Broody or sick? Green poop and more… *pics*

[CharlieBaby]

Thanks for reading. My hen ISA brown Nina is roughly 18 months old and showing some concerning symptoms. I thought she was broody, but now I’m thinking she’s sick…

These behaviors made me think she was broody…

• Sitting on clutch of eggs, 6 days
• Not leaving nest
• Giant broody-looking poop
• Missing breast feathers
• Bristling feathers and clucking when I or other hens approach
• Tail feathers broken at ends
• Age; 18 months and never broody before

She sat — “broody” — for six days. Bold symptoms below are what make me think she’s sick. I’ve been out of town and when I returned yesterday this is what happened…

• I brought food to her at her nest, she bristled at me, then she stumbled out of nest and left the roost
• I noticed her vent feathers were covered in sticky green, white, and yellow poop; the nest box was clean
• She quickly pooped a giant “broody” poop
• Very shortly after, she started diarrhea, frequent squirts in shades of yellow and lime green
• She ate a little crumble feed and drank a little water, but didn’t eat or drink much
• She scratched around the yard for a few minutes, at which point I removed all eggs
• She growled and puffed her feathers around her hen friend Thanos, and they got into a fight; I broke it up
• Frequent diarrhea continued all day, about every 10-15 minutes a watery bright yellow or lime green squirt
• Very stinky poop
• She was lethargic for the rest of the day, seeking out places to sit down and closing eyes anytime I held her
• Didn’t struggle when I tried to hold her, which is unlike her

Here’s what I did yesterday…

• Separated her from the others, dog crate
• Fresh crumbles, water with electrolytes and vitamins
• 1.5 ml NutriDrench, oral syringe
• Washed and dried vent and applied Veterycin spray

Today, she was different in some ways…

• Very frequent squirty poops in the morning that seemed to require straining, tiny mealworm-sized emerald green solid matter surrounded by yellow-ish clear liquid
• Slightly better appetite, especially in morning, but still eating much less than usual; ate small amounts of crumbles and canned cat food, drank some water; didn’t touch yogurt
• Took a dust bath, good sign
• Still puffing feathers and clicking anytime I or a chicken approach her
• She hasn’t tried to revisit her nest even though she has full access to it
• By midday, she graduated to solid dark green poops with white urate caps, not sure if this is a good or bad sign
• Lots of sitting
• Roosting a couple hours early, very unlike her

Today I’ve done the following…

• ACV in water
• Kept her separated her own coop area
• Pea-sized doses of Monistat 3, one orally mixed with soft cat food and the other up her vent (she took the oral dose but quickly ejected from vent);
• Monistat 3 cream and Veterycin applied around and slightly inside vent
• Trimmed vent feathers
• Cleaned coop
• Fresh crumbles, also soft cat food and yogurt available
• Spray vent area and coop with Elector PSP (about to do this)

This could be so many rare or common things, like fowl typhoid, pullorum, vent gleet (bacterial or fungal infection), early stage avian tuberculosis, EYP, coccidiosis, mites (didn’t find any), ticks (haven’t seen), another illness, or simply recovering from her first week brooding (ahh!). I really want her to get better.

Not sure if I should be doing more or let this run it’s course. I have all sorts of antibiotics and medicines I could use, if needed. Any idea what’s going on, or how I can help?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is her crop emptying?
Do you notice anything moving in her poop or does she have any maggots around her vent?

Yellow urates can be a sign of liver failure, I'd work on getting her hydrated. Check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight.

There's fibrous material in some of the poop, so do provide grit free choice.

Are you trying to treat Sour Crop with the Monistat 3? https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

From her behaviors you described, it does sound like she was broody. (I've had quite a few ISA Browns go broody and raise chicks over the years, so I know it's possible.) But then it sounds like she got sick too. How hot are your current temperatures? She could have gotten too hot and dehydrated while sitting on a clutch of eggs the past week, especially since ISA Browns' high egg-laying rate takes such a toll on their little bodies already.

 

[CharlieBaby]

Is her crop emptying?
Do you notice anything moving in her poop or does she have any maggots around her vent?

Yellow urates can be a sign of liver failure, I'd work on getting her hydrated. Check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight.

There's fibrous material in some of the poop, so do provide grit free choice.

Are you trying to treat Sour Crop with the Monistat 3? https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

@Wyorp Rock Thank you so much for responding. I’m not seeing maggots in poop or around her vent.

You mention possibility of liver failure. I’ve been putting ACV in her water but in the name of hydration maybe I should switch to electrolytes instead?

I’m torn about leaving her without food for the night but maybe it’s a good idea so I can check her crop in the morning. It’s not full tonight but there’s some food there. I think it feels kind of lose, but my husband says it’s not squishy like sour crop — just not full.

I’ll add grit now. She’s had access to sand in the run plus oyster shells but I’ll leave grit out tonight and from now on. Good idea.

This article made me think using Monistat might help what seemed like vent gleet. I don’t have a picture from yesterday but her vent area was very soiled and sticky. Seems possible that she got broody and then got sick, but it may be that she’s been sick all along.

I’ve also considered this post which talks about enthroflaxin for reproductive illnesses; the poop pictures there look like what I’ve been seeing here. Then again there’s this post which talks about green poop, coccidiosis and sulmet, which is tempting because sulmet also treats pullorum and some of those symptoms check out. I already have these and other antibiotics. The laundry list of illnesses in my original post is the result of the rabbit hole I entered as soon and I knew something was off.

@Allsfairinloveandbugs I live in the PNW and the high in the last week was 84 with most days in the high 70s and low 80s and humid. Not as bad as some folks, but the ladies sought shade and were panting. I’m open to any heat-related suggestions you may have. Fun to know we both have ISA Browns!

I’ll add that Nina’s friend Thanos is pecking at her, which almost never happens. Another thing is she occasionally lets out a squawk and quickly flaps her wings a couple of times in a big motion, sometimes when she’s by herself and other times when near others. Not sure if this is posturing or a physical symptom.

I’m leaving town soon for three days and hoping I can set her up for success before leaving. I love my Nina girl! Do you think it’s the liver? And if so, any special tips? Something else? If you had to pick one direction for treatment, what would it be? Open to any ideas or insights. Thank you again, I really appreciate your help.

Edit to add: Her breath doesn’t smell bad like when a different girl of mine got sour crop a few years ago.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You mention possibility of liver failure. I’ve been putting ACV in her water but in the name of hydration maybe I should switch to electrolytes instead?

I’m torn about leaving her without food for the night but maybe it’s a good idea so I can check her crop in the morning. It’s not full tonight but there’s some food there. I think it feels kind of lose, but my husband says it’s not squishy like sour crop — just not full.

I'd provide fresh plain water.

Her going without food overnight should not be an issue. She should be sleeping not eating at night.
Take food/water out of the cage at roosting time (dusk) check her crop. First thing in the morning, re-check the crop to see if it's flat/empty. Then provide her with food/water like you would normally do.
Once you've determined if the crop is emptying or not, you can begin treatment if necessary.
Even if I have a bird that has a crop problem, I always make food/water available during waking hours.

Yes, you can go down the rabbit hole and have her diagnosed for some type of exotic plague if not careful.
Do some basics - get a fecal float to rule out worms, check for lice/mites, see that the crop is emptying and provide a nutritionally balanced poultry feed with fresh clean water.

Sometimes a bird may need treatment with antibiotics to help with infection - it's still not clear whether she would benefit or not.