Chicken is still not the same after illness

[DogwoodCoop]

I have a 8 month old buff orpington hen that had an unknown illness in recent months. First time owner here btw but I've gotten a lot of great advice on this site so far.

My hen started out with the typical slower movements, staying by my side, stumbling around, not so energetic, etc. Then I noticed it ate less and less within a couple of days and she had also been scratching around her eye and neck region. I had already been giving my hens ACV in their water and the occasional garlic, as well. I saw on a random thread that some people had tried Hypericum Perforatum (a natural nerve pain remedy), so I tried that too, along with the Epsom salt bath, removing her from the flock and being in a warmed and isolated kennel in the garage, while still taking her out for some sunlight every day.

She quickly bounced back but still had that slight stumbling effect. Her comb and wattles have stayed in their early growth stage (pink and short) while my other BOs have the full red ones now. She still scratches at her eyes and moves slowly. She'll occasionally peck and hold her own if another hen is invading her feeding time, and she keeps her mouth open sometimes too.

Bottom line is she has never been 100 percent again but she can still have basic functions like eating, normal poops, roosting, and so on. She's just not thriving anymore and I'm trying to rule out so many illnesses and diseases like Merricks, conjunctiva, worms, respiratory infections, etc.

Any advice or suggestions are welcomed. I understand I may have to cull this hen but I don't feel like it's gotten to that point in these last few months.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Then I noticed it ate less and less within a couple of days and she had also been scratching around her eye and neck region.

She still scratches at her eyes and moves slowly.

I saw on a random thread that some people had tried Hypericum Perforatum (a natural nerve pain remedy)

Welcome To BYC

Can you please post photos of your pullet, some clear photos of her face, eyes and her poop?

A video of how she moves may be helpful - upload video to youtube and provide a link.

What do you feed, including treats?

Hard to know what's going on with her, but it sounds like she's failed to thrive very well.
Hypericum Perforatum (St. Johns Wart) is often used to offer supportive care to birds with Marek's disease or Infectious Bursal Disease. Could be the herbal treatment helped or it was coincidental with you taking her aside and offering supportive care insuring she was eating/drinking.

She's scratching around the eyes and neck and has been for a while, do you notice lice or mites on her? Any discharge from the nostrils or eyes? Have you ever had respiratory infection in your flock before (coughing, sneezing, runny nostrils, etc.)?

Look inside her beak for any infection, canker or lesions. Check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight. Vitamins may be helpful, you can try giving 400IU Vitamin E along with 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily.

Consider getting a fecal float to rule out Coccidiosis and worms.

 

[DogwoodCoop]

Welcome To BYC

Can you please post photos of your pullet, some clear photos of her face, eyes and her poop?

A video of how she moves may be helpful - upload video to youtube and provide a link.

What do you feed, including treats?

Hard to know what's going on with her, but it sounds like she's failed to thrive very well.
Hypericum Perforatum (St. Johns Wart) is often used to offer supportive care to birds with Marek's disease or Infectious Bursal Disease. Could be the herbal treatment helped or it was coincidental with you taking her aside and offering supportive care insuring she was eating/drinking.

She's scratching around the eyes and neck and has been for a while, do you notice lice or mites on her? Any discharge from the nostrils or eyes? Have you ever had respiratory infection in your flock before (coughing, sneezing, runny nostrils, etc.)?

Look inside her beak for any infection, canker or lesions. Check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight. Vitamins may be helpful, you can try giving 400IU Vitamin E along with 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily.

Consider getting a fecal float to rule out Coccidiosis and worms.

I feed a 50/50 mix of Elite chicken scratch and Elite layer pellets, although I'm moving toward making my own feed. I also feed soaked alfalfa pellets to my hens that they go crazy for. Someone had the pellets for their horse but gave it to me. Figured I'd soak them and mash it up. It's a big hit. Treats consist of dried mealworms. Her poop is normal like the others too.

