Dehydration: Symptoms, Cure and Prevention

[artistazalea]

Yes, but only a little. I found a bloody looking stool. Pretty solid, but unlike the normal in that it is very dark red. She feels hot, and is laying down. I just got home from work.

 

[nduff2004]

What if they drink by themselves but they don't seem to have feeling in their legs?

 

[Kenziem1001]

My chicken went missing and it's been 2 weeks 2 days. We found her under a pile of wood trapped she couldn't walk and had no food or water. We have gotten her out and in the yard but don't know how to monitor and what to do. She's drinking a lot of water but spitting it up. And eating a ton and still drinking a bunch. HELP!!!!!! Please. She is a Houdan and this is in AR.

 

[casportpony]

My chicken went missing and it's been 2 weeks 2 days. We found her under a pile of wood trapped she couldn't walk and had no food or water. We have gotten her out and in the yard but don't know how to monitor and what to do. She's drinking a lot of water but spitting it up. And eating a ton and still drinking a bunch. HELP!!!!!! Please. She is a Houdan and this is in AR.

Often they will spit up if the water is cold, so keep her in a warm room (80-85 degrees) and offer warmed water with a little sugar. Probably best to remove food until she's had plenty of water.

-Kathy

 

[chicken4prez]

I have a hen who's comb is flopped over and has a bit watery green poop. We are force feeding her water. Does this sound like dehydration or something else?

 

[elaineinspain]

HELP!
my 11 week old cochin has all the symptoms of dehydration. It has been over 80º the past week. When she was free ranging she just lay under the coop all day, probably trying to keep cool.

This morning I found her in the coop lying on her side and gasping. She wasn't outside with the others. I brought her into the house and poured some cold water into a bowl and tried to make her stand in it. I thought she had heat stroke.
She didn't have the strength to stand, so I held her and dangled her feet in the cold water for 10 minutes, then made some water with sugar and coconut oil dissolved in and I've been trying to spoon feed it to her. She has been drinking it, but sometimes she sort of chokes, so I'm really scared it might have gone down into her lungs.
She is just lying in the crate on a towel. I did have the overhead fan on, because I thought it was heat stroke, but have now turned it off as I read in this thread sick birds can get hypothermia. She has drank about 75ml of water mixed with sugar and a dash of coconut oil, since I found her about an hour ago. She is now sleeping.

I don't trust myself to give her liquids by tube.

When should I try and give her more water mix?

She was in that strange position with her head and neck screwd right back on her back, but now she has her head in a normal position.

 

[casportpony]

HELP!
my 11 week old cochin has all the symptoms of dehydration. It has been over 80º the past week. When she was free ranging she just lay under the coop all day, probably trying to keep cool.

This morning I found her in the coop lying on her side and gasping. She wasn't outside with the others. I brought her into the house and poured some cold water into a bowl and tried to make her stand in it. I thought she had heat stroke.
She didn't have the strength to stand, so I held her and dangled her feet in the cold water for 10 minutes, then made some water with sugar and coconut oil dissolved in and I've been trying to spoon feed it to her. She has been drinking it, but sometimes she sort of chokes, so I'm really scared it might have gone down into her lungs.
She is just lying in the crate on a towel. I did have the overhead fan on, because I thought it was heat stroke, but have now turned it off as I read in this thread sick birds can get hypothermia. She has drank about 75ml of water mixed with sugar and a dash of coconut oil, since I found her about an hour ago. She is now sleeping.

I don't trust myself to give her liquids by tube.

When should I try and give her more water mix?

She was in that strange position with her head and neck screwd right back on her back, but now she has her head in a normal position.

Can you take her to a vet?

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I have a hen who's comb is flopped over and has a bit watery green poop. We are force feeding her water. Does this sound like dehydration or something else?

Watery green poop sounds more like infection.

-Kathy

 

[chicken4prez]

Watery green poop sounds more like infection.

-Kathy

OK, she died a few weeks ago but thanks for your help!

 

[elaineinspain]

@casportpony
Thank you for your suggestion. She had a convulsion and died in my arms shortly after I wrote the post.

Now I know that if any of the others goes under the coop to be in the shade, I must put a bowl of water within their reach and not expect them to come out and walk the half a yard into the coop to get a drink. These are my first chickens, and I never realised that the heat was such a killer. Today my husband has fixed up an awning on the side of the coop to give them some more shade. They also have citrus trees, apple trees and olive trees to free range under. The one that died was a lot smaller than the others and a lot slower with her feathers coming in. I think she was the 'runt' of the hatch. Thank God that the other 3 chickens are bigger and more healthy. They are also suffering from the heat, but go under the trees and dust bathe to keep cool. I've been keeping a close eye on them since she died, and they DO go regularly to drink either from the waterer in the coop or from the bowls of water I place under the trees.
I suppose for cochins it's even more difficult for them in hot weather because of all their extra feathers...