Dehydration: Symptoms, Cure and Prevention

[artistazalea]

She has access to layer crumbles in the coop all the time, but now I'm wondering if I need to take that out of the coop because for some reason it seems she wont go in. She started the whole coop thing for about three nights. Could she have been frightened?

 

[casportpony]

You need to pick her up and give her a thorough exam, which includes checking all of her body for mites, lice, cuts, bruises, swellings, smells and you should very gently check the inside of her vent for a stuck egg. She's an EE, so I think they should weigh 5-6 pounds. When was the last time she was wormed?

-Kathy

 

[artistazalea]

Okay, so we moved the crumbles down next to he water. She is eating and drinking happily but limping a little on her tight leg. I'm thinking she hurt her leg somehow so she wont get in the coop and therefore can't reach the food. Doesn't explain the water because she could walk in and get that, but it explains the other stuff. Up until now shed been top chicken. The other two hens I have respect her but she's been a little more lenient with them. Does this scenario sound plausible to you? Plus I do think she's molting. The other two are about six month old pullets. Red production and barred rock (besties fran and trixie), ruby, the chicken in question is an Easter egger, and of course my favorite.

 

[casportpony]

Give her a thorough exam, and see if you can find a vet that will do a fecal float for you. What does her poop look like?

-Kathy

 

[artistazalea]

This may show my ignorance carport but what's a fecal float? I'm still pretty new at this

 

[artistazalea]

I'll have to watch her more to see her poo. I'll keep an eye out? Should I cage her?

 

[casportpony]

This may show my ignorance carport but what's a fecal float? I'm still pretty new at this

A fecal will tell you if she needs to be wormed or if she has coccidiosis.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I'll have to watch her more to see her poo. I'll keep an eye out? Should I cage her?

Are you going to do the other things I suggested in post #32 and #34?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/678722/dehydration-symptoms-cure-and-prevention/30#post_14157712

-Kathy

 

[artistazalea]

Sorry. Yes. The most noticeable thing wrong is her vent had some poop on it. Its yellow. I cleaned it up some. Her weight may be a little on the light side but she felt like she had some decent weight to her. No lice or mites that I could see. Poop is runny and grainy. I have had her about four months and we have not wormed her. I'm not sure if the previous owner wormed her. Her crop feels fine. Its squishy and I didn't notice a bad smell. Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it.

 

[seminolewind]

Did you examine her from head to toe like Casportpony suggested? Did you check her poo?