My sick hen will keep its mouth open now and then. I did notice yesterday after posting, a bubble or two from its left eye. She occasionally sneezes or shakes her head if she's not scratching. I'll try to upload a video like you said. Right now, I feel like it could be gapeworm or a chronic respiratory infection.

I'm so close to culling this poor girl this go around since all she does is exist and gradually enter into this suffering. But I hate the idea of giving up on a sick bird, especially if it's something I can treat.

Would VetRx be worth trying?
I put a minimal amount of Corid in the water as a precaution but I definitely don't want to overdo that either.

I'll try to post a video link today.

Side note, none of my other hens have shown signs or ever gotten sick.

 

[nuthatched]

That diet isn't good for your birds, especially your boy. Too much carbs and fat. Males and nonlaying birds should not eat layer, too much calcium, it causes kidney issues.
Cut out the scratch and get a all flock type feed, with atleast 17% protein and provide oyster shell for your girls.
To continue with the current diet will drastically reduce their lifespan and health.
Have you checked for mites?
Do they get acv all the time? I would advise against the garlic as it's toxic to animals and us, but especially birds and cats.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Kalmbach All Flock (20% protein) is currently on great sale on Chewy, it’s what I feed my laying girls along with oyster shell on the side

 

[DogwoodCoop]

Kalmbach All Flock (20% protein) is currently on great sale on Chewy, it’s what I feed my laying girls along with oyster shell on the side

Good to know! They are all hens btw. I keep reading good things about alfalfa (i only give to them on occasion). Does anyone think otherwise?

 

[DogwoodCoop]

Attached some photos. You can see the bubble on the eye in one pic. Checked for mites. Nothing. Gonna make them a good dust bath spot while I'm out today.

 

[DogwoodCoop]

Here's a video as well

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I feed a 50/50 mix of Elite chicken scratch and Elite layer pellets, although I'm moving toward making my own feed. I also feed soaked alfalfa pellets to my hens that they go crazy for

Cut down drastically on the Elite Scratch - it looks like it's about 10% protein. Give it as a treat only a few times a week, when you run out, just don't buy any more. Give a very small of the soaked alfalfa pellets as a treat instead.

Elite Layer Pellets look to be about 18% protein. I see nothing wrong with giving the pullets layer feed. Seems to be o.k. to me.

As for making your own feed - that's up to you. There's many threads here on byc discussing that aspect of keeping, I won't join the fray. For me, I just prefer to purchase a nutritionally balanced poultry feed.

I did notice yesterday after posting, a bubble or two from its left eye. She occasionally sneezes or shakes her head if she's not scratching. I'll try to upload a video like you said. Right now, I feel like it could be gapeworm or a chronic respiratory infection.

Looks and sounds like to me she's got a respiratory infection. Hard to know if it's Mycoplasma or something else.
If you want to treat her, then I would use Tylosin, you can order it online. Dosing is on the package.
She has swelling of the facial tissue and her ears looks a bit swollen too. Do look inside the ears for any infection or pus.
Any bad odors? From the beak or discharge from the eyes? If so, then it may be Infectious Coryza which would need to be treated with a Sulfa antibiotic.

Do relook inside the beak for any lesions or canker, I can't tell if that's normal coloring in the photo or if there's a yellow patch inside the beak, I've added the photo below and circled what I'm talking about.

For her eyes, flush them with saline and apply an ointment like Terramycin 2-3 times a day if possible - at least once. If you can't find Terramycin ointment, you can use Original Neosporin.

Let me know what you find out about odors or what's in her ears.

I put a minimal amount of Corid in the water as a precaution but I definitely don't want to overdo that either.

Corid is a Coccidiostat not an antibiotic, so if you are giving the correct dose it won't hurt her or the others. There's no egg withdrawal period with Corid.

Liquid Corid dose is 2tsp or Powdered Corid Dose is 1 1/2tsp per gallon of water given for 5-7 days as the only source of drinking water.
Do not add any extra vitamins/electrolytes that contain B1(Thiamine) to food or water during the course of treatment.