the info that I have from her previous owner is that she's somewhere around 2-3yrs old. To my knowledge, she's never laid since she's been in my coop, but I'm ok with that with the exception of what it means as a potential symptom.

During this time of deterioration, I suspected that she needed to be wormed because I see her eating, yet she's lost weight. We wormed the whole flock with ivomecterin two weeks ago tomorrow, and it has seemed to help everyone lay better and she briefly seemed more perky. Over the past 4-6wks her comb has wilted and become somewhat pale, so I've been trying to encourage her to eat more the past few weeks by offering nutritious treats such as yogurt, frozen fruit and corn kernels (especially in the last week as it's gotten really hot) and scrambled eggs. She always seems to chow down her share.

Last night, I became even more concerned when she was returning to the coop for the evening. My coop has a step from the sidewalk to the inside of the coop that is about a foot or so tall. None of my chickens have ever had trouble making it up there, and I never gave it a second thought until she couldn't hop up there last night. At first, she tried as normal, didn't make it and fell on her side with one wing splayed out to the side. She just stood there for a long time like she knew she couldn't do it, so I gently shooed her towards the door to encourage her to try again. I wanted to see if it was a true problem or a fluke, and she didn't make it again. At that point, I went ahead and put her in the coop, and she immediately went over to eat and drink. (I've been noticing visually that she's thin, but when I picked her up she weighs next to nothing and her breast bone has no meat on it whatsoever.) This morning as the heat was starting to come on I took them some frozen fruit, and again she ate her share.

She has also had some diarrhea off and on, and does have some ick around her vent feathers. I've tried to clean her up off and on, but she's kind of a mess back there.

I'm at a loss for what else to do for her. Is she just getting old and weak? At 2-3, it doesn't seem THAT old. Is there anything else I can do for her besides the worming she had, getting her to eat and drink (which hasn't seemed to have been a problem), and probiotics (in water at times and yogurt)?

Thanks!

 

[accidentalchick]

I should also add that her eyes are clear and there do not appear to be any respiratory issues.

 

[chicachic]

I hope this is the correct place to comment on your problem. I dont have an answer, I have the same situation but with a bard rock. No symptoms, clear eyes, diarrhea but i sent a sample to the vet and it came back neg for coccidiosis. She had lost weight but I didnt nortice it because she is so fluffy. The difference is that my hen wasnt eating her peellets, just worms or fruits., she did seem to like the chick starter but still didnt do well. She just died and I am planning to have a necropsy done. I have new babies and dont want any of them to die. I hope someone has a suggestion

 

[accidentalchick]

After a lot of reading and desperate digging online in the last 24h, I feel like vent gleet may be the most likely candidate for what is wrong with her. She is by no means a "classic case," but enough symptoms fit that I'm thinking of trying to address it as if that were the issue and see what happens. At this point, she's going to waste away if I don't do something, so would it be harmful to treat with an oral epsom salt solution, Monistat cream and yogurt if that's not what it is? I don't have access to Nystatin, so that's not an option. (My friend and I both have chickens, and the vets around here won't even see them and admittedly know next to nothing about them.)

 

[accidentalchick]

So, last night, I got her into a warm tub of water and cleaned up the little mess on her rear. I was expecting it to be smelly and red and irritated when I got closer to her vent. It wasn't. Her skin seems totally healthy (as far as healthy goes on this bird anyway). I'm not thinking vent gleet at all any more...other than the wasting away and the bit of crud that was stuck to her bum, there isn't really anything else to suggest vent gleet. I also did an internal to check for a bound egg, which I didn't really think was the issue, but I thought I'd rule it out while I had her cleaned up and on my lap...nothing. I also saw no evidence of any lice or mites. On another note, she's even thinner than I thought. Her keel bone sticks out so far, and her skin sinks in around every bone.

She stayed in a box on our enclosed porch last night after her bath and a blow dry, which she actually seemed to enjoy. I fed her a mash of pellets and plain yogurt and gave her water. She ate but not much.

Anyone have any ideas?